Literature Review

Colorado’s paid leave program just launched. Here’s why that’s good for the state.U.S. Department of Labor Blog, by Gayle Goldin; 2/5/24Today marks the 31st anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), landmark federal legislation that provides eligible workers unpaid, job-protected leave for specific family and medical reasons. ... But the FMLA is not enough. The lack of a paid leave standard means that many people cannot afford to take time away from work, even when they need it. That’s why we’re celebrating Colorado’s new paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (FAMLI), which began accepting applications on Jan. 1.

A journalist assisted a woman’s quest for suicide. Did he get too involved?The Washington Post, by Jeremy Barr; 2/3/24The Boston Globe acknowledged that writer Kevin Cullen crossed an ethical line by signing a legal form for Lynda Bluestein. But the woman’s husband is grateful for what he did. Kevin Cullen, a veteran columnist for the Boston Globe, spent months shadowing a terminally ill Connecticut woman as she campaigned for permission to have an assisted suicide and ultimately died that way several weeks ago. ... But Cullen did more than just chronicle [her] journey. He also got involved in her story by signing a legal form attesting that she was sound of mind when she requested to die in Vermont, which granted her the right to do so.

CMS proposes Medicare Advantage rate cutBecker's Payer Issues, by Rylee Wilson; 1/31/24CMS proposed a slight decrease in Medicare Advantage benchmark payments for 2025. The agency issued its proposed 2025 rate notice Jan. 31, cutting benchmark payments by 0.2% on average. Risk model revision will amount to a 2.45% decline in revenue, according to a fact sheet issued by the agency. Plans should expect to see 3.7% higher revenue overall, with an MA risk score trend of 3.86% — the average increase in risk adjustment payments year over year — offsetting risk model revisions and a projected decline in star rating bonuses.

Palmetto Hospice updates and review webinar: February 13, 2024Press release; 2/5/24Webinar 2/13/24 @ 1:00 PM ET. Please click here to register for this webinar session. This session is designed to provide insight for your Hospice agency staff. During this session, a representative will provide Hospice Billing Updates, Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model information, 2024 Final Rule Summary and other helpful information and tips.

Debate over psychedelic therapy returns to Missouri General AssemblyMissouri Independent, by Rebecca Rivas; 1/30/24Republican lawmakers are once again pushing legislation that would require Missouri to conduct a clinical study on using psilocybin, more commonly referred to  as “magic mushrooms,” to treat depression, substance use or as part end-of-life care. 

Study testing new strategy for spotting, managing pain in dementia patients McKnights Long-Term Care News, by Kimberly Marselas; 2/1/24Up to 80% of dementia patients living in nursing homes also experience pain, but many struggle to communicate their symptoms. A new, $2.1 million study aims to test recently revised guidelines for staff members tasked with detecting and managing that pain. ... Barbara Resnick, PhD, RN, professor and associate dean for research at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, will lead the project at 12 nursing homes over the next five years.

Corby boy, 10, set for Arctic trek in tribute to fatherBBC News, by Kate Bradbrook & Brian Farmer; 2/2/24A 10-year-old boy once told he might never walk can look forward to days of "wonder" as he prepares to trek in the Arctic in memory of his late father. Caeden, who has cerebral palsy, was born 12 weeks early. But Caeden, of Corby, Northamptonshire, has climbed Ben Nevis and is now set to meet the Arctic challenge. Mountain guide John Cousins said the "biggest danger in such conditions comes from the cold". Caeden is due to travel to Sweden on Monday with mother Lisa, brother Ashton, 12, and sister Khya, 14.

Covenant Health revives Clinical Pastoral Education programKCBD11 NewsChannel; 2/1/24Covenant Health is excited to announce the return of its Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Program after a brief pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical Pastoral Education is interfaith professional education for ministry. It brings theological students and ministers of all faiths (pastors, priests, rabbis, imams and others) into supervised encounter with persons in crisis.

The No. 1 problem still keeping hospital CEOs up at nightBecker's Hospital Review, by Kelly Gooch; 1/31/24... Here are the 10 most concerning issues hospital CEOs ranked in 2023, along with their average score on an 11-point scale of how pressing CEOs find each issue.

11 recent CEO exitsBecker's Hospital Review, by Alexis Kayser; 1/31/24Two ousters, five retirements and a slew of C-suite switch-ups — Becker's reported the following hospital and health system CEO departures in January.

How academic medical centers govern AI prediction tools in the context of uncertainty and evolving regulation

Dying mother wins $10m from WA after cancer became terminal in prisonNewsFinale; 2/2/24Washington State has paid just shy of $10 million to settle a lawsuit with a mother-of-two whose cervical cancer became terminal while she was in prison after doctors there failed to diagnose and treat the disease. Paula Gardner, 42, was serving time for drug and burglary offences and did not receive adequate medical care for over two years despite tests showing possible signs of cancer in that time before a scan revealed a growth inside her uterus, according to the lawsuit.