Literature Review

US CDC plans to drop five-day COVID isolation guidelinesReuters; 2/13/24The U.S. CDC plans to drop its five-day COVID-19 isolation recommendations under new guidance planned by the agency, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

Chief exec leaves PeaceHealth medical groupBecker's Hospital Review, by Molly Gamble; 2/12/24PeaceHealth Medical Group Chief Executive Scott Foster, MD, is resigning from the post. Dr. Foster's last day with the Vancouver, Wash.-based medical group will be March 8, according to an announcement shared by PeaceHealth Executive Vice President and Chief Financial and Growth Officer Darrin Montalvo.

U.S. News & World Report: How to choose a hospice provider and questions to askU.S. News & World Report, by Claire Wolters; 2/14/24Hospice is a critical piece of end-of-life care for many families. Here's how to determine if hospice care is a good fit for you. [Includes "Questions to Ask Yourself," "Questions to Ask Your Hospice Provider," and "How to Choose a Hospice Provider."]Editor's Note: This high profile article provides concise information and questions for the public. Do your marketing materials address these questions? For CMS hospice CAHPS and HHS quality ratings, examine the National Hospice Locator, which provides information about every known hospice in the United States.

PeaceHealth home care nurses strike: Picketers demand equal pay, better staffingThe Register-Guard, by Miranda Cyr; 2/13/24About 30 home care and hospice nurses and supporters were spread out at the entrances to the PeaceHealth offices in Springfield. The strike, which started Saturday, is scheduled to last until 7 a.m. on Feb. 24. "I really care about my community. I care about them being able to receive good care," said Heather Herbert, an ONA member and hospice nurse who was among those picketing on Monday. "We would not be striking if we felt that there was any other way to get what our community deserves."

Former President Jimmy Carter spends 12 months in hospice careNewsNation, by Katie Smith; 2/14/24Sunday will mark one year since America’s longest-living president, 99-year-old Jimmy Carter, entered hospice care to spend his remaining time at home with his family. The 39th U.S. president elected to receive hospice care Feb. 18, 2023, according to a statement The Carter Center issued that day.Editor's Note: How are you addressing this length of 1+ year with the patients you serve? Click here for the CMS pdf of the 6-month rule, "Face-to-Face Requirement Affecting Hospice Recertification." 

Hospice of Wichita Falls gets multi-million dollar gift, renames Inpatient Care Center honoring Prothro familyKFDX 3 News, by Natalie McCain; 2/12/24, updated 2/13/24The Hospice of Wichita Falls’ Inpatient Care Center has been renamed to reflect a generous multi-million dollar gift from the Perkins-Prothro Foundation, Dianne and Mark Prothro and Dale Prothro. The largest gift in HOWF history will honor the memory of Charles “Charlie” Philbin, grandson of Dianne and Mark, and Joe Prothro, Dale’s husband, HOWF officials announced on February 12.

NHPCO celebrates achievements of hospice and palliative care providers in nationwide Quality Connections Program NHPCO press release; 2/13/24The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) recognizes the achievements of participating member organizations who have earned rings in the third program year of NHPCO’s Quality Connections program. First launched in January 2021, Quality Connections (QC) is the only national program designed to support hospice and palliative care provider delivery of high-quality, person-centered care. The program is structured around four fundamental pillars which are represented by four rings: Education, Application, Measurement, and Innovation.

These 8 traits make great doctors, and residents can develop themAMA, by Brendan Murphy; 2/5/24

The importance of art in a “good death”Hyperallergic, by Brianna L. Hernandez; 2/11/24... Resham Mantri and Eliana Yoneda are two artists and death doulas who are collaborators and founders of Community Deathcare Digest, an evolving collection of art projects and death cafes, as well as a bi-weekly newsletter about death and care. The newsletter gathers resources and educational content, and coordinates mutual aid for death rituals and funeral needs.

Hospice support, staff appreciation: [Singing Telegram]Daily News, Wahpeton, ND, by Frank Stanko; 2/9/24You just never know who is going to drop by Daily News’ office in Wahpeton. [On] Giving Hearts Day, celebrated Thursday, Feb. 8, ... a singing telegram [was delivered]. The unique gift was shared by Daily News Publisher Tara Klostreich to appreciate the staff and also as a way to support CHI Health at Home Hospice. [They] sang three favorites, ‘Can’t Help Falling Falling in Love’ and ‘Love Me Tender’ by Elvis, plus ‘Daisy Bell.’ 

What is a good death? End-of-life doulas can help the dying have one.Boston Globe, by Sherrie Dulworth; 2/9/24... Home hospice agencies offer vital services for terminally ill people who wish to die at home, assisting with, among other things, pain management and helping the terminally ill avoid needless medical procedures. ... But while it is often thought that home hospice workers are the primary caregivers for the dying, this is not so. Instead, it is loved ones who often do the heavy lifting, both physically and emotionally, that comes with tending to the dying. ... This is where a death doula comes in, and the work they do speaks to the nonmedical, more spiritual side of what it means to have a good death.

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time. U.S. Medicine, by Chester Buckenmaier III, MD, COL (ret), MC, USA; 2/13/24New Year’s Eve 2023 was marked with sadness for my family as my mother-in-law, Susan “Sue” Timperley, passed. ... Because of Sue’s strength in life, when her death came faster than we or her physician expected, we were spared further trauma. ... Hospice proved as helpful in death as they were in life by easing the weight of Sue’s loss through arrangements for her body. This support allowed Sue to die as she lived, with quiet strength and regal dignity. Our family was gifted with the time to focus on her memory rather than sterile hospital rules and cold machines.