Literature Review

AMA Advocacy 2024 efforts American Medical Association; by AMA; Updated June 2024, 6/27/24 There are far too many everyday practice challenges interfering with patient care. That’s why the American Medical Association is advocating to keep physicians at the head of the health care team, reform the Medicare physician payment system, relieve the burdens of overused prior authorizations and so much more. [Key advocacy efforts include:]

Evaluating palliative care impact: Insights from Tennessee Oncology's OCM participation The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC); by Mary Caffrey and Pearl Steinzor; 6/27/24 A study finds limited changes in hospice utilization, highlighting challenges in real-world implementation. In an interview at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, Ravi Parikh, MD, MPP, assistant professor of medicine and health policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, discussed the outcomes of a palliative care study at Tennessee Oncology, providing insights into the challenges and limitations of evaluating hospice utilization and quality-of-life improvements in the real-world setting. 

Q&A: What is the ID clinician’s role in end-of-life care? Healio; by Caitlyn Stulpin; 6/27/24 Patients receiving infectious diseases (ID) consultation over the past decade were increasingly complex, generally sicker and more likely to die soon after a consultation was performed, according to a study. Researchers said that the rate of infectious diseases (ID) consultation relative to hospital admissions doubled during that time, suggesting that ID physicians are more often being faced with the challenge of caring for complex patients. Because of this, Alison G.C. Smith, MD, MSC, and Jason E. Stout, MD, MHS, and colleagues aimed to assess the role of these physicians when it came to end-of-life care, leading them to conduct a retrospective cohort study of all patients with an ID consult at the Duke University Health System between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2023.

Penn Health CEO on piecing together the healthcare hiring puzzle Becker's Hospital Review - Leadership & Management; by Madeline Ashley; 6/17/24 ... Penn Medicine has introduced programs to students and young people that will not only inspire them to join the healthcare industry, but prepare and train them for the opportunities that lie ahead. "I think the world needs mission oriented people," Kevin Mahoney [CEO of Philadelphia-based University of Pennsylvania Health System] told Becker's. "You've got to believe in where you're working, otherwise you're just punching the clock." In late May, the health system partnered with Heights Philadelphia, an organization that connects middle schoolers and up with career and college opportunities, and Philadelphia City Council majority leader Katherine Richardson to hold a career event. ... "By introducing students to the field, we’re creating a pathway to careers that enrich lives and make a difference in others. Encouraging careers in health care also helps to strengthen the field overall, ensuring a pipeline poised to answer the needs of the future." [Click on the title's link to read more of this innovative solution, and other student-oriented programs.] 

Ascension selling spree continues Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Alan Condon; updated 6/25/24 St. Louis-based Ascension continues to improve its operating performance and aims to ensure long-term sustainability for the health system on the back of a $3 billion operating loss in fiscal year 2023. ... Part of Ascension's turnaround strategy has also revolved around strategic transactions that reorganized its portfolio. The 139-hospital system has offloaded several key assets and hospitals in the last three years, with more deals in the pipeline.  Nine transactions to know: [Click on the title's link for details.]

Senior Helpers is first in-home care company in country to achieve CHAP Age-Friendly Care CertificationPR Newswire, Towson, MD; by Senior Helpers; 6/27/24 Senior Helpers ... is the first in-home care provider in the United States to be Age-Friendly Care at Home certified by Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP). "We have always set the highest standard of care for ourselves and our clients, and we are thrilled to be recognized for that," said Mari Baxter, COO of Senior Helpers. "Our proprietary LIFE Profile assessment tool sets us apart from others in the industry and helped position us to be the first in the country to achieve the Age-Friendly Care Certification. ... The three Senior Helpers locations that have earned the coveted Age-Friendly Care Certification for home care are Senior Helpers of Milwaukee, Senior Helpers of Charlotte, and Senior Helpers of Greater Chicagoland. More locations are expected to receive their certifications soon. Editor's Note: Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) is a sponsor for Hospice & Palliative Care Today. Congratulations 

NPHI - Welcome New Sponsor!Hospice & Palliative Care Today welcomes the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation as a new sponsor!

How health equity impacts hospices’ bottom lines Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/18/24More hospices nationwide have increasingly recognized the value proposition of expanding their reach into untapped and underserved populations and geographic markets. Aside from increased access, census volumes and quality, health equity’s return on investment can also include a better recruitment and retention outlook, according to David Turner, vice president of special projects and initiatives at St. Croix Hospice, which serves 10 Midwest states. Turner is also CEO and partner of Nashville-based Heart’n Soul Hospice. Hospices stand to benefit from recruiting and retaining a more ethnically diverse base of interdisciplinary workers and c-suite executives, Turner said at the Hospice News Elevate conference in Washington D.C.

Medical aid-in-dying bill stalls in Delaware Senate Bay to Bay News, Dover, Delaware; by Joseph Edelen; 6/24/24 An act that would allow physician-assisted suicide stalled in the state Senate on Thursday. House Bill 140, if enacted as written, permits a terminally ill individual who is an adult resident of Delaware to request and self-administer medication to end their life in a humane and dignified way. ... The bill, brought by Rep. Paul S. Baumbach, D-Newark, narrowly passed the House of Representatives in April, with a vote of 21-16. On Thursday in the Senate, the measure logged 10 yes votes and nine no votes, with Sen. Kyra Hoffner, D-Dover, not voting. But Senate sponsor Bryan Townsend, D-Newark, then changed his yes vote to no. The alteration meant that the initiative stalled in the Senate but could be brought back to its floor for another vote by Sunday, the last day of this year’s legislative session. Many senators seemed emotional while speaking about the measure Thursday. ...

Improving advanced care planning for late-stage cancer Medical Xpress; by Melissa Rohman; 6/24/24 Multilevel care interventions improved clinician–documented advanced care planning (ACP) compared with a clinician-level intervention alone for patients with genitourinary cancer, according to findings published in JAMA Oncology. "Clinicians often have limited time to assist patients in fully understanding ACP. This intervention is one approach to improve ACP and care delivery among patients with advanced stages of genitourinary cancer," said Gladys M. Rodriguez, MD, MS, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology and lead author of the study. For patients diagnosed with late-stage cancer, ACP can help reduce unnecessary acute care, increase palliative care and improve quality of life. However, previous reports have found that less than 20% of patients will engage in ACP with their health care providers. ... The primary outcome was ACP documentation in the electronic health record by the patient's oncology clinician within 12 months. Secondary outcomes included shared decision-making, palliative care use, hospice use, emergency department visits and hospitalizations within 12 months.

Advanced lung cancer: Studies explore palliative care delivered by telehealth and in a stepped-care approachThe ASCO Post - American Society of Clinical Oncology; by Alice Goodman; 6/25/24 Early palliative care can be integrated into the course of treatment for patients with advanced lung cancer via delivery by telehealth with outcomes similar to when palliative care is delivered via in-person visits, according to results of the REACH PC trial presented by Joseph Greer, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting Plenary Session. A separate randomized noninferiority study presented at the ASCO meeting by Jennifer S. Temel, MD, FASCO, also of Harvard Medical School, Boston, found that stepped palliative care was noninferior to monthly visits with early integrated palliative care. Results of the stepped-care study were published in JAMA to coincide with the presentation at ASCO. [This article includes:]

20 most socially responsible hospitals, per Lown Institute Becker's Hospital Review; by Mackenzie Bean; 6/25/24 Duke Regional Hospital in Durham, N.C., is the most socially responsible acute care hospital in the U.S., according to a June 25 ranking from Lown Institute. The nonpartisan healthcare think tank assessed more than 2,700 acute care hospitals and 800 critical access hospitals nationwide across 54 metrics related to health equity, value of care and patient outcomes. ... The 20 most socially responsible acute care hospitals in the U.S., per Lown Institute:

Jennifer Hale, MSN, RN, CHPN, CPHQWith great sadness we share that Jennifer Hale died Friday, 6/21/24. Vice President of Quality and Standards at Compassus, former Vice President Clinical Services at Optum Palliative Care and Hospice, and former Executive Director of the Georgia Hospice & Palliative Care Organization, Jennifer was widely known, respected, and loved in the hospice community. We share our condolences with her family, friends, and colleagues. Services are set for Thursday 6/27/24 at Heritage Funeral Home, Columbia, TN. Her obituary and additional information will likely be posted on her Facebook page (linked above) or here.