North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center (NC RHRPAC)

The North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center extends and expands the work of the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program at UNC-CH.  This center, one of seven federally-designated rural health research centers funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, primarily focuses on Federal insurance programs (Medicare and Medicaid) and their effect on rural populations and providers. In addition, faculty and professionals working with the Center respond to short-term queries using the unique availability of multiple national and special datasets to investigate key rural health policy issues.  The following six projects are under investigation: 1) rural health clinics: Medicare & Medicaid profile, 2) the 21st century rural hospital: outpatient services and access to care, 3) hospital readmission following care in a swing bed, 4) swing beds versus skilled nursing facilities: Medicare expenditures for episodes of care, 5) early rural experiences of changes to Medicaid, 6) identifying limitations of  prospective payment system (PPS) reimbursement for rural hospitals. The Center has also been designed for flexibility, allowing staff, data, and additional resources to address other issues as they become salient.

Principal Investigator: Mark Holmes, Ph.D.

Funding Source: Office of Rural Health Policy, HRSA

Total Project Period: 08/15/04 – 08/31/16