• Current Projects - (1)
• Completed Projects - (2)
• Publications - (4)

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Current Projects - (1)

• Creating County- and Census Tract-Level Estimates of Childhood Obesity in the U.S.: A Spatial Multilevel Modeling Approach
  Using the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health, spatial multilevel models will be constructed to estimate county- and Census tract-level rates of childhood obesity in the U.S. Particular emphasis will be placed on rural areas, for which direct estimates are often unavailable because of small sample sizes in population-based surveys.
  Research center: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Children and adolescents, Obesity
  

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Completed Projects - (2)

• Colorectal Cancer Screening Bypass Behavior and Outcomes
  Studies have shown that increased distance to the closest endoscopy provider is associated with lower screening utilization among Medicare enrollees. The purpose of this study is to expand beyond the Medicare population to examine the travel behaviors of the entire population, comparing urban vs. rural residents in obtaining endoscopies for colorectal cancer screening.
  Research center: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Cancer, Health promotion and disease prevention, Medicare
  
• Potential Impact of ESRD Payment Reform on Rural Dialysis Patients
  This study will estimate the potential implications of rural dialysis facility loss for rural patients. Specifically, we will identify low-volume dialysis facilities in rural areas, profile the patients they serve, and estimate the additional travel burden that these patients would experience if facilities close.
  Research center: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Health services, Hospitals and clinics
  

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Publications - (4)

• Ambulatory Care-Sensitive Condition Hospitalizations Among Medicare Beneficiaries
  South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 06/2016
  Examines the relationship between the distribution of primary care physicians and Medicare beneficiaries’ ambulatory care-sensitive condition hospitalizations using statistical and spatial analyses.
• Colonoscopy Access and Utilization – Rural Disparities in the Carolinas, 2001-2010
  Policy Brief
  South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 07/2016
  This study aims to use data on where patients travel for their colonoscopies to determine the extent to which access is changing over space and time, and to better understand utilization patterns among rural residents of North and South Carolina between 2001 and 2010.
• ESRD Facility Characteristics by Rurality and Risk of Closure
  Report
  South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 11/2017
  This study’s purpose was to profile rural end stage renal disease (ESRD) facilities, focusing on those at greatest risk for closure. We examined the characteristics of these facilities, the quality of care provided, and the distance patients in rural areas would have to travel if the facilities closed.
• Health-Related Quality of Life among Adults 65 years and Older in the United States, 2011-2012: A Multilevel Small Area Estimation Approach
  South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2016
  This study compiled estimates, at the county level, of poor health-related quality of life among those ages 65 and older. The study examined physical and mental health and found significant differences in health across the United States.