Casey Balio, PhD

Rural Health Equity Research Center

Phone: 630.561.6713
Email: balioc@etsu.edu
X: @caseybalio

Center for Rural Health Research & Health Services Management and Policy
East Tennessee State University
2109 W Market St, #116
Johnson City, TN 37604


Current Projects - (3)

  • Assessment of the Area Deprivation Index in Rural Areas
    The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) was created by University of Wisconsin researchers to provide a score for neighborhoods based on their level of disadvantage. This study will characterize differences in ADI in rural vs urban areas, summarize the existing literature on ADI, and describe expert considerations for utilizing the ADI for future policy.
    Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
    Topics: Frontier health, Health disparities and health equity, Poverty, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health
  • Comparing Across Health Indices: Differences by Rurality, Missingness, and Associations With Health Outcomes
    The purpose of this study is to describe and compare existing area-level indices of vulnerability by rurality and to examine associations between indices and health outcomes of interest by area-level measures of rurality.
    Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Poverty, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health, Uninsured and underinsured
  • Following the Money: Do Block Grant Resources Reach Rural Communities?
    This project will apply a mixed methods design to describe the distribution of block grant resources from federal agencies through states to the local level in rural and non-rural communities in the United States. Findings could guide federal agencies and policy makers to develop strategies to more effectively target block grant resources to ensure that the needs of vulnerable rural populations are addressed.
    Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Healthcare financing, Public health, Rural statistics and demographics

Publications - (2)

2024

2023

  • State Priorities and Needs: The Role of Block Grants
    Journal Article
    Rural Health Equity Research Center
    Date: 11/2023
    This study looks at state-level funding allocations for 5 federal block grant programs from 2015-2019, and associations with state-level measures of need that align with the purposes of each block grant program.