Rebecca T. Slifkin, PhD

• Completed Projects - (26)
• Publications - (19)

Completed Projects - (26)

• Analysis of the Cesarean Section Rates in Rural Hospitals
  This project will describe the practice patterns for deliveries in rural hospitals. Cesarean section rates in rural hospitals will be compared to urban hospitals and the national rate.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Hospitals and clinics, Maternal health
  
• Analytic Capacity to Respond to Changes in Medicare and Medicaid, Data Assistance to Policy Staff at the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, and Production of Short Policy Briefs
  This project will produce short policy briefs on a variety of topics related to proposed and enacted changes in Medicare and Medicaid, as requested by policy staff at the federal Office of Rural Health Policy.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Legislation and regulation, Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare
  
• Assessing the Impact of Transfer of Pharmacy Services for Dual Eligible Beneficiaries to Medicare Part D
  This project will focus on the implementation of the new Part D benefit for those dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. The study will examine the impact on rural dual eligibles and their local pharmacies of the transfer to Part D coverage. The project is a joint undertaking with the RUPRI Center, taking advantage of unique data sets held at each center, the analytical and programming resources of both centers, and the ability to conduct qualitative analysis in multiple states efficiently.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare Part D, Pharmacy and prescription drugs
  
• Background Paper on Skilled Nursing Facilities in Rural Areas
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topic: Long-term care
  
• Community Impact Assessment
  This project will evaluate the impact of the Flex program on local communities. Activities will focus on identifying the ways in which the program could have a measurable effect, as well as the ways in which Flex program coordinators intended to affect community health. A briefing paper that integrates information on scope of services, networking, and quality will be produced. Additionally, case studies will be conducted in six CAH communities.
  Research centers: Maine Rural Health Research Center, North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Networking and collaboration, Rural Hospital Flexibility Program
  
• Critical Access Hospital Conversion Tracking
  Information regarding new CAH conversions will be gathered from Flex coordinators and CMS, and added to the CAH management information dataset that is housed at UNC. Flex coordinators will also be queried regarding topics of interest to the coordinators, the monitoring team, and the federal Office of Rural Health Policy.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topic: Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs)
  
• Describing Geographic Access to Physicians in Rural America Using Statistical Applications in GIS
  This study will use a geographically weighted regression to assess the influence of distance and travel time on the distribution of physicians in rural America. The ultimate goal of the study will be to improve our measures of access by identifying the extent to which border resources can be considered in indices of access.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Health services, Physicians
  
• Describing the Health Care Infrastructure in Rural Towns
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Hospitals and clinics, Physician assistants, Physicians, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Rural statistics and demographics
  
• Developing a Financial Performance Measurement System for Critical Access Hospitals
  This project uses research and expert opinion to select dimensions and indicators of financial performance, develop appropriate bases or methods of peer comparison, investigate the relationship between quality of care and financial performance, and identify characteristics of high performing CAHs.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Healthcare financing
  
• Financial Performance of Critical Access Hospitals, Pre- and Post-Conversion
  Making use of the financial indicators developed by project staff, the focus of this project is a longitudinal analysis of the dimensions and indicators of financial performance. Descriptive analyses are used to capture changes in all dimensions of financial performance pre- and post-conversion.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Healthcare financing, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Rural Hospital Flexibility Program
  
• Impact of The Medicaid Budget Crisis on Rural Communities: A 50-State Survey
  The impact of the Medicaid budgetary crisis on rural communities across the US will be assessed through a 50-state survey of state Medicaid agencies, state Offices of Rural Health and state rural health associations.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topic: Medicaid and CHIP
  
• Medicaid and SCHIP Participation in Rural and Urban Areas
  This project examines state-level Medicaid and SCHIP participation rates for children in rural and urban areas. It also updates the State Profiles of Medicaid and SCHIP in Rural and Urban Areas web site and documents changes in program characteristics relevant to rural areas over the past few years.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topic: Medicaid and CHIP
  
• Occupational Mix Differences Across PPS Hospitals: Analysis of Hospital Occupation Mix Survey Data and Implications for Rural Hospital Payments
  This study addresses the occupation-mix adjustment that has recently been added to the computation of the area wage index used to adjust Medicare prospective rates for all institutional healthcare providers. The study will review the policy objectives as well as the mechanics of the adjustment, and then analyze the data from the most recent occupation-mix survey to obtain a better understanding of occupation mix differences across labor markets and hospital types.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Hospitals and clinics, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Workforce
  
• Office of Rural Health Policy: Cooperative Agreement for Rapid Response to Issue-Specific Rural Research
  Office of Rural Health Policy: Cooperative Agreement for Rapid Response to Issue-Specific Rural Research
  Research centers: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
  Topic: Pharmacy and prescription drugs
  
• Premium Assistance Programs: Exploring Public-Private Partnerships as a Vehicle for Expanding Health Insurance to Rural Uninsured
  This project examines the experience of states that have implemented premium assistance programs in rural areas to determine whether there are certain design features or certain types of rural communities where these programs may be more feasible.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Private health insurance, Uninsured and underinsured
  
• Rapid and Flexible Analysis of Data from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  Project staff will provide rapid and flexible analysis of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) data in response to requests from Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) staff. Work will be ongoing throughout the contract year, with the design of individual products determined in response to ORHP staff needs.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Medicare, Rural statistics and demographics
  
• Role of Intensive Care Units in Critical Access Hospitals
  This project will examine the role that intensive care units (ICUs) play in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). The number and geographic distribution of CAH with ICUs will be described, and types of services provided in these units discussed.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Health services
  
• Rural Emergency Medical Services: Workforce and Medical Direction
  This two year study will examine the status of medical direction for rural EMS systems and the nature of the challenges and impediments to obtaining adequate medical direction in rural areas across the country. In addition, the study will address issues surrounding the recruitment and retention of paid and volunteer staff for rural EMS systems.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Workforce
  
• Rural Hospital Closures, 1990-2000: Community Profiles and Economic Indicators Before and After the Event
  This study investigated the economic impact of hospital closures in non- metropolitan counties, taking into account the economic characteristics and employment trends that may have preceded the event.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topic: Hospitals and clinics
  
• Rural Hospital Participation in the 340B Drug Discount Program
  The 340B drug discount program enables certain types of safety net organizations to obtain deeply discounted medications, at prices below the 'best price' typically offered to Medicaid agencies. This study used telephone interviews and mail surveys to explore the experiences that rural hospitals have had in seeking 340B eligibility status.
  Research centers: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Hospitals and clinics, Pharmacy and prescription drugs
  
• Rural Medicaid and CHIP Mini-Studies
  Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are important sources of health insurance coverage in rural communities and it is likely that the importance of Medicaid/CHIP will grow as job-based health insurance coverage continues to erode and policymakers pursue the goal of expanding coverage. This project is composed of three mini-studies that: 1) Update our State Profiles of Medicaid and CHIP in Rural and Urban Areas website, adding information on Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments to rural hospitals; 2) Analyze trends in Medicaid/CHIP enrollment in rural and urban areas over the past two to three years; and 3) Explore the future role of CHIP given increasing levels of childhood poverty.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Children and adolescents, Medicaid and CHIP
  
• Rural Population and Providers: Mapping the 2000 Census
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Rural statistics and demographics, Workforce
  
• State Facts about Medicaid: Rural Specific Data
  This project will develop state-specific fact sheets which will include information on the groups covered (and income eligibility), structure of the state's SCHIP program, services covered, delivery system, some provider payment information for certain safety net providers, and percentage of the state's rural and urban population that are enrolled in Medicaid. Additional information comparing urban and rural areas of the state will be provided, when available. The rural and urban comparisons will include total numbers of Medicaid recipients, Medicaid expenditures, and enrollment in different types of managed care plans.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Medicaid and CHIP, Rural statistics and demographics
  
• Tracking the Implementation of Medicaid Managed Care in Rural Areas
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topic: Medicaid and CHIP
  
• Trends in Swing Bed and Skilled Nursing Facility Use in Rural Hospitals, 1996-2003
  This study will examine trends in the distribution of skilled nursing facility (SNF) services in rural hospitals during a period of dramatic change in Medicare reimbursement, most notably the transition from cost-based reimbursement to SNF prospective payment system (PPS).
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Aging, Hospitals and clinics, Long-term care, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS)
  
• Unmet Needs for Health Care Services: An Analysis of Children with Special Health Care Needs in Rural Areas
  This project will study whether parents of children with special healthcare needs (CSHCNs) who live in rural areas are less likely to perceive the need for routine and specialty medical care than their metropolitan counterparts, and whether CSHCNs that live in rural areas face a greater risk of having unmet needs for healthcare services than their metropolitan counterparts.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Children and adolescents, Disabilities, Health services, Oral health
  

Publications - (19)