Literature Review

Saturday newsletters focus on headlines and research - enjoy!

Updated Care Compare for Hospice ReleasedCMS website; 8/28/24Publisher's note: See link above to access updated Care Compare for Hospice publicly reported quality measures.

‘Keep going’: Wish to ride horse granted for woman with cancer WDTN Dayton, Huber Heights, Ohio; by Allison Gen; 8/28/24 A Miami Valley woman with terminal cancer got a little help to check a goal off her bucket list. She wanted to ride a horse again. Wednesday afternoon, her wish was granted at the Carriage Hill MetroPark Riding Center. Brenda Garramone has stage four bone cancer. ... “I’m out here for everybody else that’s got cancer,” Garramone said. A few weeks ago she was taken into the care of Grace Hospice. Garramone grew up around horses on a dairy farm in Oregon. That’s why after her terminal diagnosis, she wanted to have a chance to ride again. “We learned through her interactions with her nurse that her last wish was to spend time with a horse again,” Emily O’Flynn, Grace Hospice office manager and social work intern, said.

Hospice care standards are important. Congress must be careful tinkering with them. NorthJersey.com, Special to the USA TODAY Network; by Patrick Maron; 8/28/24... As hospice care grows, real attention needs to be paid to the differences between nonprofit and for-profit centers.  [A] staggering  73%  of hospice programs today are for-profit and are driven by financial motives, ... Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, is drafting legislation that, if enacted, would represent the most significant reforms to date for hospice payment and oversight. Though Blumenauer’s bill, the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement — or Hospice CARE — Act, is still in development, key provisions will likely include a new payment mechanism for high-acuity palliative services, changes to the per-diem payment process and actions to improve quality and combat fraud. The bill would also implement a temporary, national moratorium on the enrollment of new hospices into Medicare, to help stem the tide of fraudulent activities ... However, there are significant challenges for nonprofit freestanding inpatient hospice facilities like Villa Marie Claire in Saddle River. Most important, the proposed five-year moratorium on enrolling new hospice programs into Medicare could limit our ability to expand services, straining resources of the Villa ... What’s more, the legislation mandates more frequent inspections and enhanced oversight, which could lead to operational stress and higher costs. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Rounds with Leadership: Focusing on the outcomes of NP practice American Association of Colleges of Nursing - The Voice of Academic Nursing; by American Colleges of Nursing (AACN); 8/28/24 ... In a synopsis of more than 50 research studies, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners found that patients under the care of NPs have fewer unnecessary hospital readmissions, higher patient satisfaction scores, and fewer unnecessary emergency room visits than patients under the care of physicians only. Recent studies have shown that ... NPs engaging in end-of-life care had fewer hospitalizations and higher hospice use; ... Despite such compelling evidence, challenges to NP education and practice continue. More than 20 states have yet to grant full scope of practice authority to NPs, denying these expert clinicians the opportunity to exercise the full range of their clinical expertise.

Grief Memoir: ‘It was my turn to do everything for her We Are The Mighty; by Jessica Hall; 8/28/24 ... I joined the phone call with the doctor where he told us all the worst news. The cancer was growing everywhere along the spine. ... He told us that it was time for hospice. ... Even though I had been preparing for this for months, I was truly not ready to go from child to caretaker. ... For my entire life, my mom had cared for me. She had been there when I was sick or hurt. She cleaned my house (sometimes to my chagrin). She cooked my favorite meals and she let me take breaks. Now it was my turn to do everything for her. It hit me like a ton of bricks, but I also just knew that I had to do it. We all had to do everything for her to make her final days easy for her. Hospice came by to get everything set up. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading this beautiful, personal story.]Editor's Note: Calling all hospice executive leaders who do not have clinical, direct patient care experience--read this article to grasp common family dynamics, decisions, actions, emotions, and life-changing moments for each patient you serve. Multiply this out for the many family members of each patient you serve. How do your hospice services tune into and support these family members?

Illinois Medicaid launches Program of All-Inclusive Care for the elderly Open Minds, Gettsburg, PA; 8/28/24 On August 15, 2022, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) announced the launch of the Medicare-Medicaid Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in five regions. The Illinois PACE contracts were awarded in June 2024 by HFS and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). PACE is a Medicare and Medicaid risk-based care program that offers comprehensive, team-based medical and social services for adults age 55 and older through collaborating health care agencies. 

Year-over-year health spending growth highest ‘by far’ for home healthcare McKnights Senior Living; by Lois A. Bowers; 7/28/24 Year-over-year growth in national health spending in June was highest “by far” for home healthcare, at 20.9%, compared with other major healthcare categories, according to a brief issued late Tuesday by Altarum. Most of the growth, 18.5 percentage points, was due to changes in utilization rather than price, George Miller, PhD, Altarum fellow and research team leader, told the McKnight’s Business Daily. “Nursing home care spending was a distant second, at 10.0% year-over-year growth,” Miller said. By comparison, year-over-year spending growth was 8.3% for prescription drugs, 8.2% for hospital care, 7.3% for dental services and 6.6% for physician and clinical services, according to the report. Overall, spending on healthcare goods and services grew by 8.1% between June 2023 and June 2024, with utilization growth continuing to outpace price growth.

$83M fraud case against nursing home group may proceed, with no defendants excusedMcKnight's Long-Term Care News; by Jessica R. Towhey; 8/27/24A New York Supreme Court judge threw out all arguments from lawyers for an embattled group of nursing homes that sought to have charges dismissed in a case accusing the owners and operators of $83 million in Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Judge Melissa Crane ruled that the owners of Centers Health Care, along with numerous other individuals, did not make sufficient arguments for dropping charges of fraud, “saddling” nursing homes with “excessive debts,” colluding to pay “sham vendors,” and paying themselves “inflated” salaries.

Hospice patient publishes first poetry book BBC News, Derby, United Kingdom; by Jude Winter; 8/26/24 A woman receiving end-of-life care has fulfilled an ambition by publishing a book of poems. Sarah Colina started writing the poems more than 40 years ago but never got round to getting her work published despite encouragement from friends and family. The 60-year-old has been receiving care at Ashgate Hospice since being admitted to its Inpatient Unit in Old Brampton, Chesterfield. ... he added staff at the hospice had been "so supportive" and is selling 50 of her books to raise money to support their work. "I’m hoping it will be nicely received and people will enjoy reading my poems", said Ms Colina. She added: "Some of the poems are very dark, but some make you laugh. "I'm hoping it gives people an insight into their inner person." 

For-profit Idaho home health powerhouse seeks expansion in OregonThe Lund Report; by Nick Budnick; 8/27/24Pennant Group wants to acquire home health and hospice agencies from Signature Group, an affiliate of Avamere Health. State health officials are reviewing a giant for-profit Idaho-based home health care company’s $80 million effort to buy home care and hospice companies around Oregon operated by Signature Group, also known as Avamere Health Care. Officials in the Health Care Market Oversight office of the Oregon Health Authority announced a 30-day public comment period on Aug. 23.

LifeTouch Hospice still providing end-of-life care in South ArkansasEl Dorado News-Times; by Keturah Smith; 8/28/24LifeTouch Hospice said Monday they would like the South Arkansas community to know the company remains fully operational and continues to offer care to terminally ill patients after merging with Little Rock-based Arkansas Hospice last year. "There has been some misconception in El Dorado with the closing of the hospice house," said Hannah Odell, LifeTouch provider relations representative, at the El Dorado Rotary Club meeting. "LifeTouch Hospice is very much still around." While the physical location of LifeTouch has closed, Odell mentioned their services can be provided at the nursing home, local hospital, assisted living, home or wherever care is needed. "We're contracted with South Arkansas Regional Hospital for [general inpatient care] for the most critical patients," Odell said. ...

The DEI Dilemma: Separate teams or embedded methods? Clinical Leader; by Denise N. Bronner, PhD; 8/28/24 In recent years, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has become a focal point in many industries, with the pharma sector being no exception. As political forces shift the societal climate to be increasingly DEI-averse, pharma sponsors face critical decisions regarding the implementation of DEI initiatives: Should DEI efforts be managed by a separate, dedicated DEI team or woven into the fabric of existing processes and departments? To answer that question, we must examine the advantages and drawbacks of both strategies, focusing on key factors like resource allocation, implementation efficiency, cultural integration, and the long-term impact on trial inclusivity. ... Integrating DEI into all aspects of a business is a complex task that requires careful planning and coordination. Without a clear strategy, efforts can become fragmented and ineffective.Editor's Note: While this DEI discussion is written to the pharma industry, its DEI structures, strategies and outcomes apply to hospice and palliative care services.