CDC weekly US map: Influenza summary update 
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - HHS.gov; retrieved from the internet 1/2/25, with most current data from 12/21/24 
A Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report Prepared by the Influenza Division: Outpatient Respiratory Illness Activity Map Determined by Data Reported to ILINet. This system monitors visits for respiratory illness that includes fever plus a cough or sore throat, also referred to as ILI, not laboratory confirmed influenza and may capture patient visits due to other respiratory pathogens that cause similar symptoms. 
Editor's note: Click here for the map and bookmark it to regularly monitor your service areas through this flu season.

Living a life without regret: What final reflections teach us 
Advisorpedia; by Ryan Poterack; 1/2/25
Reflecting on life’s journey often brings to light common regrets that many individuals share as they near the end of their lives. Insights from Bronnie Ware, a former palliative care worker, reveal the five most prevalent regrets expressed by her patients:

1. Not living authentically: ...
2. Working too hard: ...
3. Suppressing feelings: ...
4. Neglecting friendships: ...
5. Not choosing happiness: ...

Jimmy Carter delivered a positive message about hospice care 
Atlanta Journal and Constitution; by Shelia Poole and Ariel Hart; 1/1/25
Hospice advocates said the end-of-life journey of former President Jimmy Carter was a “powerful” message to terminally ill patients and their families about the benefits of hospice care. Carter, the nation’s 39th president, died Sunday at his home in Plains after being in home hospice care for 22 months. “It’s pretty remarkable that he got to celebrate his 100th birthday, he got to vote and, as I understand, it was important to him that he was able to do these things with the support of hospice,” said Dr. Vicki Jackson, president of the board of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. “It was powerful.”A day after Carter’s death was announced, Jackson said it was helpful to have someone as notable as a former president to be open about his hospice care during the later stages of his life. During his almost two years of home hospice care, Carter helped raise awareness about the service, which focuses on comfort of the patient and support for both the patient and the family.
Notable mentions: Dr. Vicki Jackson, president of the board of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; Jacqueline Lopez-Devine, Gentiva’s chief clinical officer; Megan Friedman, Gentiva spokesperson; Rev. Tony Lowden, Carter’s personal pastor; Amy Tucci, president of the Hospice Foundation of America; Dr. Tammie E. Quest, director for Emory University’s Palliative Care Center and a professor at Emory University’s School of Medicine; Dr. Folashade Omole, the chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the Morehouse School of Medicine; Ben Marcantonio, chief integration officer, the National Alliance for Care at Home

What’s the most impactful thing you learned this year? 
Harvard Business Review (HBR); by Kelsey Hansen; 12/31/24 
What’s one thing you learned this year that changed the way you lead? We asked HBR’s global social media community this question to get a sense of the lessons our readers are taking into the new year. We’ve collected some highlights here so that we can all reflect and learn from one another. Our readers shared lessons learned around the importance of (truly) listening; leading with vulnerability and humility; and why we should all prioritize reflection and lifelong education. In the spirit of continuous learning, we’ve also included some resources to dig deeper in HBR articles and podcasts. ...

• Listen, Support, and Stay Accountable ...
• Be Open, Vulnerable, and Humble ...
• Never Stop Reflecting, Learnig, and Evolving ...

[TCN] Year in Review for 2024 and One Word 
Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux; 1/1/25 
In this podcast episode, host Chris Comeaux does a recap of the top podcasts of 2024.  First for TCNtalks with amazing guests like New York Times best-selling author John Burke, Peter Benjamin, Dr. Ira Byock, and Judi Lund Person. Chris then does a recap from our first year of our new podcast, Anatomy of Leadership, with great guests such as Quint Studer, Meridith Elliott Powell, John Locke, and Brian Jaudon. Additionally, Chris introduces the intriguing concept of the "One Word," which serves as a thematic or guiding principle for the upcoming year. This is a great piece of wisdom Teleios and many of its members practice every year. 
Editor's note: The Teleios Collaborative Network is a sponsor for our newsletter.

Johns Hopkins Medicine CEO: 'Bring the joy back to medicine'
Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 12/19/24 
One year after Theodore DeWeese, MD, assumed permanent leadership of Johns Hopkins Medicine, he remains focused on enhancing patient care and bringing care closer to home. ... Dr. DeWeese shared his strategies for 2025 with Becker's, in areas such as employee retention, capital investments and community partnerships. ... Dr. Theodore DeWeese: Health systems across the country are facing a workforce shortage that will likely get worse over the next decade. ... Given the shortage, part of our approach to retention is focusing on the culture of our organization and investing in the well-being of our employees and career development of the provider workforce. We are working to bring the joy back to medicine by creating a culture where everyone can thrive, whether it's by easing the administrative burden that clinicians face or offering greater flexibility for front-line workers. ...

[UK] Hospice to run Christmas tree removal fundraiser 
BBC News, United Kingdom; by Jacob Panons; 1/1/25 
A hospice in Kent is once again offering Christmas tree removals to help raise funds. In 2023, Heart of Kent Hospice raised more than £9,000 by receiving donations to recycle Christmas trees. Between 3-5 January, the Aylesford-based charity will run the service for the third time, collecting in and around Chatham, Maidstone, Staplehurst, Paddock Wood, Borough Green and the surrounding areas. A donation of £15 for each tree is suggested and people are urged to book a slot online before the new year. 

Memorial Health Systems puts visitor restrictions in place due to respiratory illness surge 
The Marietta Times, Marietta, OH; 12/31/24 
Visitor restrictions have been put in place at all Memorial Health Systems facilities because of a surge in patients with respiratory illnesses, the the health care system announced Tuesday [12/24/24]. The restrictions are two visitors per patient, visitors must be 18 or older and show no signs of illness and all minors must be accompanied by an adult, Memorial Health said. Exceptions may be permitted for:

• 3 West (sibling visitation) and end of life care
• Masks are encouraged but not required
• Additional restrictions may apply to specialized units and specific illnesses.

Editor's note: Click here and bookmark the CDC's national map , "Level of Respiratory Illness Activity."

OSF recommends masks in clinics as respiratory illnesses spread 
WIFR Newsroom, Rockford, IL; by WIFR Newsroom; 1/1/25 
OSF HealthCare recommends masks for patients and visitors as respiratory illnesses become more widespread. ... Patients and visitors are urged to wear masks in the hospitals, hospice home and clinics.
Editor's note: Click here and bookmark the CDC's national map , "Level of Respiratory Illness Activity." 

MA Special Needs Beneficiaries more likely to receive lower quality hospice care 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/2/25 
Medicare Advantage special needs plan (SNP) beneficiaries were more likely to use lower-quality hospices than those enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia examined Medicare enrollment and claims data for 4.2 million decedents and 2.2 million hospice enrollees from Jan 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2019. Among other findings, results indicated that MA SNP beneficiaries were more likely to receive care from hospices with lower Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) scores. “These results suggest that policymakers should consider incentivizing referrals to high-quality hospices and approaches to educating beneficiaries on identifying high-quality hospice care,” researchers wrote in the study, published in JAMA Network Open. 
Editor's note: Click here for the CMS.gov Special Needs Plans webpage.

Top Modern Healthcare stories of 2024 
Modern Healthcare; by Mary Ellen Podmolik; 12/31/24 
Ups and downs in healthcare kept Modern Healthcare reporters plenty busy in 2024, and 2025 is shaping up as a critical year for the industry, particularly as a new administration takes over in Washington, D.C. Our reporters this year did what Modern Healthcare excels at — bringing readers the news along with the context and analysis our audience needs to stay ahead. Get ready for 2025 by catching up on some hot topics during 2024.

• Medicare Advantage 2024 enrollment: Winners and losers ...
• How Epic is courting customers outside of hospitals ...
• Meet the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2024 ...
• Why Walmart, Walgreens struggle to make healthcare profitable ...
• How CMS prior authorization rule will affect insurers ...
• [Click on the title's link to read more.]

The next health system C-suite obsession
Becker's Hospital Review; by Laura Dyrda; 12/30/24 
Health system executives spent the last few years building financial stability after the pandemic and adjusting to workforce shifts. Those areas will remain important in 2025, but a new obsession for C-suite executives is emerging. Or, more accurately, re-emerging. Solving capacity issues and becoming more efficient with patient throughput is a top priority for next year, several CEOs and top health system executives recently told Becker's. Many are operating at or near capacity, especially with workforce challenges persisting, and leadership teams are looking for immediate solutions. ... A recent survey from Vizient shows 52.8% of hospital and health system leaders see patient access, throughput and capacity as top focus areas for 2025. Volumes are still elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to Kaufman Hall's "National Hospital Flash Report," and while growth has slowed this year, leaders are still contending with big capacity issues.

Digital marketing tips for hospice and senior care services 
Dot Com Media; Blog post by Vlad Blits; 1/2/25 
In the susceptible and competitive field of hospice and senior care, effective digital marketing strategies can be pivotal in reaching families who need these essential services. ... Here are some crucial tips on leveraging hospice marketing strategies, senior care digital marketing, building trust in healthcare marketing, and local SEO for senior care.

• Emphasizing Compassion and Trust: ... Showcasing Patient Stories and Testimonials ... Providing Clear, Compassionate Communication ...
• Enhancing Visibility with Local SEO: ... Optimizing for Local Searches ...
• Leveraging Digital Platforms to Reach Families: ... Social Media Engagement ... Finormative Blogging ...
• Building Trust Through Healthcare Marketing: ... Transparency and Authenticity ...
• Utilizing Email Marketing to Maintain Connections: ... Targeted Email Campaigns ...
• Enhancing Care through Digital Outreach: In the hospice and senior care sectors, decisions are made with great care and consideration, and an effective digital marketing strategy can be a decisive factor in guiding families to your services.

UnitedHealthcare taught us ways to deny claims: Former employee 
NBC News Channel 8, Tampa, FL; by Damita Menezes; 12/30/24
A former UnitedHealthcare claims representative says employees were systematically trained to deny medical claims and rush distressed customers off phone lines, revealing internal practices at the nation’s largest health insurer amid growing scrutiny of the industry. Natalie Collins, who worked for UnitedHealthcare for nine months, said Saturday on “NewsNation Prime” that staff received “so many different ways to deny” claims during their two to three months of training, with supervisors often standing behind representatives instructing them on denial methods. “We weren’t given proper instruction to actually pay the claim, and there wasn’t enough monies in certain files in certain companies to pay medical claims,” Collins said. “We would have to just get the client off the phone as fast as we could.” Collins described crying at her desk while handling calls from desperate patients, as supervisors laughed.

[Hospice] Volunteer coordinator whose husband unexpectedly died gets touching surprise from a Secret Santa
East Idaho News; by Nate Eaton; 12/31/24
A local Secret Santa is giving [money] to deserving people in eastern Idaho this holiday season and the East Idaho News elves are helping out. Every day since Nov. 1, we’ve posted a Secret Santa surprise, and today have our last video with a wonderful woman named Gwen. Gwen currently works as the volunteer coordinator for a home health and hospice agency in Rexburg. Having her own mother on hospice, Gwen understands the grief and hardship people experience with anticipating death. Gwen is passionate about service, and cares very deeply about every resident that she sees. 

Nearly 5,000 Providence Oregon workers issue strike notice 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 12/30/24 
Nearly 5,000 front-line healthcare workers from Providence Oregon hospitals plan to begin an open-ended strike Jan. 10. The Oregon Nurses Association issued a 10-day notice following intensive bargaining, according to a Dec. 30 news release from the union. The striking workers include physicians, nurses and other healthcare staff from all eight Providence Oregon hospitals and six clinics. The union is urging Providence to invest in patient safety and provide competitive wages and benefits to support recruitment and retention efforts. ... Providence Oregon has secured replacement workers and identified other strategies to maintain patient care, Chief Executive Jennifer Burrows, RN, said in a message to caregivers shared with Becker's. She said the system has communicated to union leaders that bargaining stops during a work stoppage to prioritize patient care.

Executive Personnel Changes - 1/3/25

• HomeCare & Hospice and Total Senior Care [Allegheny, NY] chief financial officer Sue Nelson has announced her retirement. Her last day was Tuesday. Nelson’s journey with the organization began in September 1987, when she joined as Business Manager for what was then Home Healthcare of Cattaraugus County. Since then, she has played a vital role in the organization’s growth and transformation.

Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start. ~ Nido Qubein