Literature Review

MedPAC Meeting 12/7-8/23.Register for the Thursday, December 7 afternoon session (1:30PM to 5:00PM) by clicking here. Topics covered include: Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Hospice services.Notable Mentions: Kim Neuman.

Dartmouth Health says it will not conduct more layoffs

Why Are Nonprofit Hospitals Focused More on Dollars Than Patients?

Hospice patients, pets focus of Pet Peace of Mind, which has Vancouver branch

Four Iowa care facilities added to federal watchlist of nursing homes

GeriPal: Redefining Alzheimer’s Disease: A Podcast with Heather Whitson, Jason Karlawish, Lon Schneider.There is a growing push to change how we define Alzheimer’s disease from what was historically a clinically defined syndrome to a newer biological definition based on the presence of positive amyloid biomarkers.

How Nursing Homes Fit Into the Expensive Housing Dilemma for Aging Adults

News about the Upcoming Hospice News Today Transition  Two long-time hospice advocates and entrepreneurs will be assuming publication of Hospice News Today on January 1, 2024, which will be renamed Hospice and Palliative Care Today, LLC.  Leading the effort will be Cordt Kassner, PhD, who, as many of you know, is the brains and number-cruncher behind Hospice Analytics. Cordt will be bringing on an editor, who is well known in the hospice community. We’ll be announcing that name in a week or two.  Cordt and his editor are committed to maintaining—and building upon—the Hospice News Today goal of ensuring that hospice leaders have the information and background necessary to navigate the ever-changing, ever-challenging healthcare landscape to ensure the long-term sustainability and success of the hospice model of care.  They will be making some exciting changes in the newsletter format as they roll out Hospice and Palliative Care Today. You’ll still receive a daily email. Monday through Friday the email will digest the day’s news. Weekend and Holiday editions will present some deeper looks at areas like clinical news.  You’ll soon be able to customize your daily newsletter to the topics and issues of interest to you—although given my personal interest in issues management, I encourage you to cast as broad a net as you’re comfortable.  The newsletter will be dynamically linked to an incredibly interactive website where you can manage your profile, search archives, and more.  And, perhaps most significantly, Hospice and Palliative Care Today will convert to a free-subscription model, relying into the future on the support of advertisers and sponsors to bring this valuable tool to the hospice community.  As hospice leaders, you understand that change is always a challenge. I encourage you to approach the new newsletter with an open mind. Cordt and his editor will be experimenting with various features and options from day one, so be patient. The newsletter you receive on January 1 will not be the same as the newsletter you receive on April 1 or July 1. It will be an invigorating journey of discovery for all of us!  In the next week or two, you’ll start seeing a link in Hospice News Today to take you to the Hospice and Palliative Care Today website to register for your free subscription commencing January 1. Please be sure to respond—and please share the link freely with anyone and everyone who might be interested.  It’s been a rewarding journey for me since 2012 to build this tool for my friends and colleagues in the hospice community. Cordt was one of my first subscribers, so it’s especially gratifying to be able to hand the newsletter to him.  As a reminder, this transition for Hospice News Today has no bearing on the respected online trade publication, Hospice News.  Look for more transition information in the days ahead.  In the meantime time, you can learn more about Cordt here.  Thanks for your continued readership and interest.Mark CohenEditor & Publisher, Hospice News Today

Journal of Palliative Medicine - High Impact Articles - Core Roles and Responsibilities of Physicians in Hospice Care: A Statement by and for U.S. Hospice and Palliative Care Physicians.By Ira Byock and on behalf of HPM Physicians Concerned About Hospice Care*.Physicians are integral members of hospice interdisciplinary teams (IDTs). This statement delineates the core roles and responsibilities of hospice medical directors (HMDs) and hospice physicians who are designated by the hospice program to fulfill core HMD responsibilities. In addition, we describe the basic elements of hospice programs' structure and function required for hospice physicians to fulfill their roles and responsibilities. Finally, we call attention to hospice program characteristics and circumstances of the work environment that should raise a hospice physician's concerns that hospice patients and families are at risk of receiving low-quality care.

Losses continue at struggling Independence Health System

Nurses weigh in on proposed Tenet lease for Desert Regional; special meeting date set

BJC, Saint Luke’s of Kansas City merger to close soon