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Rural Health
Research Gateway

Hari Sharma, PhD

RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis

Phone: 319.384.4368
Email: hari-sharma@uiowa.edu

Health Management and Policy
University of Iowa
College of Public Health
Iowa City, IA 52242

Current Projects - (2)

  • Causal Effect of Nursing Home Closure on Resident Outcomes in Rural Areas
    We will evaluate the causal impact of nursing home closure on two key outcomes: distance to the transitioned nursing home, and resident physical and mental health outcomes. We will compare the effect of closures on outcomes for rural and urban areas using resident-level data from 2010-2019 and advanced difference-in-differences regression methods.
    Research center: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topics: Aging, Health services, Healthcare access, Long-term care, Post-acute care, Quality
  • Rural Nursing Home Staffing, and Resident Health, Closure, and Financial Performance
    There are concerns about availability and quality of care provided in nursing homes in rural areas. This project aims to evaluate staffing levels and shortages, the health status of residents, closures, and financial performance of rural nursing homes both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Research center: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topics: Aging, Long-term care, Post-acute care

Completed Projects - (2)

  • Location and Characteristics of Nursing Homes in the Rural and Urban U.S.
    This project examined rural and urban nursing home availability; assessed the nursing home bed supply relative to the elderly population in rural and urban counties; summarized resident and nursing home characteristics; and analyzed the relationship between the rural location of nursing homes and resident and nursing home characteristics.
    Research center: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topics: Aging, Health services, Healthcare access, Healthcare financing, Long-term care, Medicare
  • Rural Nursing Home Closures - Trends, Characteristics, and Impact on Access
    This project built a database of nursing home closures across rural and urban areas in the U.S. and evaluated the changes in access to post-acute and/or long-term care providers. It also described the differences in organizational, financial, and market characteristics between open vs. closed nursing homes in rural vs. urban areas.
    Research center: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topics: Aging, Healthcare access, Long-term care, Medicare

Publications - (3)

2024

2022

  • Nursing Homes in Rural America: A Chartbook
    Chartbook
    RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Date: 07/2022
    Closure of nursing homes and hospitals with swing beds in recent years has changed the availability of post-acute and long-term care services in rural areas. This study examines the availability of post-acute and long-term care services as well as characteristics of residents and nursing homes in noncore, micropolitan, and metropolitan counties.

2021