Literature Review

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.

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. 

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:

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.

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.

Payers push into home health: 5 things to know Becker's Payer Issues; by Rylee Wilson; 11/4/24 Payers are expanding their reach into home healthcare. In October, Elevance Health said it plans to acquire CareBridge, a Nashville-based home and community care provider. Elevance will pay $2.7 billion for the company, according to the Nashville Business Journal. Elevance CEO Gail Boudreaux told investors on an Oct. 17 call the acquisition will serve as the foundation for Carelon's home health business. Here are five more things to know about payers' ventures into home health:

How hospices can leverage palliative care to ‘stay relevant’ in value-based care Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 11/6/24 U.S. health care is moving steadily towards value-based reimbursement, and having a robust palliative care program can help hospices ensure they are not left behind. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is working to ensure that 100% of Medicare beneficiaries are aligned with a risk-based payment model by 2030. This can include Medicare Advantage (MA) and Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs. With hospice reimbursement confined to the traditional Medicare benefit, a palliative care program is a likely entry point for those providers to access value-based reimbursement, Sue Lynn Schramm, a partner of the hospice and palliative care consulting company Confidis LLC, said in a presentation at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Annual Leadership Conference. This may be even more the case now that the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID), often called the Medicare Advantage Hospice Carve-In, is ending on Dec. 31, Schramm said.

Top News Stories of the Month Oct 2024 - TCN Podcast  TCN Talks - Teleios Collaborative Network; by Chris Comeaux; 11/6/24 In this episode of TCNtalks, Chris Comeaux and Mark Cohen explore the latest developments in Hospice Care for September and October.  They discuss the impact of Hurricane Helene, significant legislative proposals, and current trends in mergers and acquisitions.  Emphasizing the value of trusted sources like Hospice and Palliative Care Today, they examine critical topics, including reimbursement challenges, regulatory issues, and workforce dynamics in the Hospice sector. Together, Chris and Mark address a range of pressing healthcare issues, such as supply chain disruptions, the role of technology, leadership dynamics, community health concerns, and effective communication during natural disasters.  They underscore the importance of staying informed, adapting to change, and the need for proactive leadership to navigate the complexities of today’s healthcare landscape. To further support healthcare professionals in responding to crises, Mark presents a masterclass: "Effective Communication During Natural Disasters." 

UP Health System Hospice coming to Dickinson County The Daily News, Iron Mountain, MI; 11/5/24U.P. Health System Hospice will begin bringing its hospice care to Dickinson County. UPHS’s goal is to improve the quality of life for patients and their families by providing compassionate and comprehensive care during the final stages of life. U.P. Health System Hospice has made it the mission of its agency to change end of life care in the U.P. and its most rural communities by bringing awareness to hospice services, advocating for patient rights, and working hand-in-hand with the medical community to help more people receive support in their health care. 

You treat a disease, you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you'll win, no matter what the outcome. ~ Patch Adams

It takes more than love to care for a loved one Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business; guest column by Jason Erskine, AARP; 11/5/24 Chances are, if you aren’t a family caregiver, you know someone who is. Every day, more than 820,000 Washingtonians help their parents, spouses, siblings, grandparents, neighbors and other loved ones to live independently at home – where they want to be. November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to highlight the important work these folks do. But simply thanking them isn’t enough. ... AARP and United Way have teamed up to connect caregivers with trained, compassionate people in your community who can help you find AARP caregiving resources and more. It’s called 211, it’s a free service, and you can talk to specialists who can help you find local resources for caring for your loved one … and for yourself too. ... AARP Washington is here to help with information and resources to support and connect caregivers. Go to: aarp.org/caregiverswa.

Your overall leadership success comes down to 2 simple strategies, say experts: These strategies should be top of mind as you plan ahead for 2025. Inc.; by Marcel Schwantes; 11/5/24 In 2001, Anne Mulcahy suddenly found herself in charge at Xerox as its CEO right when the company was going through a major financial crisis. In previous interviews, she mentioned that one of the first things she did was pick up the phone and call Warren Buffett for advice. Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, told Mulcahy: “Focus on your customers, and lead your people like their lives depend on your success.” Buffett’s advice was exactly what helped Xerox pull through. The first part of this two-part strategy—focusing on customers—was key. Mulcahy often quotes Xerox founder Joe Wilson, who said, “Customers decide whether we have jobs or not. Their attitude is what makes or breaks us.” But the second part of Buffett’s advice often doesn’t get enough attention. Regarding good leadership, taking care of your employees first is the best way to win over your customers. Happy employees lead to happy customers.

VITAS touts significant Q3 success, projects future growth McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 10/31/24 VITAS, the home care and hospice subsidiary of Chemed, achieved robust financial results in the third quarter of 2024 and is poised for continued growth, company leadership said Wednesday during an earnings-related conference call. “We are excited about the continued strong results of VITAS,” Kevin McNamara, president and chief executive officer of Chemed, said, according to a transcript. “We are very bullish on the prospects for VITAS for the remainder of 2024 and beyond.” In the quarter ended Sept. 31, VITAS generated $53.4 million in profits, a 20.6% increase compared with the prior year quarter. Revenues rose 17.2% to $391.4 million. Chemed as a whole produced $75.7 million in net profit, a 1% increase year-over-year, behind revenues that increased nearly 7.4% to $606.1 million, according to an earnings report.