Rural Health
Research Gateway

Thomas Vaughn, PhD

Phone: 319.331.4383
Email: tom-vaughn@uiowa.edu

Health Management and Policy
University of Iowa

Publications - (12)

2021

2019

  • Strategic Choice in Developing Telemedicine - Observations From Three Organizations
    Report
    RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Date: 12/2019
    Advances in technology have made it easier to provide telemedicine services, but the actual value of telemedicine programs for health systems providing those services or for patients has not been firmly established. This paper explores organizational motivations of three large health systems for incorporating telemedicine patient care services.

2018

  • Organizational Attributes Associated With Medicare ACO Quality Performance
    Journal Article
    RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Date: 07/2018
    Peer-reviewed paper evaluating associations between geographic, structural, and service-provision attributes of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and the ACOs' quality performance.
  • Organizational Attributes With Medicare ACO Quality Performance
    Journal Article
    RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Date: 05/2018
    Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations' (ACOs') quality performance found rural ACOs' score was comparable to those in other categories. ACOs with hospital-system sponsorship, larger beneficiary panels, and higher post-hospitalization follow-up rates had better performance.

2016

  • Medicare Accountable Care Organizations: Quality Performance by Geographic Categories
    Policy Brief
    RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Date: 11/2016
    Provides an analysis of the differences in Accountable Care Organization (ACO) performance on the quality measures among the Medicare Shared Saving Program ACOs with varying levels of rural presence. Findings suggest that ACOs with significant rural presence have performed as well as, if not better than, urban ACOs in delivering quality care.
  • Medicare Accountable Care Organizations: Beneficiary Assignment Update
    Policy Brief
    RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Date: 06/2016
    This brief updates Brief No. 2014-3 and explains changes in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Accountable Care Organization regulations issued in June 2015 pertaining to beneficiary assignment for Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs. Understanding ACO beneficiary assignment policies is dire in managing ACO providers and beneficiaries.

2015

  • A Rural Taxonomy of Population and Health-Resource Characteristics
    Policy Brief
    RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Date: 04/2015
    This brief reports the newly developed taxonomy of rural places based on relevant population and health-resource characteristics and discusses how this classification tool can be utilized by policymakers and rural communities.
  • Developmental Strategies and Challenges for Rural Accountable Care Organizations
    Policy Brief
    RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Date: 02/2015
    This brief offers insights into the initial strategic decisions and challenges of four accountable care organizations (ACOs) with rural presences. These ACOs were formed as a step toward a value-driven rural delivery system. While several challenges need to be addressed, these insights can inform development of other rural ACOs.

2014

2013

  • Accountable Care Organizations in Rural America
    RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Date: 07/2013
    This policy brief reports that Medicare Accountable Care Organizations currently operate in 16.7% of all U.S. non-metropolitan counties.