Literature Review
CMS plans hiring spree ahead of new payment models
07/25/25 at 03:00 AMCMS plans hiring spree ahead of new payment models Becker's Hospital Review; by Alan Condon; 7/22/25 The CMS Innovation Center plans to hire a string of new employees as it plans to roll out several new payment models. The move comes four months after HHS, CMS’ parent department, cut about 5% of the agency’s workforce, Politico reported July 21. Four things to know:
Today's Encouragement: Make sure your worst enemy doesn't ...
07/25/25 at 03:00 AMMake sure your worst enemy doesn't live between your two ears. ~ Laird Hamilton
Andwell Health Partners CEO: Medicare Advantage becoming ‘failed policy,’ jeopardizes home health access
07/25/25 at 02:30 AMAndwell Health Partners CEO: Medicare Advantage becoming ‘failed policy,’ jeopardizes home health accessHome Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 7/21/25 The rise of Medicare Advantage (MA) has reshaped the home-based care landscape, but it’s putting home health providers in precarious positions while increasingly failing to deliver for beneficiaries. That’s according to the leader of Lewiston, Maine-based nonprofit provider Andwell Health Partners, which has significantly changed the way it cares for patients, including adjusting care plans, to adjust to increased penetration of MA. Andwell Health Partners’ CEO Ken Albert said MA is rapidly becoming a “failed policy,” on a recent episode of Home Health Care News’ Disrupt podcast. Formerly known as Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice, Andwell Health Partners offers home health care, palliative care, hospice services and a slew of other services across Maine. Albert sat down with HHCN to discuss how the nonprofit will survive industry headwinds, the new service lines and innovations he has plotted for the organization, the future of Medicare Advantage and how nonprofit providers have to innovate to survive.
VNA Golf-A-Thon fundraising drivers give it their best shots
07/25/25 at 02:00 AMVNA Golf-A-Thon fundraising drivers give it their best shots Vero News, Vero Beach, FL; by Stephanie LaBaff; 7/24/25 Generosity was in full swing during the 35th annual VNA & Hospice Foundation Golf-A-Thon, held this year at the Vero Beach Country Club, where pros representing 13 local clubs spent a full day on the course playing more than 100 holes of golf. “It’s a beautiful day here at the Vero Beach Country Club, and I really want to thank everybody who participated today,” said Carol Kanarek, VNA & Hospice Foundation board chair, thanking the professional golfers, volunteers and staff of the VNA and the VBCC. “This has been a year of events for the VNA,” said Kanarek, referencing the VNA’s 50th anniversary, the 35th anniversary of the Golf-A-Thon and the 25th anniversary of the Hospice House. ... Co-chairs Nancy Edmiston and Karen Formont scored a perfect game with the assistance of their team, raising more than $484,000 in critical funding for VNA & Hospice Foundation programs and services. Editor's Note: Congratulations VNA & Hospice Foundation on this "more than $484,000" raised, and your 50th, 35th, and 25th anniversaries!
How Compliance Management Systems help ensure business efficiency
07/24/25 at 03:00 AMHow Compliance Management Systems help ensure business efficiency Enterprise Talk; by Apoorva Kasam; 7/22/25 With changing rules and regulations, businesses can’t afford to leave compliance to chance. A robust compliance management system (CMS) helps meet regulatory, legal, and internal policy requirements.
Trump administration hands over Medicaid recipients’ personal data, including addresses, to ICE
07/24/25 at 03:00 AMTrump administration hands over Medicaid recipients’ personal data, including addresses, to ICE Associated Press (AP), Washington, DC; by Kimberly Kindy and Amanda Seitz; updated 7/17/25 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will be given access to the personal data of the nation’s 79 million Medicaid enrollees, including home addresses and ethnicities, to track down immigrants who may not be living legally in the United States, according to an agreement obtained by The Associated Press. The information will give ICE officials the ability to find “the location of aliens” across the country, says the agreement signed Monday [7/14] between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Homeland Security. ... Such disclosures, even if not acted upon, could cause widespread alarm among people seeking emergency medical help for themselves or their children. ... The database will reveal to ICE officials the names, addresses, birth dates, ethnic and racial information, as well as Social Security numbers for all people enrolled in Medicaid. The state and federally funded program provides health care coverage program for the poorest of people, including millions of children. ... [Federal] law requires all states to offer emergency Medicaid, a temporary coverage that pays only for lifesaving services in emergency rooms to anyone, including non-U.S. citizens. Emergency Medicaid is often used by immigrants, including those who are lawfully present and those who are not.
10 questions to help you plan for the end of life
07/24/25 at 03:00 AM10 questions to help you plan for the end of life Time; by Angela Haupt; 7/21/25 Talking about death doesn’t have to be morbid. If you approach the conversation the right way, “it makes us more awake to our lives,” says Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider, founder of End Well, a nonprofit that aims to change the way people talk about and plan for the end of life. “When we avoid this discussion, we rob ourselves of one of life's most clarifying forces—and that's the awareness that our time is finite.” There are other benefits to planning ahead. ... We asked experts to share 10 essential questions to ask yourself—and your loved ones—to plan for the end of life.
Facing new CMS pressure, providers should audit mental health diagnoses, prescriptions: expert
07/24/25 at 03:00 AMFacing new CMS pressure, providers should audit mental health diagnoses, prescriptions: expert McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Kimberly Marselas; 7/22/25 As reported in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News on July 23, “Nursing homes should be auditing documentation for all residents with mental health disorders to ensure their diagnoses are compliant with new federal guidance, a well-known clinical reimbursement recommended Tuesday. Leigh Ann Frick, president of Care Navigation Consulting, made that suggestion while reviewing updated Long-Term Care Surveyor Guidance that went into effect in late April. At over 900 pages, the new manual and appendixes have left many providers still navigating the changes and how best to respond to them. When it comes to giving antipsychotic medications, diagnosing patients with disorders that require them, or identifying and responding to any other patient needs, the guidance puts new emphasis on the use of professional standards, Frisk explained. Guest Editor’s Note, Judi Lund Person: For nursing home residents who have elected the Medicare hospice benefit, this information may apply. Diagnosing mental health issues, prescribing, and documenting based on professional standards is an important component in the updated Long-Term Care Surveyor guidance issued in April.
Public welcomed inside Heather’s House, North Dakota’s 1st freestanding hospice
07/24/25 at 03:00 AMPublic welcomed inside Heather’s House, North Dakota’s 1st freestanding hospice Grand Forks Herald, Fargo, ND; by Robin Hueben and Michael McGurran; 7/22/25 The public is getting its first look inside North Dakota's first freestanding, inpatient hospice house. Several hundred people turned out for a program and open house at HIA Heather's House on Tuesday, July 22, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 3800 56th Ave. S., Fargo, put on by HIA Health. The letters HIA stand for "hearts in action." HIA had previously been known as Hospice of the Red River Valley before changing its name in June. ... Nancy Andrews, president of the HIA Hospice Board, greeted the crowd on behalf of the board and the facility staff. "I welcome you to the grand opening of this sacred place — a place of peace, compassion and dignity," she said. [For more background, read our 4/23/24 post, Hospice of the Red River Valley celebrates milestone in Heather's House construction.]
Post-acute care faces labor shortage amid immigration scrutiny
07/24/25 at 03:00 AMPost-acute care faces labor shortage amid immigration scrutiny Modern Healthcare, Post-Acute Care; by Diane Eastabrook; 7/23/25 Nursing homes and home care operators are scrambling to find replacements for foreign-born workers no longer eligible to work in the U.S. due to changes in immigration policy. Providers in Boston, Atlanta and other cities with large populations of immigrants, and Haitians in particular, say the loss of foreign-born workers in an already tight job market is making it increasingly difficult to meet the growing demand for care — and will likely drive up care costs. Last month the Homeland Security Department began notifying more than 500,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans that it terminated a Biden-era program that allowed them to live and work in the U.S. It said those who have not attained legal status to remain in the U.S. outside of the program must leave immediately. Despite court challenges, the federal government also aims to end another program in early September that grants temporary protected status to Haitians and Venezuelans who have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade. [Full access might require subscription.]
6 health systems that faced worker strikes this month
07/24/25 at 03:00 AM6 health systems that faced worker strikes this month MedCity News; by Katie Adams; 7/22/25 Healthcare workers at six health systems across the country have launched strikes in July so far. These healthcare employees cite unsafe staffing levels, low wages and retaliation against union organizers as their main reasons for going on strike. From hospice centers to emergency rooms, frontline healthcare workers across the country have been striking this month to protest what they say are unsafe patient care conditions and poor bargaining behavior. Below are six examples of union activity resulting in a strike — all of which occurred in July.
A woman in hospice granted a wish of one last swim
07/24/25 at 03:00 AMA woman in hospice granted a wish of one last swim WEAU-13 News, Bloomer, WI; by Danile Gomez; 7/16/25 Often times the small things are taken for granted. Like a dip in the pool. For Barbara Melby, it was on the final list of things to do as she lives out her time in hospice care. “Barbara has been doing pretty well. She has had some fatigue and some tiredness,” said Leah Grace, the registered nurse with St. Croix Hospice assigned to Melby’s case. ... Grace worked hard to make sure Melby’s last dip in the pool would come to fruition. She cleared it with Melby, her family and the managers at the hospice center. The aquatic center helped in granting the wish too. ... “The way the chair put me in down the water was very nice,” said Melby. Of those in Melby’s family that jumped in the pool with her included Stoll and her kids Colby, Sydney and Brody. “I grew up swimming in my grandmother’s pool. ...” said Stoll. She is happy to be there for her grandmother’s last swim. “Just a pretty special memory we will all hold on to for a pretty long time.” Melby was a swim instructor, ... It was something she always loved and it made her happy to have had her wish granted.
Filling the gaps with the loss of Wilshire Health and Community Services
07/24/25 at 03:00 AMFilling the gaps with the loss of Wilshire Health and Community Services NBC KSBY-6, California's Central Coast; by Dylan Foreman; 7/22/25 At the end of June, the longtime medical service provider Wilshire Health and Community Services, which offered everything from hospice and home health care to community services like counseling and transportation, closed its doors, leaving clients looking for help elsewhere. ... [Services] like home health and hospice care are being transferred over to organizations like Dignity Health Home Health and Hospice Care, getting 50% of the patients from Wilshire and sending offers out to 30% of their staff. According to Wilshire, on any given day, they could have at least 250 clients.
[PACE] New service serving seniors ready to open
07/24/25 at 03:00 AM[PACE] New service serving seniors ready to open CBS WKBN 27, Youngstown, OH; by Dave Sess; 7/21/25 ... Buckeye PACE is ready to open its new Mahoning County day center on August 1. There will also be one in Warren. PACE is a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly. People age 55 and over can get wrap-around services to help them stay at home and in their communities. Most of the seniors qualify to live in a skilled nursing facility, but they get support from PACE so they don’t have to. “All of that is wrapped into one service that allows family members then to not have to play the role of constant nurse and social worker and caregiver, and they’re able then to be able to still partake in the community and be out in the community while our seniors are at home,” said Craig Worland, acting CEO for One Senior Care.
Heritage of Green Hills offers innovative palliative care program
07/24/25 at 03:00 AMHeritage of Green Hills offers innovative palliative care program Main Line Times & Suburban - Senior Living, Exton, PA; by MediaNews Group; 7/23/25 At The Heritage of Green Hills, a premier senior living community in Cumru Township, Berks County, residents enjoy more than a vibrant lifestyle — they also benefit from a forward-thinking approach to health and wellness that includes care through its unique Collaborative Outpatient Management for Palliative and Aging Support Services (COMPASS) program, which is provided in partnership with Seniority Healthcare. ... Through the COMPASS program, eligible residents — people living in the independent living neighborhood or the Care Center with two or more chronic conditions — receive:
Today's Encouragement: Great minds have purposes; others have ...
07/24/25 at 03:00 AMGreat minds have purposes; others have wishes. ~ Washington Irving
New curriculum - Enhance your pain management skills
07/23/25 at 03:10 AMNew curriculum - Enhance your pain management skillsCAPC email; 7/16/25Pain is one of the most common and distressing symptoms for patients living with a serious illness, significantly impacting quality of life. CAPC’s new Pain Management: Relieving Suffering and Reducing Risk unit combines our previous two pain units into one streamlined, comprehensive training, incorporating the latest best practices in evidence-based pain management.
[United Kingdom] The Sussex Beacon to become UK’S first LGBTQ+ hospice with HIV specialism
07/23/25 at 03:00 AM[United Kingdom] The Sussex Beacon to become UK’S first LGBTQ+ hospice with HIV specialism Sussex Health & Care; Press Release; 7/18/25 In a landmark development, The Sussex Beacon has announced it is to become the UK’s only dedicated hospice for LGBTQ+ people, uniquely combining inclusive care with expertise in specialist HIV care. The Sussex Beacon is refreshing its approach to palliative and end-of-life care services, expanding its offer to the wider LGBTQ+ community, regardless of HIV status. ... Decades of experience supporting people with HIV have given The Sussex Beacon deep insight into the ongoing impact of stigma and health inequalities. National research, including Hospice UK’s report “I Just Want To Be Me”, which examines access to care for trans & gender-diverse people and insights from LGBTQ+ organisations.
Health systems tap into Gen Z’s most-desired benefits
07/23/25 at 03:00 AMHealth systems tap into Gen Z’s most-desired benefits Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 7/14/25 Generation Z healthcare workers prioritize financial wellness and mental health support — and hospitals and health systems are responding. Given changing demographics and labor shortages, organizations across the U.S. are focused on recruiting and retaining the newest generation to enter the workforce. Gen Z employees include new college graduates and those with a few years of professional experience, with the oldest members age 28. Becker’s connected with human resources leaders from five organizations — ranging from large academic health systems to community hospitals — to learn how they are tailoring benefits to meet workforce demands. ...
Caring for a difficult elderly parent during a transition
07/23/25 at 03:00 AMCaring for a difficult elderly parent during a transitionPsychology Today - Caregiving; "Personal Perspective" by Franne Sippel, EdD, LP; 7/21/25 I am the only child of an only child who lives in an assisted living facility thousands of miles away. I unofficially diagnosed Mom with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder after struggling for years with a relationship fraught with guilt and frustration. ... It’s difficult enough to care for a frail parent when their health is failing. However, the added OCD personality, with its micromanaging, rules, and demands, tests patience beyond compare. ... A good friend suggested I call hospice to evaluate her. Jim, a hospice RN in his 70s, arrived and instantly assessed the situation with laser-like precision. ... I spend many months going back and forth between South Dakota and Arizona to see my mom. Hospice continues to visit her three to four times a week at the assisted living facility, and a dear family friend also visits her several times a week. ... Editor's Note: Keep reading this article to its end. The insightful, practical, sensitive care from these hospice clinicians generated life-long transformations for this burdened caregiver-daughter.
Systems lean into nurse educator initiatives
07/23/25 at 03:00 AMSystems lean into nurse educator initiatives Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Mariah Taylor; 7/18/25 There is a key driver behind the nationwide shortage of nurses: a severe nurse faculty shortage. To solve both shortages, more systems and nursing programs are creating formal venues to enlarge the nurse educator pipeline. Like the nurse shortage, universities and nursing programs are facing a nurse faculty shortage that has reduced their capacity to accept and train students. Too few nurses are pursuing advanced degrees and becoming educators in the field, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. So systems are developing programs that boost interest and remove barriers for nurses who want to teach. These programs — many of which launched in the last year — range in commitment and scale. Here are a few examples: ...
Rural hospitals eye service expansions to weather federal cuts
07/23/25 at 03:00 AMRural hospitals eye service expansions to weather federal cuts Modern Healthcare; by Alex Kacik; 7/14/25 Rural hospitals are hopeful they can add rather than reduce services to help soften the blow from looming Medicaid and Medicare cuts. ... If rural providers cannot recruit physicians, lean more heavily on philanthropic donors or find other ways to reduce their reliance on Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement to get ahead of cuts in the law, hospitals will be forced to pare back services or close their doors, industry observers said. ... In response, rural providers have accelerated ongoing operational adjustments, including renegotiating vendor contracts, beefing up their coding and billing processes, freezing new hires and standardizing daily tasks to reduce administrative waste. But those tweaks alone cannot sustain rural hospitals, so some providers are aiming to grow surgeries, infusions and other services to boost their bottom lines, executives said.
Behind the deal: Creach Family Holdings bolsters Midwest Home Health presence with Freudenthal acquisition
07/23/25 at 03:00 AMBehind the deal: Creach Family Holdings bolsters Midwest Home Health presence with Freudenthal acquisition Levin Associates; Press Release; 7/21/25 Creach Family Holdings announced that it has expanded its home health footprint in the Kansas City MSA, with the acquisition of Freudenthal Home-Based Healthcare. The transaction closed in early July 2025 ... The acquisition integrates Freudenthal Home-Based Healthcare into Creach Family Holdings’ portfolio of healthcare providers, strengthening its home health and hospice division. Freudenthal Home-Based Healthcare will continue operating under its established brand, joining forces with Overland Park, Kansas-based Faith Home Health and Hospice, an active Creach Family Holdings investment, to enhance regional care delivery.
Today's Encouragement: You must do the thing ...
07/23/25 at 03:00 AMYou must do the thing you think you cannot do. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Hochul weighs political risk of aid-in-dying bill
07/23/25 at 03:00 AMHochul weighs political risk of aid-in-dying bill Fingerlakes1.com, Seneca Falls, NY; by Staff Report; 7/18/25 Gov. Kathy Hochul is under pressure as she considers signing New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act, a controversial bill allowing terminally ill patients access to life-ending medication, according to Politico. The bill has strong support from advocates and many voters, but faces fierce opposition from religious groups and conservatives. Hochul, a practicing Catholic eyeing reelection, must balance public opinion, personal beliefs, and political risk.