Medicine off the battlefield. VA hospitals, community-based clinics meet special challenges in trying to provide care to veterans living in rural areas.

The VA faces special challenges in providing care for veterans in remote areas, who often live long distances from its medical centers. A network of community-based clinics and contracts with local hospitals help fill the gap. But the VA should also be contracting with other providers to broaden the scope of its services, says Hilda Heady, left, of the West Virginia Rural Education Partnerships.