NORC has been selected to operate a Policy and Planning Group to provide program and regulatory support to the Office of Rural Health (ORH) within the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.

The newly created ORH is charged with establishing evidence-based, collaborative processes to enhance the delivery of care to rural veterans; supporting studies and analyses that identify and promulgate best practices; testing innovative care delivery models through targeted pilot programs; and translating these results into policies to be disseminated across the continuum of care for rural veterans.

To advance the ORH’s mission, the Policy and Planning Group at NORC will provide support in such varied areas as communications, meeting and conference planning and management, monitoring and evaluating initiatives, responding to rapidly emerging policy issues, developing innovative pilot projects, and conducting targeted studies and analyses. NORC’s partners in this effort include University of North Dakota’s Center for Rural Health and its Rural Assistance Center, Atlas Research LLC, Georgetown University, and the National Rural Health Association.