Palliative Care Rural Initiative Dissemination Model and Implementation Guide

Through collaborations with the Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 23, and five community hospice organizations in VISN 23, the National Rural Health Resource Center released the Palliative Care Rural Initiative Dissemination Model and Implementation Guide. The guide:

  • Offers rural community hospice organizations tools, best practices, and lessons learned with implementing care coordination models that are designed to create awareness, enhance communication, and coordination of care that effectively meet the unique health care needs of rural Veterans requiring end-of-life services.
  • Addresses the grave concern that one out of every four dying Americans is a Veteran; yet 96% of Veterans are cared for outside of the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care network, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). The majority of Veterans are cared for by hospice and health care professionals in their hometown, yet many community providers are not aware of or equipped to manage the unique physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs that one's military history can impact on an individual at the end-of-life. 
  • Is intended to serve as a framework for replicating the care coordination models implemented by the five community hospice organizations that strived to create awareness of the unique end-of-life care needs of Veterans living in rural communities. 
  • Can be found with other resources relevant to rural Veterans' hospice and palliative care needs on the We Honor Veterans: Rural Veterans website. Included is a guide called NHPCO's Resources for Rural Providers.
PCRI Dissemination Model and Implementation Guide (586.92 KB)

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