OFFICE OF RURAL HEALTH.

SEC. 212. OFFICE OF RURAL HEALTH.(a) In General.—(1) Establishment and functions.—Chapter 73 is amended by inserting after section 7307 the following new section:“§ 7308. Office of Rural Health“(a) Establishment.—There is established in the Department within the Office of the Under Secretary for Health an office to be known as the ‘Office of Rural Health’ (in this section referred to as the ‘Office’).“(b) Head.—The Director of the Office of Rural Health shall be the head of the Office. The Director of the Office of Rural Health shall be appointed by the Under Secretary of Health from among individuals qualified to perform the duties of the position.“(c) Functions.—The functions of the Office are as follows:“(1) In cooperation with the medical, rehabilitation, health services, and cooperative studies research programs in the Office of Policy and the Office of Research and Development of the Veterans Health Administration, to assist the Under Secretary for Health in conducting, coordinating, promoting, and disseminating research into issues affecting veterans living in rural areas.“(2) To work with all personnel and offices of the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop, refine, and promulgate policies, best practices, lessons learned, and innovative and successful programs to improve care and services for veterans who reside in rural areas of the United States.“(3) To designate in each Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) an individual who shall consult on and coordinate the discharge in such Network of programs and activities of the Office for veterans who reside in rural areas of the United States.“(4) To perform such other functions and duties as the Secretary or the Under Secretary for Health considers appropriate.” .120 STAT. 3422(2) Clerical amendment.—The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 7307 the following new item: “7308. Office of Rural Health.”. (b) Assessment of Fee-Basis Health-Care Program.—The Director of the Office of Rural Health shall conduct an assessment of the effects of the implementation of the fee-basis health-care program of the Veterans Health Administration on the delivery of health-care services to veterans who reside in rural areas of the United States. The assessment shall be conducted in consultation with the individuals designated under subsection (c)(3) of section 7308 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a). In conducting the assessment, the Director shall—(1) identify various mechanisms for expanding the program in order to enhance and improve health-care services for such veterans and determine the feasibility and advisability of implementing such mechanisms; and(2) for each mechanism determined under paragraph (1) to be feasible and advisable to implement, make recommendations to the Under Secretary for Health on the implementation of such mechanism.(c) Plan To Improve Access and Quality of Care.—Not later than September 30, 2007, the Director of the Office of Rural Health shall develop a plan to improve the access and quality of care for enrolled veterans in rural areas. The plan shall include—(1) measures for meeting the long term care needs of rural veterans; and(2) measures for meeting the mental health needs of veterans residing in rural areas.(d) Report on Community-Based Outpatient Clinics and Access Points Identified in CARES May 2004 Decision Document.— Not later than March 30, 2007, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report that—(1) identifies each of the community-based outpatient clinics and access points identified in the May 2004 Decision Document of Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) that have been opened; and(2) identifies each of the clinics and access points identified in such report that would be opened in fiscal year 2007 or 2008 if funding were available for such purpose.