Literature Review

A people-centric approach powers successful digital transformations in healthcare HFMA - Healthcare Financial Management Association; by Utlimate Kronos Group; 12/2/24 Digital transformation is a high priority for C-suite executives at healthcare organizations, and a dizzying array of new technologies in a growing market is beckoning. But to succeed, leaders must be able to meld the use of technology with a people-first mindset and embrace their people focus in a systematic, measurable manner. ... McKinsey research suggests that almost 90% of health system executives believe that digital and AI transformation is a high or top priority for their organization, though 75% indicated that budget constraints and issues with legacy systems were hampering achievement of technology goals. ... [The discussion includes the following.]

What are the most charitable counties in the United States? Harmony & Healing; by Davod Victor; 11/27/24 Since its inception in 2010, the Charities Aid Foundation’s World Giving Index has consistently ranked the United States among the top 10 most charitable countries in the world. It’s easy to see why: from donating money, food, clothing, and more to volunteering time to help neighbors and strangers alike, the charitable spirit has always been a deep-rooted part of American culture. Since the United States has historically been a notably philanthropic country, our team at Harmony and Healing collected and analyzed data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to determine where the most charitable people live in the country. ... Using the most recent tax return data from the IRS, we analyzed charitable contribution and income figures to calculate the average contribution per tax return in each county, as well as percentage of each county’s income donated to charities, to identify the most charitable counties in the United States. [Click here to access their report.]

[KY] Attorney General Russell Coleman files lawsuit against Optum Rx for role in opioid epidemic Northern Kentucky Tribune - Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism; 12/1/24 The Kentucky Attorney General’s Office has announced its latest lawsuit against a corporation behind the worst man-made epidemic in modern medical history. Attorney General Russell Coleman added Optum Rx and its affiliates to the list of those responsible for the opioid crisis. ... According to the Attorney General’s lawsuit, Optum Rx played a central role in the reckless promotion, dispensing, and oversupply of opioids. ... “Defendants have hidden their conduct through non-transparent business practices and by requiring each entity with whom they conduct business, such as opioid manufacturers, to enter into confidentiality agreements or otherwise keep their agreements confidential,” said the lawsuit. “No state has been harder hit by the drug crisis than Kentucky. Last year alone, nearly 2,000 Kentuckians died of a drug overdose,” Attorney General Coleman said. “These groups pushed a profit-fueled agenda at the expense of Kentucky families, who are left with empty seats at the dinner table. Our Office will continue to hold those behind the drug crisis accountable for their devastating actions.”

Focusing on life rather than illness: the lived experience of children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions-a qualitative study Palliative Care and Social Practice; by Trine Brun Kittelsen, Charlotte Castor, Anja Lee, Lisbeth Gravdal Kvarme, Anette Winger; 11/29/24 This study seeks to address gaps in existing knowledge, especially the limited inclusion of children's perspectives and the exclusion of children with communicative and cognitive disabilities. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of children living with LT/LL conditions. ... The findings showed that the children's attention revolved around life rather than illness. The analysis revealed the presence of three themes: wanting to engage in life, being dependent on familiar relations, and the importance of cherished items.

'Popular' tulip field's Wicked fame delights fans [rasises funds for hospice] BBC News; by Neve Gordon-Farleigh; 12/1/24 Film fans said it was "surreal" to see a tulip field they had visited appear in a Hollywood blockbuster. Belmont Nurseries near King's Lynn in Norfolk was used as a backdrop for Wizard of Oz spin-off Wicked, which stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as witches Glinda and Elphaba. Nine million tulips were planted on the 25-acre (10 hectares) site, where hundreds of extras brought fictional Munchkinland to life. ... Field owners Mark and Susanne Eves met a location manager and set designer in 2022 to plan the look of the field and made sure they got the "right colours in the right place". For the past four years, they partnered with The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House and raised £93,392 for the charity in 2022 through entrance fees. The hospice said about 30,000 tickets would be available for 2025.

Senior living organizations press senators for passage of Elizabeth Dole Act McKnights Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 12/2/24 Senior living advocacy groups are pressing Senate Veterans Affairs Committee leaders to seek a unanimous consent agreement on the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, to expedite its passage. ... The advocates noted that the House of Representatives had passed the act Nov. 18 under suspension of the rules. The House overwhelmingly supported the bill, passing the legislation by a vote of 389–9. ... As McKnight’s Senior Living previously has reported, the pilot program would enable 60 veterans to receive assisted living services via a three-year test that also would measure their satisfaction with the effort. The legislation would require that participating facilities be located in geographically diverse regions, with at least one test site serving veterans in a rural or highly rural area and at least one being a state home.

Michael Dowling: We've revolutionized care for aging adults, but is America's health system ready for the senior population boom? Becker's Hospital Review; by Michael J. Dowling, President and CEO, Northwell Health; 12/2/24 Like many baby boomers and those from earlier generations, I have vivid memories from my younger years of my grandparents and other aging adults struggling with an assortment of ailments that their doctors told them were just an inevitable part of growing old. ... The transformative advancements made over the past half-century in meeting the physical and emotional health needs of the nation's rapidly aging population are remarkable — and that's especially important because more Americans are turning age 65 now than in any other time in our history (4.1 million in 2024, or 11,200 a day). And as we move toward a new year, every healthcare executive must examine whether we are collectively prepared to care for them in the years and decades ahead and take steps to recruit the medical specialists we need to meet burgeoning demand. ... Lastly, all clinicians must embrace palliative care as part of their standard practice in managing the health of aging adults with serious illness. ... 

40 largest health systems in the US | 2024 Becker's Hospital Review; by Laura Dyrda; 11/27/24 Some large health systems grew while others shrunk over the last year, and more consolidation could be ahead. But changes were minimal in either direction, and the largest health systems this year remain relatively similar to previous years. Becker's compiled a list of the largest health systems in the U.S. based on the number of hospitals reported on the system's website. ... Note: The list below is not a ranking. Data includes all hospitals within the system. [Click on the title's link for the full list of 40 health systems.]

Big Bend Hospice’s promise to North Florida [New parent company, Seven Oaks Health] Tallahassee Democrat; by Bill Wertman, "Your Turn"; 11/29/24 As CEO of Big Bend Hospice, I see every day how vital our mission focused hospice care is to families across North Florida. Yet, in today’s healthcare landscape, nonprofit hospices like ours are increasingly rare. Only about 30% of hospices nationwide operate as nonprofits (CDC, 2020), and for-profit hospices have made up nearly all new providers in recent years (Hospice News, 2022). These changes mean that the type of personalized, community-centered care that Big Bend Hospice provides is at risk of disappearing. In 2024 alone, 12 hospice acquisitions took place, with about half involving nonprofit organizations (Hospice News, 2024). This trend is forcing many nonprofits to either consolidate or scale back services. For Big Bend Hospice, the choice was clear: expand our offerings to meet more in-home healthcare needs, while keeping compassion and family-centered care at the forefront. To accomplish this, we established Seven Oaks Health, our new parent company. With Seven Oaks Health, we’re creating a sustainable model that enables us to support families from diagnosis through end-of-life, especially in the rural areas we’ve served for over 40 years. By broadening our services, we’re ensuring that more families have access to high-quality care wherever they call home.

Thanksgiving tradition brings meals to hospice families in Northeastern Pennsylvania  ABC News 16 WNEP, Scranton, PA; by Jack Culkin; 11/28/24 It's become a holiday tradition for many volunteers to fill their cars at Mansour's Market in Scranton on Thanksgiving morning, delivering meals to those in hospice care. Ray Gillette, a long-time volunteer, shared, "We've been doing this for a long time, and we've taken the boys with us. Our oldest grandson is 14. This is his 14th year that he's come to deliver with us." ... [Diane Baldi, CEO of Hospice of The Sacred Heart] says the event began as an idea. Quickly growing to not just caring for their patients, but their families too.  "19 years ago, in our very first, we may have had 20 patients. Today we have 200. So it has grown exponentially," said Baldi. ... Along with classic holiday staples like turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce, each meal includes a hand-made card. "I like it because it has like a turkey on the front and it has like all the stuff that you would eat," Said nine-year-old Olivia Catalano. She and her classmates made dozens of these cards, each featuring a Thanksgiving message or drawing. ... With each card placed and each meal delivered, workers successfully brought more than 600 meals to hospice families across Northeastern Pennsylvania. 

Seen Health invests $22m for PACE Care Centers HomeCare, Los Angeles, CA; by Seen Health; 11/26/24 Seen Health, a health care organization focusing on aging-in-place services and culturally-focused care models, announced it has invested $22 million in funding to expand access to its culturally-focused care centers for eligible seniors. The company said [its] first center is set to open in California and will be built upon the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) model. The PACE model aims to deliver comprehensive medical and social support for seniors with chronic conditions who are covered by Medicaid or Medicare. The care model intends to provide an alternative method of care to nursing homes by enabling seniors to stay in their homes and age in place. ... The first Seen Health center, which is set to open in Los Angeles County's San Gabriel Valley, intends to serve the local Asian and Pacific Islander community.

Ensuring equity in access to palliative care AJMC - The American Journal of Managed Care; by Laura Joszt, MA and Alexandra Gerlach; 11/28/24 Palliative care provides high-quality care that can provide relief from the symptoms of a serious illness, but just as there are issues to accessing cancer treatments, there are barriers to palliative care, as well as racial disparities in access, explained Nadine J. Barrett, PhD, MA, MS, FACCC, senior associate dean for community engagement and equity in research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Atrium Health, and current president of the Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC). ... There are misconceptions about what palliative care is that may limit the utilization of it, but also existing disparities mean fewer Black and Hispanic individuals access these services compared with their White counterparts.