Literature Review

Closing the gap in value-based care: Lessons from provider-led ACO experienceHealth Affairs; by Clive Fields, Gary M. Jacobs; 8/6/24Achieving the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS’s) goal to bring every Medicare patient into a value-based care (VBC) arrangement by 2030 requires bold action. With six years left to achieve that goal (as of January 2024), only half of current Medicare beneficiaries are aligned with an accountable care organization (ACO) providing care within a VBC arrangement. This gap is large, but accelerated participation and reaching the 2030 goal remain possible. To close the gap, policy makers must apply the lessons learned from the real-world experience of models developed by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (the Innovation Center), the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), and other CMS demonstrations. ACOs participating in the MSSP and alternative payment models developed by the Innovation Center have proven that they can deliver high-quality care, improve the patient experience, and generate savings for Medicare. The Congressional Budget Office has found that physician-led ACOs and ACOs with a larger proportion of primary care providers, as opposed to specialists or clinicians in non-primary care settings, generate greater savings.

Steward to lay off more than 1,200 Massachusetts hospital workersModern Healthcare; by Alex Kacik;8/5/24Dallas-based Steward plans to cut 753 workers at Carney Hospital in Dorchester and 490 employees at Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer on Aug. 31, according to two Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filings.

HOV takes on icy challenge to help end ALSLovin' Life [AZ]; by Lin Sue Flood; 8/4/24Several members of Hospice of the Valley’s Tucson care team enjoyed getting soaked for a great cause: the 10th anniversary of the Ice Bucket Challenge, the global phenomenon that transformed the fight against ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The annual Ice Bucket promotion is a fun way to raise awareness and enhance support for those living with ALS. Hospice of the Valley’s Tucson team was excited to accept the chilly challenge. The nonprofit hospice works closely with ALS Arizona to support and care for patients with the neuromuscular condition.Publisher's note: A great way to raise awareness about your organization is to raise awareness for others!

Passion is a huge prerequisite to winning. It makes you willing to jump through hoops, go through all the ups and downs and everything in between to reach your goal. ~Kerri Walsh, American beach volleyball player and three-time gold medalist

How the best leaders get unstuckMcKinsey & Company; 8/7/24Great leaders know that success isn’t a singular achievement—it’s an ongoing journey. That’s why they avoid the “complacency trap,” or getting too comfortable with their existing knowledge and routines. If you’re feeling stuck in life or at work, consider taking a page from the best CEOs, who tend to prioritize these four things to sustain a high level of performance throughout their tenure:

Car show rolls through Harrisburg[SD] Yahoo!News; by Darcy Andersen; 8/5/24A parade of classic to modern cars rolled through a Harrisburg neighborhood Monday evening. It’s all to help Joe Floyd celebrate his 88th birthday as he’s in-home hospice care. He’s long been an avid collector of classic cars. Monday’s parade consisted of about 100 vehicles.

Hospice patient and wife renew marriage vows in special silver anniversary ceremony[MS] WDAM; By Charles Herrington; 8/3/24Buddy and Sonja Myers celebrated 25 years of marriage with a special ceremony at Life Church. The couple renewed their vows during that ceremony. The ceremony was arranged by caregivers at ComfortCare Hospice of Laurel. Buddy Myers has cancer and is a hospice patient. “We went to the Justice of the Peace and got married, and I still laugh at Buddy to this day because he was repeating the vows to the judge and the judge said, ‘You’re not marrying me, tell her,’” Sonja Myers said... The Myers were married on June 8, 2000. Sonja Myers wanted to wear a wedding dress as they planned to renew their vows. That’s when caregivers at ComfortCare Hospice stepped in. “After I got to talking with the family, it came to me that (Sonja) wanted to walk down an aisle next year, at their 25th (anniversary) and so, I started contemplating for a little while and thinking about it and was like, ‘We could make that happen a little early,’” said Raven Anderson, a registered nurse with ComfortCare Hospice.

How systems are changing compensation to attract executive talentModern Healthcare; by Caroline Hudson; 8/6/24Organizations are paying higher salaries, reassessing incentives, redefining leadership roles and investing more in key positions to optimize operations, according to SullivanCotter. The firm provides data from more than 2,100 health systems, hospitals, medical groups and health plans for Modern Healthcare’s 2024 Executive Compensation Survey. Here are five takeaways from the survey findings.

Virginia Department of Veterans Services Veterans Care Centers utilize robotic pets for Veterans coping with dementiaPress release; 8/5/24Six Robotic Companions Donated To Each Veterans Care Center In The Commonwealth. The Virginia Department of Veterans Services is pleased to announce that Capital Caring Health, based in Falls Church, Va., is providing companion robotic pets for veterans at the Commonwealth’s veteran care centers. According to clinical studies and first-hand experience at Capital Caring Health, these companion pets have been proven to improve the quality of life of veterans and others suffering from dementia and/or loneliness. “We find that the robotic pets are very helpful in assisting with residents when they are agitated or restless,” said Robyn Jennings, Administrator at Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center in Richmond. “It gives the veterans a sense of peace when holding the pets.” ... “Recipients of our robotic pets usually keep them around the clock and name them,” said Stephen Cone, Chief of Communications, Marketing & Philanthropy at Capital Caring Health. “Personalities of the veterans change from agitated and confused to often joyful, happy and calm – a dramatic transformation that improves the veterans’ lives. I hear from families all the time how miraculous it is for their family member to have received one of these pets.” These robotic companion pets are provided free of charge to any professional caregiver or family caregiver who contacts Capital Caring Health on behalf of a loved one or patient with dementia thanks to donations from individuals, companies, and foundations.

Empath Health, American Health Plans launch ISNP joint ventureHospice News; by Jim Parker; 8/6/24The nonprofit senior care provider Empath Health is partnering with the Medicare Advantage organization American Health Plans (AHP), a division of American Health Partners to serve patients who are enrolled in Institutional Special Needs Plans (ISNP). ISNPs are Medicare Advantage plans that are designed to serve beneficiaries who live in skilled nursing facilities. Through the Empath partnership, members of AHP’s American Health Advantage of Florida ISNP will receive interdisciplinary services from TruHealth of Florida, the clinical arm of the ISNP. TruHealth is a newly established joint venture between AHP and Empath. Patients will also have access to Empath Health’s “full-life care” model.Notable mentions: Jonathan Fleece, Empath Health CEO.

Blumenthal & Barragán introduce bicameral legislation to improve end-of-life carePress release; 8/1/24U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Nanette Barragán (D-CA) today introduced the Compassionate Care Act, legislation to promote advance care planning and end-of-life care. Many Americans do not have plans in place in the event they experience severe illness. In order to help patients access the care they need and that is right for them, the Compassionate Care Act provides critical resources to educate patients and providers, develop core end-of-life quality measures, and expand access to advance care planning via telehealth.

What drives health spending in the U.S. compared to other countries?Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker; By Emma Wager Twitter, Shameek Rakshit, Cynthia Cox; 8/2/24The United States spends significantly more on healthcare than comparable countries do, and yet has worse health outcomes. Much of the national conversation has focused on spending on retail prescription drugs and insurer profits and administrative costs as key drivers of health spending in the United States. The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Biden in 2022, includes several provisions aimed at lowering the cost of these prescription drugs. While it is true that many brand-name retail prescription drugs are priced higher in the U.S. than in peer countries, health spending data indicates that other spending categories – particularly hospital and physician payments – are primary drivers of the U.S.’s higher health spending. This brief examines the drivers of health spending and differences between the U.S. and its peers – other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations that are similarly large and wealthy. In 2021, the U.S. spent nearly twice as much per capita on health as these comparable countries did. Most of the additional dollars the U.S. spends on health go to providers for inpatient and outpatient care. The U.S. also spends more on administrative costs, and significantly less on long-term care. [Long-term care spending includes health and social services provided in long-term care institutions such as nursing homes as well as home- and community-based settings.] ... In 2021, the U.S. spent nearly twice as much on health per person as comparable countries ($12,197 compared to $6,514 per person, on average).