Posts tagged as "veterans"
New Project to Address COVID-19's Effect on Rural Veteran Mobility
The current pandemic has affected the lives of all Americans. Rural communities are particularly vulnerable due to lacking mobility services and the great distances one must travel for healthcare and other needs. Research by SURCOM will consider the effect of COVID-19 on rural veteran mobility. Nearly five million veterans live in these rural communities, representing 57% of VA health care enrollees (MOAA 2020). COVID-19 cases and deaths among rural veterans have increased at a faster rate compared to veterans in urban areas according to Johns Hopkins (2020). They also found that delayed COVID-19 testing contributed to a higher rate of cases in rural areas compared to urban areas.
The main objective of this research is to identify veterans affected by COVID-19 who have mobility needs living in rural areas and to quantify the cost of transportation options for meeting these needs. Secondary objectives will include analyzing the role of telehealth and how the pandemic has affected mobility and isolation among veterans in rural America.
For more information about this project, contact Del Peterson at del.peterson@ndsu.edu.
Webinar Recordings Online: Veterans Transportation and Rural Transit Cost-Benefit Analysis
Recordings of recent webinars conducted by SURTC staff are available online. Del Peterson presented findings from his study on veterans transportation in a webinar on July 10. Earlier this year, Ranjit Godavarthy and Jeremy Mattson presented a webinar on their cost-benefit analysis research for small urban and rural transit. Both webinars were presented as part of the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) webcast series. Recordings of the webinars can be found at the links below. Links to the full reports and executive summaries of the research are available on the SURTC website.
Webinar recordings:
Research Report – Improving Veteran Mobility in Small Urban and Rural Areas
A recently completed SURTC study examined ways to improve veteran mobility in small urban and rural areas. The need for veteran transportation is growing rapidly because of the increasing number of older veterans and injured service men and women. Many veterans in rural areas have special mobility needs and must travel long distances to receive medical care. The objective of this study was to identify veterans with mobility needs currently living in rural Minnesota, Montana, and North Dakota, and to quantify the cost of transportation options for meeting their mobility needs. Special attention was given to the medical transportation of veterans to VA health care centers. The feasibility of a coordination effort between VA health care centers and rural public transit agencies for transporting veterans to medical appointments was also studied. A key finding is that transit agencies can increase ridership and VA health centers can lower beneficiary travel costs if they coordinate services. The study results can serve as a service planning tool for rural transit agencies. Lastly, this is an optimal time to begin talking about strategies for rural transit to transition aging veterans from personal vehicles to public transit.
Links to the full report and the executive summary can be found at the website below:
Improving Veteran Mobility in Small Urban and Rural Areas
For more details, contact Del Peterson at del.peterson@ndsu.edu
Upcoming Webcast: Veteran Mobility in Small Urban and Rural Areas
SURTC researcher Del Peterson will be presenting results from his veteran mobility research as part of the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) webcast series. The webcast, titled "Veteran Mobility in Small Urban and Rural Areas," will be presented July 10 at 11:00 am central time.
The objective of this study was to identify veterans with mobility needs currently living in rural Minnesota, Montana, and North Dakota, and to quantify the cost of feasible transportation options for meeting veteran mobility needs. Special attention was given to the medical transportation of veterans to VA health care centers. This study included a survey of veterans and a simulation of their health care transportation costs.
SURTC at CTAA EXPO
SURTC staff will be participating in this year's Community Transportation EXPO, being held June 8-13 in St. Paul, MN. Jill Hough, SURTC director, will be presenting "Ethics in Decision Making," and SURTC researcher Del Peterson will be presenting results from a recent study on veterans transportation. Details about their presentations are below:
Speaker: Jill Hough
Presentation title: Ethics in Decision Making
Session: Professional Development Leadership Sessions
Date and time: Wed. June 11, 3:15 pm
Location: RiverCentre, Meeting Room 2
Speaker: Del Peterson
Presentation title: Improving Veteran Mobility in Small Urban and Rural Areas
Session: Veterans Mobility: How VTCLI Has Helped Us Serve our Veterans
Date and time: Wed. June 11, 3:15 pm
Location: RiverCentre, Meeting Room 12
SURTC will also have a booth at the EXPO. Stop by our booth and visit with Rob Lynch, SURTC's training coordinator, and other SURTC staff. Summaries of recent research projects and other SURTC material will be available.
VA Grants for Transportation in Rural Areas
A Department of Veterans Affairs initiative will support new transportation services to improve access to health care for veterans living in highly rural areas, which is defined as a county or counties with a population of fewer than seven persons per square mile. The VA is accepting applications for grants to help state Veterans Service Agencies and Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) operate or contract for transportation services to transport veterans to VA medical centers and other facilities that provide VA care. VSOs and State Veterans Service Agencies may apply for grants up to $50,000. Applications must be submitted by September 9, 2013. For more information about these grants, see the VA News Release and the notice in the Federal Register.
The need for more veteran transportation options is growing rapidly. SURTC is currently conducting a study to determine the most efficient and feasible transportation options available for veterans and their families. For more information about this study, contact Del Peterson at del.peterson@ndsu.edu.
New Project to Study Veteran Mobility in Small Urban and Rural Areas
A new SURTC research project will study the mobility needs of veterans living in rural North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana and investigate the most feasible transportation options to meet their needs.
The need for veteran transportation is growing rapidly, especially in rural areas where 40 percent of veterans live. Many rural area veterans must travel long distances to receive medical care, and many wounded veterans require assistance to access jobs and engage in other essential activities.
SURTC researcher Del Peterson is the lead investigator for this project. Peterson will be recruiting veterans and transportation providers to participate in surveys and focus group meetings to learn more about veteran mobility services and gaps that exist. Peterson will also quantify the cost of providing different transportation options in relation to meeting the needs of veterans. Results will allow policy makers to make better informed decisions regarding veteran mobility issues in rural and small urban settings.
For more details about the project, contact Del Peterson at del.peterson@ndsu.edu