Literature Review

Staff training key to improving hospice quality smong LGBTQ+ patientsHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/13/24Hospice staff training models with culturally appropriate LGBTQ+ components are key to improving quality outcomes among an increasingly diverse base of underserved seniors. Ongoing staff education and communication skill building are two significant pieces of bridging gaps of hospice care among LGBTQ+ seniors, according to Jerry Farmer, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at AccentCare.

New AMA president says he's ready to take on big challenges facing doctors amid payment cuts and rising burnout rates Fierce Healthcare; by Emma Beavins; 6/13/24 Bruce Scott, M.D., took the reins of the American Medical Association (AMA) for his first full day on Wednesday, June 12, succeeding immediate past president Jesse Ehrenfeld, M.D. ... During his tenure, Scott said he wants to emphasize the things that unite providers rather than the things that divide them. ... Some of the AMA’s biggest policy priorities include reducing prior authorization, bolstering Medicare payments for physicians and tamping down on increased scope of practice by non-physician providers. Scott said he hopes to follow in the steps of Ehrenfeld in engaging policymakers on these topics. In addition to banding together on those cross-discipline issues, Scott wants to advocate for rural clinics. 

More COVID-19 patients died in understaffed hospitals, new data showUniversity of Minnesota [reported by KFF Health News]; by Stephanie Soucheray, MA; 6/13/24A new study in the International Journal of Nursing Studies suggests chronically understaffed US hospitals had higher rates of COVID-19 patient deaths early in the pandemic. "Our study found that individuals' likelihood of surviving was related to hospitals' investments in nursing services prior to the pandemic—in terms of hiring sufficient numbers of RNs, employing nurses with bachelor's educational preparation, and sustaining favorable work environments," said Karen Lasater, PhD, RN, the lead author of the study, in a press release from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. The study was based on outcomes seen among 87,000 Medicare enrollees (ages 65 to 99) hospitalized with COVID-19 from April through December 2020 in 237 general acute-care hospitals in New York and Illinois. ... Overall, the average age of patients was 78 years, and 31.5 % died within 30 days of admission, with 23% of those patients dying during the hospitalization.

Palliative care nurses share precious lessons learnt after decades working with the dying News.com.au [Australia]; by Jessica Wang; 6/16/24 After taking care of terminal patients who are facing death for 35 years, Sydney nurse Cindy Grundy has learnt a lesson or two about living. Her most cherished is to “guard your time” and treat it like the invaluable commodity that it is, says the palliative care nurse, who works in an inner-city public hospital. “To me, time is everything. It’s so precious,” the 59-year-old said. “You need to learn how to prioritise things and let go of the things that don’t matter. I appreciate the smaller things in life from working in this job but time is a big thing for me.” ... At the heart of what she does, and other palliative care nurses do, is make sure patients can get the most out of the last few hours, days, weeks or months of life – whether that’s through managing their symptoms or fulfilling their last wishes. “They’re dying but they’re still alive and that’s a chance for laughter, love and new experiences,” says fellow Sydney-based nurse Steven Turk.

Center for Hospice Care launches ‘Kaleidoscope’ Palliative Care Program Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/17/24 The Indiana-based Center for Hospice Care (CHC) has unveiled a new palliative care program, branded as Kaleidoscope. Kaleidoscope is designed to provide patients with interdisciplinary palliative care in the home setting. Their care model includes services from nurse practitioners, palliative care nurses, community health workers, spiritual care providers and volunteers. The nonprofit also provides palliative care in a clinic setting at its Center for Palliative Care. “Kaleidoscope is a community-based palliative care program where we’re seeing patients in the privacy of their own home,” CHC Medical Director Karissa Misner told local news. “We also still have palliative care in a clinic setting. Now we’re able to offer two different entities for people that still want to go out to a doctor’s appointment.”

How funerals and death became the new hot things New York Post; by Alix Strauss; 6/16/24 ... Funeral homes, similar to cemeteries ... are becoming the new community centers, and people are attending events not for sad occasions, but because they have become death curious, death fascinated, and death comfortable as we all move closer to that final chapter. “The stigma around funeral homes is dissipating. The vibe of our funeral home is changing. People come to these events wanting to be here, as opposed to having to be here,” said William Villanova, president of Frank E. Campbell – The Funeral Chapel. “There’s a void we are filling in our community. We put on large-scale, high-quality, catered events with talented people at an extraordinary space.”

NIH: Hot weather safety for older adults OSHA: Heat - Working in outdoor and indoor heat environmentsOSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration; retrieved from their website 6/18/24 

Alive names hospice industry veteran as CEONashville Post; 6/13/24Nonprofit adds leader one year after nixing would-be sale in face of public pressure. Hospice care and end-of-life services provider Alive announced Thursday that Kerry Hamilton will serve as president and chief executive officer.

Care provider to pay $14.9M over false claims involving assisted living communitiesMcKnight's Senior Living; Kimberly Bonvissuto; 6/10/24A chronic disease management provider will have to shell out $14.9 million over allegations related to false claims involving assisted living communities, memory care communities and group homes. Bluestone Physician Services of Florida LLC, Bluestone Physician Services PA of Minnesota and Bluestone National LLC of Wisconsin agreed to a $14.9 million settlement with the Justice Department. The federal government alleged that Bluestone knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE — the healthcare program for active duty service members and their families — for certain evaluation and management codes for services related to chronic care management of assisted living residents. The settlement agreement resolves allegations that Bluestone submitted “inflated” claims between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2019, that did not support the level of service provided. The federal government will receive $13.8 million from the settlement, with more than $1 million going to the states of Florida and Minnesota.

Revenue pressures driving home care consolidation, private equity’s growing influence, provider group saysMcKnight's Home Care; by Adam Healy; 6/11/24Pressures such as insufficient government reimbursement and rising Medicare Advantage penetration are contributing to consolidation in home care and hospice, LeadingAge told regulators last week in response to a February request for information surrounding healthcare market competition. “Sustainable fee-for-service rates that cover the continually rising costs of delivering care are of critical importance,” LeadingAge said. “Outside revenue pressures such as lower reimbursement rates from managed care plans, reduced units of service through accountable and managed care organizations, and an increasing need to be an organization of a certain size in order to contract with managed care organizations and accountable care organizations are also factors that drive consideration of consolidation options.” One particular concern, LeadingAge noted, is the growing investment in healthcare by private equity firms. Private equity firms have driven a significant share of home care and hospice consolidation in recent years. PE firms had a hand in 35 home health deals, 15 personal care deals and 13 hospice deals last year, according to a recent report. And studies have shown that patients receiving care from PE-owned providers may experience worse health outcomes than patients at nonprofit agencies.

'I don't ever trust Epic to be correct': Nurses raise more AI concerns Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 6/14/24 Nurses continue to voice concerns about artificial intelligence and its integration into EHRs, saying the technology is ineffective and interferes with patient care. Nurses from health systems around the country spoke to National Nurses United, their largest labor union, for a June 5 story about issues with such programs as automated nurse handoffs, patient classification systems and sepsis alerts. Multiple nurses cited problems with EHR-based programs from Epic and Oracle Health that use algorithms to determine patient acuity and nurse staffing levels. "I don't ever trust Epic to be correct," Craig Cedotal, RN, a pediatric oncology nurse at Kaiser Permanente Oakland (Calif.) Medical Center, told the nurses' union. "It's never a reflection of what we need, but more a snapshot of what we've done." ... Hundreds of nurses protested AI at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center in April.

MedPAC releases June 2024 report on Medicare and the health care delivery systemMedPac - Medicare Payment Advisory Commision; Press Release; 6/13/24The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) released its June 2024 Report [on June 13, 2024] to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System. Each June, as part of its mandate from the Congress, MedPAC reports on improvements to Medicare payment systems, issues affecting the Medicare program, and changes to health care delivery and the market for health care services. This year’s report covers the following topics:

HPNA Position Statement: Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD)HPNA's position, policy, and value statements are reviewed every five years. Prior to approval from the Board of Directors, all new, revised, and updated position or value statements are posted for public comment to allow for opinions relevant to the position or value statement for a 30-day period. Statement open for comments through July 7, 2024.Position statement; feedback form