Literature Review

Home health adds 16K jobs in November, leading healthcare workforce gains McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 12/6/24 The home health sector added 16,000 workers last month, making it one of the fastest-growing healthcare segments by hiring rates, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Employment Situation report. The monthly report measures employment gains and losses across all sectors of the economy. In healthcare, hospitals added the most jobs of any single category in November with 19,000. Home health, which falls under the ambulatory services category, followed with 16,000 new jobs. These employment gains compared with healthcare fields such as nursing and residential care facilities (11,900), outpatient care centers (9,500) and physicians’ offices (1,900). Home healthcare has been one of the fastest-growing healthcare workforces in recent months. The segment added 12,300 jobs in October, 13,000 in September and 5,500 in August.

Northern Colorado cancer palliative care nurse leans on patients as she battles her own diagnosis ABC KJCT News 8, Fort Collins, CO; by Dillon Thomas; 12/11/24 A Northern Colorado woman who has spent years of her career helping patients navigate their cancer diagnosis says she leaned on her own patients for encouragement as she battled cancer herself. Riley Mulligan, a palliative care nurse navigator for UCHealth in Fort Collins, said she was able to battle her diagnosis of breast cancer by leaning into the courage of her patients while also taking lessons from herself. Mulligan’s journey battling cancer started nearly a decade ago, but the cancer she was helping battle wasn’t her own at the time. As a palliative care nurse, her job was to help some of the most ill patients that UCHealth treats. ... “I’m trying to take my own advice, I am trying to remember how to live. On the days I felt the worst, the most nauseous and tired, I still tried to get out and do things because I knew it would help me feel better,” Mulligan said.

Hospice's legacy carried on by new local ownership PRLOG Press Release Distribution, Meridian, ID; by Doctor's Hospice of Idaho; 12/11/24 The locally owned and operated hospice facility known for its dedication to celebrating the lives of patients and providing exceptional care, Doctor's Hospice of Idaho, announced that they have been acquired by Kristopher Stice, Capital Eleven and Willowbridge Group. This strategic move marks a significant step towards further enriching the local hospice care landscape while continuing the legacy established by Cody Freston. "We are thrilled to embark on this journey with Doctor's Hospice of Idaho, a facility deeply rooted in the community it serves. Our vision is to build upon the legacy established by Cody Freston and bring a renewed focus on patient care and employee well-being." said Ashley Copeland, newly appointed CEO/Administrator of Doctor's Hospice of Idaho. "By combining our years of experience in hospice care with the values upheld at Doctor's Hospice of Idaho, we aim to create a world-class hospice that starts from within."

Executive Personnel Changes - 12/13/24 

Top places to work in IT: 17 health systems rank in 2025 Becker's Health IT; by Laura Dyrda; 12/10/24 Computerworld published a list of the top places to work in IT for 2025, including several prominent health systems. Foundry, the publisher for Computerworld, examined several companies across the size spectrum on their commitment to in-house IT talent, training, technical and soft skills, as well as culture, diversity and satisfaction. The publication reported 79% of companies surveyed increased the number of IT employees in the last three years, and around half plan to continue growing their IT teams next year. The health systems and provider organizations ranked include:

Commentary: The coat my mother never wore National Public Radio - WBUR, Boston, MA; by Karen Propp; 12/11/24 Shortly before Thanksgiving 2018, I bought my 87-year-old mother a winter coat — a silvery-gray one that matched her hair. None of us could remember the last time she had left the house, spoken in full sentences or walked without assistance, but my father hoped that a new ultra-light coat might change things.  ... Having been close to others with progressive or terminal illnesses, I did not share his optimism. But it felt cruel to dash my father’s hope, so I hung the coat in the front hall closet, as if it were a talisman that could bring us a miracle. My mother died peacefully, late in the morning that December 24. By the time the men from the funeral home arrived, it was already dark outside. ...Editor's note: Click on the title's link to read how this simple coat evoked a daughter's grief, coping, and realization of her mother's qualities within herself. Non-clinical leaders: in case you're not aware, the extensive body of grief research reveals that grief does not have a last "stage" of "acceptance." Rather, mourning begins with a first step or "task" of accepting realities of the loss (Worden), with another step or "task" of establishing enduring connection (Worden)--which this daughter found within herself. These are not stages. Rather, they are ongoing cycles (mini and macro), with other identified, individualized dynamics.

A centenarian thrives living alone, active and engaged California Healthline - originally published by The Washington Post; by Judith Graham; 12/10/24 “The future is here,” the email announced. Hilda Jaffe, then 88, was letting her children know she planned to sell the family home in Verona, New Jersey. She’d decided to begin life anew — on her own — in a one-bedroom apartment in Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan. Fourteen years later, Jaffe, now 102, still lives alone — just a few blocks away from the frenetic flashing lights and crowds that course through Times Square. ... She’s an extraordinary example of an older adult living by herself and thriving. ... I’ve spoken with dozens of seniors this past year for a series of columns on older Americans living alone. Many struggle with health issues. Many are isolated and vulnerable. But a noteworthy slice of this growing group of seniors maintain a high degree of well-being. What might account for this, particularly among people in the farthest reaches of old age? [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

What's new for Medicare in 2025? Fidelity; by Kate Ashford, Nerdwallet; 11/25/24, updated 12/11/24Each year, Medicare comes with a new set of prices, new plan ratings and sometimes new regulations. What you’ll pay may be different from last year, and your network and prescription drug coverage may change, depending on your plan. Here’s how Medicare looks in 2025. ...

Helping Korean Americans with end-of-life planning is her passion Penn Medicine News; by Daphne Sashin; 12/10/24 Eunice Park-Clinton, DNP, MSN, MBE, is standing before a crowd of Korean American senior citizens, and she wants to talk about the end of life. ... Park-Clinton, a nurse case manager in the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania’s Emergency Department and an assistant nursing professor at West Chester University, is undeterred. Speaking in Korean, she takes a kind but frank approach as she walks the seniors through life-sustaining treatments they might be offered in their final days and the need to decide what they will—and won’t—want for a dignified end of life.  ... As a Korean American herself, Park-Clinton’s passion for culturally sensitive planning comes from her personal familiarity with the community and its norms. In her work as a nurse, she has personally witnessed older Korean and other Asian immigrants experience health disparities due to their lack of knowledge of the concept.

Coaching and caring for others with Meredith Damore Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux; 12/11/24 In this episode of the Anatomy of Leadership podcast, Meredith Damore, Elevate’s SVP of Organizational Effectiveness and Managing Director, Consulting for Elevate Talent, and Chris discuss various topics related to leadership and organizational effectiveness. Meredith has spent a large portion of her career taking coaching and leadership into the private equity world to help start ups be more successful.  A great quote from their time together was a definition of culture that Meredith uses from Carolyn Taylor, “Culture is the patterns of behavior that are encouraged, discouraged, tolerated and not tolerated, most often starting with a leadership team and exhibited broadly by people and systems within an organization over time.” Editor's note: Telios Collaborative Network (TCN) is a sponsor of our newsletter.

20th Annual Festival of the Season rakes in $15k Pahrump Valley Times, Las Vegas, NV; by Robin Hebrock; 12/11/24 ... One of the largest annual fundraising initiatives for Nathan Adelson Hospice’s Pahrump operation is the Festival of the Season, once known as the Festival of Trees, an event that brings supporters together for an evening of holiday cheer. This year, the event marked a big milestone and the 20th Annual Festival of the Season was once again declared a resounding success. ... With ticket sales and auction proceeds accounted for, the 20th Annual Festival of the Season managed to raise $15,000 to help Nathan Adelson Hospice continue its mission of compassionate care right here in the valley. 

Bridgeport WWII vet who fought at Iwo Jima begins home hospice with 'no regrets' News 12 Connecticut; by Frank Recchia; 12/10/24 Stew Lahey, 98, of Bridgeport, says he's not a hero -- but his life experiences tell a different story. "I'm one of the last surviving veterans who fought at Iwo Jima during the Second World War," the proud great grandfather told News 12 Monday. "I joined the Marine Corps when I was 17. I didn't wait to enlist because it was 1943 and they needed me," Lahey said. The longtime Bridgeport resident began home hospice this week, surrounded by his family. "We love him so much and we are so proud of what he did for our country," said granddaughter Mikela Lahey. "When he began home hospice, ... we all started to cry -- but he didn't want that. He wants us to smile and be happy with him at the end," she said. "He keeps saying he has 'no regrets' -- and we are so grateful to have the chance to be here with him at the end," she said.