The Impact of Hospital Mergers and Closures on Patient Welfare with Jenny Watt and Joan Tranmer
We use data on a large wave of directed hospital mergers and closures in Ontario to investigate the impact of hospital reorganization on patient welfare. We estimate a model of patient hospital choice on data collected before the reorganization, finding that both distance and hospital quality are determinants of choice. The model is then used to simulate the short-run and long-run welfare impact of reorganization. Results suggest that cost savings and efficiency are not the only factors to consider when restructuring in settings where patients do not pay for services. Hospital access and quality must be considered.
Unequal Pay for Equal [CEO] Work? Gender Disparities in US Charity Compensation with Ricard Gil [Updated March 2025]
This paper studies the incidence and drivers of gender pay differences among top executive managers in the context of U.S. charities. Using charity-level data from 990 tax forms, we find that, conditional on receiving compensation, female managers receive between 8% and 21% less total compensation than male managers. By contrast, we also find female managers are more likely to receive compensation than male managers. When examining reasons for the documented gap, we find female managers are not rewarded for better performance. These findings rule out differences in performance as a direct cause of pay differences and suggest organizations’ gender-based perception and managers’ preferences may be driving the observed differences in pay.
Physical restructuring and merger outcomes in Ontario hospitals with Jenny Watt [Accepted for publication at CJE]
Hospitals in public and private healthcare systems frequently undergo mergers, despite mixed evidence on their effects on quality and cost. We use confidential health data from Ontario to evaluate the effect of hospital mergers on measures of hospital quality, capacity, and financial status. In particular, we investigate the claim that hospital mergers involving physical restructuring are more likely to improve these measures than hospital mergers that are administrative in nature. Our primary analysis finds little evidence of an impact of hospital mergers on quality of care. While neither type of merger has an impact on most measures of financial status, mergers are associated with a reduction in total expenses that is greater when the merger involves physical restructuring (with the caveat that both types of merged hospitals produce fewer inpatient cases post merger).
Health effects of urgent care center entry: The case of WellNow with Stephen Wu [Updated March 2025]
This paper uses multiple sources of data to study the effect of the entry of WellNow urgent care centers (UCC) in New York State on individual health outcomes and health care access. Using a staggered difference-in-differences approach, we show that the opening of a new urgent care center leads to better self-assessed physical and mental health for individuals living in that particular county. We also find evidence of a decreased strain on the local healthcare system, as the opening of a nearby WellNow facility leads to shorter hospital waiting times and increased probabilities that individuals have a timely routine checkup.
Market entry and strategic differentiation: Evidence from U.S. charities with Ricard Gil and Eric Richert
Impact of healthcare reorganization: Entry of urgent care center with Stephen Wu
Medical cannabis will be lost amid the gummies and suds with Allan W. Gregory. Policy Options, November 2019.
What do Canadians think about trade and globalization? with Giancarlo Acquaviva and Robert Wolfe. Policy Options, October 2018.
Will medical cannabis undercut the recreational market? with Allan W. Gregory. Policy Options, August, 2018.
Statistics Canada Crowdsources Cannabis Prices with Allan W. Gregrory. Economics and Policy Blog, April 2018.
Email: ebarker@hamilton.edu