Denise Kirk, MS

Phone: 919.843.1836
Email: dakirk@unc.edu

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Publications - (4)

Changes in Care-Seeking After Rural Hospitals Merge
Policy Brief
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 07/2020
Rural hospital mergers have increased significantly since 2010. Enhanced financial performance and improved quality are often cited as benefits, but hospital mergers can also lead to changes in the services provided by acquired hospitals. This brief estimates the use of inpatient services delivered by acquired rural hospitals following a merger.

Rural and Urban Provider Market Share of Inpatient Post-Acute Care Services Provided to Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Policy Brief
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 04/2018
The purpose of this brief is to characterize rural providers' market share of inpatient post-acute care services provided to rural Medicare beneficiaries.

Rural-Urban Variations in Medicare Live Discharge Patterns From Hospice, 2012-2013
Policy Brief
Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
Date: 09/2017
This brief 1) provides an overview of the geographic distribution of "freestanding" (i.e., rather than those co-located in a hospital, home health agency, or skilled nursing facility) rural and urban hospices and, 2) explores live discharge rates for hospices operating in rural versus urban areas.
A Positive Association Between Hospice Profit Margin and the Rate at Which Patients Are Discharged Before Death
Journal Article
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 07/2017
The links between the increasing live discharge rate from hospice and the quality of care is examined.