RURAL HEALTH RESEARCH CENTERS

PROJECTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005

ANALYTIC CENTERS

RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis

University of Nebraska

Keith Mueller, Ph.D.,Director

Topic of concentration: Medicare: Impact of payment and quality policy on the delivery of health care in rural areas

Projects:

Assessing the Community Impact of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA)

Examining the Applicability of AHRQ's Inpatient Quality Indicators to Rural Hospitals and the Implications of the Relationship Between the Indicators and Financial Measures for Medicare Payment Policies

Assessment of Small Rural Hospital Activities to Report Medication Errors

North Carolina Rural Health Research and PolicyAnalysisCenter

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Rebecca T. Slifkin, Ph.D., Director

Topic of Concentration: Federal Insurance Programs (Medicare and Medicaid) and Their Effect on Rural Populations and Providers

Projects:

Premium Assistance Programs: Exploring PublicPrivate Partnerships as a Vehicle of Expanding Health Insurance to Rural Uninsured. (Qualitative Project)

Trends in Swing Bed and Skilled Nursing Facility Use in Rural Hospitals, 1996 2003

Describing Geographic Access to Physicians in Rural America Using Statistical Applications in GIS.

NORCWalshCenter for Rural Health Analysis

NationalOpinionResearchCenter

Curt D. Mueller, Ph.D., Director

Topic of concentration: Impact of Medicare Policies on Rural Communities

Projects:

Medicare Beneficiary Outcomes in Rural and Urban Home Health Agencies

Monitoring MedicareHospital Outpatient Payments: Trends and Evidence on Impacts of PaymentPolicy

Investments in Health Information Technology by Rural Hospitals

GENERAL CENTERS

Center for Rural Mental Health Research

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Kathryn Rost, Ph.D., Director

Topic of concentration: Mental health

Projects:

Identify atrisk areas within rural America to target for enhanced depression treatment

Determine whether and why existing care models differentially improve depression treatment in rural and urban populations

Explore promising hospitalization prevention strategies in rural depressed patients

Maine Rural HealthResearchCenter

University of Southern Maine

David Hartley, Ph.D., Director

Topic of concentration: Rural behavioral health

Projects:

The Impact of Mental and Emotional Stress on Rural Employment Patterns

National Study of Substance Abuse Prevalence and Treatment Services in Rural Areas

Health Insurance Dynamics of Uninsured Rural Families

South Carolina Rural HealthResearchCenter

University of South Carolina

Jan Probst, Ph.D., Director

Topic of concentration: Health disparities

Projects:

How Rural Hospitals Are Meeting the Needs of low English Proficiency Patients

Poverty, Parental Stress, and Violent Disagreements in the Home among Rural Families

Disability Burdens among Rural and Urban Older Americans

Upper Midwest Rural HealthResearchCenter

University of Minnesota

Ira Moscovice, Ph.D., Director

Topic of concentration: Quality of care in rural areas

Projects:

Successful Implementation of Medication Safety Initiatives in Rural Hospitals: The Role of Pharmacists, and Technology

Pay for Performance and Quality of Care in Rural Hospitals

The Impact of Insurance Coverage on Access to Health Care Services for Rural Native American Elders

WWAMI Rural HealthResearchCenter

University of Washington

Gary Hart, Ph.D., Director

Topic of concentration: national rural health workforce research

Projects:

Which Training Programs Produce Rural Physicians? A National Health Workforce Study

LongTerm Trends in Characteristics of the Rural Nurse Workforce 1980 2000: A National Health Workforce Study

The Burden of Chronic Illness among Rural Residents: A National Study

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