Honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month 
CMS.gov - CMS Office of Minority Health Menu; for 9/15-10/15 
September 15 through October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to honor the 63.7 million Hispanic people living in the United States. This month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) would like to raise awareness of the health disparities that impact Hispanic Americans and highlight efforts to reduce gaps in health care. Hispanic Americans are at greater risk of various health conditions due to a lack of preventive care and health insurance, as well as language barriers. In 2022, almost 28% of Hispanic adults didn’t have health insurance compared to Black (13.3%), White (7.4%), and Asian (7.1%) adults. Resources:

• C2C Roadmap to Better Care (Spanish) (PDF)
• C2C Roadmap to Behavioral Health (Spanish) (PDF)
• Get Preventive Care webpage
• Understanding the Health Needs of Diverse Groups of Hispanic Medicare Beneficiaries (PDF)
• Improving Care for People With Limited English Proficiency (PDF)
• Guide to Developing a Language Access Plan (PDF)
• A Practical Guide to Implementing the National CLAS Standards (PDF)
• Introduction to Language Access Plans 
• Latino Connection’s website

Editor's note: For diversity data specific to your service areas, visit the U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts. Also, read "Today's Encouragement" by Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías. 

Gran comforted by cat in final moments at hospice: 'Never leaving her side' 
Newsweek; by Alice Gibbs; 9/17/24 
A woman has shared the heartwarming moment her grandmother's final wish was fulfilled when hospice staff allowed her beloved cat to spend her last day with her. In a video with more than 2 million views on TikTok, Allison Kuhn shared the beautiful way her grandmother Elaine got to spend her final moments with her cat, named Baby. "I'll never stop thinking about how all my grandma wanted during her last month in hospice was her cat," Kuhn said in the video. "The same cat, who during that month started dying and was diagnosed with a 'heartbreak' from being away from grandma. Hospice let the cat stay with my grandma on her last day. The cat didn't leave that bed for 24 hours."

The Journey Home receives inaugural $20K grant from BCF 
Bartlesville, OK Local News; by Nathan Thompson; 9/17/24 
The Journey Home, a nonprofit and free hospice facility, has received the Tell Your Story Grant of $20,000 from the Bartlesville Community Foundation. The award was announced Tuesday during the BCF's inaugural "Celebrate Together" luncheon at the Bartlesville Community Center. The competitive grant is structured to provide $10,000 of endowment support, $5,000 in operational funding and $5,000 worth of video and social media production. The Journey Home opened its doors in January 2014 as a specialized end-of-life care facility — only the second one of its kind in Oklahoma. It is a six-bedroom home staffed with professional caregivers and trained volunteers who provide continuous personal care for terminally-ill guests.

Blue Ridge Hospice Thrift Shop reaches $1M milestone 
LoudonNow.com, Leesburg, VA; by Staff Report; 9/17/24 
Blue Ridge Hospice Thrift Shop in Purcellville surpassed $1 million in sales this year, a threshold of success the organization attributes to unwavering community support. Money raised at the Main Street store supports its efforts to provide quality and compassionate care for those facing serious illness and end-of-life challenges. “Our thrift shops serve as windows into the living rooms of our community. They reflect the spirit of giving and caring that defines Loudoun County. Reaching the $1 million mark is not just a financial achievement that supports our purpose and mission-driven work; it’s a testament to the collective effort of a community that truly values and supports its neighbors,” President and CEO Jason Parsons stated.

4 traps to avoid as you transition into a leadership role 
Harvard Business Review; by David Lancefield; 9/17/24 
Lisa came to me for help at the end of the first 90 days in her first C-suite role. She had started confidently, sharing her story, setting out her hopes for her new organization, and working hard to create some quick wins — but soon the problems started piling up: Investors were confused about the strategic direction, employees felt let down by unfulfilled promises, and customers remained unimpressed by the service they received. We reflected on what she could have done differently. ... She had fallen into four traps I’ve observed in my work with C-suite executives over the last 25 years. They divert attention from what matters and impair decision-making — just when you need to be on your A-game. Here’s what to watch out for and what to do instead.

• The Lingering Trap ... [what to do]
• The Adrenaline Trap ... [what to do]
• The Judgement Trap ... [what to do]
• The Dogma Trap ... [what to do]

10 most, least diverse states in 2024 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Erica Carbajal; 9/17/24 
... For the ranking, the financial services company compared all 50 states across six key dimensions: socio-economic diversity, cultural diversity, economic diversity, household diversity, religious diversity and political diversity. ... Here are the 10 most and least diverse states in 2024, per the ranking:
Most diverse: [Starting with highest diversity] 1. California 2. Texas 3. Florida 4. New Mexico 5. Hawaii 6. Nevada 7. New Jersey 8. New York 9. Maryland 10. Arizona
Least diverse: [Starts with lowest diversity] 1. West Virginia 2. Maine 3. New Hampshire 4. Vermont 5. Montana 6. Kentucky 7. Wyoming 8. Iowa 9. Utah 10. North Dakota
Editor's note: For diversity data specific to your service areas, visit the U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts. 

When should you refer patients with COPD to palliative care? 
Physician's Weekly; by Jennifer Philip; 9/17/24 
Researchers identified 17 major and 30 minor criteria to guide physicians in referring their patients with COPD to specialty palliative care. ...

• The steering committee grouped the criteria into eight categories: Hospital utilization. Respiratory therapies. Distressing symptoms. Exacerbation. Prognosis. Functional impairment. Comorbidities and complications. Psychosocial factors. ...
• Seventeen major criteria emerged, which fell into three categories: health services, presence of symptoms or psychosocial needs, and withdrawal of life-prolonging interventions. The seventeen major criteria were: [Click on the title's link for the list.] ...
• The group reached consensus on 30 minor criteria. When two or more minor criteria are present, a physician should refer a patient with COPD to palliative care. The 30 minor criteria were: [Click on the title's link for the list.] ...

Death is no enemy 
Psychiatric Times; by Sidney Zisook, MD; 9/17/24
... As mental health clinicians, we often confine our conversations about death and dying to recognizing suicide risk and preventing suicide. And for good reason. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, ... Far less attention is paid by mental health clinicians to other aspects of death and dying. But we are human, first and foremost, and coping with a host of issues related to the end of life is inextricably bound to both our professional and personal lives. Like it or not, death is part of life. We, as mental health clinicians, are not always as prepared as we would like to be to help ourselves, our loved ones, our patients, and their loved ones deal with loss, dying, death, and bereavement. For many physicians, 1 or 2 hours in medical school and perhaps another few hours during residency are all the training we receive in these complex and challenging clinical issues. ...  Chochinov provides a clinician’s guide for “being with” dying patients. He offers ways of providing intensive caring to enhance empathy, respect, connectivity, and hope, and to make the experience of a dying patient more tolerable than it otherwise might be. ... I have utilized his Patient Dignity Question, which asks, “What do I need to know about you as a person to take the best care of you possible?” on several occasions with gratifying results for both the patient and me.
Editor's note: Chochinov's Patient Dignity Question bears repeating, “What do I need to know about you as a person to take the best care of you possible?” Use it. Explore its responses and results in the quality of care you provide and the quality of life the person experiences. 

Family members' health can suffer when relative has cancer: Study 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Elizabeth Gregerson; 9/13/24 
Individuals are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and psychological illness after a family member is diagnosed with cancer, according to a study published Sept. 9 in Cancer. Researchers from institutions across the U.S. analyzed data of patients diagnosed with genitourinary cancer between 1990 and 2015 who had first-degree relatives or spouses, from the Utah Population Database. The cohort of 49,284 patients and 77,938 relatives was matched with a similar control group and followed up within one-, three- and five-year periods. Among patients with genitourinary cancer, their family members had a "10% increased risk of developing a psychological illness and a 28% increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease" one year after diagnosis, according to the study. "This study provides population-level evidence to support the hypothesis that cancer diagnoses will lead to adverse health outcomes for family members of patients with cancer," the study authors wrote.
Editor's note: Our sponsor Composing Life Out of Loss equips end-of-life care organizations with its "Family Support Through Serious Illness Video Library, supporting the primary caregiver and family members with relevant education as they provide care to the person experiencing serious illness.

CMS updates guidance for rural emergency hospitals: 16 things to know 
Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Alan Condon; 9/17/24 
CMS has updated guidance for hospitals interested in converting to a rural emergency hospital, a Medicare designation that was made available Jan. 1, 2023. REHs are a provider type established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, to address concerns over rural hospital closures and provide rural facilities a potential alternative to closure.  Since 2005, 106 rural hospitals have shut down, with another 86 facilities no longer providing inpatient services, according to data compiled by the University of North Carolina's Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. Of those, 37 closures have occurred since 2020. Here are 16 things to know about REHs, including designation requirements, qualifying facilities, conditions of participation and how many hospitals have converted to REHs.  

Three Oaks Hospice reportedly begins sales process 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 9/16/24 
Dallas-based Three Oaks Hospice has reportedly begun seeking a buyer. The private equity-backed hospice launched in 2019 with more than $21 million in investment dollars from Granite Growth Health Partners, Health Velocity Capital and Petra Capital Partners. Rumors of the potential sale were first reported by the website Ion Analytics, which indicated that Three Oaks generates between $12 million and $15 million EBITDA.

Private Equity's impact on hospice care: The good, the bad, and the ugly of private equity 
TCN Talks - Teleios Collaborative Network; by Chris Comeaux; 9/18/24 
In this episode, Private Equity's Impact on Hospice Care, The Good, the Bad, and Ugly of Private Equity, Chris interviews Laura Katz Olson, a professor of political science at Lehigh University.  It’s a fascinating discussion based on Laura’s book Ethically Challenged. During their conversation, they delve into the impact of private equity in the healthcare industry.  Private equity firms prioritize making oversized profits and have a short-term focus, often selling companies within six years, relying heavily on debt financing and putting the burden of servicing the debt on the acquired companies.  Leaving a company worse than when the started is the opposite of what leadership is supposed to do for any organization, especially one with such a critical mission. 
Editor's note: TCN /  Teleios Collaborative Network sponsors our newsletter. 

The ROI of interoperability in home health 
Home Health Care News; by Elizabeth Ecker; 9/16/24 
Today’s home-based care organizations know there is value in interoperability among their technology vendors. Allowing for seamless data integration as well as ease-of-use for staff and clinical professionals, interoperability is an important consideration for technology decisions in today’s operating environment. But what is the true value of interoperability, and how can home-based care agencies measure their return on investment? Several leading professionals share their perspectives on how they approach ROI calculations in their organizations.

• Recruitment and Retention ...
• Time Savings ...
• Powerful Data ...

Waterbury nursing home residents, caregivers push back against plan to close facility 
NBC Waterbury, CT; by Amanda Pitts; 9/17/24 
A nursing home in Waterbury could close in less than 30 days after losing its federal funding. Abbott Terrace Health Center is home to 180 people and employs 287 caregivers, who are newly unionized and pushing back against the closure. ... The funding was pulled by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) after the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) found that the facility didn’t meet safety requirements. It has left residents to find a new place to live and caregivers to find a new place to work.

Artists on death, grief, and cancer [Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month] 
Burnaway; by Carolina Ana Drake; 9/17/24
... Living in Miami and raising my toddler in this city, I’ve discovered artists who similarly lost a parent to cancer. Many, like me, happen to be the children of immigrants. Their works exemplify challenging, at times experimental, art that doesn’t fit the glitzy, market-driven Miami narrative. Through conversations and email exchanges, I learned more about how these artists transformed the darkness and grief of that period into something beautiful that is worth sharing with others. [Click on the title's link to see photos from the following exhibits.]

• Gabino A. Castelán, The Enigma of Grief: My Mother, My Grandmother, Cesar Chávez, 2021 
• Installation view of You might sleep, but you will never dream by Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova, 2009, at David Castillo Gallery, Miami, Florida. 
• Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova, An Open Door, 2009, at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University (FIU). 
• The Dream of Ometecuhtli by Gabino A. Castelán, 2023, Mahara+Co, Miami, Florida. Image courtesy of the artist and Mahara+Co, Miami, Florida.
• Gabino A. Castelán, The Sweeper and Fruit Vendor Meeting the Ghost of Berta Caceres…Her Ghost is Staring at Us, 2021
• Lanise Howard, Walks of Transformation, 2023.
• You Are Always Here by Catalina Jaramillo, 2011, Dimensions Variable, Miami, Florida. 

... "Seeing these artists transmute the darkness of loss into tangible, sometimes luminous, artworks, I wonder if they walk lighter now." ... Poet Audre Lorde, who went through a fourteen-year cancer journey before meeting death at fifty-eight, writes, “Living a self-conscious life, under the pressure of time, I work with the consciousness of death at my shoulder, not constantly, but often enough to leave a mark upon all my life’s decisions and actions.”

Former M&S chairman: ‘Planning for my wife’s death with her made it easier to cope’ 
The Telegraph; by Leah Hardy; 9/17/24 
When Patricia Swannell was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer, she planned both how she wanted to die and her legacy beyond the grave. On the first anniversary of her death, Patricia’s husband Robert speaks about her “beautiful” death, how she achieved it, and how it has helped the family in their grief. [Robert Swanell tells their story with the following key themes.]

• Acceptance was key ...
• She found new purpose ...
• Nothing was left unsaid ...
• Remember that doctors aren't always right ...
• Hospices are extraordinary ...
• They made beautiful memories ...
• Extra months do matter ...

Editor's note: M&S stands for Marks and Spencer, a major British multinational retailer based in London, England. 

I hope I’ll see in my lifetime a growing realization that we are one world. And that no one is going to have quality of life unless we support everyone’s quality of life. ~ Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías, the first Latina president of The American Public Health Association 
Editor's note: Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month!