Melinda A Merrell
Biographic Data
| ID | 5546655 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Melinda A Merrell |
| GIVEN NAMES | Melinda A |
| FAMILY NAME | Merrell |
| SIGNATURE | MERRELL M A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of South Carolina |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6465-0454 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 14 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 5 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 14 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2018 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Trends in patient perceptions of care toward rural and urban hospitals in the United States
PURPOSE: Understanding rural-urban disparities in patient satisfaction is critical to identify gaps for improvement in patient-centered care and tailor interventions to specific patient needs, especially those in the Frontier and Remote areas (FAR). This study aimed to examine disparities in patient perceptions of care between urban, rural non-FAR, and FAR hospitals between 2014 and 2019. METHODS: This is a retrospective longitudinal study using …
Racial, Ethnic, and Rural/Urban Disparities in HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections in South Carolina
Examining the association between rurality and positive childhood experiences among a national sample
PURPOSE: The present study examines the association between rurality and positive childhood experiences (PCEs) among children and adolescents across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Recent work has quantified the prevalence of PCEs at the national level, but these studies have been based on public use data files, which lack rurality information for 19 states. METHODS: Data for this cross-sectional analysis were drawn from 2016 to 2018 …
Changes in access to community health services among rural areas affected and unaffected by hospital closures between 2006 and 2018
PURPOSE: Recent studies suggest that Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) may be expanding their provision of primary care in rural communities that experience a hospital loss. Whether these trends are different from rural areas not being affected by rural hospital closures is unknown. METHODS: Data included Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Provider of Services files, the Cecil G. Sheps hospital closure database, and American Commu…
Availability of hospital‐based cancer services before and after rural hospital closure, 2008‐2017
INTRODUCTION: Rural populations have less access to cancer care services and experience higher cancer mortality rates than their urban counterparts, which may be exacerbated by hospital closures. Our objective was to examine the impact of hospital closures on access to cancer-relevant hospital services across hospital service areas (HSAs). METHODS: We used American Hospital Association survey data from 2008 to 2017 to examine the change in access…
The Covid‐19 pandemic impact on independent and provider‐based rural health clinics’ operations and cancer prevention and screening provision in the United States
INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted cancer care, but it is unknown how the pandemic has affected care in Medicare-certified rural health clinics (RHCs) where cancer prevention and screening services are critical for their communities. This study examined how the provision of these cancer services changed pre- and peri-pandemic overall and by RHC type (independent and provider-based). METHODS: We administered a cross-sectional survey…
Examining racial–ethnic differences in positive childhood experiences among rural children
Safe, supportive neighborhoods
The findings from this study highlight the role of social structures in tightening the safety net for oral healthcare in children
Rural‐Urban Differences in Positive Childhood Experiences Across a National Sample
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of positive childhood experience (PCE) and adverse childhood experience (ACE) exposures in 31 states plus the District of Columbia and to estimate exposure differences between rural and urban children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 19,251 respondents from the 2017-2018 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), a nationally representative sample o…
Positive Childhood Experiences Promote School Success
The oral health status of America's rural children
As preparations are made for the 2020 Surgeon General's report on oral health, the current study provides important evidence to inform future advocacy and legislative priorities. To reduce urban-rural disparities among children, there must be enhanced dental care access, dental workforce expansion, and increased awareness about preventive oral health services
A National Survey of RN-to-BSN Programs
BACKGROUND: Increased representation of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)-prepared nurses improves health and reduces costs. Fewer rural U.S. nurses have BSN degrees compared with the national average. RN-to-BSN programs provide an opportunity to increase the number of BSN-prepared rural nurses. However, the number of these programs targeting rural students is unknown. METHOD: Directors of RN-to-BSN programs were surveyed regarding program cha…
Rural-Urban Mortality Disparities
Objectives. To examine rural-urban disparities in overall mortality and leading causes of death across Hispanic (any race) and non-Hispanic White, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and Asian/Pacific Islander populations. Methods. We performed a retrospective analysis of age-adjusted death rates for all-cause mortality and 5 leading causes of death (cardiovascular, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease, and …
Community Paramedicine Applied in a Rural Community
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: Abbeville County Emergency Management Services (ACEMS) began a community paramedicine (CP) program to utilize trained paramedics to serve patients who frequently use the emergency department (ED) and have 1 or more of the following diagnoses: hypertension, diabetes, chronic heart failure, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The objective of this study was to determine if the CP program reduced ED visits in Abbev…
Rural-Urban Mortality Disparities
Objectives. To examine rural-urban disparities in overall mortality and leading causes of death across Hispanic (any race) and non-Hispanic White, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and Asian/Pacific Islander populations. Methods. We performed a retrospective analysis of age-adjusted death rates for all-cause mortality and 5 leading causes of death (cardiovascular, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease, and …
Community Paramedicine Applied in a Rural Community
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: Abbeville County Emergency Management Services (ACEMS) began a community paramedicine (CP) program to utilize trained paramedics to serve patients who frequently use the emergency department (ED) and have 1 or more of the following diagnoses: hypertension, diabetes, chronic heart failure, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The objective of this study was to determine if the CP program reduced ED visits in Abbev…
A National Survey of RN-to-BSN Programs
BACKGROUND: Increased representation of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)-prepared nurses improves health and reduces costs. Fewer rural U.S. nurses have BSN degrees compared with the national average. RN-to-BSN programs provide an opportunity to increase the number of BSN-prepared rural nurses. However, the number of these programs targeting rural students is unknown. METHOD: Directors of RN-to-BSN programs were surveyed regarding program cha…
Rural-Urban Mortality Disparities
Objectives. To examine rural-urban disparities in overall mortality and leading causes of death across Hispanic (any race) and non-Hispanic White, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and Asian/Pacific Islander populations. Methods. We performed a retrospective analysis of age-adjusted death rates for all-cause mortality and 5 leading causes of death (cardiovascular, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease, and …
Rural‐Urban Differences in Positive Childhood Experiences Across a National Sample
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of positive childhood experience (PCE) and adverse childhood experience (ACE) exposures in 31 states plus the District of Columbia and to estimate exposure differences between rural and urban children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 19,251 respondents from the 2017-2018 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), a nationally representative sample o…
Positive Childhood Experiences Promote School Success
The oral health status of America's rural children
As preparations are made for the 2020 Surgeon General's report on oral health, the current study provides important evidence to inform future advocacy and legislative priorities. To reduce urban-rural disparities among children, there must be enhanced dental care access, dental workforce expansion, and increased awareness about preventive oral health services
Examining racial–ethnic differences in positive childhood experiences among rural children
Safe, supportive neighborhoods
The findings from this study highlight the role of social structures in tightening the safety net for oral healthcare in children
Racial, Ethnic, and Rural/Urban Disparities in HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections in South Carolina
Examining the association between rurality and positive childhood experiences among a national sample
PURPOSE: The present study examines the association between rurality and positive childhood experiences (PCEs) among children and adolescents across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Recent work has quantified the prevalence of PCEs at the national level, but these studies have been based on public use data files, which lack rurality information for 19 states. METHODS: Data for this cross-sectional analysis were drawn from 2016 to 2018 …
Changes in access to community health services among rural areas affected and unaffected by hospital closures between 2006 and 2018
PURPOSE: Recent studies suggest that Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) may be expanding their provision of primary care in rural communities that experience a hospital loss. Whether these trends are different from rural areas not being affected by rural hospital closures is unknown. METHODS: Data included Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Provider of Services files, the Cecil G. Sheps hospital closure database, and American Commu…
Availability of hospital‐based cancer services before and after rural hospital closure, 2008‐2017
INTRODUCTION: Rural populations have less access to cancer care services and experience higher cancer mortality rates than their urban counterparts, which may be exacerbated by hospital closures. Our objective was to examine the impact of hospital closures on access to cancer-relevant hospital services across hospital service areas (HSAs). METHODS: We used American Hospital Association survey data from 2008 to 2017 to examine the change in access…
The Covid‐19 pandemic impact on independent and provider‐based rural health clinics’ operations and cancer prevention and screening provision in the United States
INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted cancer care, but it is unknown how the pandemic has affected care in Medicare-certified rural health clinics (RHCs) where cancer prevention and screening services are critical for their communities. This study examined how the provision of these cancer services changed pre- and peri-pandemic overall and by RHC type (independent and provider-based). METHODS: We administered a cross-sectional survey…
Trends in patient perceptions of care toward rural and urban hospitals in the United States
PURPOSE: Understanding rural-urban disparities in patient satisfaction is critical to identify gaps for improvement in patient-centered care and tailor interventions to specific patient needs, especially those in the Frontier and Remote areas (FAR). This study aimed to examine disparities in patient perceptions of care between urban, rural non-FAR, and FAR hospitals between 2014 and 2019. METHODS: This is a retrospective longitudinal study using …
Medicine (14 works) · Demography (9 works) · Family medicine (9 works) · Rural area (8 works) · Environmental health (7 works) · Health care (7 works) · Nursing (6 works) · Global Health Workforce Issues (5 works) · Descriptive statistics (4 works) · Early Childhood Education and Development (4 works)