Literature Review

[Consumer Reports] The last goodbye: How to plan a funeral Consumer Reports; by Janet Siroto; 7/7/24 A complete guide to giving loved ones the right send-off--from traditional services to new green burials. Six years ago, Kelly Avery and Kristin Harper, sisters from Birmingham, Ala., gathered their families by the sky-blue ocean waters of Destin, Fla., to memorialize their mother, Barbara Harper. ... They shared funny stories and music, and shed some tears as they spread their mother’s ashes from the deck of a large boat.  ... The experience not only gave the family a meaningful way to pay tribute to Barbara but also got the sisters thinking about their own memorials. The key is making some choices well beforehand, which more people appear to be doing. For instance, according to an April 2024 Consumer Reports nationally representative survey (PDF) of 2,042 adults in the U.S., 50 percent said they planned or intended to plan ahead either for their own funeral or for someone else’s. Read on for a rundown of possibilities and costs. ...

Duke University names five new Trustees [incluing Amy Abernethy]Press Release; 7/2/24Five new members joined the Duke University Board of Trustees on July 1, university officials announced Tuesday. The new trustees are Amy Abernethy, Melissa Bernstein, Michael Stone, Andrew Greene, and Rickard Stureborg... Abernethy M.D.’94, HS’94-’01 is co-founder of Highlander Health, an organization focused on advancing evidence generation for the new era of medical innovation. An internationally known oncologist, health data expert, and digital health leader, Abernethy is a champion for accelerating the pace at which safe and effective treatments reach patients. She is the former principal deputy commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, where she led initiatives in advancing clinical evidence generation and personalized health care and served as the agency's acting chief information officer. More recently, Abernethy served as chief medical officer and president of product development at Verily, Alphabet’s precision health business. Earlier she was Flatiron Health’s first chief medical officer and chief scientific officer. She was also previously professor of medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine and director of the Center for Learning Health Care in the Duke Clinical Research Institute and the Duke Cancer Care Research Program in the Duke Cancer Institute. A hematologist/oncologist, palliative medicine physician, and recipient of the 2021 Distinguished Alumna Award from Duke University School of Medicine, Abernethy has authored more than 500 publications.Publisher's Note: Congratulations Amy!

3 pillars of effective hospice sales Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/8/24Hospices seeking to grow should consider building a culture of compliance driven by data, effective system design and accountability, including for its sales force. Compliance and sales should walk hand-in-hand, according to a recent report from the Transcend Strategy Group. This can help prevent sales staff from running afoul of regulations inadvertently as well as support sustainable growth, according to Tony Kudner, chief strategy officer for Transcend. ... “[Without] understanding of what the rules of the road are, you’re going to run into trouble,” he said. “Though no one-size-fits-all approach exists, providers can adapt three overarching strategies to support this kind of culture.”

Hospice patient's wish fulfilled with playing the blues, family, and his favorite pizza ABC 13 On Your Side YouTube, Grand Rapids Township, MI; by Jeremiah Brown; 7/5/24 Coming from a family of musicians, Peter's family believes music has helped save him, as they gathered from throughout the country to listen to his blues. In the audience were his five older siblings, and other family members who had come from throughout the country for "Peterpalooza." "He would play his harmonica, and we would just jam together," said Peter's music therapist Miranda Eden from Emmanuel Hospice which organized the event. "He talked about how musical his family is, and how much he enjoyed spending time with his family, and he also mentioned how much he loves pizza from Lou Malnati's  in Chicago, so I thought, well, we need to make this happen."

Long-term care providers among 193 criminally charged, $2.75 billion in fraud recoveries so far in 2024McKnight's Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 7/1/24The Justice Department has recovered more than $2.75 billion in false claims against healthcare providers and charged 193 defendants so far this year in criminal cases through its 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action, and many of the cases involve nursing homes, home health or hospice agencies, and assisted living providers, according to a Thursday report from the department’s criminal division.

We are human beings, not human doings. ~ Michelle Webb, Nursing Practice Coach for Teleios Collaborative Network and an Assistant Professor at Duke University School of Nursing

Why one hospital merger stands out among the rest Becker's Hospital Review; by Andrew Cass; 7/3/24 Two rival hospitals in Terre Haute, Ind., seeking to merge are the first to test the state's certificate of public advantage (COPA) law, The Washington Post reported July 3. Five things to know:

Ruth Lindsey Golf Outing raises $15,000 for hospice services Ashland Times-Gazette; 7/5/24 The 31st annual Hospice of North Central Ohio (HNCO) Ruth Lindsey Charity Golf Outing scramble raised over $15,000 in support of end-of-life care on June 24 at Westbrook Country Club. ... Hospice of North Central Ohio has served thousands of families with end-of-life and Palliative care, bereavement programs and services since 1988. HNCO is headquartered at 1021 Dauch Drive, Ashland. Hospice of North Central Ohio serves more than 200 patients daily in Ashland, Crawford, Huron, Knox, Morrow and Richland counties.

Ohio annual remembrance walk raised nearly $20,000 Miami Valley Today; by Staff; 7/3/24 Ohio’s Hospice raised almost $20,000 at its annual Remembrance Walk held on the grounds of the Inpatient Care Center in Troy, drawing approximately 150 participants to honor and remember their loved ones. The Miami County community came together in a spirit of celebration and support, sharing memories and reinforcing the organization’s mission of Celebrating Life’s Stories for those facing a life-limiting illness. ... Ohio’s Hospice confirmed that all proceeds from the event will directly benefit patient care in the community, ensuring that funds raised locally stay within the area they serve.

Your brain holds secrets. Scientists want to find them. The New York Times; by Paula Span; 7/6/24 About a month ago, Judith Hansen popped awake in the predawn hours, thinking about her father’s brain. Her father, Morrie Markoff, was an unusual man. At 110, he was thought to be the oldest in the United States. His brain was unusual, too, even after he recovered from a stroke at 99. Now he was nearing death, enrolled in home hospice care. “In the middle of the night, I thought, ‘Dad’s brain is so great,’” said Ms. Hansen, 82, a retired librarian in Seattle. “I went online and looked up ‘brain donation.’” Her search led to a National Institutes of Health web page explaining that its NeuroBioBank, established in 2013, collected post-mortem human brain tissue to advance neurological research. ...

Veteran Honored: 101-year-old recognized for bravery on the battlefieldThe Glendale Star, Tempe AZ; by Lin Sue Flood; 7/5/24 At the tender age of 18, Ned Kent joined the Army. That was January 1940 ... and he served faithfully through July 1945 ... [Kent] fought on the front lines of the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. He and his troop won a Bronze Heart for their heroic actions in storming Normandy while under German bombardment on D-Day, now over 80 years ago. His daughter Debi is enormously proud of his courage. “My dad is a hero, but my dad is also a humble man,” she said. Proving her point, the 101-year-old was quick to add, “I’m no hero. I just served in the Army.” But those five years of service were difficult to talk about. It took Kent decades to open up about what he experienced, including the horrors witnessed while liberating a concentration camp. One of the people he shared openly with was Hospice of the Valley social worker Roberta Fellows. Once she learned about his time in the service, she was determined to give him some much-needed recognition for all he endured. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.] 

How to overcome the cumulative effects of change Healthcare IT Today; by guest author Maura Koehler-Hanlon; 7/5/24 Healthcare IT organizations are currently undertaking major initiatives to enhance patient engagement, streamline processes, ensure regulatory compliance, and more. This extensive workload can overwhelm employees, leading to burnout due to the sheer volume of changes. ... In this environment, it becomes critical for leaders to understand change saturation and build change resilience. Here’s what leaders need to know and do to move forward:

How rituals support nursing teams American Nurse Journal - American Nurses Association; by Heather Fitzgerald, DBe, MS, RN; 7/2/24Question: I’m a clinical manager for a pediatric critical care unit. We’ve recently had a significant increase in end-of-life care. I’m proud of our nurses and the skillful, compassionate support they provide to patients and families during these tragic events. In an emotional support debrief, nurses expressed a desire for more opportunities to pause and reflect on meaning and purpose in their challenging work. How do I regularly schedule time to support nurses in ways they value while also adhering to our organization’s budget and productivity expectations? Answer: ... creating a supportive sense of community and connection need not violate your commitment to budget management. You can enact opportunities to orient to meaning and purpose, to shared identity and belonging, and to unit and organizational mission through small rituals that deliver benefits similar to your debriefing forum. Rituals ... have deep, prehistoric roots, which indicate that humans have long sought connection and meaning-making in moments of joy, grief, and uncertainty. Nurses participate in patient-centered rituals in various settings. For example, organ donor honor walks, the ringing of a bell to mark a cancer treatment milestone, discharge celebrations after a long hospitalization, and celebrations of life and of birth. The nursing profession also should pay more attention to the importance of nursing-centered rituals.Editor's Notes: Nurse burnout is a root cause for both high turnover and increased unionization/strikes among nurses, especially nurses in their first year of practice. What nursing-centered ritual(s) might bring meaning and renewal to your nurses? Ask. Create, pilot, and evaluate. Engage them in the process.