Timothy Callaghan, PhD

Email: timcal@bu.edu
Twitter: @THCallaghan

Health Law, Policy, and Management
Boston University
Boston University School of Public Health
715 Albany Street
Boston, MA 02118

Current Projects - (2)
Completed Projects - (2)
Publications - (11)

Current Projects - (2)

An Innovative Approach to Targeting Rural Communities in Public Health Funding
The Centers for Disease Control launched a new initiative to address COVID-19 related health disparities and to advance health equity among underserved and at-risk populations. This effort included state funding to address the needs of rural communities. This project is designed to better understand this initiative and its impact on rural health.
Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare financing, Public health
Rural Healthy People 2030: Challenges and Opportunities for the New Decade
Building on Rural Healthy People 2010 and Rural Healthy People 2020, this project will help to launch Rural Healthy People 2030 and analyze variations in top-ranked Healthy People objectives for rural America. We will identify the most important objectives for rural Americans and how Rural Healthy People priorities have changed over time.
Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Health disparities and health equity

Completed Projects - (2)

Community Health Worker Roles, Regulation and Growth in Rural America
This study looked at the role of Community Health Workers in improving access to healthcare services in rural and urban environments. The project focused 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 was 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

Publications - (11)

2021

The Co-occurrence of HIV and Opioid Mortality in Rural and Urban America from 1999-2018
Policy Brief
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 06/2021
This project evaluates trends in mortality from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and opioid use in rural and urban areas of the U.S. It explores whether HIV and opioid deaths appear to be related over time in rural and urban areas.
Influenza and Pertussis Vaccination Rates Among Pregnant Women in Rural and Urban Areas
Policy Brief
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2021
This policy brief evaluates the receipt of influenza and pertussis vaccines from 2012-2018 among pregnant women in rural and urban areas of the U.S. Furthermore, it examines whether pregnant women during this this same period received influenza vaccine recommendations from their healthcare providers.

2020

Healthy People 2020 Progress for Leading Causes of Death in Rural and Urban America: A Chartbook
Chartbook
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2020
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.

2019

Congestive Heart Failure-Related Hospital Deaths Across the Urban-Rural Continuum in the United States
Journal Article
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2019
This study examines congestive heart failure (CHF)-related, in-hospital mortality across six levels of rurality and four census regions. Results indicated CHF-related hospital admissions in small metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas, compared to large central metropolitan areas, were more likely to result in death.
Healthy People 2020: Rural Areas Lag in Achieving Targets for Major Causes of Death
Journal Article
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2019
For the period 2007-2017 rural death rates were higher than urban rates for the seven major causes of death analyzed, and disparities widened for five of the seven. In 2017 urban areas had met national targets for three of the seven causes, while rural areas had met none of the targets.
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.
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.
The Changing Landscape of Diabetes Mortality in the United States Across Region and Rurality, 1999-2016
Journal Article
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.
Diabetes-Related Hospital Mortality in the U.S.: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Study of the National Inpatient Sample
Journal Article
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.

2018

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.