Literature Review

Doctors use problematic race-based algorithms to guide care every day. Why are they so hard to change?Stat email and article; by Katie Palmer, Usha Lee McFarling; 9/3/24Doctors use clinical algorithms every day to make decisions about the care they provide to patients. This math determines things like our surgical risk or likelihood of disease using factors such as blood pressure, age, weight, surgical history, and, often, our race. But one of these is not quite like the others — for years, clinicians have pushed back against the use of race in clinical algorithms. Publisher's note: Interesting article, although accessing full article may require subscription.

Hospice leaders: Culture the key to sustaining the workforceHospice News; by Jim Parker; 8/30/24In a time of workforce shortages, hospices are seeking the “secret sauce” that will help keep employees on board and bring new people into their fold. To find the right mix, hospice providers that have achieved national recognition for employer best practices point to a particular secret ingredient — a supportive culture with open lines of communication, a career path with room to grow and competitive compensation. For the California-based YoloCares, culture is critical, according to the nonprofit’s CEO Craig Dresang.Notable mentions: YoloCares, Vitas, Jennifer Blades of Haven Hospice.

If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got. ~ Jackie "Moms" Mabley

Crisis in care for dying people says Marie Curie as survey shows suffering Jersey Evening Post, UK News, United Kingdom; by UK News; 9/3/24 A third of dying people in England and Wales were severely or overwhelmingly affected by pain in the last week of life, according to a major survey said to show how “patchy and inconsistent” care for this group has become. End-of-life charity Marie Curie said its study of 1,179 bereaved people means it is the largest nationally representative post-bereavement survey in the UK in almost 10 years. Almost half of survey respondents (49%) said they were unhappy with at least one aspect of the care the dying person received and, of those, one in eight made a formal complaint. The research, in collaboration with King’s College London (KCL), Hull York Medical School and the University of Cambridge, also found that one in five dying people had no contact with their GP in the last three months of life. 

How to get people to do what you want and still like you in 3 steps, from a leadership expert CNBS - Make It - Leadership; by Tom Huddleston, Jr.; 9/2/24 One of the biggest challenges for any leader is figuring out how to hold people accountable for their mistakes without creating bad blood. In those situations, playing the blame game is always a losing strategy, according to leadership expert and bestselling author Michael Timms. The secret to calling out poor performance while maintaining a positive relationship with employees is to own up to your own mistakes first so you can inspire others to do the same, Timms said in a TED Talk in January. It’s a strategy called “modeling accountability.” Timms ... noted that he and other leaders often fall into the same trap: “blaming other people for a problem without considering my part in it.” ″[This is] something I teach management teams: You can’t inspire accountability in others until you model it yourself,” he said. 

Hospice & Community Care Labor Day Auction raises record $1.1 million NBC WGAL-8, Quarryville, PA; by Anne Shannon; 9/2/24 The 40th Hospice & Community Care Labor Day Auction raised a record-breaking $1.1 million during its two-day event in Lancaster County. The money helps provide services for those facing end-of-life decisions and their families. More than 400 volunteers help make it happen ... 

Bon Secours Home Care and Hospice announces new name HomeCare, Richmond, VA; 8/29/24 The Bon Secours Home Care and Hospice programs, which serves the greater Richmond area, announced a new name: Bon Secours Home Care and Hospice by Compassus. The name change reflects a joint venture partnership between Bon Secours Mercy Health, a Catholic health system in the U.S., and Compassus, a national provider of integrated home-based health care services, which was finalized earlier this year.

$1 million donation for hospice house project[OH] WTAP; by Payton Brooker; 8/29/24In Marietta [OH], a donation of $1 million was made towards the Cawley Hospice and Community Hospice Foundation by Cathy Azar. This will go towards their plan to build a new hospice house in Washington County. Cathy came across the project when she was in the hospital and thought it would be a great way to honor her late husband, Robert Azar... “I said, ‘I think I can help you out’, and I said, ‘how about $1,000,000,” Azar said.

Matters of life and death: Our health (and lack thereof) is worth talking aboutPsychology Today; by Samantha Stein; 8/29/24In his book Being Mortal, Dr. Atul Gawande, a practicing surgeon, discusses how having the hard conversations about end-of-life medical interventions (or not) may lead to a shorter life but a more fulfilling one. In his book Telltale Hearts, Dr. Dean-David Schillinger, a physician and public health advocate, discusses how accurate diagnosis, treatment, and true healing come from listening deeply to patients and their stories. Medical advances in the past century have been astounding. We live significantly longer and are able to survive repeated health crises that once would have killed us. Nearly everyone would agree that in many, if not most, cases that’s a positive thing. However, many would argue that our hyperfocus on prolonging life at all costs, along with our tendency to treat symptoms rather than looking for underlying causes, has caused us to lose sight of the importance of quality of life and true health.

"Never turn anybody away from care:" Hospice Care offers support in Hazard WYMT Mountain News, Hazard, KY; by Amelia Lee; 8/29/24 Aug. 8 was the annual radio day in Perry County for Bluegrass Care Navigators Hospice Care. On that day, $25,000 was raised and more donations continue to come in. Hospice care is a service for any person who has an illness or a decline in health. Nurse Manager at Bluegrass Hospice Care Center in Hazard, Donna Gibson, has been working in hospice care for 17 years. ... Bluegrass Care Navigators works to provide hospice care for all who need it, at no cost, said Associate Director of Philanthropy, Dawson Barnett. “Support on radio day throughout the year allows us to continue serving patients and their families regardless of their insurance status and ability to pay,” said Barnett. “We never have to turn anybody away from our care.”

I discovered my calling in a cemetery. We talk about death but aren't preparedNewsweek; by Allyse Worland; 8/29/24My journey as a funeral director started early. My Catholic grade school shared a street with a cemetery in my small rural Indiana hometown. At recess, I'd often see funeral processions drive by, only at the time I thought it was a parade. It wasn't until my teachers explained it to me that I realized it was, in fact, a funeral procession. At that moment I knew I wanted to lead that parade... Death and grief are no different. A recent first-of-its-kind survey from the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) sought to uncover generational differences relating to end-of-life matters, especially as Gen Z comes of age and enters early adulthood. The survey found that while cremation is still a top preference for Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials, Gen Z stands alone with traditional burial as their top preference, bucking decades of preferences trending toward cremation... As a millennial who is fifteen years into my career as a funeral director, I am inspired by this next generation, not only by their willingness to approach death differently, but also as they redefine work and success. I think both these generational characteristics make many Gen Zs ideal candidates for a job path they may have never even considered: funeral director.

1,100 Providence hospital workers end strike: 7 things to knowBecker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 8/29/24About 1,100 SEIU Healthcare 1199NW-represented workers have ended their weeklong strike at Richland, Wash.-based Kadlec Regional Medical Center and its Kennewick ER, as contract negotiations continue. [Click on article link above for] seven things to know about the strike and negotiations.Publisher's note: We're including this story because 1) about half of palliative care is provided in hospital settings, 2) hospital referrals are important for hospices, and 3) changes in hospital workforce may be opportunities for hospital-based palliative care and community-based hospice providers.

TRU PACE removes barriers for older adults wanting to age in place and avoid nursing homes[CO] My Prime Time News; 8/29/24September is National PACE Month—an opportunity to celebrate PACE (the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly). PACE is an innovative care model that allows older adults over age 55 with long-term care needs to live independently in their communities for as long as possible... TRU PACE provides a better quality of life with dedicated caregivers, transportation, homecare, full medical care, rehabilitation, medication, medical equipment, mental health support, meals, and opportunities for socialization at the day center. The PACE Center serves as the central hub of all services, including scheduling and transportation to and from all appointments. In PACE networks there is never a co-pay, deductible or coverage gap so you can access the care, services and medications you need. PACE’s comprehensive services and interdisciplinary team can be an invaluable solution for the older adult and their caregivers who are balancing the needs of family and work.