Literature Review

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. ~ Dr. Seuss, in Oh, The Places You'll Go

Mayo Clinic Minute: How extreme heat, humidity affect your health News Tribune; by Tribune News Service; 7/16/24 Many parts of the U.S. continue to grapple with oppressive heat and humidity. This can prevent the body from cooling down, increasing the risk of heat cramps, exhaustion and heatstroke. Dr. Jesse Bracamonte, a Mayo Clinic family medicine physician, said the extreme heat and high humidity can be a dangerous mix. "High heat and high humidity can place one at risk for serious illness if people aren't careful. The heat can affect people's bodies by increasing the core body temperature and ability to sweat, and cause dehydration that can cause further medical problems and ensuing issues, and eventually can lead to heat exhaustion, in some cases, severe heat illness, known as heatstroke," Bracamonte said. Editor's Note: What information and support are you providing for your clinicians who travel between visits and for your patients who might be affected by extreme heat and humidity? What simple, practical adaptations might you create, like disposable water bottles for staff as they leave your building (with a sign of support and basic info)?

Glitzy Scottsdale couple jailed in $900M fraud Gilbert Sun News; by Tom Scanlon; 7/14/24 ... According to a federal indictment, “Alexandra Gehrke and Jeffrey King were charged for targeting elderly Medicare patients, many of whom were terminally ill in hospice care, for medically unnecessary wound grafts.” Gehrke – known to friends and associates as “Lexie” – and King allegedly filed $900 million in fraudulent claims, pocketing “$330 million in illegal kickbacks as a result of their fraudulent scheme.” According to the indictment, they were responsible for “allograft” bandages being applied frivolously to hundreds of patients, many of them dying. According to Gehrke’s LinkedIn profile, “APEX Medical is a national medical device distribution company. 

Palliative care training initiative launches to improve quality among incarcerated populations Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 7/12/24 The California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation’s Medical Facility (CMF) has launched a new palliative spiritual care training program aimed at improving services for incarcerated individuals. The new two-week spiritual training program was recently provided to palliative care service workers and volunteers to assist CMF’s clinical and nursing staff caring for patients at the facility’s hospice, correctional treatment center and memory care units. A dozen trainees recently completed the program, with CMF planning to provide an annual refresher course to all of its palliative care service workers, according to California Correctional Health Care Services CEO Joseph Garland. 

The Medicare Post-Acute Care and Hospice Provider Public Use File (PAC PUF)CMS press release; 7/10/24[This file] provides information on services provided to Medicare beneficiaries by home health agencies (HHAs), hospices, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), and long-term care hospitals (LTCHs).  It contains information on demographic and clinical characteristics of beneficiaries served, professional and paraprofessional service utilization, submitted charges, and payments at the provider, state, and national levels.  Additionally, the PAC PUF includes payment information at the case-mix grouping level for HHAs, SNFs, and IRFs.

Cherokee nation: Closing gap in health care disparities Native News Online; by Churck Hoskin, Jr.; 7/14/24 ... American Indians in Oklahoma die on average 17 years earlier than their non-Indigenous neighbors. While this finding is alarming, it comes as no surprise to the Cherokee Nation or to the nearly 40 other tribal nations in Oklahoma. ... Even as we continue our advocacy efforts, we cannot afford to wait for the federal government to fulfill its responsibilities. That's why the Cherokee Nation, which operates the largest Native American health care system in the country, is taking unprecedented steps to address this crisis head-on. ... [We] are confident our historic investments in health care and wellness are improving health outcomes for our Cherokee citizens. Construction continues on the Cherokee Nation’s new $400 million, 400,000-square-foot state-of-the-art hospital being built in the capital city of Tahlequah. The new hospital will include an ER, surgery, ICU, imaging, pharmacy and lab, neo-natal ICU, hospice, dietary and acute care, and many other services. 

Lewiston community honors shooting and hospice victims with butterfly release celebration CBS WGME TV13, Lewston, Maine; by Aysia Reed; 7/13/24 Hundreds of butterflies took flight in Lewiston on Saturday for the 15th annual Butterfly Release Celebration hosted by Andwell Health Partners.  Hundreds of names were read off Saturday at the Geiger Elementary School in Lewiston to honor those who have died in hospice. And this year the names of Lewiston mass shooting victims were honored too. The event is put on by Andwell Health Partners, a Maine healthcare nonprofit providing services for hospice patients and their families. Once names were read, one thousand monarch butterflies were released- a symbol of transformation and hope.Editor's Note: On October 25, 2023 in Lewiston, Maine, 18 individuals died and and 13 others were injured by a shooter at a bowling alley and restaurant.   

Hospice CARES Act would update medical reviews, seek to reduce audits Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/12/24 The forthcoming Hospice Care Accountability, Reform and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act from U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenaur (D-Oregon), if enacted, would implement a number of changes to medical review processes. ... Though the bill language is still in development, it will likely contain proposed updates to payment mechanisms 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 among recently established providers concentrated primarily in California, Arizona, Texas and Nevada. ... Among the anticipated provisions of the bill would be an item requiring the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to use documentation in a patient’s medical record as supporting material. The documentation would include the reasons that an attending physician certified a patient for hospice and establish a six-month terminal prognosis.

Hospice of North Idaho receives $30K donation Coeur d'Alene / Post Falls Press, St. Coeru D'Alene, Idaho; 7/13/24 Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty recently donated $30,000 to Hospice of North Idaho to support the Schneidmiller House Inpatient Hospice Unit. The donation will help ensure the continued provision of world-class end-of-life care to the community, a press release said. "The gift of our Hospice House and our exemplary care for those we serve is actually a gift from all those in our community that support our mission as Coldwell Banker has today," said Eric Ladwig, executive director of Hospice of North Idaho. Robert Brickett, vice-president of Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty, said they were honored to contribute to Hospice of North Idaho and support the exceptional care they provide. "Our company believes in giving back to the community that has supported us for so many years," he said. 

[CHAP] Understanding the Certificate of Need (CON) CHAP - From the CHAP Boardroom; by Michael Rovinsky, CHAP BoD & VP of Strategic Planning; email 7/12/24Navigating regulatory frameworks is crucial for community-based healthcare organizations looking to initiate or expand their services. The Certificate of Need (CON) stands as a pivotal regulatory tool in this endeavor, playing a significant role in the planning and delivery of healthcare services. In today’s discussion from the CHAP Boardroom, we delve into the Certificate of Need, exploring its implications and its influence on the landscape of community-based care.

A ‘Culture of Caring’: Calvary Hospital’s 125 year legacy in hospice and palliative care Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/11/24 Calvary Hospital in New York City is a progenitor of the hospice and palliative care models, but it has its eyes on the future nevertheless. The only hospital in the nation that is specifically devoted to hospice and palliative care, Calvary is celebrating the 125th anniversary of its founding this year. The faith-based organization was established in 1899 by a group of Catholic widows who called themselves the Women of Calvary. Its initial mission was to care for dying women who had been abandoned by the health care system, often with nowhere to live and no one to care for them.

Fewer deaths after serious illness in veterans treated with PARC Care Model U.S. Medicine; by LaTina Emerson; 7/11/24 After a serious illness, veterans who received medical care via the Post-Acute Recovery Center (PARC) model experienced fewer deaths and more days outside of the hospital compared to those not treated with PARC, according to a recent study. ...  Using telehealth, PARC is administered by nurse practitioners to address the complex needs of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors as they transition from hospital to home and improve access to post-ICU care for high-risk veterans, ... Each year, “more than 100,000 veterans transition from ICUs to their home after treatment for life-threatening illnesses, but this transition presents many challenges, including unresolved acute medical issues and the lingering effects of acute organ dysfunction,” according to the study authors. ...