Sheila Franco, MS

Phone: 301.656.7401
Fax: 301.654.0629
E-mail: sfranco@projecthope.org

Walsh Center (formerly Project Hope, now NORC)
7500 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814

Completed Projects

Counting Rural Health Care Facilities: A Moving Target?, Lead researcher
Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Home health, Hospitals and clinics, Medicare, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS)

Home Care in Rural America, Lead researcher
Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Home health, Medicare, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS)

Impact of the Proposed Medicare Prospective Payment Reforms on Rural Hospitals in Selected States, Lead researcher
Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health care financing, Hospitals and clinics, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS)

Publications

• Medicare Home Health Care in Rural America (Brief)
  Author(s): Sheila J. Franco
  Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
  Topics: Home health, Medicare
  Report Number: Policy Analysis Brief W Series No. 1
  Date: 01 / 2004
  This study looked at the characteristics of rural Medicare beneficiaries served by urban home health agencies as compared with those served by rural agencies. Findings demonstrate that urban agencies, either directly or through their branch offices, play an important role in providing home health care to rural Medicare beneficiaries. A full report is also available.
• Medicare Reforms: The Rural Perspective
  Author(s): Curt Mueller, Sheila J. Franco, Gail Wilensky
  Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
  Topics: Medicare, Pharmacy and prescription drugs
  Date: 04 / 2000
  Discusses Medicare reforms considered by the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare (created by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 - BBA), including prescription drug coverage, funding graduate medical education, and increasing the eligibility age. To request a copy, contact the Walsh Center at 301-951-5070.
• Rural Home Health Agencies: The Impact of the Balanced Budget Act
  Author(s): Sheila J. Franco, Joel Leon
  Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
  Topics: Home health, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS)
  Date: 04 / 2000
  This policy analysis brief examines how the characteristics of rural and urban Medicare-certified home health agencies differ, estimates the impact of interim payment system (IPS) on these agencies, and discusses policy implications for a Medicare home health prospective payment system (PPS). For a print copy of publications prior to 2004, please contact the Walsh Center at 301-951-5070.