New Feature: Newsletter Archive 
Hospice & Palliative Care Today; 10/22/24 
Do you want to find a past newsletter?

1. Go to our website's homepage, www.hospicepalliativecaretoday.com (each word with no "&") + ".com"
2. Click on the menu item "Newsletter Archive"
3. Navigate to the date you want

Coming soon: A website search engine for you to find articles we've posted, using your own keywords. In the meantime, we recommend that you save your newsletters in an email folder, and search the folder for your keywords. 
Feedback? Suggestions? Contact us at ckassner@hospicepalliativecaretoday.com and jberger@hospicepalliativecaretoday.com. We value your input! 

Providence, Compassus form home care joint venture
Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 10/22/24
Home care provider Compassus will take over management of Providence’s home-based care services through a joint venture the two companies announced Tuesday. Under the arrangement, Brentwood, Texas-based Compassus would manage and jointly own Providence’s home health, hospice, community-based palliative care and private duty nursing services under the name Providence at Home with Compassus, the companies said in a news release. Neither company would disclose financial terms of the deal, which is subject to approval by state and federal regulators.
Publisher's note: This joint venture is different from other recent Compassus joint ventures with Mercy Health, OhioHealth, and Bon Secours.

Leveraging sales strategies in hospice payment cap management 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/22/24 
Errors or other inconsistencies with the payment cap can have significant consequences for providers, and sales and marketing staff can help hospices achieve a healthy balance. The cap is designed to prevent overuse of hospice, put controls on Medicare spending and foster greater access to care among patients. For Fiscal Year 2024, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services set the cap at $33,394. In 2025, this will rise to $34,465. If a hospice has a cap liability, they will have to repay that amount to Medicare. In some situations, a hospice might face additional monetary penalties, interest charges or referrals to the U.S. Treasury Department in severe cases.

Coastal Hospice receives check from golf tournament 
ABC WMDT-47, Ocean Pines, MD; by Sarah Ash; 10/21/24 
The Michael J. Strawley Sr. Memorial Golf Tournament Committee presented a check for $15,000 to Coastal Hospice for the support of charitable care. Since 2017, the tournament has donated its proceeds to Coastal Hospice, sending over $78,000. 

Southern Tier Health helps HomeCare & Hospice, Total Senior Care on USDA grant 
Olean Times Herald, Olean, NY; by Kellen M. Quigley; 10/22/24 
A collaboration between three local agencies looking out for the health and well-being of their clients is getting a modern technological boost thanks to a federal grant. The Southern Tier Health Care System, Inc. (STHCS) was recently awarded nearly $140,000 through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Rural Utilities Service Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program. This funding is meant to empower rural communities by leveraging advanced technology to connect residents and healthcare providers, overcoming the challenges of distance and low population density. Of the total grant, $114,606.80 was allocated to HomeCare & Hospice and Total Senior Care for state-of-the-art digital communication and remote learning tools, including high-definition displays, advanced cameras and integrated audio systems.

Law Offices of Robert E. Brown, P.C. files lawsuit in high-profile home care attendant neglect case involving alleged violent assault on elderly hospice patient 
Chicago News; 10/22/24 
The Law Offices of Robert E. Brown, a leading legal advocate in home care neglect cases, has filed a lawsuit against three Visiting Nurse Service entities and individual defendant Joy Odunze-Matthew, following the violent assault of Carolyn Albanese, a terminally ill hospice patient under their care. The complaint, filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Richmond County, details the disturbing events surrounding the case of Ms. Carolyn Albanese, who was brutally attacked by her home care attendant, Joy Odunze-Matthew, on multiple occasions with a weapon. The most recent attack, which occurred on September 10, 2024, was captured on video and involved the defendant striking the elderly patient with a weapon, leaving Ms. Albanese who was trapped with this home care attendant, with severe physical injuries and mental anguish. 
Editor's note: This terribly disturbing incident is different from the story we posted yesterday, Home health care aide charged with manslaughter in death of elderly central Florida man. For related posts in today's issue, see De-Escalating angry people: A critical safety skill in education and healthcare. 

Dombi scholarship established 
HomeCare, Tampa, FL; 10/21/24
The National Alliance for Care at Home and its legacy organization have established a scholarship fund in honor of retiring National Association for Homecare and Hospice (NAHC) President Bill Dombi, leaders announced Monday at the organization’s transitional conference in Tampa, Florida. ... The William A. Dombi Scholarship Fund at the University of Connecticut, Dombi’s alma mater, topped its initial fundraising goal of $50,000 and was on the way to $100,00, said Marcylle Combs, a NAHC board member who organized the gift. NAHC and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) merged this year to create the new Alliance, ... The scholarship announcement followed a moving video send-off to Dombi, who has been with NAHC since 1987, when he came aboard as lead counsel and helmed the landmark lawsuit that reformed the Medicare home health services benefit. (Read his retirement interview with HomeCare here.)

Palliative care access for indigenous populations: Removing barriers and reducing disparities
ECRI, Plymouth Meeting, PA; by Eileen Cornish; 10/22/24 
... Indigenous populations across North America face barriers to healthcare due to a combination of historical, social, economic, and systemic factors. Key barriers include historical trauma and distrust, remote or rural geography, economic disparities, cultural differences, systemic racism, and discrimination.  ... For this topic, ECRI librarians identified 35 studies, including six systematic reviews, that discuss barriers to palliative care for Indigenous people across North America. ...  Removing Barriers: Here are several key takeaways from the studies we identified. Other barriers are likely exist; however, these common themes emerged from the studies identified in ECRI’s review.

• Communication and Trust Issues ...
• Respect for Indigenous Cultural Beliefs ...
• Importance of Culturally Competent Practices ...
• Common Preferences ...
• End-of-Life Discussions ...
• Systemic Barriers ...

De-Escalating angry people: A critical safety skill in education and healthcare 
Campus Safety; by Jacob Milner; 10/15/24 
These five de-escalation disciplines will help you effectively deal with angry students, family members, visitors, and patients. ... But before we dive into de-escalation itself. It’s crucial to remember that no matter the situation, your primary goal should always be safety, then de-escalation. If you don’t feel safe attempting to de-escalate someone, then don’t. But if you feel that you are in a situation where de-escalation can be attempted, carry on. Now that being said, let’s get into it. ...

1. Forget About Fear ...
2. Tame Your Temper ...
3. Clear Your Core ...
4. Win with "We" ...
5. Learn the Do's and Don's of De-escalation ...

Editor's note: Preventing workplace violence has been a recurring theme in healthcare strikes. When did you review your Policies and Procedures, and assess needs in today's contexts? What preventive trainings and systems do you regularly use? What systems can you improve to ensure safety? 

Research synthesis related to oncology family caregiver spirituality in palliative care 
Journal of Palliative Medicine; by Betty R. Ferrell, Tami Borneman, Marianna Koczywas, and Paul Galchutt;  10/21/24 online ahead of print 
Family caregivers are central to the delivery of serious illness care and also have needs related to their role and experience. One aspect of the family caregiver quality of life (QOL) that has received less attention is caregiver spirituality. The research objectives for this analysis were (1) Describe spirituality in oncology family caregivers. (2) Determine the impact of palliative care interventions on spirituality and related variables in oncology family caregivers. (3) Describe findings from the research literature related to spirituality in family caregivers. The authors include two nurse researchers (BF, TB) and a physician (MK) who conducted these studies and a board-certified chaplain (PG) who contributed his expertise in chaplaincy.  ... The authors' research synthesis and the literature support the importance of additional research and clinical focus in family caregiver spirituality in serious illness care. 
Editor's note: Calling all executive leaders, what do you understand to be the huge differences between hiring board certified chaplains versus preachers/pastors/religious leaders who focus on their own religious beliefs? What potentially harmful religious/spiritual cliches do your well-meaning but ill-prepared staff and volunteers make to patients and families? When your employees and volunteers encounter their own spiritual crises--via their direct patient care--what professional support is available for them? For more information, visit the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Inc., Common Qualifications and Competencies. For a more personal conversation, click here to contact me (a board certified chaplain).

[In case you missed it] The HOPE Assessment Tool: What you need to know [free webinar by CHAP]
Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP); 10/21/24 
On October 16, 2024, we hosted a webinar on the upcoming implementation of the HOPE Assessment Tool, which will catalyze hospice care starting in 2025. The webinar provided valuable insights into the tool’s implementation, content highlights, and its anticipated impact on hospice program operations. During the session, participants asked numerous important questions, many of which we’ve compiled into this FAQ for further clarification. Access the recorded session and handouts if you missed it or would like to review the presentation.

Healthcare trends & transactions Q3 2024 
Bass, Berry & Sims; by Bass, Berry & Sims, PLC; 10/21/24 
In the healthcare mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market, while deal volumes varied across different sectors, by and large the sure and steady pace of deal volume in Q2 continued into Q3. Moreover, several positive developments in Q3—namely, the Federal Reserve (finally) cutting interest rates, the courts striking down the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) national ban on non-competes, and California Governor Newsom’s vetoing Assembly Bill 3129—may serve as the catalysts needed to boost activity as we head into the final stretch of 2024.

• Physician Practice Management ...
• Clinical Research Organizations
• Ambulatory Surgery Centers ...
• Hospitals & Health Systems ...
• Home Health, Hospice Care & Personal Care Services ...
• Digital Health & Health Information Technology ...
• Behavioral Health ...
• Managed Care ...
• Pharma Services, Pharmacy, & Pharmacy Benefit Managers ...
• Pharma ...

Q4 will no doubt be an interesting period in the healthcare M&A industry. There are indeed tailwinds that could propel the volume of deal activity higher and in this environment of positive economic developments limited partners of PE funds will surely encourage and even expect their capital will be put to work.

Nonprofit repurposes wedding bouquets for seniors 
Spectrum News 1, Columbus, OH; by Taylor Bruck; 10/21/24 
Todd Davis, a resident of Columbus, knows it’s the simple things in life that mean the most. That’s why every weekend, he and volunteers pick up leftover flowers from weddings and other events and repurpose them into beautiful bouquets. They then deliver them to senior citizens all over Columbus and people in hospice care. ... Every week, volunteers turn thousands of flowers into about 200 bouquets, equating to nearly 10,000 this year and endless smiles.

Kaiser Permanente mental health workers go on strike in Southern California 
Fox 5 - KUSI, San Diego, CA; by Danielle Dawson; 10/21/24 
Thousands of mental health workers at Kaiser Permanente locations across Southern California hit the picket lines on Monday for the first day of an open-ended strike, calling for measures to reduce employee turnover and better patient care. ... The unionized mental health professionals — encompassing therapists, psychologists, social workers and psychiatric nurses — have been demanding Kaiser address issues in their next contract that have contributed to “substandard” care in Southern California. ... Last year, California behavioral health regulators flagged several of these problems when it hit Kaiser with a $50 million fine — the largest-ever penalty issued by the department — for failing to provide timely care to its patients as part of a wider $200 million settlement agreement. “Our agency could lose its Medicare license because we have five days to see our patients and, because our unsustainable caseloads, patient care is being delayed,” Elizabeth Meza, a San Diego-area hospice worker, told KUSI Monday morning. “We are only able to provide the minimum amount of care that they need.”

Meet the Maytown woman whose 'Apple Dumpling Gang' makes 700+ treats for people needing a pick-me-up 
LNP and Lancaster Online, Lancaster, PA; by Laura Knowles; 10/22/24 
... “One day my father-in-law — we called him Poppy — came home with six apples, and asked if I would make apple dumplings for him,” Goodhart said. “It was such a simple request.” Paul Goodhart loved his apple dumplings so much that it gave his daughter-in-law an idea. She began making apple dumplings for others who needed a sweet pick-me-up. That was 15 years ago. Since then, Goodhart has enlisted help from others, dubbing the group the Apple Dumpling Gang. Just last week, the group of nearly 40 women made 775 apple dumplings for seniors, hospice patients, retirement home residents, shut-ins, cancer patients and anyone who could use the heartfelt blessing of an apple dumpling handmade with love. 

Death is no enemy of life; it restores our sense of the value of living. Illness restores the sense of proportion that is lost when we take life for granted.  ~ Arthur W. Frank