Literature Review

Locally and veteran-owned Headwaters Hospice and Palliative Care expands healthcare offerings for Montana communities Business Post Examiner, Helena, MT; by Michael Brown; 1/22/25 In just one year since receiving the prestigious CHAP Accreditation, Headwaters Hospice and Palliative Care has become a cornerstone of compassionate care in the Helena Valley, Montana. ... Building on this success, Headwaters Hospice and Palliative Care is proud to announce its expansion into the Butte/Silver Bow County area, bringing its renowned services to even more Montanans. In addition to hospice care, the company will begin offering palliative care services in 2025. These services will not only provide an alternative provider for Helena but will also be the only in-home palliative care option available in Butte. 

Residents share video of Spring Grove Area guidance counselor, now in hospice after Jan. 1 collapse York Dispatch, York, PA; by Meredith Willse; 1/14/25 As news spread of a Spring Grove Area High School guidance counselor’s collapse after a run on Jan. 1, friends and former students shared a video she made — dancing in her office. Carrie Schmoyer collapsed Jan. 1 after a run. After being hospitalized for nearly two weeks, her family moved Schmoyer to a hospice center. The video, from the 2014-2015 school year, shows high schoolers and staff dancing in the hallways, offices, the auditorium and outside the school to “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. Among other school staff members, Schmoyer is seen dancing in her office. ... While sharing the video, the residents shared their memories of Schmoyer, how they loved her, how she helped them and the GoFundMe account, which has raised close to $50,000 since it started Jan. 6. Editor's note: This touching tribute reminds us that each person receiving hospice is connected to a much larger community of people who are impacted by this person's living and dying. 

TCN podcast: The need for innovation with Meg Pekarske Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); hosted by Chris Comeaux; 1/22/25 In this episode of TCNtalks, host Chris Comeaux interviews Meg Pekarske, a partner and head of the Hospice and Palliative Care Practice Group at Husch Blackwell.  They discuss Meg's extensive expertise in Hospice Care, the significant challenges, and promising opportunities for growth and diversification.  Meg makes it clear that strategic planning is essential.  Adapting to shifts in the payer market and implementing legal restructuring to support new care models are critical to success.  The conversation boldly addresses the need for innovation and collaboration to navigate the ever-changing landscape of Hospice and Palliative care.  It also touches on surprising facets that reveal Meg's unique approach—she is not your average attorney.[Teleios Collaborative Network is a sponsor of our newsletter.]

New telehealth rules: 5 takeaways on temporary flexibilities for 2025 Becker's ASC Review; in collaboration with Coronis Health; 1/21/25 With the passage of the American Relief Act, 2025, certain telehealth flexibilities initially introduced during the public health emergency (PHE) era have been extended. These provisions, however, are only authorized through March 31, 2025. A Jan. 9 blog post by Coronis Health breaks down what the extensions mean for telehealth providers and patients, what services and features were left out and why certain changes could become permanent in 2025. Five takeaways:

North Augusta hospice nurse arrested after allegedly using fake prescriptions Aiken Standard, Aiken, SC; by Matthew Christian; 1/22/25 A North Augusta hospice nurse has been arrested after allegedly acquiring prescription drugs with fake prescriptions. South Carolina Bureau of Drug Control agents arrested Amy Elizabeth Strand, 44, on Jan. 17, according to an Aiken County Sheriff's Office booking report. Strand obtained lorazepam 2 mg tablets from the North Augusta Kroger on June 22, 2024, Agent B.A. Stafford said in a warrant. ... To get the pills, Strand called in a fake prescription in the name of a patient under her care, Stafford continued. ... Strand has been charged with three counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and one count of attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud. 

Trump freezes HHS communications: report Modern Healthcare Alert; by Bridget Early; 1/22/25 The Health and Human Services Department and its agencies are going silent for now, according to the Washington Post. On Tuesday, the day after President Donald Trump's inauguration, HHS received an order to halt all outbound communications, including health advisories, weekly reports, research, website updates and social media posts, the newspaper reported. The Washington Post reports that the pause has no definitive end date and that the decree does not specify whether exceptions will be made for disease outbreaks or other urgent situations. The directive applies to agencies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Food and Drug Administration, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

More AI, GUIDE implementation, market recovery in the cards for LTC providers this year: experts McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Zee Johnson; 1/22/25 Implementation and expansion of artificial intelligence may be the most powerful trend facing long-term care providers in 2025, according to a panel of experts who identified seven key topics providers should be aware of this year. ... An HDG whitepaper [Health Dimensions Group] found that 2025 will bring more progress in the areas of predictive analytics, or using data to predict falls; hospitalizations and other significant medical events; improved care integration; and generative AI. [Key areas described include:]

DEA unveils long-overdue special registration for telemedicine in proposed ruleThe National Law Review; by Marika Miller, Nathan A. Beaver of Foley & Lardner LLP; 1/21/25 In the final days of the Biden administration, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released a proposed rule that would allow practitioners with a Special Registration to prescribe Schedule III-V, and in limited circumstances Schedule II, controlled substances via telemedicine. Practitioners with a Special Registration would still need to obtain a DEA registration in each state where they prescribe or dispense controlled substances. However, the proposed rule establishes a limited, less expensive State Telemedicine Registration as an alternative to the traditional DEA registration. The proposed rule imposes several obligations on practitioners with Special Registrations when they prescribe controlled substances via telemedicine.  [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

If you’ve overcome these 9 challenges in life, you’re more resilient than you think Personal Branding Blog; by Lucas Graham; 1/21/25 Resilience isn’t always about being unshakable or invincible. Sometimes, it’s just about surviving the chaos, picking yourself up after the mess, and somehow finding the courage to keep going. In the moment, it’s hard to see how strong you really are—you’re just trying to make it through. But when you pause and look back, you realize the grit it took to get here. ... [If] you’ve been through these nine challenges and made it out, you’re way more resilient than you give yourself credit for.

Free Death Cafés provide a venue for difficult conversations The Northern Virginia Daily. Stephens City, VA; by Brian Brehm; 1/20/25... Blue Ridge Hospice, in partnership with Bowman Library, wants to spark the death-related conversations that many people want to have but are comfortable initiating. Starting this month, the two organizations will be hosting a Death Café on the fourth Thursday of every other month. ... According to a media release from Blue Ridge Hospice, “Death Café is not a grief support group or a counseling session, but rather a casual and welcoming space for people to reflect on death-related topics, with the aim of helping us live life more fully. Whether you’re curious, thoughtful or seeking meaningful conversation, come as you are and engage in this judgment-free, agenda-free discussion.”

Respiratory virus activity remains 'high' in US and will 'continue for several more weeks': CDC ABC News; by Mary Kekatos and Youri Benadjaoud; 1/20/25 Respiratory viruses are continuing to spread across the United States, sickening millions of Americans. Overall respiratory illness activity -- including flu, COVID-19 and RSV -- continues to be listed as "high" nationwide and is causing people to seek health care "at a high level," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Jan. 17, two states -- Hawaii and New Hampshire -- are listed as having "very high" activity while another 15 states are listed as having "high" activity, CDC data shows. 

Enclara Pharmacia announces patient record integration with FireNote Hospice EMR NCN - Nebraska News Channel; Business Wire Press Release; 1/21/25 Enclara Pharmacia, ... [a national] pharmacy solutions provider for the hospice and palliative care sectors, announces the launch of a new interface with FireNoteTM, an innovative hospice electronic medical record (EMR) platform. This integration enables patient demographics and medications to flow seamlessly from FireNote to Enclara’s E3 ProTM medication management system. The new software interface enables timely admissions and medication access for patients while reducing the administrative burden on nurses, a key priority for both Enclara and FireNote.“ 

University of Rochester Medical Center plans hospital-at-home program Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 1/21/25 Rochester, N.Y.-based UR Medicine plans to launch a hospital-at-home program in summer 2025. CMS approved the health system's flagship Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for acute hospital care at home in June 2024. The six-hospital system has since taken a "pragmatic and deliberate approach" to building the initiative, said Justin Hopkin, MD, chief of hospital medicine at University of Rochester Medical Center. "We are listening closely to what community members want and need, while observing how other health systems overcome challenges as they scale up their hospital-at-home programs," Dr. Hopkin told Becker's.