Physical restructuring and merger outcomes in Ontario hospitals with Jenny Watt. Canadian Journal of Economics, 2025.
Health effects of urgent care center entry: The case of WellNow with Stephen Wu. Economics & Human Biology, 2026.
The Impact of Government-Directed Hospital Mergers and Closures on Patient Welfare with Jenny Watt and Joan Tranmer [Supplemental materials] [Updated December 2025]
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.
Market entry and strategic differentiation: Evidence from U.S. charities with Ricard Gil and Eric Richert
Urgent care center entry and hospital case mix with Stephen Wu
Investigating the effect of caregiving on older American adults with Evelyn Skoy
Introduction of air quality alerts and health outcomes with Jeffrey Cross and Guangli Zhang.
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