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 - (12)

Changes in Provision of Selected Services by Rural and Urban Hospitals Between 2009 and 2017
Policy Brief
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 04/2021
The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of recent trends in hospital service provision and whether there were disparities between rural and urban hospitals. This brief describes and compares the changes in service provision for rural and urban hospitals between 2009 and 2017.

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.

Market Characteristics Associated With Rural Hospitals' Provision of Post-Acute Care
Policy Brief
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 04/2018
This brief uses data from Medicare cost reports, the Provider of Services File, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide a window into current hospital-based post-acute care offerings by summarizing both hospital- and market-level factors that are associated with rural hospitals that provided post-acute care between 2012 and 2015.
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.
Access to Care: Populations in Counties With No FQHC, RHC, or Acute Care Hospital
Policy Brief
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 01/2018
To help provide a quick understanding of how many people may have more limited access to primary care and where they live, this brief focuses on three main primary care providers in rural areas (Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Centers, and acute care hospitals).

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.

Trends in Risk of Financial Distress Among Rural Hospitals
Policy Brief
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 10/2016
From January 2005 to July 2016, 118 rural hospitals have closed permanently, and the rate of rural hospital closures is increasing. Hospital closures impact millions of rural residents. Identifying hospitals at high risk of closure and assessing the trends over time may inform strategies to prevent or mitigate the effects of closures.

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.