Meet Tyler Malone – HPM in Practice

October 18, 2023

Health policy and management alum Tyler Malone (PhD ‘23) now works to improve health access and outcomes for rural communities across the United States as a research investigator with UNC’s Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research and North Carolina Rural Health Research Program (NCRHRP). 

Originally from Farmer City, Illinois, Malone has long held a fascination and passion for public and rural health.   

Tyler Malone

“Much of my interest in public health and rural health care stems from my upbringing and love for my hometown,” he says. 

The NCRHRP, one of several rural research centers funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, has been devoted to addressing national issues in rural health care through research and policy analysis for more than 40 years.  

They regularly produce data products, policy briefs and peer-reviewed journal articles that are used by the Federal Office and rural stakeholders to guide rural policy.    

One area of particular interest within the NCRHRP is research related to rural hospital finances and payment policy. Several recent studies have focused on the financial requirements and implications of a new type of rural hospital, the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). 

The REH is the first new rural hospital payment classification introduced in nearly twenty years, thus representing an important evolution point in the history of rural hospitals.  

Local hospitals often instill a sense of pride and comfort within rural towns, and any policy that affects these facilities warrants deep consideration. Under the REH model, small rural hospitals can elect to focus exclusively on emergency and outpatient services in lieu of inpatient care. 

“Inpatient services, while important, are often costly to small hospitals and may increase the risk of hospital financial distress or closure,” says Malone. “Going forward, researchers and rural policymakers will need to evaluate the trade-off between inpatient service access and hospital financial stability — as well as the effects of this trade-off on local communities.”  

As a rural research center, NCRHRP strives to provide important contextual information to rural stakeholders so they can fully evaluate whether REH conversion is a favorable option for local hospitals. By providing this information, researchers aim to improve long-term outcomes for both rural hospitals and the communities they serve.   

Initial studies from the NCRHP have provided estimates on the total number of hospitals that might convert to an REH and characteristics of hospitals eligible to convert to REH status.  The team also has ongoing research that examines the characteristics of eligible hospitals in the context of the REH Conditions of Participation.  

This research will help rural stakeholders identify whether the current patterns of care at small rural hospitals are well suited to the new REH designation.  The NCRHP will continue to monitor the REH trade-off between local inpatient service availability and local hospital financial well-being given the potential implications for health care access, quality and outcomes. 

Contact the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@unc.edu.