ORHP-funded Individual Grantees

Current Projects

Access to State-of-the-Art Hospice Care for Rural and Minority Hospice Users
This project will develop and map hospice care service areas that will allow for the measurement of access to hospice care for rural and minority Medicare beneficiaries who die of cancer, and recommend options for increasing access to hospice care in underserved rural areas.
Lead researcher: Beth Virnig, PhD, University of Minnesota

Descriptive Analysis of the Health Status of a National Asbestos-Related Cohort
A collaborative study to establish a more comprehensive understanding of the health status and health service needs of persons exposed to Libby asbestos is being conducted by nurse researchers at Montana State University College of Nursing and health care providers at the Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, Montana. Results of the descriptive study will provide health care providers and policy makers a better understanding of the health effects and health care needs of exposed persons.
Lead researcher: Charlene A. Winters, PhD, ACNS-BC, Montana State University

Evaluation of an Outpatient Modified Paper Prescription Form
This project will evaluate a modified paper prescription form that may be implemented in rural primary care settings cheaply and quickly with the goal of outpatient prescription error reduction.
Lead researcher: Amanda G. Kennedy, PharmD, BCPS, University of Vermont

Preventive Care: Supports and Barriers to Best Practices for a National Sample of Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Preventive health screenings are generally underutilized in the United States by the elderly, especially those residing in rural areas. Using an integrative approach, including secondary data analysis of a large nationally representative dataset (Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey) and complementary qualitative interviews with rural elders, the proposed research study aims for a more complete understanding of the factors influencing use of these practices.
Lead researcher: Terri Tobin, PhD, Advocates for Human Potential, Inc.

Rural Health Clinics: Measuring Efficiency & Effectiveness

Lead researcher: Thomas Wan

Turnover Costs in Rural Emergency Medical Services
Costs associated with providing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) transportation in rural areas are much higher than in urban communities. This study will measure the annual rate of turnover among rural EMS systems, identify costs associated with turnover, and create a budgeting tool for calculating the costs of turnover.