NRDP-Veterans Affairs Partnerships
Here are some of the successful partnerships that State Councils have had
with the Department of Veterans Affairs. For more information, please contact
Rick Wetherill in the Office of
Community Development.
The Alaska Rural Development Council has partnered with the Applied Science Laboratory of the University of Alaska-Anchorage and the Alaska Telemedicine Project to use telecommunications as a means of providing health care over vast distances. Because rural Alaska does not have landlines, rural communities must rely on satellite transmissions that require the use of narrow bandwidth telecommunications and information technology. ARDC's connections and credibility within the state's complex rural political arena were instrumental in advancing the Telemedicine Project. Funded by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the project has developed, deployed, and evaluated the use of telemedicine for otolaryngology (ENT), dermatology, and emergency medical services to 25 villages in remote western Alaska. Through the Council members' efforts, the Alaskan Congressional Delegation recognized the NLM project as a model for creative "public-private" partnerships. Beginning in 1999, dedicated funding from the Departments of Defense, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, and Indian Health Services was leveraged to begin extending this successful model to all of Alaska's 235 rural villages and communities.
Florida Rural Development Council's Americorps/Vista volunteer program placed an Americorps/Vista volunteer at a Disabled American Veterans Emergency Aid Mission for seven months in 1999. The volunteer, a resource development technician, assisted the Mission in finding funds for its projects for disabled and homeless veterans in the 5 county Panhandle area of Florida outside Pensacola. The volunteer also coordinated meetings and developed networks for disabled and homeless veterans. In addition, in April 2000 the Mission participated in the disbursement of new goods donated by Avon and Sears, including personal care items, domestic goods including clothing and household items for disabled and homeless veterans.
The Iowa Rural Development Council's Business Development Work Group sponsored the All-Iowa Home-Based Business Conference in March 1999, which served as the springboard for the establishment of the Iowa Home-Based Business Association. The Conference came on the heels of a series of home-based business forums around the state sponsored by IRDC in cooperation with Iowa Community Colleges, Veterans Affairs, and Small Business Development Centers. Home-based business development offers entrepreneurial opportunities for veterans in Iowa.
The Kansas Rural Development Council's Health Care Committee was the catalyst for the first primary care contract between the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and a local health care provider. This effort led to an almost 60 percent increase in patients served at the first facility. Consequently, the KRDC has helped VA develop health care contracts in other rural areas of Kansas.
The Housing Circle is a three-year-old action project generated by the 1999 Maine Rural Development Council sponsored conference "Building Partnerships with the Wabanakis." The Housing Circle addresses housing and infrastructure issues in five Maine tribal communities by providing financial assistance and a forum for discussion about housing policy questions and economic development issues among the tribes. The bi-monthly meetings of the Circle offer a variety of presentations including how to apply for housing loans, and a seminar on aspects of the self-help program offered by the USDA-RD. Overall, significant Housing Circle work has focused on building relationships among the partners. Federal partners such as HUD, USDA, and the Veteran's Administration, and the state housing program entities including the Department of Community and Economic Development and the Maine State Housing Authority are working together to increase economic development opportunity for the tribes.
The Utah Rural Development Council, in partnership with Veterans Affairs, has sponsored the Mountain West Rural Health Conference for the last three years. The URDC also was central in the creation of the new Area Health Education Centers (AHECs), which assist unserved areas. In 1996 the URDC was the major sponsor of a study of rural veterans' health care needs. Titled “Meeting the Health Needs of the Rural Veteran: A Feasibility Study on Tele-medicine and other technologies,” the study resulted in the development of a mobile clinic for rural residents, including veterans, which is linked to the Utah Telemedicine initiatives.
