Literature Review



Carolina Caring Robin Johnson House welcomes new patient in aftermath of Hurricane Helene

12/02/24 at 03:00 AM

Carolina Caring Robin Johnson House welcomes new patient in aftermath of Hurricane Helene Hickory Daily Record, Hickory, NC and Carolina Caring; by Carolina Caring; 11/27/24 A hospice patient seeking immediate safety after the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene received vital care thanks to the newly established partnership between CaroMont Health and Carolina Caring. ...  Among those affected was 84-year-old Grace, a hospice patient requiring critical medications and oxygen. She was airlifted from her hometown of Burnsville, NC, to temporary shelter at the Catawba Valley Community College Tarlton Complex in Hickory, NC. In dire need, Catawba County Emergency Medical Services reached out to Carolina Caring for assistance, as Grace was rapidly depleting her medication and oxygen supplies. Within 48 hours of the initial call, Grace was successfully transferred to hospice care at the Carolina Caring Robin Johnson House. Though she felt anxious upon her arrival, Grace was comforted by the attentive support of Carolina Caring staff. When asked about the quality of care that she received, Grace described her experience as “wonderful.” “I don’t like being away from home even when I’m sick,” she shared. “... I felt wanted and loved. If I could say anything to the nurses, it’s that I love and appreciate what they’ve done.” This accommodation was made possible by a recent partnership established between CaroMont Health and Carolina Caring. On October 1st, CaroMont Health and Carolina Caring launched a strategic partnership, with Gaston Hospice now operating under the name Carolina Caring. ...

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VFW makes another large donation to Hospice [of the Panhandle]

12/02/24 at 03:00 AM

VFW makes another large donation to Hospice [of the Panhandle] The Morgan Messenger; by TMM Editor; 11/26/24 The VFW Post 4019 hosted a chili cookoff in November with $17,000 of proceeds going to Hospice of the Panhandle. “We greatly appreciate what you do for veterans,” said Commander Arthur Schur. 

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Health system C-suites channel 'hospitality energy' for next year

12/02/24 at 02:00 AM

Health system C-suites channel 'hospitality energy' for next year Becker's Hospital Review; by Laura Dyrda; 11/27/24 Health system C-suites are taking their organizations "back to the basics" next year to focus on improving quality outcomes and creating an elite patient experience. This means prioritizing a culture of service and training staff in hospitality. Cliff Megerian, MD, CEO of University Hospitals in Cleveland, said the system has focused on reducing variation in care pathways and optimizing clinical services for maximum quality, safety and efficiency this year, an effort that will continue into 2025. University Hospitals is also doubling down on its reputation for compassionate care, said Dr. Megerian. "The goal is for our patients – our guests – to feel truly cared for at each touchpoint along the patient journey, with clinical and non-clinical caregivers alike both bearing the responsibility to make this happen," he said. "The word 'hospitality' has at its root the word 'hospital' — it's our goal to work to bring that 'hospitality' energy to our work in healthcare, always informed by world-class science."Editor's note: The Latin root word described is "hospitium," which branched into contemporary words "hospitality," European "hostels" for travelers, "host," "hotels," and yes, "hospice." At its core, hospitium refers to travelers on a significant life journey, tended by compassionate hosts who provide rest and nourishment. Click here for more information, which emphasizes the relationship between the host and the guest.

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Don’t let CMS publish list of lowest-performing hospices, Alliance tells lawmakers

12/02/24 at 02:00 AM

Don’t let CMS publish list of lowest-performing hospices, Alliance tells lawmakers McKnights Home Care; by Liza Berger; 11/26/24 Acting on its plan to keep the hospice Special Focus Program in the spotlight until the end of the year, the National Alliance for Care at Home has sent congressional leaders a letter urging them to remedy the grading system for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ program targeting underperforming hospices. “CMS is on the verge of publishing a list of what they claim will be poor-performing hospices based on this flawed grading system,” Ken Albert, president and CEO of Andwell Health Partners and chair of the Alliance, wrote in a Nov. 22 letter to chairmen and ranking members of House and Senate finance committees. “When you see this list, you should view it skeptically, because CMS will have committed a grave error that risks steering patients away from reputable hospices that may be on the list and toward providers that — because they may not have been surveyed at all — could be low-quality or completely fraudulent.”

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Giving Tuesday is tomorrow!

12/02/24 at 02:00 AM

Giving Tuesday is tomorrow!We'd like to highlight several ways you can particpate in Giving Tuesday tomorrow, including:

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Palliative care bypasses Black heart disease patients

12/02/24 at 02:00 AM

Palliative care bypasses Black heart disease patients The St. Louis American; by Alvin A. Reid; 11/30/24 A study by Saint Louis University researchers paints a grim picture for many heart failure patients in America – and the outlook is worse for African Americans. The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that only one in eight patients with heart failure nationwide receive palliative care consultations within five years of diagnosis. Alarmingly, Black people were 15% less likely to receive palliative care compared to white patients with similar heart health illness. Other recent respective studies illustrate the higher risk and mortality rates for cardiovascular disease in the Black population – further demonstrating that the missing palliative care options have a greater negative impact on African American health. New statistics from a medical team at EHproject show African American women are at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease than their white counterparts. It found that 47.3% of Black women have heart disease. If they do not have it currently, they are 2.4 times more likely to develop heart disease. ... A March 2023 study published in JAMA Cardiology showed that Black men remain at the highest risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. ... 

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Q&A: Prioritizing health equity with Emory Healthcare’s Chief Transformation Office

12/01/24 at 03:55 AM

Q&A: Prioritizing health equity with Emory Healthcare’s Chief Transformation Office CDW Healthcare - Patient-Centered Care; by Teta Alim; 11/19/24 Most healthcare organizations regularly prioritize goals to improve the patient experience and increase clinician satisfaction, aligning with the Quintuple Aim. Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare created the role of chief transformation officer to focus on these areas, and in July 2023, Dr. Amaka Eneanya became the first to fill the role. ... What would you say were the top three lessons you learned during the first year in your new role? ENEANYA: It's been a great year. For lesson one, as someone coming from a different part of the U.S., ingraining yourself and getting to know the people and the culture of the organization that you’re in, that’s important to determine the change readiness of an organization. ... The second lesson is that change is exciting. There's a lot of trepidation with change, and part of being effective with change management and transformation is really garnering excitement. ... The third lesson that continues to be pervasive in my career is that health equity is poorly understood. ... You have to start with the basic foundation and concepts of health equity before you can make initiatives, otherwise people won't understand what you're doing, and they might have a visceral response to what you're doing because of the misinformation around health equity. 

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Thanksgiving reflections: Gratitude and grieving in hospice care

12/01/24 at 03:50 AM

Thanksgiving reflections: Gratitude and grieving in hospice care Faith  Hope Hospice & Palliative Care, Pasadena, CA; 11/20/24Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for joy and gratitude, but it can bring mixed emotions for families with a loved one in hospice care. In the diverse communities of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and Hollywood, Faith and Hope Hospice provides compassionate guidance on how to balance grief with gratitude, helping families find moments of peace and connection during this reflective time. ... Gratitude can be a healing force, offering comfort to those grappling with loss. In hospice care, where families confront profound challenges, finding space for gratitude can significantly impact emotional and psychological well-being, fostering resilience and a sense of peace.

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Keeping referral partners happy after dropping contracts with Medicare Advantage plans

12/01/24 at 03:45 AM

Keeping referral partners happy after dropping contracts with Medicare Advantage plans Home Health News; by Audire Martin; 11/25/24 Home health providers may walk away from specific health plans due to financial feasibility, administrative burdens, or misalignment with their patient care values and priorities. However, this decision can create short-term challenges with referral partners and health systems, as they may have patients enrolled in those plans. “If a health plan consistently under-reimburses for services or requires excessive administrative hurdles, it may compromise the ability to deliver quality care efficiently,” Preston Lucas, chief financial officer at Interim HealthCare Great Lakes, told Home Health Care News. “Additionally, if the plan’s policies restrict access to necessary treatments or fail to support the level of care required for patients, it becomes difficult to sustain the partnership.” ... Maintaining open lines of communication and emphasizing the shared goal of providing high-quality care helps mitigate the short-term consequences of leaving a health system, according to Lucas.

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OIG issues nursing facility industry segment-specific Compliance Program Guidance; first in a series in Furtherance of its Modernization Initiative

12/01/24 at 03:40 AM

OIG issues nursing facility industry segment-specific Compliance Program Guidance; first in a series in Furtherance of its Modernization Initiative Butzel - Attorneys and Counselors Client Alerts; 11/22/24 On November 20, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) issued the first Industry Segment-Specific Compliance Program Guidance (“ICPG”), which applies to the Nursing Facility Industry. This follows from the OIG’s Modernization Initiative to update publicly available resources for the healthcare industry first announced in September 20211 and finalized in April 2023. This ICPG comes just over a year after the OIG issued the General Compliance Program Guidance (“GCPG”) that kicked off the OIG’s efforts to modernize and consolidate numerous Compliance Program Guidance documents issued between 1998 and 2008. Editor's note: Click here to download the U.S. HHS OIG's 59-page November 2024 "NURSING FACILITY Industry Segment-Specific Complicance Program Guidance." A word search finds 30 references to "hospice."

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United Hospice celebrates success with “A Night in the Catskills" [$215,000]

12/01/24 at 03:35 AM

United Hospice celebrates success with “A Night in the Catskills" [$215,000] MidHudson News, Hudson Valley, NY; by News Staff; 11/24/24 In late October United Hospice held its annual gala, “A Night in the Catskills” and a silent auction at the Hilton Pearl River which drew more than 300 attendees and was the most successful gala in the organization’s history, raising more than $215,000. During the event, CEO Cara Pace recalled all of United Hospice’s achievements this past year, including the successful start of a new and innovative program, Living Well New York, in which palliative physicians make recommendations to patients’ primary care teams that will ultimately improve the quality of life for every patient and their families who participate in the program. 

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If my dying daughter could face her mortality, why couldn’t the rest of us?

12/01/24 at 03:30 AM

If my dying daughter could face her mortality, why couldn’t the rest of us? DNYUZ, appearing first in The New York Times; Ms. Wildman; 11/25/24 The first week of March 2022, I flew to Miami with my 13-year-old daughter, Orli; her 8-year-old sister, Hana; and my partner, Ian. We were, by all appearances, healthy. Robust, even. In reality, we were at the end of a reprieve. Orli’s liver cancer had by then been assaulted by two years of treatments — chemotherapy, a liver transplant, more chemotherapy, seven surgeries. Now new metastases lit up a corner of one lung on scans, asymptomatic but foreboding. We asked her medical team if we might show her a bit of the world before more procedures. Our oncologist balked. Hence, this brief weekend away. When we arrived at the beach Orli ran directly to the water, then came back and stretched out on a lounge chair. She turned to me and asked, “What if this is the best I ever feel again?” Three hundred and seventy-six days later, she was dead. In the time since she left us, I have thought often of Orli’s question. All that spring, Orli asked, pointedly, why did we think a cure was still possible, that cancer would not continue to return? Left unspoken: Was she going to die from her disease? It was a conversation she wanted to have. And yet what we found over the wild course of her illness was that such conversations are often discouraged, in the doctor’s office and outside it. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading this profound story.]Editor's note: While families are gathered for Thanksgiving, many health changes will be observed since this time last Thanksgiving, with countless unknowns to unfold until Thanksgiving next year. Tune into the wide scope of conversations that people do want to have, don't want to have, and--perhaps--that your own family needs to have, with grace and care for all.

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Differences in drug shortages in the US and Canada

12/01/24 at 03:25 AM

Differences in drug shortages in the US and CanadaJAMA; Mina Tadrous, PharmD, PhD; Katherine Callaway Kim, MPH; Inmaculada Hernandez, PharmD, PhD; Scott D. Rothenberger, PhD; Joshua W. Devine, PharmD, PhD; Tina B. Hershey, JD, MPH; Lisa M. Maillart, PhD; Walid F. Gellad, MD, MPH; Katie J. Suda, PharmD, MS; 10/24There are persistent global drug shortages, in part because drug-related supply chains are increasingly globalized; these drug shortages are associated with delayed or missed treatment and adverse outcomes. In addition, pandemics and natural disasters disrupt global drug production, further affecting supply chains. [In this study from the years 2017-2021] drug-related reports of supply chain issues were 40% less likely to result in meaningful drug shortages in Canada compared with the US. These findings highlight the need for international cooperation between countries to curb the effects of drug shortages and improve resiliency of the supply chain for drugs. 

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Dialysis facility staffing ratios and kidney transplant access among adolescents and young adults

12/01/24 at 03:20 AM

Dialysis facility staffing ratios and kidney transplant access among adolescents and young adultsJAMA; Alexandra C. Bicki, MD, MPH; Barbara Grimes, PhD; Charles E. McCulloch, PhD; Timothy P. Copeland, MPP, PhD; Elaine Ku, MD, MAS; 10/24In this study of adolescents and young adults treated at US dialysis facilities, patients at facilities with higher patient to staff ratios had lower incidence of waitlisting and kidney transplant compared with those receiving care at facilities with lower patient to staff ratios. The effect size for the incidence of transplant was similar with respect to both patient to nurse and patient to social worker staffing ratios, but patient to nurse ratio was not statistically significantly associated with the incidence of waitlisting.

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Elevate Podcast: Marianne Muzic-Lucenti, LCSW, ACHP-SW, APHSW-C, Palliative Care Program Manager, St. Mary’s Healthcare System

12/01/24 at 03:15 AM

Elevate Podcast: Marianne Muzic-Lucenti, LCSW, ACHP-SW, APHSW-C, Palliative Care Program Manager, St. Mary’s Healthcare System Hospice News; by Mick Stahlberg; 11/25/24 In this episode, Hospice News Senior Editor Jim Parker speaks with Marianne Muzic-Lucenti, manager of one of the oldest pediatric palliative care programs in the nation, at St. Mary’s Healthcare System in Queens, New York City. The discussion profiles the program and looks at the outlook for palliative care for 2025. 

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Hospice of Baton Rouge: New grief center opens offering vital support and healing

12/01/24 at 03:10 AM

Hospice of Baton Rouge: New grief center opens offering vital support and healing Unfiltered With Kiran, Baton Rouge, LA; by Megan Kelly; 11/25/24 As the holiday season approaches, a time often filled with joy and togetherness, it can also be a profoundly challenging period for those experiencing grief. The Hospice of Baton Rouge has recognized this need and has transformed a property into a haven of healing: The Retreat at Quarters Lake. This newly established grief center aims to address the significant gap in resources for grieving individuals, a void that became especially apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Retreat at Quarters Lake provides hope, healing, and connectivity for the grieving through counseling, support groups, alternative grief therapies, and community education,” reads a statement on their website. The facility offers both traditional grief services, such as individual counseling and support groups, and unique, holistic approaches that include art therapy, music therapy, and pet therapy. The goal is to provide a comprehensive support system that caters to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. “We are focusing on some alternative therapies like yoga, meditation, gardening, and even fishing,” said Catherine Schendel, CEO of The Hospice of Baton Rouge. “We want to utilize the beautiful landscaping here to offer non-traditional grief support as well.” 

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Suicide deaths among adolescent and young adult patients with cancer

12/01/24 at 03:05 AM

Suicide deaths among adolescent and young adult patients with cancerJAMA Network Open; Koji Matsuo, MD, PhD; Christina J. Duval, BA; Briana A. Nanton, BS; Jennifer A. Yao, BA; Erin Yu, BS; Christian Pino, MD; Jason D. Wright, MD; 11/24The overall cancer incidence among adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients is increasing at an alarming rate in the US largely driven by thyroid cancer. Although cancer mortality continues to decrease among AYA patients, those who survive cancer are at elevated risk for emotional distress, mental health problems, and suicide. Together with the population-level increase in the US suicide death rate, the results of this assessment call for attention focused on the increasing suicide death rate among AYA patients with cancer, particularly male individuals. The proportion of AYA patients with cancer of thyroid, testis, or cutaneous melanoma who had a suicide death was greater than 2%, and they most benefit from a psychosocial and mental health evaluation. Because this study noted that many suicide deaths among these AYA patients with cancer occur years after the cancer diagnosis, long-term care and support for cancer survivors is recommended.

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Today's Encouragement

12/01/24 at 03:00 AM

He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Sunday newsletters

12/01/24 at 03:00 AM

Sunday newsletters focus on headlines and top read stories of the last week (in order) - enjoy!

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Today's Encouragement 11/23/24

12/01/24 at 03:00 AM

Thanksgiving Day is a good day to recommit our energies to giving thanks and just giving. ~Amy Grant, quoted here

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The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. ~ Nelson Mandela

11/30/24 at 03:55 AM

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. ~ Nelson Mandela

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AI can’t worry about patients, and a clinical ethicist says that matters

11/30/24 at 03:40 AM

AI can’t worry about patients, and a clinical ethicist says that mattersJAMA; Yulin Hswen, ScD, MPH; Jennifer Abbasi; 11/24This conversation is part of a series of interviews in which JAMA Network editors and expert guests explore issues surrounding the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and medicine. Today, Hull is an associate professor and serves as associate director of the biomedical ethics program at Yale, where her clinical practice focuses on echocardiography and cardiac care of patients with cancer. She spoke about ethical boundaries for using AI in the clinic in a recent conversation with Yulin Hswen, ScD, MPH, an associate editor at JAMA and the newly launched JAMA+ AI and an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco. Medicine is, they remind the reader, “as much art as science, as much a moral endeavor as a technical one.”

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Goals of surgical interventions in youths receiving palliative care

11/30/24 at 03:35 AM

Goals of surgical interventions in youths receiving palliative careJAMA Network Open; Danielle I. Ellis, MD, MTS; Li Chen, MS; Samara Gordon Wexler, BA; Madeline Avery, MPH; Tommy D. Kim, MD; Amy J. Kaplan, BS; Emanuele Mazzola, PhD; Cassandra Kelleher, MD; Joanne Wolfe, MD, MPH; 11/24In this cohort study of 197 youths receiving palliative care, interventions were performed with goals of helping youths feel better and live longer and for the purposes of diagnosis, cure and repair, and assistive technology more so than for symptom support or as a temporizing measure. Youths with more acute illnesses underwent the most curative and repair interventions (particularly in the early postdiagnosis period), whereas those with more chronic illnesses underwent most of the supportive interventions. These findings suggest that conversations using the proposed framework concerning goals and purposes of surgical intervention may facilitate goal-concordant, high-quality care for youths with serious illness.

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Resuscitation attempt and outcomes in patients with asystole out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

11/30/24 at 03:30 AM

Resuscitation attempt and outcomes in patients with asystole out-of-hospital cardiac arrestJAMA Network Open; Junki Ishii, Mitsuaki Nishikimi, Kazuya Kikutani, Shingo Ohki, Kohei Ota, Tatsuhiko Anzai, Kunihiko Takahashi, Masashi Okubo, Shinichiro Ohshimo, Taku Iwami, Nobuaki Shime; 11/24This cohort study analyzed data from a nationwide prospective OHCA [out-of-hospital cardiac arrest] registry in Japan ... presenting with asystole, ... the proportion with a favorable neurological outcome at 30 days was substantially low, and no prehospital ALS [advanced life support] procedure was associated with a favorable neurological outcome. These findings suggest that discussions regarding implementation of a termination of resuscitation rule for such patients are warranted.

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Analysis of mortality causes and locations in veterans with ALS: A decade review

11/30/24 at 03:30 AM

Analysis of mortality causes and locations in veterans with ALS: A decade reviewMedical Science Monitor; Meheroz H Rabadi, Kimberly A Russell, Chao Xu; 11/24Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease that leads to rapid degeneration of nerves in the brain and spinal cord, with eventual loss of voluntary movements, including breathing. This retrospective study of medical record data from 105 US veterans diagnosed with ALS at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center between 2010 and 2021 aimed to identify patient demographics, and the causes and places of death for these veterans. This study's findings are that in veterans with ALS, the main cause of death is respiratory disease (failure). The main location of death was the home, with their family members. The all-cause mortality rate among veterans with ALS was 26 times greater than for the general Oklahoma population.

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