Literature Review

Nonprofit that assisted cancer patients donates remaining funds to Hospice of Texarkana Texarkana Gazette, Texarkana, TX; by Gazette Staff; 6/28/24 The Angel Fund Foundation has voted to dissolve as a nonprofit and donate its remaining of approximately $148,000 of funds to Hospice of Texarkana. Founded in 2006 by cancer survivor Beth Morgan, The Angel Fund Foundation helped cancer patients in the community for two decades, according to a news release from Hospice of Texarkana. "We feel fortunate that Beth Morgan and the Angel Fund Foundation Board have chosen Hospice of Texarkana as the recipient of the remaining assets," said Cindy Marsh, Hospice of Texarkana Executive Director. "After meeting with Mrs. Morgan and gaining clarity on her wishes for the dissolution of funds, it seemed like a perfect transition to provide hospice care for cancer patients with those funds," Marsh said.

Optum to pay $20M to settle improper prescription allegations Becker's Hospital Review; by Rylee Wilson; 6/28/24 OptumRx will pay $20 million to settle allegations it improperly dispensed some opioid medications, the Justice Department said June 27. The settlement resolves an investigation into if OptumRx improperly filled certain opioid prescriptions between 2013 and 2015. The Justice Department alleged the pharmaceutical benefit manager improperly dispensed opioids in combination with other drugs, including benzodiazepines and muscle relaxants, from its mail-order pharmacy operations in Carlsbad, Calif. Opioids prescribed alongside benzodiazepines and muscle relaxants are commonly referred to as "trinity" prescriptions. These prescriptions raise red flags that the drugs may not be for legitimate medical use, and could lead to the diversion of controlled substances, the Justice Department said. In its investigation, the department alleged OptumRx dispensed trinity prescriptions without resolving red flags. OptumRx does not admit liability as part of the settlement.

Amedisys to divest certain home health locations to VitalCaring, clearing path for UnitedHealth Group deal Home Health Care News; by Andrew Donlan; 6/28/24 Amedisys Inc. filed paperwork Friday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission saying it has agreed to divest “certain” locations to an affiliate of home health and hospice company VitalCaring. The divestiture was a way for Amedisys to avoid further antitrust concerns from regulators prior to it joining UnitedHealth Group. UnitedHealth Group’s Optum agreed to purchase Amedisys last June for a purchase price of $3.3 billion. Optum already owns LHC Group, another one of the largest home health companies in the country.

How the Supreme Court’s Chevron Decision could help stop home health cuts Home Health Care News; by Andrew Donlan; 6/28/24 On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court upended the Chevron doctrine precedent. For home health industry purposes, that means a potentially weakened Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) moving forward. The news comes just two days after the home health proposed payment rule was released, which included significant cuts for the third straight year. Broadly, moving away from the Chevron precedent – usually known as the Chevron doctrine – will mean less regulatory power for government agencies. Government agencies often take their own interpretations of certain laws and statutes, and then act upon those interpretations. ... The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) already filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and CMS over rate cuts in 2023. “In our own analysis, we believe that providers of home health have been underpaid as it relates to budget neutrality,” NAHC President William A. Dombi said when the lawsuit was filed. “At minimum, we would expect to see the rate cuts from 2023, that were permanent readjustments to the base rate, and the one proposed for 2024, along with the temporary adjustments … to go away. The end product of that is that we would have a stable system to deliver home health services to Medicare beneficiaries.”

Memorial outing raises $15,000 for McLaren Hospice MyFenton.com - tctimes.com; Fenton, MI; 6/28/24 The 27th annual Nancy Streber Memorial Golf Classic held May 11 at Heather Hills Golf Course in Romeo raised more than $15,000 for McLaren Hospice’s end-of-life care services —breaking its fundraising record previously reached in 2023. The event, founded by Dave Streber and his family, honors the memory of his mother, Nancy, and the care her father received as a McLaren patient. In addition to the fundraising milestone, the event hosted 140, making it one of the largest, most successful events in the memorial outing’s history. “We are profoundly grateful for the 27 years of dedication from Dave Streber and his family, as well as the numerous organizations and all of individuals who have contributed to this event and supported McLaren Hospice over the years,” said Cindy Tomlinson, MSN, RN, vice president of hospice at McLaren Health Management Group.

[Four-day workweeks:] A flexibility trend gaining steam in nursing Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Erica Carbajal; 6/26/24 A growing number of health systems are embracing  four-day workweeks for nurse leaders — a strategy that has helped some boost recruitment, retention and staff engagement. Over the past year, the needs and well-being of nurse managers have come into focus, with hospitals and health systems taking a closer look at how to best support them in addition to bedside nurses. Survey findings have indicated nurse managers have a hard time fully disconnecting from work, and they crave much of the same work environment factors that front-line nurses do, such as the ability to take time off when needed and work-life balance support. As such, four-day schedules have increasingly become part of the conversation at many hospitals and health systems. 

Anxiety in late life and serious illness: A podcast with Alex Gamble and Brianna WilliamsonGeriPal [podcast]; by Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Alex Gamble, Brianna Williamson; 6/27/24“Anxiety is a lot like a toddler. It never stops talking, tells you you’re wrong about everything, and wakes you up at 3 a.m.” I’m not sure who wrote this quote, but it feels right to me. We’ve all had anxiety, and probably all recognize that anxiety can be a force of action or growth but can also spiral to quickly take over our lives and our sleep. How, though, do we navigate anxiety and help our patients who may end up in the anxiety spiral that becomes so hard to get out of? On today’s podcast, we’ve invited Alex Gamble and Brianna Williamson to talk to us about anxiety. Alex is a triple-boarded (palliative care, internal medicine, and psychiatry) assistant professor of medicine at Stanford. Brianna is one of UCSF’s palliative care fellows who just completed her psychiatry residency.

The best staff retention strategies: Poll Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 6/24/24 Increased schedule flexibility remains one of the most effective strategies for staff retention, a recent Becker's poll found. The poll, posted on LinkedIn in mid-June, asked participants to vote on which of three options would have the greatest effect on staff retention at their organization. Becker's has no insights into respondents' organizations or roles. Of 832 votes received, 62% of respondents said increased schedule flexibility, 29% said hiring more staff, 4% said wellness initiatives and 6% said other. 

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.

Hospices’ 2024 Public Policy Priorities Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/27/24 A group of hospice leaders recently participated in Hospice Action Week, a lobbying event held last week by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the Hospice Action Network. In their meetings with legislators, providers made known their policy priorities. A key goal of these discussions was to establish open lines of communication with congressional offices to foster continued advocacy on hospice issues, according to NHPCO COO and interim CEO Ben Marcantonio. [Key issues include:]

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 

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.]