The drivers of new C-suite role creation 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch and Kristin Kuchno; 11/5/24 
In creating new C-suite roles within healthcare, hospitals and health systems have cited reasons as varied as seeing new opportunities for growth or finding gaps in coverage as their motivation. At least 31 new leadership roles have been added to healthcare organizations since February 2024. Among the new roles are chief health equity officer, chief decarbonization officer and chief experience officer. Here is why four organizations added new roles to their executive leadership teams.

• Greater connection between physician and facility leaders ...
• Investment in academic partnerships ...
• Acceleration of innovation in technology and AI ...
• Developing leadership teams at new facilities ...

Why Judy Faulkner believes in 'yin-yang' leadership 
Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 11/4/24 
Epic founder and CEO Judy Faulkner says effective leadership teams typically consist of people who balance each other out. She pointed to the definition of "yin and yang" as "complementary and at the same time opposing forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts and the parts are important for cohesion of the whole," she wrote in a Nov. 4 blog post. Ms. Faulkner has often noticed that two people in leadership roles have great success together because they're so different.

Specialized hospice care program honors and supports veterans facing terminal illness 
NBC 10 News - WSLS, Southwest and Centeral Virginia; by Kelly Marsh; updated 11/7/24 
In Southwest Virginia, a quarter of people with a terminal illness is a veteran, a statistic that highlights the unique challenges many former service members face in their final days. In response to this, several specialized hospice programs in the region have been developed to offer care that specifically addresses the needs of veterans as they navigate the end-of-life journey. For many veterans, the experience of facing terminal illness is compounded by the physical and emotional toll of their military service, particularly conditions like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. ... The We Honor Veterans program, created through a partnership between the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, encourages hospice centers to offer a heightened level of care for veterans. Across Southwest Virginia, multiple hospice programs have achieved the highest level of recognition—Level 5—demonstrating their commitment to providing veterans with the best possible care. One such program is based in Franklin County. Despite its size, Carilion Hospice in Franklin County has earned a five-star status for its exceptional veteran services ...
Editor's note: We thank and recognize all hospice organizations that find meaningful ways to support and honor your veterans. Click here for more information about NHPCO/The Alliance for Care at Home's We Honor Veterans program.

Virtual nursing results at 8 systems: 24 stats to know 
Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Paige Twenter; 11/4/24 
Faced with a shortage of nurses, a rise in high-acuity cases and an increase in labor spend, hospitals and health systems have turned to virtual nursing programs for solutions. Here are 24 statistics tied to virtual nursing models, according to Becker's reporting:

• Advocate Health (Charlotte, N.C.): In late 2023, 12 of the organization's 68 hospitals employed virtual nurses who help with admissions and discharge or are available 24/7 to assist patients and caregivers. Between mid- and late 2023, the system's RN turnover rate improved by 60% and its nurse vacancy rate decreased by 46%.
• [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Nurse burnout the root of decreased resident safety, medication errors, study shows 
McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Zahara Johnson; 11/6/24 
A new study has found a direct link between nurse burnout and unfavorable patient and facility outcomes, including medication errors and a degraded safety culture. The meta-analysis of 85 studies and 288,581 nurses, compiling more than 30 years of research, concluded that nurses who suffer from burnout – emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a low sense of personal accomplishment – have a negative impact on patients.

Most heart failure patients miss out on guideline-recommended palliative care 
Cardiovascular Business; by Dave Fornell; 11/6/24 
Over the past decade, the American Heart Association (AHA) and European Society of Cardiology have recommended integrating palliative care into heart failure management. Despite these recommendations, the use of palliative care for heart failure remains low in the United States. Racial and geographic variations in access and use of palliative care are also pronounced, highlighting health disparities. These were the findings of a recent study in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers at Saint Louis University led the study and said only one in eight patients with heart failure in the United States receive palliative care consultations within five years of diagnosis. Their study highlights the alarmingly low uptake of palliative care among adults with heart failure in the U.S., especially compared to patients with cancers that have the same mortality rates. The study also pointed out significant racial and geographic disparities. Black patients were 15% less likely to receive palliative care compared to their white counterparts. They said this disparity is particularly concerning given the higher cardiovascular risk and mortality rates in the Black population.

Pennsylvania signs home care, hospice efficiency bills into law 
McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 11/5/24 
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) signed into law two bills that will reduce operational challenges and improve recruitment efforts for home care and hospice agencies. House Bill 155 allows healthcare providers, including home care and hospice agencies, to use remote video technology for interviews with direct care workers. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 1080 allows licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to pronounce death in home-based hospice settings. These two new laws will make direct care worker recruiting processes more accessible and efficient, while improving end-of-life care for both patients and providers, according to the Pennsylvania Homecare Association. “The signing into law of HB 155 and SB 1080 helps create efficiencies in how we deliver home-based care,” Mia Haney, chief executive officer of PHA, said Friday in a statement. “With a growing demand for these services, efforts such as these allow providers to use their time effectively and focus on what’s most important — quality of care.”

West Virginia voters narrowly approve state constitutional ban on physician-assisted suicide 
WVNews - West Virginia's News; by Steven Adams; 11/7/24 
An amendment to West Virginia’s constitution to prohibit physician-assisted suicide — already illegal in the state — managed to squeak through after Tuesday’s election with just enough votes, though the vote was a statistical tie. According to unofficial election results posted by the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office, Amendment 1 passed, with 335,822 votes (50.5%) for and 329,742 against (49.5%) — a difference of 6,080 votes. The West Virginia Legislature adopted House Joint Resolution 28 during the 2024 regular session earlier this year. The joint resolution placed on the November general election ballot a proposed state constitutional amendment that would ban medically-assisted suicide and/or euthanasia.  

Nebraska voters approve legalization of medical marijuana. Here's what to know 
USA Today; by Greta Cross; 11/6/2 
Medical marijuana is now legal in the state of Nebraska, approved by voters on Tuesday. Two ballot measures dealing with medical marijuana were on the Nebraska ballot. A total of 70.7% of voters approved Initiative Measure 437 and 66.9% of voters approved Initiative Measure 438. Initiative Measure 437 establishes a new statute that will allow the use, possession and acquisition of up to 5 ounces of cannabis for medical purposes by a qualified patient with a written recommendation from a health care practitioner. The statue will also allow for a caregiver to assist a qualified patient with these activities. Initiative Measure 438 establishes a new statute that makes penalties inapplicable under state law for the possession, manufacture, distribution, delivery and dispensing of cannabis for medical purposes by registered private entities. The statute will also establish a Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to regulate such activities.

Reps. Van Duyne, Panetta introduce bill to reform hospice Special Focus Program 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 11/6/24 
Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) and Jimmy Panetta (D-California) have introduced a bill that would reform aspects of the hospice Special Focus Program (SFP). If enacted, the Enhancing Hospice Oversight and Transparency Act also would increase the penalty for hospices that do not report quality measure data to 10% by 2027, up from 4% currently. The SFP has the authority to impose enforcement remedies against hospices with poor performance based on its algorithm. Hospices flagged by the SFP also will be surveyed every six months rather than the current three-year cycle and could face monetary penalties or expulsion from the Medicare program. 

The Pennant Group to seek more hospice, home health deals in 2025 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 11/7/24 
The Pennant Group (Nasdaq: PNTG) has a “robust pipeline” of potential acquisitions in the wings for 2025 across its home health and hospice and senior living business segments. For prospective deals, Pennant scouts for agencies that show strong promise for organic growth that have “talented” local leaders or entrepreneurs in place, according to CEO Brent Guerisoli. Pennant then leverages the resources in its platform to foster growth. “Developing local leaders remains at the heart of our operating model,” Guerisoli said in a Q3 earnings call. “As the talent and experience operations and clusters deepens with strong portfolio companies, our efforts throughout our footprint, we are able to more quickly improve new acquisitions and grow seasoned operations, thus the significant investment we have made in our leadership and development programs is the catalyst for enduring momentum.” Pennant is the holding company for a cluster of independent hospice, home health and senior living providers located across 13 states. Year to date, the company has added more than 60 CEOs to its portfolio agencies as well as 40 internal clinical leaders.

Aveanna revs hospice, home health M&A engine 
Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 11/7/24 
Aveanna Healthcare Holdings (Nasdaq: AVAH) is ramping up its merger and acquisition activity in the home health and hospice space heading into next year. The Atlanta-headquartered company has set its strategic sights on both private duty nursing and hospice and home health, according to Aveanna CEO Jeff Shaner. The company has been quiet on the M&A front in recent years, taking a cautious approach to growth, Shaner said during an earnings call on Thursday. Aveanna is in the process of reviewing a few potential acquisitions, which could close in 2025, he indicated.

Study: People with dementia more apt to be admitted to nursing homes with lower star ratings 
McKnights Long-Term News; by Kristen Fischer; 11/5/24 
People living with dementia are less likely to be admitted to high-rated nursing homes compared to people who don’t have the disease, a new study finds. Researchers looked at admission to nursing homes with higher staffing ratings after hospitalization and how individuals fared in the nursing homes based on having or not having dementia. The report was published on Oct. 29 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. The team evaluated traditional Medicare beneficiaries discharged to nursing homes between 2011 and 2017 along with the relationship between facility staffing star-ratings, short-term readmission and mortality. The number of vacant beds in nursing homes with high ratings was also considered. Data was derived from 5.6 million people who were discharged to nursing homes; 23.1% of the people had dementia.

Adopting tomorrow’s tech: 5 steps to effective AI training in hospice 
Hospice News; by Mick Stahlberg; 11/7/24 
In today’s hospice environment, providers are continually asked to do more with less. Staffing shortages, rising costs and growing patient demands make efficiency a critical component of success. Enter artificial intelligence (AI). From automating administrative tasks to improving scheduling and optimizing resource allocation, AI is poised to significantly enhance operational efficiency at every level. In turn, proper training will play a monumental role in helping teams get comfortable incorporating this technology into their clinical and administrative workflows from day one. Providers will be best served to follow 5 key steps to effective AI training as they work with their technology partners to articulate a comprehensive strategy based on their organization and its unique needs. These steps incorporate:

1. Hands-On Training
2. Benefits
3. Ongoing Support
4. Integration
5. Collaboration

[Global] Palliative care integration into humanitarian settings ten years since the resolution

ehospice, Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA); 11/5/24

[At a webinar celebrating the] tenth anniversary of the World Health Assembly (WHO) 2014 Resolution ... Dr. Roberta Ortiz, representing the World Health Organization (WHO), provided a comprehensive overview of global efforts to integrate palliative care into humanitarian responses. She emphasised WHO’s strategic initiatives following the ten-year resolution aimed at expanding access to palliative care. Key points from her session included:

• The ongoing collaboration between WHO and various countries to address palliative care needs in humanitarian settings, particularly in the context of rising non-communicable diseases (NCDs) amid crises.
• The impact of humanitarian crises like natural disasters and conflicts on health systems, stressing the ethical responsibility to provide compassionate care.
• WHO’s production of key guidance documents, including an operational manual for non-communicable diseases in emergencies, offering practical tools for policymakers.
• Specific examples of regional efforts, such as collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Latin America to address palliative care in regions like the Darién Gap, involving multi-stakeholder approaches for vulnerable populations.

Dr. Ortiz’s session underscored the importance of normative guidelines, country-level support, and leadership in ensuring that palliative care becomes a core element of emergency responses globally.

Fridays are made for catching your breath, expanding your wings, and showing the Universe what you're made of. ~ Anonymous