Randy Randolph, MRP

Phone: 919.966.7113
Fax: 919.966.5764
Email: randy_randolph@unc.edu

Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
725 Airport Road CB 7590
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7290

Publications - (6)

CMS Hospital Quality Star Rating: For 762 Rural Hospitals, No Stars Is the Problem
Policy Brief
Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
Date: 06/2017
The purpose of this brief is to look more closely at the characteristics of rural hospitals with and without CMS Hospital Quality Star Ratings to help inform ongoing discussions about the usefulness of the quality star rating for comparing hospital quality and possible ways to improve the star rating initiative.

The Rising Rate of Rural Hospital Closures
Journal Article
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 07/2015
Discusses the increase in rural hospital closure rates, including the causes of closures and its impact on rural communities.

Implications for Beneficiary Travel Time if Financially-Vulnerable Critical Access Hospitals Close
Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
Date: 12/2013
Changes to Critical Access Hospitals' reimbursement may spur some to close. This analysis considers the communities served by the 93 CAHs with the lowest profitability and therefore most likely to close due to a change in Medicare reimbursement.

Urban-Rural Flows of Physicians
Journal Article
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 2007
Reports findings from a study to determine whether there was a significant flow of physicians from urban to rural areas in recent years when the overall supply of physicians has been considered in balance with needs.

The Effect of Rural Hospital Closures on Community Economic Health
Journal Article
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 04/2006
This article describes the effect of hospital closures on the local economies based on a study of county-level economic data for 1990-2000 in rural counties experiencing hospital closures.

How Might the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 Affect the Financial Viability of Rural Pharmacies? An Analysis of Preimplementation Prescription Volume and Payment Sources in Rural and Urban Areas
Journal Article
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 2005
Presents descriptive information on mail-order prescriptions, volume, and payer type of retail prescriptions in rural vs. urban areas. Together, these data provide a baseline for evaluating how implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act may affect the financial viability of rural independent pharmacies.