Literature Review

9 health systems newly approved for 'hospital at home'Becker's Health IT, by Giles Bruce; 2/15/24As of February, CMS has authorized 312 hospitals in 37 states spanning 131 health systems for the programs, where patients with such conditions as heart failure and sepsis are treated at home via nurse visits and virtual physician appointments. The top health systems are caring for dozens of patients per day at home. [Click on the title's link above for] nine new health systems that have been OK'd for the CMS hospital-at-home waiver in the past six months (and their approval dates).

Hospices see growth opportunities with physician offices, memory careHospice News, by Holly Vossel; 2/16/24Hospice providers are increasingly focused on memory care settings and physician offices as referral sources. ... Physician offices were identified among the most significant referral growth opportunities in 2024 by about 6% of 143 respondents to Hospice News’ 2024 Outlook Survey, conducted with Homecare Homebase. Meanwhile, 7% reported that their hospice organizations saw memory care settings as a significant referral source.

Why the Tech Industry Won’t Disrupt Health CareHarvard Business Review, by John Glaser, Sara Vaezy, and Janet Guptill; 2/16/24Because health care delivery is heavily data-driven but lags in adopting new technologies, it is easy to jump to the conclusion that it is ripe for digital disruption. Indeed, it’s obvious that U.S. health care badly needs significant change: It costs too much, its quality isn’t what it could and should be, and as for access, millions of people live hundreds of miles from the nearest hospital and/or don’t have a primary care doctor. But does that mean that new tech-savvy entrants, armed with powerful digital tools and novel business models, could displace and demolish incumbent health systems with their better-fastercheaper ethos? They haven’t so far, and we don’t think that they will.Publisher's note: Thank you Ernesto Lopez, The Denver Hospice, for sharing this article with us.

Health system C-suites' buzzword for 2024Becker's Hospital Review, by Laura Dyrda; 2/15/24The last year, 2023, was the year of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Top executives from hospitals and health systems large and small dove deep into ways AI could make their organizations more efficient and elevate patient care. While AI will stay a top priority over the next year, a new buzz word is on the tip of health system C-suite executives' tongues: partnerships. But not just any partnerships. Unique, innovative and outside-the-box partnerships will be essential for hospitals to thrive.

NorthStar Care Community partners with Centrica Care Navigators affiliate, creating one of the largest not-for-profit providers in the United StatesHospice of Michigan; retrieved 2/19/24Centrica’s community-leading presence in southwest Michigan will be a strong complement to the capabilities that Hospice of Michigan and Arbor Hospice bring to the state. By joining the NorthStar Care Community, they can ensure that a strong not-for-profit provider is an option in southwest Michigan for those needing serious illness care for years to come.

Looking at the challenges involving hospice careNPR WOSU PBS, podcast by All Sides with Anna Staver; 2/19/24Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by reducing pain and suffering for patients facing the end of life. However, physicians are voicing concerns about a prevalence of serious deficiencies in hospice care and believe it is in need of fixing.Host: Mike Thompson, WOSU chief content director of radioGuests: Dr. Ira Byock, palliative care physician and advocate; Dr. Jennifer Hirsh, hospice & palliative medicine specialist, Mt. CarmelEditor's Note: Originally aired 7/24/23; reposted 2/19/24

Hospice of the Plains honors President Jimmy CarterHospice of the Plains; 2/19/24This President’s Day we at Hospice of the Plains would like to honor former President Jimmy Carter for his work as President of the United States, his humanitarian work and his help bringing Hospice care to the public eye. ... President Carter elected to receive hospice care on Feb.18, 2023, after a series of hospital stays. ... President Carter decided to place focus on care rather than cure, knowing that his journey would be coming to an end, allowing highly trained nurses, social workers, chaplains, and support staff to take care of him. While hospice care isn’t widely discussed, and, to some, it may seem like giving up, as our former president has demonstrated, Hospice care is about living life to the fullest, living fully until our last breath.

'A blessing': Sarasota family shares importance of hospice care after losing 5-year-old to cancerCBS News 10 Tampa Bay, by Jenny Dean; 2/16/24While the average time in hospice is 70-80 days, some people defy the odds. And that's largely due to the changes in hospice care over the years. A Sarasota family knows how difficult that decision can be. They lost their 5-year-old daughter to cancer and now say hospice care is something they wish they would have gotten sooner.

Kim Mooney-Doyle awarded nearly $500,000 to study communication needs in families of seriously ill childrenThe Elm of the University of Maryland, by Mary Therese Phelan; 2/15/24Kim Mooney-Doyle, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC, assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON), has been awarded a two-year R21 grant of $460,000 from the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) to research how understanding family communication during serious pediatric illness, from the perspective of adolescent siblings and parents, provides opportunities to prevent long-term distress.

A year after Jimmy Carter entered hospice care, advocates hope his endurance drives awareness ABC News, by Bill Barrow, Associated Press; 2/18/24Since Jimmy Carter entered hospice care at his home in south Georgia one year ago, the former U.S. president has celebrated his 99th birthday, enjoyed tributes to his legacy and lost his wife of 77 years. Rosalynn Carter, who died in November, about six months after the Carter family disclosed her dementia diagnosis, lived only a few days under hospice supervision, with her frail husband at her bedside. Experts on end-of-life care say the Carters’ different paths show the range of an oft-misunderstood service. Those advocates commend the Carter family for demonstrating the realities of aging, dementia and death. They express hope that the attention spurs more Americans to seek out services intended to help patients and families in the latter stages of life.Editor's Note:

Cat Janice tops TikTok Billboard top 50 with ‘Dance You Outta My Head’Billboard; 2/15/24Cat Janice’s “Dance You Outta My Head” has reached No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50. ... Cat Janice’s “Dance You Outta My Head” takes the top spot on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for the chart posting Feb. 15. Fans have supported her song while she’s in hospice after being diagnosed with cancer, using her final song — which is dedicated to her 7-year-old son — to bring awareness to her condition.Editor's Note: We shared this story on 

Bon Secours Mercy Health outsourcing home health, hospiceBecker's Health IT, by Naomi Diaz; 2/16/24Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health will turn over operations of its home health and hospice operations across five states to home-based care company Compassus. Per the arrangement, Compassus will be responsible for overseeing the operations of 10 home health agencies and 11 hospice operations. ... Bon Secours Mercy Health will retain ownership of its hospice house real estate assets in specific locations, while Compassus takes charge of managing the operations.

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. – James Baldwin