• Current Projects - (2)
• Publications - (6)

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Current Projects - (2)

• Community Health Worker Roles, Regulation and Growth in Rural America
  This study looks at the role of Community Health Workers in improving access to healthcare services in rural and urban environments. Our project focuses on the growing and changing roles of these influential actors and how their responsibilities vary based on setting (hospital, clinic, community, etc.), location (rural vs. urban), and regulations.
  Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access
  
• How Well are We Doing Meeting Healthy People 2020 Mortality Objectives at Midterm? Rural v. Urban Differences
  The purpose of this project is to conduct a midterm examination of urban versus rural disparities in meeting Healthy People 2020 mortality objectives for the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. utilizing existing secondary databases.
  Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Health disparities and health equity
  

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Publications - (6)

• Cancer Mortality in Rural America: 1999-2016
  Policy Brief
  Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 11/2018
  This policy brief details the differences in mortality from cancer at various levels of rurality in America. The primary aim of this study was to understand the scope of cancer mortality in urban and rural areas of the U.S. Common cancer types—breast, cervical, lung, prostate, and colon—were analyzed over an 18-year period from 1999-2016.
• The Changing Landscape of Diabetes Mortality in the United States Across Region and Rurality, 1999-2016
  Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 02/2019
  This brief report examines place-based differences in diabetes mortality to understand whether disparities in diabetes mortality have changed across U.S. Census regions and levels of rurality over time. Reductions in diabetes mortality are lagging in rural areas, and the rural South in particular, relative to other areas of the country.
• Community Health Worker Roles and Responsibilities in Rural and Urban America
  Policy Brief
  Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 11/2019
  The primary aim of this study was to understand the evolving profession of community health workers (CHWs) in the U.S. Through focus groups in rural and urban regions of four states, we explored CHW roles and responsibilities, the growing professionalization of the field, and evolving interactions between CHWs and other care providers.
• The Development of Telehealth Laws in the U.S. from 2008 to 2015: A Legal Landscape
  Policy Brief
  Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 11/2019
  This study examines the scope and evolving nature of telehealth statutes and regulations in the U.S. Our research aims to understand changes in telehealth laws over time (2008-2015), variations in legal frameworks established across the U.S., and the extent that state laws regulate the primary care delivery through the use of telehealth.
• Diabetes-Related Hospital Mortality in the U.S.: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Study of the National Inpatient Sample
  Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 02/2019
  This study examined place-based and individual-level variations in diabetes-related hospital deaths using the 2009-2015 National Inpatient Sample. Results show that place-based disparities exist. Targeted focus should be placed on the control of diabetic complications in the South, West, and Midwest census regions and among rural residents.
• Prevalence and Mortality of Heart Disease and Related Conditions: Disparities Affecting the South, Rural Areas, and American Indian and Alaska Natives
  Policy Brief
  Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 11/2019
  This policy brief identifies trends in the prevalence of stroke, heart disease, and heart attack while also assessing trends in mortality for heart disease and related conditions across the nation. The study examined whether disease-related mortality and prevalence varied across place and time.