VHA Office of Rural Health
Enterprise-Wide Initiative (EWI) - Clinical Resource Hubs
Clinical Resource Hubs
Background
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) created Clinical Resource Hubs (CRHs) to help Veterans get care more easily, especially Veterans who live in rural or very rural areas. Many rural Veterans have trouble getting care because there may not be enough local providers, they may need to travel long distances, or their local VA facility may not offer all the services they need.
CRHs help solve these problems by using telehealth, working across different VA sites, and providing in-person care when needed. CRHs are flexible teams that can send providers where they are needed most.
CRHs support more than 40 types of care, including primary care, mental health, suicide prevention, rehabilitation, surgical support, and specialty medicine. By sharing staff and using technology, CRHs help match providers to the places where Veterans need care. This helps VA use its workforce better and provide timely, high-quality, Veteran-centered care.
The VA Office of Rural Health (ORH) began supporting CRHs in 2020. In fiscal year 2024, CRHs supported more than 1.2 million clinical visits, and nearly 40% of those visits served rural Veterans.
Goals and Objectives
The main goal of the CRH program is to improve access, efficiency, and quality so Veterans can get timely, high-quality care across VA. The program focuses on making sure care is available where and when Veterans need it.
Goals
CRHs work toward these main goals:
- Expand access to care for Veterans, especially those in rural and underserved areas.
- Improve efficiency and use staff and resources wisely across VA sites.
- Improve care quality and outcomes in areas such as mental health, chronic disease care, and specialty services.
- Support VA’s modernization and High-Reliability goals by improving safety, teamwork, and clinical excellence.
Objectives
- Use virtual and in-person care together so more Veterans can get needed services.
- Share providers across VA sites when local facilities do not have enough staff or specialty services.
- Use data and technology to reduce delays and improve care coordination.
- Continue improving the program so Veterans receive the right care at the right time.
Methodology
CRHs use a hybrid care model that combines telehealth, care across VA facilities, and in-person services. This model helps VA expand its clinical capacity and make sure Veterans receive timely, high-quality care, even if they live far from a VA medical center.
CRHs use scheduling systems and telehealth tools to connect Veterans with providers across the country. This helps remove distance as a barrier and helps VA use providers where they are needed most.
CRHs also serve as innovation hubs. They test and improve care models for chronic disease management, specialty care, and teamwork across services so VA can keep improving care delivery.
Impact on Rural Veteran Health
Without CRHs, rural Veterans may face delays in care or may not be able to get some services at all because of provider shortages, distance, and limited resources. CRHs help fill these gaps by connecting Veterans to care regardless of where they live.
From fiscal year 2023 to 2024, CRH rural encounters grew by 35%. This growth helped rural Veterans continue to get primary care, mental health care, specialty medicine, rehabilitation, and surgical support.
CRHs also reduce travel burdens by expanding virtual care, including tele-cardiology, tele-nephrology, mental health care, and chronic disease management. This means Veterans can often get expert care closer to home or without traveling long distances.
CRHs also improve care coordination and efficiency through shared workflows and teamwork across facilities. This helps Veterans receive better organized care, even in areas with serious provider shortages.
Key Takeaways
Clinical Resource Hubs are an important way VA helps rural and underserved Veterans get care. They help close care gaps caused by provider shortages, distance, and limited local services.
- CRHs expand access to care through telehealth and in-person services.
- CRHs reduce travel burdens for Veterans by making more services available virtually or closer to home.
- CRHs improve care coordination by using shared workflows across facilities.
- CRHs support more than 40 clinical specialties across the VA system.
- In fiscal year 2024, CRHs provided care to 83% of VA medical centers.
- Continued support for CRHs can help VA improve care delivery and expand Veteran choice across the country.
Download the Printable PDF for Healthcare Providers and Researchers.
References
- O’Shea, A.M.J., Haraldsson, B., Augustine, M.R. et al. Impact of a Remote Primary Care Telehealth Staffing Model on Primary Care Access in the Veterans Health Administration. J GEN INTERN MED. 2024.
- Wheat C, Curtis I, Kath S, Nelson K, Reddy A. Supporting Primary Care Quality through Early Regional Telehealth Staffing Initiatives: Insights from the Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) Program. Abstract poster presentation, 2024 Academy Health Annual Research Meeting.
- Liu T, Wheat C, Rojas J, Nelson K, Reddy A. Understanding How Clinical Resource Hubs Support Primary Care Services in the Veterans Health Administration. Abstract poster presentation, 2023 Academy Health Annual Research Meeting.
- Liu T, Wheat C, Rojas J, O’Shea A, Nelson K, Reddy A. The Impact of a National Telehealth Contingency Staffing Program on Primary Care Quality in the Veterans Health Administration. JAMA Netw Open. Accepted November 2024.
Contact
- Matt Rogers, National Clinical Resource Hubs Director, Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC. matthew.rogers5@va.gov
- Funding Acknowledgement: Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Rural Health, NOMAD #PRFY-00574.
- Suggested Citation: Rogers, Matthew J. (2025). Clinical Resource Hubs. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration. Washington, DC: Office of Rural Health.
Rural Health - Navigation
- Office of Rural Health Home page:
https://www.ruralhealth.va.gov/index.asp - Enterprise-Wide Initiatives (EWI) page:
https://www.ruralhealth.va.gov/Enterprise-Wide-Initiatives-EWI.asp - Veterans Rural Health Resource Centers (VRHRC) page:
https://www.ruralhealth.va.gov/Veterans-Rural-Health-Resource-Center-VRHRC.asp
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