Arrianna Marie Planey, PhD, MA

North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center

Phone: 919.966.7370
Email: amplaney@email.unc.edu

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
CB# 7590
Chapel Hill, NC 27599


Current Projects - (3)

  • Developing a Decision Aid for Selecting Rural Designations for Public Health Research
    This project develops a CDC decision aid to help researchers select the most appropriate rural-urban classification for their work. Using federal schemes, it illustrates how classifications affect analysis, tailored to the unique needs of rural public health research and practice.
    Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Topics: Public health, Rural statistics and demographics
  • Economic Impact of Labor and Delivery Unit Closure
    Since 2020, over 100 rural hospitals have closed labor and delivery (L&D) units, leaving most rural areas without local maternity care. These closures may increase travel, worsen maternal outcomes, and affect local economies. This study examines how L&D closures impact county population and labor force size, especially among adults ages 18–49.
    Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Topics: Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Maternal health
  • Effect of Rural Hospital Consolidation on Patient Distance to Specialty Services
    Hospital closures and consolidation raise concerns about access as less profitable service lines—obstetrics, cancer, and substance use treatment are less profitable than other specialty service lines—and may be eliminated after mergers. This project examines how consolidation affects spatial access to care.
    Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Topics: Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Maternal health, Substance use and treatment

Publications - (1)

2022

  • The Economic Effects of Rural Hospital Closures
    Journal Article
    North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Date: 03/2022
    This study updates previous research (Holmes, et al. 2006) on the economic effects of rural hospital closures by measuring the economic changes over time among U.S. rural counties that had a hospital closure from 2001-2018.