Literature Review
[Oct 12] 2024 World Hospice and Palliative Care Day community strengthening webinar recording
09/12/24 at 03:00 AM[Oct 12] 2024 World Hospice and Palliative Care Day community strengthening webinar recording ehospice - Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance; 9/11/24 On 31 July, the Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA) launched the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) 2024 toolkit and resources which are now available in seven languages on the website. The theme for WHPCD is Ten Years Since the Resolution: How are we doing? and this year’s World Day will be on 12 October. World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) is a unified day of action in support of hospice and palliative care. Palliative care is an interdisciplinary caregiving approach that optimises quality of life and mitigates health related suffering among people with very serious illnesses and their carers. WHPCD has been marked every year for the last 18 years. The WHPCA hosted a free WHPCD community strengthening toolkit webinar on 4 September 2024 at 09:00 AM Eastern Time. The purpose of hosting the webinar was to walk you through the toolkit to help you better understand how to use it effectively. Please find the recording of the webinar on the WHPCA website here https://thewhpca.org/world-hospice-and-palliative-care-day/.
Kaiser Permanente enters deal with CommonSpirit to expand Colorado presence
09/12/24 at 03:00 AMKaiser Permanente enters deal with CommonSpirit to expand Colorado presence GlobalData; 9/11/24 Kaiser Permanente and CommonSpirit Health have expanded their alliance with a new long-term agreement, aimed at providing Kaiser Permanente's members with enhanced access to healthcare services in Colorado, US. This agreement will integrate Kaiser Permanente physicians into CommonSpirit's hospitals, offering members, including Metro Denver residents, more convenient healthcare services and options close to home. CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit health system, has a significant presence in Colorado, operating nearly 20 hospitals and over 240 care sites with a workforce of more than 16,000 and 5,300 healthcare professionals, including physicians and practice clinicians. Meanwhile, Kaiser Permanente, also a nonprofit, is known for its integrated care and coverage model, which includes care from its own providers, as well as a broad external network.
Habitat Health gets $50 million in funding, names CEO
09/12/24 at 03:00 AMHabitat Health gets $50 million in funding, names CEO Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 9/10/24Habitat Health announced Tuesday it has tapped former Cigna executive Matthew Bennett as CEO and raised $50 million in capital as the company prepares to open its first Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly in Sacramento, California early next year. Bennett previously held several executive positions at Cigna, including senior vice president of care delivery at Evernorth, the company’s pharmacy and healthcare provider services business. He said he plans to use the new capital to launch Habitat Health's PACE programs throughout California.
Tennessee health-care company enters Triad with acquisition of White Oak of Burlington
09/12/24 at 03:00 AMTennessee health-care company enters Triad with acquisition of White Oak of Burlington Triad Business Journal; by David Hill; 9/11/24 National Healthcare, a publicly traded company from Nashville, acquired Alamance County facility as part of larger purchase of senior living centers. ... It also has three behavioral health hospitals, 34 homecare agencies and 30 hospice agencies, in addition to Alzheimer’s and memory care units and related operations. ... [Additional subscription may be required.]
Telehealth palliative care helps people living with advanced cancer
09/12/24 at 03:00 AMTelehealth palliative care helps people living with advanced cancer Cancer Health; by Liz Highleyman; 9/9/24 Virtual palliative care can be as effective as in-person care, according to a recent study. Oncology palliative care is intended to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. It is not the same as hospice care, and it can help people at any stage of cancer. National guidelines recommend integrating palliative care from the time of diagnosis for people with advanced cancer, but it is underutilized in part due to a shortage of trained providers. This study included 1,250 adults at 22 U.S. cancer centers who were diagnosed with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. They had palliative care sessions every four weeks conducted either via video or in person. After six months, quality-of-life scores were equivalent in the two groups. They also did not differ significantly in terms of depression or anxiety, coping skills, understanding treatment goals or perception of their prognosis.
A dying wish: Longtime hospice volunteer has a challenge for GV
09/12/24 at 03:00 AMA dying wish: Longtime hospice volunteer has a challenge for GV Green Valley News, Green Valley, AZ; by Dan Shearer; 9/10/24 ... The woman who walked alongside dying patients as a hospice volunteer for more than 20 years is now herself in hospice. She smiles but says the glistening in her eyes are sad tears. But cancer hasn't taken her joy, and she’s emotionally strong enough to meet with a reporter in her final weeks to make a request of Green Valley: Please consider taking up just the kind of work she’s been doing for two decades. It’s tough, but it comes with lessons and blessings that last a lifetime. ...
Central Coast lavender farm helping cancer and hospice patients in Monterey County
09/12/24 at 03:00 AMCentral Coast lavender farm helping cancer and hospice patients in Monterey County KSBW-8 News, Monterey County, CA; by Zoe Hunt; 9/9/24 Lavender Creek Co. has turned its family farm into a source of comfort for cancer and hospice patients in Monterey County. Ryan and Myriah Hopkins are the husband-and-wife duo behind the lavender farm on Carmel Valley Road. They’re using their home-grown lavender to donate products like hand towels and eye pillows designed to soothe and relax, a much-needed comfort for hospital patients. ... "We are donating our lavender that [the Monterey Quilters Guild sews]into eye pillows and then donate it to our hospital or nonprofits," Hopkins said. "Then those go to patients undergoing cancer treatment and hospice care."
Why so many patients are confused about CPR and do-not-resuscitate orders
09/12/24 at 03:00 AMWhy so many patients are confused about CPR and do-not-resuscitate orders STAT; by Lindsey Ulin; 9/11/24 Inherently difficult conversations are made more so by a lack of physician training. When a patient is admitted to the hospital in the U.S., there’s a standard question physicians like me are supposed to ask: “If your heart stops beating, do you want us to do CPR?” On the surface, this may seem like a mechanic asking a customer, “If your car stalls, do you want us to jumpstart the engine?” Who would say no to this, especially in a hospital? The problem is that this exchange, which we call asking about “code status” in medicine, centers around a closed-ended question. Talking to a patient about their preferences for cardiac resuscitation, intubation, and/or other life-sustaining treatments needs to be a complete, often lengthy discussion, not just a box to check. ...
Living your best life means embracing the last years, too
09/12/24 at 03:00 AMLiving your best life means embracing the last years, too UCSF - The University of California - San Francisco; by Suzanne Leigh; 9/9/24 UC San Francisco is working with nonprofits that serve seniors and patients with serious medical conditions to raise awareness about palliative care and advance care planning. The partnerships are the result of a collaboration between the UCSF Division of Palliative Medicine and the San Francisco Palliative Care Work Group (PCWG), which is working to address inequities among communities of color in accessing palliative care and advance care planning.
House call: Hospital care at home is about to explode in New Jersey
09/12/24 at 03:00 AMHouse call: Hospital care at home is about to explode in New Jersey mycentraljersey; by Scott Fallon; 9/11/24 Delia Halpin was being treated for a lung infection at Hackensack University Medical Center over three days in July when doctors came to her room with a suggestion: You can go home if you’d like. Halpin, 80, wasn’t being discharged. She was returning to her Maywood house with a load of medical equipment, a tablet to let her keep in touch with doctors, and a team of nurses who would visit every day until she recovered. “No one wants to be in the hospital,” she said. “It was great to be home, be around family, be around the things you’re comfortable with.” Halpin is among the first wave of patients who received care under Hackensack’s new “Hospital from Home” program — but she is far from the last. ...
Leading the Way: Gilchrist and Franklin Hospice forces in landmark integration
09/12/24 at 02:15 AMLeading the Way: Gilchrist and Franklin Hospice forces in landmark integration Franklin Hospice, Chambersburg, PA; by Karen M. Giffin; 9/9/24 Franklin Hospice and Gilchrist ... have announced an affiliation agreement. This partnership will unite two of Maryland’s oldest and most experienced nonprofit organizations, together with nearly 70 years of service to their communities. As the healthcare landscape continues to transform nationwide, this type of affiliation of two synergistic nonprofit organizations with similar missions, visions, and values will position both organizations for continued growth, innovation and financial strength. ... This strategic affiliation will strengthen their ability to offer compassionate care to more patients and families throughout Central and Southern Maryland, as well as Washington and Frederick Counties and South-Central Pennsylvania. Both organizations will retain their name and branding while offering a unified approach to care.
Florida-based Synthase Collaborative and Southern Care Collaborative merge: Bringing 10 community health organizations together across four states
09/12/24 at 02:05 AMFlorida-based Synthase Collaborative and Southern Care Collaborative merge: Bringing 10 community health organizations together across four states
National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation
09/12/24 at 02:00 AMNational Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation Fierce Pharma - Special Report: The Fierce 50 of 2024 - Innovation Honorees; by Fraiser Kansteiner; distributed 9/10/24 With an aging population and shifting healthcare environment, providing proper, personalized care for the U.S.’ most vulnerable patients can be a challenge.That’s why Tom Koutsoumpas, one of the masterminds behind the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), has been working to continually improve hospice and palliative care across the nation for decades. ... The goal, he explained in an interview with Fierce, was to "become the national voice for the future of hospice, palliative care, and advanced illness care." Through its efforts, NPHI seeks to work in tandem with its network of nonprofit community programs to help them innovate, thrive into the future and continue to evolve in the ever-changing U.S. healthcare system, Koutsoumpas said. While local hospice and palliative care groups exist to tackle many of these same goals, “programs in the community have no scale,” Koutsoumpas explained. “They have no opportunity to work from scale to address cost issues, rising costs, changes that occur.” In turn, NPHI was founded to help bring those programs together while allowing them to retain their identities as discrete, local providers. Editor's note: NPHI is a sponsor for our newsletter.
Over 140 cars take part in 19th Lube-a-Thon for Hospice
09/11/24 at 03:30 AMOver 140 cars take part in 19th Lube-a-Thon for Hospice Portage.Life; by Center for Hospice Care; 9/10/24 Friday July 26 marked the 19th time Tom's Car Care Canter hosted its Lube-a-Thon for Hospice. From 7am until almost 6pm cars were lined up out to the street to get their oil changed for just a $45 donation to Center for Hospice Care. Even with the line, wait times weren't that long. The Tom's team was moving cars out on an average of five to six minutes each! Along with the oil change, patrons received a ticket for a free car wash (good until the end of October), a coupon for a free muffin or cookie and a cup of coffee or fountain drink as well as an event t-shirt. ... Thanks to all of the participants, sponsors and other donations, the 19th Lube-a-Thon for Hospice raised over $10,000 to help Center for Hospice Care improve the quality of living for those in our nine-county service area.
Medicare administrative contractor news includes a data breach and potential consolidation
09/11/24 at 03:15 AMMedicare administrative contractor news includes a data breach and potential consolidation HFMA, Downers Grove, IL; by Nick Hut; 9/9/24 Recent happenings involving Medicare administrative contractors (MACs) include a notice of a data breach and a request for feedback on possible consolidation. CMS sent out word that nearly 950,000 Medicare beneficiaries whose claims go through Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS) are being informed that their protected health information or other personally identifiable information may have been compromised due to a security vulnerability in third-party software. The breach also could have affected those with other insurance if their information was collected to support CMS’s audits of healthcare providers, according to a news release. Belying its name, WPS handles Medicare Parts A and B claims spanning Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Nebraska (not Wisconsin).
Too Much, Too Little, Just Right: Optimizing cancer care for older adults
09/11/24 at 03:15 AMToo Much, Too Little, Just Right: Optimizing cancer care for older adults The ASCO Post, American Society of Clinical Oncology; by Ramy Sedhom, MD; Bobby Green, MD; and Julia Frydman, MD, MS; 9/10/24 Imagine walking into a fancy restaurant only to find a menu consisting mostly of kids’ dishes. It would make no sense. Just 25% of restaurant diners are younger than age 12, and they rarely write Yelp reviews. But when it comes to cancer treatment, this is not very far from what we do. The median age for a new cancer diagnosis is 67, and among those who die of cancer each year, 73% are older adults. Yet just one in four clinical trial participants is aged 70 or older. Consequently, guidelines for most new cancer therapies are based on a median age that is significantly younger than the patient population who actually receives these therapies. That’s quite a conundrum. More than half of patients older than age 65 experience toxicity of grade 3 or worse while undergoing standard chemotherapy. ... Palliative Care—For a 40-year-old mother of two young children, the goal of cancer treatment is usually clear: complete remission and long-term survival. But when you ask older patients with cancer about their priorities, a majority regard symptom control, emotional coping, and other quality-of-life measures at least as much as longevity and sometimes more.
Hospice of the Foothills announces umbrella name, Foothills Compassionate Care
09/11/24 at 03:00 AMHospice of the Foothills announces umbrella name, Foothills Compassionate Care YubaNet.com; by Hospice of the Foothills; 9/10/24 As we celebrate 45 years as this community’s only nonprofit hospice, Hospice of the Foothills is excited to announce that we are formalizing our structure a bit to fit all of our programs under one all-encompassing organizational name. Going forward, Hospice of the Foothills, Sierra Community Palliative Care, Foothills Gift & Thrift Stores, and our Bereavement Programs will operate under the unified umbrella of Foothills Compassionate Care. Each program/service will maintain its name and identity but will be united under one umbrella. We feel his strategic alignment will highlight all that we do more clearly and reinforce our commitment to providing compassionate, community-centered care without changing the ownership, staff, or core mission that our community has trusted for years. ... This is not about changing what works; it’s about creating a formal structure that reflects the comprehensive care we’ve always provided.
The 'great disruption' coming for Medicare Advantage
09/11/24 at 03:00 AMThe 'great disruption' coming for Medicare Advantage Becker's Payer Issues; by Jakob Emerson; 9/9/24 Come mid-October, the Medicare Advantage program will enter its annual enrollment period, marked by significant changes for older adults. Among these changes are increased government scrutiny, tighter CMS regulations, reduced base payments, and rising healthcare costs. ... "Taken together, some are calling these cuts 'the great disruption,'" wrote Sachin Jain, MD, CEO of SCAN Group, a nonprofit MA carrier with more than 285,000 members, in a LinkedIn post on Sept. 4. Dr. Jain outlined five key observations about the evolving landscape:
CMS to expand ‘enhanced oversight’ to combat hospice fraud in 4 states
09/11/24 at 03:00 AMCMS to expand ‘enhanced oversight’ to combat hospice fraud in 4 states Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 9/10/24 The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is expanding its enhanced oversight for new hospices in fraud-ridden states, including California, Nevada, Arizona and Texas. The agency in July 2023 first announced a “provisional period of enhanced oversight” for new hospices in those states. A key component of the enhanced oversight includes a medical review of claims before a Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) will pay them. “To combat fraud, waste, and abuse under the hospice benefit, CMS will expand prepayment medical review this September in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas,” the agency indicated in a statement. “To help reduce burden on compliant providers, initial review volumes will be low and adjusted based on results. If you’re noncompliant, we may implement extended review or take additional administrative actions.”
Today's Encouragement: Honoring 911 - If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, ...
09/11/24 at 03:00 AMIf we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate. ~ Sandy Dahl, wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason DahlEditor's note: Read this again, especially in today's context. And, I thank our 2001 hospice organizations for the immeasurable ways they supported communities through this uncharted public tragedy, grief, and fear that affected us all. Of note, Hospice of Lancaster County (now Hospice & Community Care, Lancaster, PA) supported the families and community of the Shanksville Flight 93 crash through their bereavement leader Patti Holman- Anewalt, PhD. She served as the founder and former director of their Pathways Center for Grief and Loss, and Bereavment section leader for NHPCO's Bereavement Professionals. From her trauma/grief expertise, Dr. Holman-Anewalt was also a disaster mental health specialist with the American Red Cross. Patti spent 2 weeks as an expert first responder in Shanksville supporting families at the crash site, with them at the morgue for body identification, and much more through that first year and those early annual remembrances. To my hospice colleague Patti, and to countless others, "Thank you!" To the heroes of Flight 93 and other 911 site, we offer a deeply reflective, profound "Thank you."
CHCF unveils palliative care mural
09/11/24 at 03:00 AMCHCF unveils palliative care mural California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CHCF); by Lt. M. Orozco; 9/9/24 California Health Care Facility (CHCF) staff joined the incarcerated population and outside stakeholders to unveil the palliative care mural Aug. 23. Warden Gena Jones had a vision to normalize CHCF’s environment, making it more appealing for the incarcerated population and staff to enjoy while working. The vision consists of murals being painted throughout the institution with this mural setting the path for many more to come. In April 2024, incarcerated artists Issac Sinsun, Antiono Garcia, Loreto Arizpe, and Francsico Olivares started the palliative care mural. Little did they know it was the start to a new beginning. With the combined efforts of the four artists, the mural took 81 days and about 2,268 hours to complete. The ideas for the artwork were a combined effort from custody and medical staff as well incarcerated population within the housing unit. [Click on the title's link to see photos.]
Heart to Heart Hospice expanding services into Oklahoma
09/11/24 at 03:00 AMHeart to Heart Hospice expanding services into Oklahoma PR Newswire; by Kim Dellinger; 9/10/24 Heart to Heart Hospice, one of the country's largest private providers of hospice care, is adding a new location in Durant, Okla., expanding its service offerings into the state for the first time. The new Durant site will serve Southeast Oklahoma, which includes the counties of Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw, Coal, Hughes, Johnston, Marshall, McCurtain, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, and Pushmataha. "It's exciting to be able to offer our care services in Oklahoma, which happens to be my home state," said Kelly Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Heart to Heart Hospice, who is from Sallisaw. Heart to Heart Hospice, based in Plano, Texas, has been serving patients with life-limiting illnesses, as well as their loved ones, since 2003. The company currently provides a broad range of hospice services across 63 locations in Indiana, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Leadership in the age of AI: At the crossroads of humanity and technology
09/11/24 at 03:00 AMLeadership in the age of AI: At the crossroads of humanity and technology Forbes; by Dr. Adil Dalal, DBA; 9/9/24 It has only been 200 years since the First Industrial Revolution and the mass adoption of what we now call technology... The Second Industrial Revolution in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, marked by great progress in mass production, ... emphasizing the importance of machines over humans and managers over employees. ... Today, the world stands on the precipice of the Fourth Industrial Revolution with artificial intelligence, which is not just reshaping industries but also redefining the very essence of leadership and decision-making. ... A technology-driven leader [TDL] who prioritizes novelty over humanity can pose significant risks, potentially leading to societal downfall. ... A human-centric leader [HCL] prioritizes the well-being, growth and empowerment of people, steering humanity toward greatness. ... So is there an ideal Technology Age leader who can lead humanity through this historical moment? Yes! ... They must embody and demonstrate the following three qualities:
Blue Ridge Hospice expanding mission to serve people better, sooner
09/11/24 at 03:00 AMBlue Ridge Hospice expanding mission to serve people better, sooner The Winchester Star, Winchester, VA; by Brian Brehm; 9/9/24 “We’re calling this a year of transformation,” said Jason Parsons, who was named CEO of the Winchester-based nonprofit in December. “Blue Ridge has been around for 43 years and this year, 2024, we’re transforming ourselves into Blue Ridge Care, which includes Blue Ridge Hospice, Blue Ridge Independence at Home — which is our PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) program — Blue Ridge Palliative Care Services and our eight thrift shops.” It’s a sweeping change for an organization that most people only associate with end-of-life care. Parsons ... said Blue Ridge Care will continue to provide graceful exits for patients in the final chapter of their lives, but it will also expand its focus to improve the quality of life for seniors who still have a lot of stories to tell.
On a culture of physician leadership development
09/11/24 at 03:00 AMOn a culture of physician leadership development Forbes; by Leon E. Moores, MD, DSc, FACS; 9/9/24 ... How do we create a culture of continuing physician leadership development? Over a decade ago, I was tasked with answering this very question. As a senior army surgeon, I approached the two-star general in the Army Medical Corps. I asked if I could put together a comprehensive program for physician leadership development for the 4200+ doctors in the US Army. ... We concluded that four distinct LOEs (lines of effort) needed development and implementation to create a culture of physician leadership. These LOEs, it turns out, are just as applicable in civilian healthcare as they were in the armed forces.