Research Projects

Published

• Alex Schulte, Becky Staiger, Hector Rodriguez, Amanda Brewster. “Mission vs. Margin: The Effects of Catholic Health System Ownership on Hospital Operations.” Medical Care Research and Review. July 2025. 

In progress

• "From Doctrine to Data: Analyzing causal relationships between U.S. Catholic hospital ownership and reproductive healthcare, 2010-2023."

• "Physician Behavior under Religious Restrictions: Evidence from Catholic Hospitals."

I am collaborating with Drs. Becky Staiger, Caitlin Myers, and Alejandro Schuler to examine the effects of federal and state policies on the reproductive healthcare workforce. Our research focuses on the impacts of the Dobbs decision, as well as state-level policies such as scope of practice expansions and shield laws, on where providers choose to practice and maintain clinical licensure. This work builds on Dr. Staiger's previous research: "Obstetrician and Gynecologist Physicians’ Practice Locations Before and After the Dobbs Decision" (JAMA Network Open, 2025).

Misinformation about contraception and abortion are serious and worsening threats to sexual and reproductive health. The spread and impact of misinformation has been exacerbated by social media. This mixed methods study will 1) characterize the extent and nature of misinformation about contraception on TikTok, 2) design interventions to ensure all young people have access to accurate comprehensive information, and 3) conduct an informational correction experiment through a national survey of youth.

• A Schulte, AH Bennett, J Arcara, et al. “Experiencing a challenge or delay accessing contraception and contraceptive self-efficacy: Data from a 2022 nationally representative online survey.” Reproductive Health. May 2025.

• AH Bennett, A Schulte, J Arcara, et al. “Perception of having enough information to make contraceptive decisions: A novel metric of person-centered contraceptive access.” Women’s Health Issues. May 2025.

• AM Gomez, AH Bennett, A Schulte, et al. “Use of Preferred Source of Contraception Among Users of the Pill, Patch, and Ring in the U.S.” JAMA Network Open. October 2024.

• A Schulte, A Biggs. “Association between facility and clinician characteristics and family planning services provided during U.S. outpatient care visits.” Women’s Health Issues. November 2023.

In support of open science and transparency, I also led the team to make our data and analysis files publicly-available on OSF. More information on this research can be found here.

Published

• A Schulte, MS Subbaraman, G Liu, WC Kerr, PJ Trangenstein, SCM Roberts. “Interactive effects between pregnancy-related alcohol policies and state spirits availability on infant and maternal outcomes.” American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. June 2025.

• M Subbaraman, A Schulte, NF Berglas, WC Kerr, S Thomas, R Treffers, G Liu, SCM Roberts. “Associations between alcohol taxes and varied health outcomes among women of reproductive age and infants.” Alcohol and Alcoholism. May 2024.

• A Schulte, G Liu, M Subbaraman, WC Kerr, D Leslie, SCM Roberts. “Relationships Between Alcohol Policies and Infant Morbidities and Injuries.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine. January 2024.

• SCM Roberts, A Schulte, C Zaugg, D Leslie, TE Corr, G Liu. “Pregnancy-Specific Alcohol Policies and Association with Infant Morbidities and Maltreatment.” JAMA Network Open. August 2023. 

Under Review

• SCM Roberts, A Schulte, S Raifman, G Liu, C Zaugg, M Subbaraman. “Mandatory Warning Signs for Alcohol Use During Pregnancy and Birth and Infant Outcomes in Southern U.S. States: a Quasi-Experimental Study.” 

More information on this research project can be found here.

• T Jones, C Jeung, A Schulte, C Lewis, PJ Maddox. “Hourly Wages and Turnover of Community Health Workers According to US State Certification Policy and Medicaid Reimbursement, 2010–2021.” American Journal of Public Health. May 2022. 

• T Jones, A Schulte, S Ramanathan, M Assefa, S Rebala, PJ Maddox. “Evaluating the Association of State Regulation of Community Health Workers on Adoption of Standard Roles, Skills, and Qualities by Employers in Select States: A Mixed Methods Study.” Journal of Human Resources for Health. November 2021.

White Papers & Reports

• A Schulte, M Majerol, J Nadler. “Narrowing the rural-urban health divide: Bringing virtual health to rural communities.” Deloitte Insights. November 2019.

• A Schulte, D Kirk, KW Thompson, GH Pink. “Facility-Based Ambulatory Care Provided to Rural Medicare Beneficiaries in 2014.” NC Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center. March 2019. 

• A Schulte, GH Pink, M Holmes, D Kirk. “Cost-Sharing as a Barrier to Accessing Care at FQHCs and RHCs for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries.” NC Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center. June 2019. 

• AF Hoffman, RK Randolph, A Schulte, GH Pink. “Market Characteristics Associated with Rural Hospitals’ Provision of Post-Acute Care.” NC Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center. April 2018. 

• A Schulte, DA Kirk, RK Randolph, GH Pink. “Rural and Urban Provider Market Share of Inpatient Post-Acute Care Services Provided to Rural Medicare Beneficiaries.” NC Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center. April 2018. 

• A Schulte, HA Howard, GH Pink. “The Financial Importance of Medicare Post-Acute and Hospice Care to Rural Hospitals.” NC Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center. July 2017.

• A Schulte, GH Pink, M Holmes, D Kirk. “Rural Health Snapshot (2017).” NC Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center. May 2017.

Undergraduate Theses

• A Schulte, GH Pink. “Cost-Sharing as a Barrier to Accessing Care at FQHCs and RHCs for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries.” University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Health Policy and Management, BSPH. 2018.

• A Schulte, S Lich. “Estimating the Effect of Accountable Care Organizations on Swing Bed Revenues.” University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Economics, BA. 2018.

In recognition of my research, I was awarded the Arnold Kaluzny Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research