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Ty Borders, PhD

Director, Rural and Underserved Health Research Center

Phone: 859.218.0108
Email: ty.borders@uky.edu

College of Nursing
University of Kentucky
Healthy Kentucky Research Building
760 Press Avenue, Suite 360
Lexington, KY 40536


Current Projects - (4)

  • Availability and Characteristics of Outpatient and Residential Substance Use Treatment in Rural and Urban Areas
    This study will look at: 1) the availability of residential and outpatient treatment centers in rural and urban counties, including identifying counties with no facilities; and 2) characteristics of services offered (e.g., residential, outpatient), demographics of persons treated, and insurance plans accepted by rural vs urban centers.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Pharmacy and prescription drugs, Social determinants of health, Substance use and treatment
  • Mental Health Treatment Among Rural and Urban Adults at Risk for Suicide
    This study will look at rural/urban disparities in 1) the receipt and sources of mental health treatment among adults with suicidal thoughts and attempts using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health; and 2) mental health follow-up visits among adults with a hospital admission or emergency department visit for self-inflicted harm using data from a national insurance claims dataset.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Post-acute care
  • Risky Substance Use Among Rural and Urban Adults: An Update
    Very little research has examined rural vs. urban differences in substance misuse and treatment access nationally. Using public and nationally representative data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, this project will: 1) Estimate and compare alcohol use and binge drinking, and 2) Estimate and compare drug use (marijuana, other illicit drugs, and non-medical use of other drugs) between non-metropolitan and metropolitan adults.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Mental and behavioral health, Substance use and treatment
  • Work Settings, Education, and Intent to Leave Practice among Rural vs. Urban Nurses
    Using data from the 2022 National Nursing Workforce Survey, this project will describe rural/urban differences in nurses' work settings, levels of education and licensure, demographic characteristics, income, and intention to retire or leave practice. Study findings could be applied to implement policies aimed at increasing nursing school output and attracting nurses to practice in rural areas.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Nurses and nurse practitioners, Workforce

Completed Projects - (5)

  • Rural and Urban Differences in Access to Psychiatric Partial Hospitalization Programs
    The project informed policymakers about the accessibility of psychiatric partial hospitalization programs, which provide moderately intensive and structured psychiatric services in outpatient settings, particularly hospital-based outpatient clinics.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Mental and behavioral health
  • Rural and Urban Primary Care Physicians' Colorectal Screening Performance
    The objectives of this project were to profile, compare, and further understand rural versus urban differences in colorectal screening performance among primary care physicians nationally.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Cancer, Chronic diseases and conditions, Health promotion and disease prevention, Healthcare access, Physicians
  • Rural/Urban Variations in Cancer Screening During the COVID-19 Pandemic
    Using the National Cancer Institute Health Information National Trends Survey, we examined how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the receipt of recommended screenings for common cancers. Findings informed policymakers about potential widening of rural/urban disparities in the receipt of cancer preventive services and the potential need to target these services toward rural residents.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Cancer, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Health promotion and disease prevention, Health services, Healthcare access
  • Serious Mental Illness and Access to Care Among Rural and Urban Adults
    Very little research has examined the prevalence of serious mental illness and access to mental health treatment among rural relative to urban adults in the U.S. Using nationally representative data, this project shed new light on the prevalence and correlates of serious mental illness and related access to mental health services.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Mental and behavioral health, Substance use and treatment
  • Substance Use, Depression, and Suicide: What Are the Individual and Policy-Modifiable Correlates Amongst Metropolitan and Non-metropolitan Adults?
    We estimated the prevalence of depression and suicidal ideation and attempts amongst metropolitan and non-metropolitan adults nationally. We also investigated how demographic, social, economic, and health (including alcohol and drug abuse) as well as healthcare access factors explain depression and suicide indicators amongst residents.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Mental and behavioral health, Substance use and treatment

Publications - (3)

2024

2023

2021