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HC-COVID-19 Data Analysis

Availability and Utilization of Key Healthcare Resources during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Texas

Goal: Working with the Center for Health Statistics of the Texas DSHS, this project will collect longitudinal data regarding COVID-19 testing, case reports, staffed hospital and ICU beds, deidentified admission and discharge data, and outpatient procedures for hospitals in four regions of the state of Texas. 

By collecting these data from regions supporting both rural and urban healthcare systems, the project will provide useful information on differences in urban and rural healthcare system response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Funded by: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Principal Investigator: Dr. Eduardo Pérez

Collaborators: Dr. Francis Mendez Mediavilla (Texas State University), Texas Department of State Health Services

Students: Mary Van (undergraduate student), Holly Streber (undergraduate student), Kayla Streber (undergraduate student), Alakshendra Joshi (graduate student)

COVID-19 identified clusters

COVID-19 case clusters identified in Texas

Methodology

  • This study uses COVID-19 case data  provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services to understand population level variables that can be associated to the observed trends of COVID-19 cases in Texas.
  • A hierarchical clustering algorithm is used to agglomerate the trends of COVID-19 reported positive cases for the period March 4, 2020, until December 15, 2020.
COVID-19 trends for four trauma service regions in Texas

COVID-19 trends for four trauma service regions in Texas

Research publications and media recognition

Research publications:

  1. Streber, H., Streber, K., Van, M., Jimenez-Rivera, A., and E. Pérez, (2022) “Planning the Trauma Hospital Network Expansion to Increase Access in Rural Communities” Proceedings of the IISE Conference 2022, Seattle WA, May 20-23
  2. Pérez, E., Y. Li, and J.A. Pagán (2021) “A Decision-Making Model to Optimize the Impact of Community-Based Programs” Preventive Medicine, Vol. 149,
  3. Pérez, E., F.A. Méndez Mediavilla, S.K. Greer, M. Van, K.S. Skidmore, and K. Williams,  “Factors Associated with COVID-19 Cases Spread in Texas” submitted.

Media recognition:

  1. Texas State News Room. 2020. Texas State professor tackles questions amid hurricane season, COVID concerns  
  2. Texas State News Room. 2020. Texas State Researcher Receives RAPID Grant From NFS For COVID-19 Study 
  3. Corridor News. 2020. Texas State Researcher Receives RAPID Grant From NFS For COVID-19 Study 
  4. Univision 62. 2020. ¿Texas tiene suficientes camas para atender a pacientes de coronavirus si la situación empeora? 

Data

Data collected in this research is available upon request through email. Please contact Dr. Eduardo Perez (eduardopr@txstate.edu)

 

Data available (2019-2020) for Texas:

  1. Number of diagnostic tests
  2. Number of cases reported per county
  3. Number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals
  4. Fatalities reported per county
  5. COVID-19 case demographics
  6. Total staffed hospital beds per day per trauma region
  7. Available ICU beds per day per day per trauma region
  8. Available hospitals beds per day per trauma region
  9. Available ventilators per day per trauma region
  10. Personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies shortages