Literature Review

Sen. Bob Hooper House Hospice Regatta raises $140K for Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation All Sides - Maryland Daily Record; 7/5/24 The Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation’s Sen. Bob Hooper House Hospice Regatta fundraiser took place June 10 at Concord Point Park in Havre de Grace and raised $140,000. The Sen. Bob Hooper House in Forest Hill, owned and operated by the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, is a nonprofit assisted living community specializing in hospice care. It provides a coordinated program of hospice and support services, helping residents and their families through the myriad issues associated with end-of-life care. The sailboat race was hosted by the Havre de Grace Yacht... [Access to the full article is behind a paywall.]

Blue Ridge Hospice receives research grant for grief game The Winchester Star; by Star Staff; 7/5/24 Blue Ridge Hospice has been awarded a two-year, $340,000 research grant from the New York Life Foundation to study the effectiveness of its Adventures Through Grief program for grieving adolescents and young adults. The program utilizes a custom tabletop role-playing game (RPG) similar to Dungeons and Dragons to help young people work their way through bereavement. According to a media release from Winchester-based Blue Ridge Hospice, the RPG is based on a therapeutic method developed by Game to Grow, a not-for-profit organization that uses table-top games for therapeutic, educational and community growth. Blue Ridge Hospice, using a $30,000 grant awarded by the New York Life Foundation in 2022, customized its game to specifically address grief.

Navigating Aging: Lack of affordability tops older americans’ list of health care worries KFF Health News - Northern Kentucky Tribune; by Judith Graham, KFF News; 7/5/24 What weighs most heavily on older adults’ minds when it comes to health care? The cost of services and therapies, and their ability to pay. ... A new wave of research highlights the reach of these anxieties. When the University of Michigan’s National Poll on Healthy Aging asked people 50 and older about 26 health-related issues, their top three areas of concern had to do with costs: of medical care in general, of long-term care, and of prescription drugs. More than half of 3,300 people surveyed in February and March reported being “very concerned” about these issues. 

Former Kentucky hospital nurse charged with patient credit card fraud Becker's Hospital Review; by Alan Condon; 7/2/24 A nurse previously employed by Baptist Hospital East in Louisville, Ky., was arrested July 1 for allegedly using patients' stolen credit cards, according to ABC affiliate WHAS. Kentucky State Police charged Lauren Miller with stealing two or more patients' credit cards and fraudulently using those cards, according to the report. Ms. Miller allegedly used the credit cards for purchases totaling more than $1,000 between Nov. 27 and Dec. 7. ... "She is not employed by Baptist Health. In accordance with federal privacy laws, we are unable to share any additional information," a spokesperson for the hospital told Becker's. 

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:

20 solutions for navigating nonprofit board member conflicts Forbes; by Forbes Nonprofit Council; 7/5/24 A nonprofit's board members guide the organization in the right direction. But with any diverse group of people working together, disagreements and conflicts are inevitable. When these conflicts arise, it's important to have strategies in place to maintain effective board management. To help, 20 Forbes Nonprofit Council members explain how boards can navigate conflict and turn disagreements into opportunities. With these tips, your nonprofit board will be on its way to growth and stronger governance.

Being present is one way to help dying friendAsk the Doctors; by Elizabeth Ko, MD and Eve Glazier, MD; 7/5/24Dear Doctors: My friend was diagnosed with multiple myeloma 10 years ago. His chemo is no longer working, and his doctors say there’s nothing else to be done. He has accepted whatever is coming. He has lost weight, and sometimes the pain is bad. How can I help him?Dear Reader: No matter how long someone has been dealing with a serious illness, the cessation of active treatment can be devastating. This is true not only for the person approaching the end of their life, but also for family and friends. The response to this transition often includes a rotating mix of grief, sorrow, fear, anxiety, dread and anger. However, people also often feel acceptance, peace, hope and even relief. Again, these are experienced not only by the individual who is ill, but also by the people around them. When spending time with someone with a terminal illness, you are looking for balance. That is, you want to be supportive and helpful, but not overwhelm them with your attentions. Hospice care professionals say this can be achieved by asking the person what they need. ... Always check with the person before starting a new task or a project. This keeps them in control of the events around them, which bolsters mental and emotional well-being. [Italics and bold are from this newsletter's editor.]Editor's Note: Calling all hospice and palliative leaders, in the midst of carrying out our professional roles most of us experience the dying and deaths of family, friends, and acquaintances. This article gives meaningful, practical ways to both be present and do simple things that can empower and support the person who is dying. We invite you to pair this article with our newsletter's "Today's Encouragement: We are human beings ..."

Cooper University Health acquires New Jersey system Becker's Hospital Reivew; by Alan Condon; 7/1/24 Cooper University Health Care on July 1 completed the acquisition of  Cape May, NJ-based Cape Regional Health System. As part of the closing, Cape Regional Medical Center has been renamed Cooper University Hospital Cape Regional. The combined health system comprises two hospitals with more than 900 beds, 130 ambulatory sites and almost 11,000 employees, including over 1,000 physicians. It is projected to have revenue exceeding $2.2 billion a year. The transaction unlocks significant growth opportunities, particularly in the outpatient market, as healthcare continues its shift away from inpatient settings, Camden, N.J.-based Cooper CFO Brian Reilly told Becker's. 

CMS: Advance health equity through accessibility CMS.gov; posted for July 2024 Throughout July, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) celebrates Disability Pride Month and the anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Twenty-seven percent of adults in the United States have some type of disability, with mobility (serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs) and cognitive (serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions) disabilities being the most prominent types. Individuals living with disabilities often face worse overall health outcomes, including likelihood of obesity (41.6%), diabetes (15.9%), and heart disease (9.6%). ... Find these resources on our health observance page this month or our Improving Access to Care for People with Disabilities page all year long.

‘Normalizing’ Trauma-Informed Hospice Care Delivery

38 hospitals, health systems cutting jobsBecker's Hospital CFO Report; by Kelly Gooch; 6/28/24 A number of hospitals and health systems are reducing their workforces or jobs due to financial and operational challenges. [Listed] are workforce reduction efforts or job eliminations announced this year [by Becker's]. June:

Survey: Adults dropped from Medicaid after pandemic faced healthcare access, affordability issues CIDRAP - Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy Research and Innovation Office, University of Minnesota; by Mary Van Beusekom, MS; 7/2/24 A survey of low-income adults in four southern US states shows that nearly half of those disenrolled from Medicaid after COVID-19 pandemic protections ended had no insurance in late 2023, leading to struggles to afford healthcare and prescription drugs and threatening to broaden a gap that had narrowed during expanded governmental benefits. The data were derived from 89,130 adult residents of Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Texas participating in the National Health Interview Survey in 2019, 2021, and 2022. In 2023, states rechecked Medicaid eligibility after COVID-19 governmental protections expired, disenrolling millions. The average participant age was 48.0 years, and 51.6% were women. Researchers from Beth Israel Medical Center and Harvard Medical School published the results late last week in JAMA Health Forum.

10 key Medicare Advantage updates in 2024 Becker's Payer Issues; by Rylee Wilson; 6/27/24 The first half of 2024 brought shifting trends for Medicare Advantage. Payers continued to warn of rising medical costs in the MA population, and some are predicting they will lose members next year. Insurers picked up a win in June when CMS said it would recalculate star ratings for 2024. Here are 10 key Medicare Advantage updates to know: