Literature Review
More Providence St. Vincent doctors vote to unionize; hospital vows ‘good faith’ bargaining
12/16/23 at 03:02 AMMore Providence St. Vincent doctors vote to unionize; hospital vows ‘good faith’ bargainingKOIN-TV (Portland, OR)December 14, 2023Portland, OR—More physicians with Providence St. Vincent Medical Center have voted to unionize. The small group of four palliative physicians is seeking to join a group of 70 Providence St. Vincent hospitalists who voted overwhelmingly to form a union with the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association back in August. The group said they’re seeking a fair contract that provides safe staffing levels, fair compensation and a healthy work environment.
Nurses at Prime hospital approve labor deal
12/16/23 at 03:01 AMNurses at Prime hospital approve labor dealBecker’s Hospital ReviewDecember 13, 2023Members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals have approved a new labor contract with Prime Healthcare’s St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, Calif. The contract, approved by 81% of voting union members, covers 600 registered nurses at the medical center, according to a Dec. 13 UNAC/UHCP news release.
Home Health & Hospice Care Reopens Renovated Inpatient Center
12/15/23 at 03:56 AMHome Health & Hospice Care Reopens Renovated Inpatient CenterHospice NewsDecember 13, 2023fMerrimack, NH—Home Health & Hospice Care has reopened its inpatient facility in New Hampshire after expanding with a new addition. The Community Hospice House opened in November and serves patients in Merrimack, New Hampshire. ... All told, the hospice anticipates serving more than 600 patients annually at the center going forward, HHHC President and CEO Barbara Lafrance told local news.
Caring through the end
12/15/23 at 03:53 AMCaring through the endC-Ville (Charlottesville, VA)December 13, 2023Nancy Littlefield is a fourth-generation nurse, so it’s not surprising that she describes caring for people as “my calling.” What may be surprising is that her work as an ICU nurse, helping the sick and their families to heal and recover, led her to palliative care, helping the dying and their families through life’s last stage. That will be her focus as the new CEO for Hospice of the Piedmont.
Today's Encouragement: "Time is an equal opportunity employer"
12/15/23 at 03:45 AM“Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can't buy more hours. Scientists can't invent new minutes. And you can't save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow.” Denis Waitley
What health systems did this year to recruit, retain workers
12/15/23 at 03:41 AMWhat health systems did this year to recruit, retain workersModern HealthcareDecember 13, 2023Tuition reimbursement is a top program offered this year by health systems seeking to recruit and retain employees, according to a recent survey by Aon, an insurer and consulting firm. ... Here are five areas of focus around recruitment and retention this year.
Licensed practical nurses petition to oust union at Mayo Clinic’s Austin hospital
12/15/23 at 03:40 AMLicensed practical nurses petition to oust union at Mayo Clinic’s Austin hospitalMinnesota ReformerDecember 12, 2023Licensed practical nurses and other medical assistants at Mayo Clinic’s Austin hospital are looking to oust their union, the United Steelworkers. It’s the latest in a series of campaigns—supported by the anti-union non-profit National Right to Work Legal Defense Fund—to get rid of unions at Mayo Clinic hospitals.
Nurses at Suburban Community and Lower Bucks Hospital authorize strike amid contract negotiation stalemate
12/15/23 at 03:38 AMNurses at Suburban Community and Lower Bucks Hospital authorize strike amid contract negotiation stalematePhiladelphia InquirerDecember 12, 2023Bucks County, PA—Nurses at Suburban Community Hospital and Lower Bucks Hospital sent a message to their executives: ‘Tis the season for a new contract—or a strike. The contracts affecting roughly 200 nurses at both hospitals expired Oct. 12. Last week, nurses at Suburban Community voted to authorize a strike.
Boston VNA Nurses and Healthcare Professionals Cast a Unanimous Vote Authorizing a 14-day Strike
12/15/23 at 03:36 AMBoston VNA Nurses and Healthcare Professionals Cast a Unanimous Vote Authorizing a 14-day StrikePRNewswireDecember 13, 2023Boston, MA—In response to an increase in the complexity of care required for patients admitted for care at home, in conjunction with a lack of staff and resources to provide that level of care, the 60 registered nurses and healthcare professionals who work for the Visiting Nurses Association of Boston/VNA Care, cast a unanimous vote to authorize a 14-day strike in an effort to move their administration to provide the staffing and wage enhancements they need to provide the care their patients deserve.
22 states to increase minimum wage on Jan. 1
12/15/23 at 03:34 AM22 states to increase minimum wage on Jan. 1McKnight’s Senior LivingDecember 13, 2023Almost half of the states, along with 40 local jurisdictions, are set to ring in 2024 with increases to minimum wage, according to Polsinelli law firm. The 22 states with minimum wage increases coming in the new year: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington.
Telehealth use among seniors back up to pandemic-era highs, one company claims
12/15/23 at 03:29 AMTelehealth use among seniors back up to pandemic-era highs, one company claimsMcKnight’s Senior LivingDecember 13, 2023Nearly all seniors in the US, an astonishing 97%, had at least one telehealth appointment this year, a new survey indicates. The data, which comes from remote platform operator Independa, indicates that telehealth usage among seniors has grown 20% over the past three years, nearly back up to the pandemic-era peak, when in-person options were not available.
Phones ‘connected to nothing but love’ donated to Westport Library
12/15/23 at 03:28 AMPhones ‘connected to nothing but love’ donated to Westport LibraryWestport (CT) JournalDecember 13, 2023Westport, CT—Lynda Shannon Bluestein is nearing the end of her life. In January, the 76-year-old will travel to Vermont where, surrounded by family, she will end the suffering she has experienced from three bouts of cancer in a state where aid-in-dying is permitted. Bluestein, however, first had to sue the state of Vermont, winning her case in June, to allow a non-resident to end her life there. On Wednesday, she plans to give the Westport Library a gift that may help others, especially children, express and process grief when they lose a loved one. Bluestein will donate two “wind phones”—rotary-dial phones that are not connected to anything—that people of all ages can use to speak about their loss and memories of a loved one who has passed away.
Patient data compromised in October cyberattack on HealthAlliance Hospital
12/15/23 at 03:28 AMPatient data compromised in October cyberattack on HealthAlliance HospitalTimes Union (Albany, NY)December 12, 2023Kingston, NY—The October cyberattack that hit two hospitals in the Hudson Valley gave hackers unauthorized access to sensitive patient data for nearly two months, hospital officials said Monday night, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, lab results and financial information.
Tending a Garden May Help Lessen Grief
12/15/23 at 03:26 AMTending a Garden May Help Lessen GriefBlog PostSeven PondsDecember 3, 2023Tending a garden—planting, tilling, digging, weeding, watering, and growing plants, flowers, or food—could beget us better health and wellness. ... A comprehensive compilation of research by the National Institutes in Health confirms that a regular dose of gardening reduces stress, improves physical health and bolsters our mood. In fact, gardening was shown to positively alter electrical activity in the brain. So it stands to reason that tending a garden could positively impact those who are grieving a loss. ... Reviving a garden that once belonged to a loved one may also soothe a grieving soul.
Plains hospital ends home health services
12/15/23 at 03:26 AMPlains hospital ends home health servicesClark Fork Valley Press (Plains, MT)December 13, 2023Plains, MT—Clark Fork Valley Hospital will close its Medicare certified home health agency at the end of the year. According to a press release from the hospital, hospice services will not be affected and will continue unchanged. Hospital officials cited ongoing labor shortages, financial losses and regulatory burdens of operating Home Health organizations as reasons for the closure.
Home Health Spending Begins To Climb Again Post-Pandemic
12/15/23 at 03:24 AMHome Health Spending Begins To Climb Again Post-PandemicHome Health Care NewsDecember 13, 2023After stalling in 2021, spending on home health care returned to a more normalized growth rate in 2022, according to a new analysis from the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Specifically, national health expenditures on home health care increased by 6% to $132.9 billion in 2022.
Occupancy on way to 10th consecutive quarter of growth
12/15/23 at 03:23 AMOccupancy on way to 10th consecutive quarter of growthMcKnight’s Senior LivingDecember 14, 2023Senior living occupancy is on its way to 10 consecutive quarters of positive growth, according to NIC MAP Vision’s November intra-quarterly snapshot report. The positive growth trend in senior living—independent living and assisted living combined—marks the longest period of uninterrupted gains since the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care and NIC MAP Vision began reporting data in 2005, Omar Zahraoui, principal at NIC, wrote in a blog.
Memory Care Gap—GAO Report Shows Less than 2.5% of Medicare Beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s Receive Cognitive Assessment
12/15/23 at 03:22 AMMemory Care Gap—GAO Report Shows Less than 2.5% of Medicare Beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s Receive Cognitive AssessmentSenior Housing NewsDecember 13, 2023Between 2018 and last year, use of cognitive assessment and care plan services tripled, but few Medicare beneficiaries who qualify received the service, according to a recent study by the Government Accountability Office. The GAO study found that, at most, 2.4% of Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder received this service.
Nursing Home and CCRC Spending Grew 5.6% to $191.3B in 2022—After Dropping 7.8% in 2021
12/15/23 at 03:20 AMNursing Home and CCRC Spending Grew 5.6% to $191.3B in 2022—After Dropping 7.8% in 2021Skilled Nursing NewsDecember 13, 2023Nursing homes and continuing care retirement communities made up $191.3 billion of national health expenditures in 2022, an increase from $181.1 billion in 2021, reaching levels close to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Pre-pandemic, such expenditures sat between $162 billion and $174.1 billion between 2016 and 2019, according to a survey published by Health Affairs.
Helping hands in hospice
12/15/23 at 03:19 AMHelping hands in hospiceC-Ville (Charlottesville, VA)December 13, 2023Charlottesville, VA—It’s a conversation starter you might throw out with a group of friends hanging out at a winery, or after a large informal family supper: “What would you like to do before you die?” The answers are probably interesting, intriguing, even surprising. The discussion could inspire someone in the group to make those dreams happen. But for Beth Eck, director of end-of-life doula services for Hospice of the Piedmont, the real question is: “Have you said what needs to be said?”
Demand for nurses continues to eclipse supply—report
12/15/23 at 03:18 AMDemand for nurses continues to eclipse supply—reportMcKnight’s Senior LivingDecember 14, 2023Almost three years after the start of the pandemic, a shortage of registered nurses continues to eclipse the supply of qualified professionals. “The US shortage of registered nurses has been called a crisis. Burnout, staff turnover, a growing and aging baby-boomer population, and a lack of educators have contributed to high demand and undersupply, a longstanding problem aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a new report from ADP Research Institute.
Contessa’s Lessons Learned on Risk-Based Palliative Care
12/15/23 at 03:17 AMContessa’s Lessons Learned on Risk-Based Palliative CarePalliative Care NewsDecember 13, 2023As Contessa Health pioneers a growing value-based palliative care-at-home program, they’ve encountered some learning curves when it comes to operating within a new payment system. Contessa is a subsidiary of Amedisys, which the home health and hospice provider acquired in 2021 for $250 million.
31 positions eliminated as St. Mary’s lays off employees, cuts hours for some amid financial woes
12/15/23 at 03:16 AM31 positions eliminated as St. Mary’s lays off employees, cuts hours for some amid financial woesPortland (ME) Press HeraldDecember 12, 2023Lewiston, ME—St. Mary’s Healthcare System laid off at least 31 employees effective Monday, according to St. Mary’s news release. ... The decision comes as the hospital system has sustained operating losses over the last five years, according to the press release.
Gentiva Opens De Novo in Tennessee
12/15/23 at 03:15 AMGentiva Opens De Novo in TennesseeHospice NewsDecember 13, 2023Gentiva has opened a new hospice in Greeneville, Tennessee, the latest move in the company’s growth trajectory. The de novo opened earlier this month, and will serve patients, families and facilities across both Greene and Cooke counties in eastern Tennessee. ... Gentiva is a portfolio company of the private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.
Medicare Advantage market got more competitive in 2022—AMA.
12/15/23 at 03:13 AMMedicare Advantage market got more competitive in 2022—AMA.Modern HealthcareDecember 12, 2023The majority of the nation’s health insurance markets remain highly concentrated, but one segment of the industry in particular continues to grow more competitive—Medicare Advantage. The Medicare Advantage market has decreased in concentration since 2017 and continued to do so in 2022, according to the American Medical Association’s annual report Tuesday on health insurers.