Literature Review

Influenza vaccination cuts deaths by up to four times Medscape Medical News; by Olga Fernandez Castro; 2/17/25 Influenza vaccination significantly reduces flu-related morbidity and mortality across all age groups, according to a large-scale Spanish study analyzing data from more than 38 countries and 6.5 million patients. ... The analysis confirms that vaccination against the influenza A (H1N1) virus and the influenza B virus (IBV) effectively reduces infection rates and flu-related complications in children aged under 5 years, individuals aged 5-65 years, and older adults aged over 65 years. However, protection against influenza A (H3N2) virus appears lower in older adults, despite being effective in younger children. Editor's note: Click here for the Centers for Disease & Prevention Control (CDC) "Weekly Influenza Surveillance Preport," with a map for flu activity levels for each state and drilled down to counties. Click on the "CBSA" button to change from the state view to the counties' view and downloadable data. 

YoloCares: Breaking barriers in medicine, advancing DEI The Davis Enterprise; by Craig Dresang, Special to The Enterprise; 2/15/25 She is unassuming. She is a powerhouse. Her broad blissful smile can be disarming, but make no mistake, Jackie Clark RN, MBA, is a force of nature who knows how to get things done and how to lift people up in the process. The woman who California appointed as its first CEO for Correctional Healthcare Services, and now serves as the Board Chair for YoloCares, has some insight about the emerging challenges facing both healthcare and the country. Before her recent retirement, Clark oversaw the care of approximately 5,000 incarcerated patients annually, including one of the only hospice facilities in the country for incarcerated individuals. Clark expanded hospice care and developed a program for patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Recognizing the emotional impacts that an inmate’s death can have in the prison community, she also expanded an existing peer support training program to include preparing volunteers to aid hospice patients. ... Over time, Clark completely transformed the quality and delivery of healthcare in all of California’s 34 correctional facilities. ...

It’s the rough side of the mountain that’s the easiest to climb; the smooth side doesn’t have anything for you to hang on to. ~ Aretha Franklin

[England] Hundreds protest amid fears of hospice closure BBC News, Liverpool, England; by Suzanne Hailey & Rumeana Jahangir; 2/15/25 Hundreds of people have attended an emotional protest against the potential closure of a Marie Curie hospice. The 26-bed inpatient unit at the site in Woolton, Liverpool, has been temporarily shut since July amid shortages in specialised nursing staff. ... [Independent] councillor Lucy Williams, who worked at the hospice as a palliative care nurse for two years, told BBC North West Tonight the charity's management said on Friday "they were considering closure" as one of their options. At a protest outside the hospice on Saturday many people held up pictures of loved ones who had died, with some saying they were "angry" about the current state of uncertainty. Ms Williams said: "Marie Curie are going to be met with the wrath of Liverpool. The whole community is going to get behind this."

Human Services seeks proposals to expand PACE to serve older adults in all 21 counties [New Jersey] Department of Human Services - Official Site of the State of New Jersey, Trenton, NJ; 2/14/25 Human Services today issued two requests for proposals to establish a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in Hunterdon County and in Morris, Sussex, and Warren Counties, the remaining counties currently without a PACE program. PACE is an innovative program that provides individuals 55 years of age or older with comprehensive medical and social services. The care is coordinated and provided by an interdisciplinary team of professionals in a community-based center and in their homes. ... “PACE connects older residents with specific health needs to vital health and social services that can help delay or avoid admission to long-term care facilities. This is the last step to achieving our goal of expanding PACE as an option to older adults in every county of New Jersey,” said Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman.

Hearts for Hospice showers patients with love Davidson Local, Davidson County, NC; 2/14/25 As people prepare to shower each other with love each Valentine's Day, the annual Hearts for Hospice provides comforting packages to more than 350 patients and families. Staff says that the community initiative is a highly regarded event at [Hospice of Davidson County] HODC, eagerly anticipated by volunteers and staff each year. This Valentine-themed event begins with contributions of sweet treats, stuffed animal items, and personal care items donated by individuals, civic groups, and the business community. Following the drop-offs, a team assembles Valentine-themed goodie bags filled with delightful treats. These lovingly prepared gifts are then delivered to participating patients throughout the service area on Valentine’s Day, creating an opportunity to spread joy, warmth and affection.

New House resolution would throw out 2025 home health rule McKnights Home Care; by Liza Berger; 2/14/25 Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) on Wednesday introduced a resolution for Congress to disapprove of the 2025 home health payment rule. The resolution was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Home health providers and advocates have  been pushing for Congress to stop the rule, which gives an aggregate 0.5% bump for home health providers but inflicts a permanent behavioral adjustment of -1.975%. ...  In 2023, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (now the National Alliance for Care at Home) sued the Department of Health and Human Services to block Medicare rate cuts. 

Navigating palliative care models in ACO partnerships Hospice News; by Markisan Naso; 2/14/25 Partnerships between health care providers and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) can help to create effective, value-based palliative care models for patients, but navigating the development of those relationships requires communication and a true commitment to collaboration. ... “ACOs are looking for high-quality care that reduces avoidable crises, and specialty palliative care has been proven to do just that,” Allison Silvers, chief of health care transformation at the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), told Palliative Care News. ... 

Class action over UHG's alleged AI-driven care denials advances Modern Healthcare; by Lauren Berryman; 2/13/25 A class action regarding UnitedHealthcare’s alleged use of artificial intelligence to deny care for Medicare Advantage members will continue playing out in court, but with fewer claims. In a court filing Thursday, a federal judge said two of seven claims brought against UnitedHealth Group by health plan members and their families — who alleged the company used AI to deny coverage for medically necessary post-acute care — can move forward. UnitedHealth Group has been battling the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, since November 2023. Plaintiffs have alleged the company's health insurance unit UnitedHealthcare used an AI tool called nH Predict to make coverage decisions, sometimes overriding physician judgment. 

UnitedHealth, Amedisys plan divesture of up to 128 locations Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 2/11/25 UnitedHealth Group said in a court filing Friday [2/7/25] its plans to sell at least 128 home health and hospice locations to ease the Justice Department's antitrust concerns around its acquisition of Amedisys. The divestiture plans were part of a filing in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland in a response to the Justice Department’s lawsuit to block the proposed acquisition. ... The company didn’t identify which locations would be sold, but said they would be in areas where UnitedHealth Group and Amedisys’ combined market share would exceed the thresholds federal regulators allege could harm competition. UnitedHealth Group said in the court filing it was in the process of identifying qualified buyers who would be able to operate and grow the divested locations.

Death Matters: The gift of presence: Tips for visiting someone who is dying Squim Gazette, Squim, WA; by Jeanette Stehr-Green, Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County; 2/12/25 We sometimes avoid visiting friends or family members who are terminally ill. We make lots of excuses. We don’t know what to say. We don’t know how to act. We don’t want to be a bother. The hard truth is that dying, the final stage of life, can be a lonely experience without the presence of family and friends. A visit during this time can bring comfort to the dying person and their family. It can also provide an opportunity to share feelings, reminisce, and say goodbye. Visiting a dying person seems difficult because most of us lack experience. It only takes a little courage and a few ideas to create a meaningful moment. ... Editor's note: These excellent guidelines empower hospice patients' families and friends--and protect patients' vulnerable energies and emotions--in multiple settings across the trajectory of dying. How might you adapt these for your own patient/caregiver support and community outreach?

Delivery driver’s heartbreaking realization after he picks up hospital job Newsweek Life; by Lydia Patrick; 2/13/25 A food delivery driver's shift took an unexpected and poignant turn when he accepted a hospital order that carried a heartbreaking significance. Reddit user u/ondasher808, who chose to remain anonymous, shared that delivering to hospitals is common, as many staff members place orders. However, this particular request included a room number in the ICU, which does not allow direct deliveries. ... He called the customer upon arrival. ... The woman who answered thanked him and assured him that someone would come down to retrieve the food. Then, she added something that left him stunned-it was "someone's final meal." ... Five minutes later, a nurse arrived to collect the bag. ... "I noticed that the bag contained a Happy Meal and that was a bit of a shock because I didn't expect it." ... Later that night, he turned to Reddit to process his emotions, surprised by the outpouring of support from fellow drivers, customers who had ordered final meals for loved ones, and health-care workers who had witnessed similar moments.