Literature Review

Transition to hospice: how it impacts the mental health of caregivers of persons with dementiaAlzheimer's & Dementia; by Oonjee Oh, Debra Parker Oliver, Karla Washington, George Demiris; 2024In this study, we aimed to examine caregivers’ mental health indicators and their correlation structure based on the timing of hospice transition... In the context of dementia care, our results highlight that caregivers who just entered hospice are undergoing a challenging transition that often finds them in a mentally vulnerable position. To develop and implement effective strategies for caregivers of persons with dementia, we need to understand the needs and vulnerabilities of caregivers during hospice transition and identify the best timing for the delivery of supportive tools.

Diana Franchitto named Board Chair as the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation celebrates 10 years National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), Washington, DC; 1/14/25 The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) proudly announces Diana Franchitto, President & CEO of HopeHealth, as the new Chair of its Board of Directors. A visionary leader in hospice and advanced illness care, Diana steps into this role as NPHI celebrates a decade of driving high-quality nonprofit care and innovation. “As we celebrate a decade of impact, we are thrilled to welcome Diana as the new Chair of our Board of Directors,” said Tom Koutsoumpas, CEO of NPHI. “Her deep commitment to community-based, nonprofit care and her proven leadership make her uniquely qualified to help guide NPHI into this next phase of growth and innovation. I have tremendous respect for Tom and our members’ vision for NPHI, and I’m thrilled to work closely with Tom and our entire NPHI leadership team to bring that vision to life,” said Diana. “It’s an honor to serve as Board Chair during this pivotal moment as we celebrate our first decade of impact. I look forward to collaborating with our members and Board to advance the incredible work our nonprofit hospices deliver every day. Together, we will shape the next chapter of compassionate care and champion innovative, community-driven solutions that prioritize the needs of patients and families nationwide.”

Light tomorrow with today. ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Norovirus positivity rate hits 28%, double 2024's peak: 6 notes Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Alexandra Murphy; 1/15/25 A surge in norovirus infections this season has resulted in a 28% positivity rate, more than double 2024's high, alarming health officials, CBS News reported Jan. 14. The unprecedented spike is a part of a broader viral surge as the U.S. grapples with four major viruses — norovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza and COVID-19. Hospitals across the country are also feeling the strain, as emergency departments struggle to accommodate the rising number of patients. ... Experts predict that the "quademic" — norovirus, syncytial virus, influenza and COVID-19 — could worsen as hospitals are already overwhelmed. With more outbreaks likely, health systems are implementing stricter protocols including visitor restrictions and increased coordination between hospitals to maintain trauma care capacity.

Which health facilities have been impacted by L.A.-area fires? AI may paint a clearer picture DirectRelief; by Andrew Schroeder; 1/14/25 Geospatial AI and remote sensing advance health system impact analysis shows where facilities have been damaged or destroyed -- and where medical needs may be greatest. One of the most important factors for humanitarian responders in these types of large-scale disaster situations is to understand the effects on the formal health system, upon which most people — and vulnerable communities in particular — rely upon in their neighborhoods. Evaluation of the impact of disasters ... is traditionally a relatively slow and manually arduous process, involving extensive ground truth visitation by teams of assessment professionals. Speeding up this process without losing accuracy, while potentially improving the safety and efficiency of assessment teams, is among the more important analytical efforts Direct Relief can undertake for response and recovery efforts.

NPHI supports lawsuit to ensure proper implementation of Hospice Special Focus Program National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation, Washington, DC; Press Release; 1/16/25Today, a lawsuit was filed by the Texas Association for Home Care & Hospice; Indiana Association for Home & Hospice Care; Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina; South Carolina Home Care & Hospice Association; and Houston Hospice. The lawsuit challenges CMS’s implementation of the hospice Special Focus Program (SFP) as unlawful and arbitrary. We acknowledge that Houston Hospice, an NPHI member, is one of the plaintiffs in this legal action, and we are committed to supporting them and others impacted by the SFP or the accompanying excel files. The hospice Special Focus Program (SFP), conceived and passed on a bipartisan basis as a part of the HOSPICE Act in 2021, was designed to address poor-quality hospice providers by offering them additional support and technical assistance to ensure compliance with the Medicare Hospice Conditions of Participation. NPHI is extremely disappointed that CMS has departed from that Congressional intent, transforming the hospice SFP into a burden for many well-meaning hospices, with an algorithm for identifying providers based on inaccurate data and including elements that are not referenced in the statutory language. ... NPHI fully supports the litigation filed today, which aims to direct CMS to comply with the spirit and intent of the statute and regulations. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

The Alliance on CMS Hospice Special Focus Program Implementation: “Doubling down on a dangerous decision, eager to work with incoming administration to fix” National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 1/16/25 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) issued the following statement in response to the news of hospice providers filing litigation against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) over their flawed implementation of the Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP). The Alliance and the broader hospice community, who have been engaged on this program since its inception, have repeatedly shared concerns directly with CMS staff at all levels. They warned that this approach would inflict unnecessary harm to patient care, cause confusion to families when selecting a hospice provider to care for their loved ones at the end of life, and will cause some providers to sustain irreparable damage. These concerns have been echoed by lawmakers, providers, and the leading national hospice trade organizations. “With CMS doubling down on a dangerous course of action by proceeding with the Hospice SFP in its current state—and offering no due process or administrative recourse to address or mitigate its flaws—some hospice providers will suffer irreparable harm and have no choice but to seek justice through the courts on behalf of their patients and mission,” said Dr. Steve Landers, CEO of the Alliance. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Knoxville nurses bring wedding to UT Medical Center for bride’s dying mother WATE Knoxville, TN; by Molly O'Brien; 1/15/25 Nurses on the Progressive Care Unit at UT Medical Center planned a wedding for one of their patient’s daughter. Samantha Barry and her now husband, Phillip Bastelica, were supposed to get married in a few months. Barry, like most daughters, always planned on her mother being at her wedding day. Her mother, Lynn, is battling a terminal illness and was recently released from the Progressive Care Unit to hospice. ... It seemed unlikely that Lynn would be able to attend the wedding planned for August, so Barry and Bastelica decided to move the day up. ... The nurses who cared for Lynn jumped into action to plan a wedding for Barry.

Renovus acquires Superior Health McGuire Woods; by Trey Andrews; 1/13/25 Renovus Capital Partners has announced the acquisition of Superior Health Holdings. Superior, formed in 2021 and based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a provider of home health and hospice services throughout Louisiana. Renovus, based in Philadelphia, is a lower middle market private equity firm that invests in a few sectors, including healthcare services. Founded in 2010, the firm invests across a range of healthcare companies, including those in life sciences commercialization, IT, revenue cycle management and behavioral health. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. 

VITAS eyeing expansion in 12 states Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/14/25 Historically, VITAS Healthcare has relied heavily on organic growth, a strategy the company is not turning away from. However, it may add more acquisitions to the mix. VITAS is a subsidiary of Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE). The company this year made its return to the M&A market after a hiatus of several years. In April, VITAS acquired Covenant Health and Community Services’ hospice operations as well as one assisted living facility in an $85 million deal. Now, the company is seeking out other targets, with an emphasis on Certificate of Need states. “There are at a minimum 12 states we don’t operate in that we think are very attractive to us, and we are out actively sourcing deals, and we expect some of that deal flow to continue to come through here in 2025 and beyond …” VITAS CEO and Chairman Nick Westfall said during the JP Morgan Healthcare conference. “We think we’re in the early roads of really an ongoing consolidation inside of the space.”

A year from now you may wish you had started today. ~ Karen Lamb

Senior living community evacuates amid California wildfires Newslooks; by Mary Sidiqi; 1/14/25 The peaceful routine at the Terraces at Park Marino, a senior living facility in Pasadena, California, was shattered on January 7 when the Eaton fire, driven by ferocious Santa Ana winds, turned a typical evening into a harrowing battle for survival. Terraces Wildfire Evacuation Quick Looks

ASTP Rule codifies requirements for TEFCA-Qualified health information networks McDermott Will & Emery, Washington, DC; by James A. Cannatti III, Jennifer S. Geetter, and Nathan Gray; 1/15/25 On December 16, 2024, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the NationaTl Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP) published the Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) final rule in the Federal Register as part of its continued focus on improving information sharing among healthcare stakeholders. Rather than codifying comprehensive substantive and procedural requirements for entities participating in TEFCA, the final rule provides a flexible framework establishing how such decisions will be made in current and future subregulatory documents.