Literature Review

See how 5 families balance care and comfort in pediatric palliative careNational Geographic, by Taylor Sisk, photographs by Lynn Johnson; 2/1/24This medical team chooses to help families of children in palliative care prioritize quality of Life over taxing procedures and treatments. Our photo essay offers a glimpse of how they make the most out of life. ... [Interviews and photos are with the] Division of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. ... The goal of this pediatric hospice program is clear: Put family first.Editor's Note: Note this source, National Geographic. Where do these photos and stories "take" you? I am grateful for Hospice of Louisville's (now, Hosparus) first hospice pediatric program in the U.S. I served on our Pediatric Care team for 4 years, and was forever, profoundly changed by knowing these children and their families.

Docs see smaller checks as Congress weighs options on Medicare cutModern Healthcare, by Michael Mcauliff; 1/30/24If anyone were to ask members of Congress if doctors should be contending with Medicare pay cuts after a pandemic and a period of extraordinary inflation, and amid a chronic physician shortage, nearly all would say no.Subscription required for full access

St Mary’s Hospice launches community choir to foster wellbeing and connectionsBNN, by Safak Costu; 1/30/24St Mary’s Hospice in Ulverston [United Kingdom] has heralded a new era of community engagement with the inauguration of its unique community choir. The first session, held at the hospice’s Living Well Centre, marked the beginning of what is expected to be a vibrant and melodic journey. The choir is a testament to the hospice’s commitment to fostering wellbeing and community connections, extending an open invitation to all, regardless of musical prowess or experience.

Virginia lawmakers push richer employer-provided benefits to workerThe Center Square, by Morgan Sweeney; 1/30/24Calling her state and America behind "the entire industrialized world," a Virginia senator is one of two lawmakers pushing legislation to implement an employer-provided benefit to workers. ... The program would guarantee that employees taking time off for the birth of a child or “an illness, injury, impairment ... or physical or mental condition that involves inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility or continuing treatment by a health care provider” would continue to receive 80% of their paycheck for up to 12 weeks of leave. 

In-cure-able isn’t un-care-able: Pope’s February intention is the terminally ill Aleteia, by Kathleen N. Hattrup; 1/30/24In the month of February, Pope Francis is inviting the whole Church to pray for a renewed commitment to the terminally ill and their families. ... The World Day of the Sick was established in 1992 by John Paul II. Pope Francis explains that “when some people talk about terminal illnesses, there are two words they often confuse: incurable and un-care-able. But they are not the same.”

How people with disabilities make a positive impact in the workplaceForbes, by Diane Winiarski; 1/30/24The advantages that people with disabilities bring to their employers are many and varied – from higher revenue and enhanced productivity, to a more positive and supportive environment.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issues rule: Medicare Program; Calendar Year (CY) 2024 Home Health (HH) Prospective Payment System rate update; HH Quality Reporting Program requirements; HH ...Department of Health and Human Services, by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 1/31/24SUMMARY: This document corrects technical errors in the final rule that appeared in the November 13, 2023 Federal Register titled "Medicare Program; Calendar Year (CY) 2024 Home Health (HH) Prospective Payment System Rate Update; HH Quality Reporting Program Requirements; HH Value-Based Purchasing Expanded Model Requirements; Home Intravenous Immune Globulin Items and Services; Hospice Informal Dispute Resolution and Special Focus Program Requirements, Certain Requirements for Durable Medical Equipment Prosthetics and Orthotics Supplies; and Provider and Supplier Enrollment Requirements'' (referred to hereafter as the "CY 2024 HH PPS final rule"). Effective date: This correcting document is effective January 31, 2024

The healing power of remembering and recordingLocalTownPages - Franklin; 1/30/24Every person on this earth holds space in the lives of those around them. We fill that space with our voices, talents, wisdom, laughter, touch, beliefs, innovations, style, and even occasionally with our struggles. Each human experience is unique and varied, complex and beautiful.

Worcester hospital nurses file complaints over 'dangerous conditions' MassLive.com, by Susannah Sudborough; 1/30/24Nurses at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester have filed official complaints with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and other state agencies over “dangerous conditions” they say are jeopardizing patient safety, the state’s largest nurse’s union announced Tuesday. The complaints are based on over 500 reports made by nurses over the last six months that detail issues such as staffing deficiencies and poor allocation of technology, the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), which represents the nurses, said in a press release.

Video raises concerns about a father’s final days in senior care homeThe Atlanta-Journal Constitution Online, by Allie Gross; 1/30/24A 78-year-old veteran's final days at a Georgia senior care home, Savannah Court of Lake Oconee, raise troubling questions about care at the facility and the state's oversight. The new concerns come as the facility faces possible closure with a second license revocation hearing scheduled for Jan. 30, 2024.

Psychedelic therapy debate returns to Missouri General AssemblyMissouri Independent, by Rebecca Rivas; 1/30/24Numerous clinical studies nationwide have shown positive results from using psilocybin to treat PTSD, depressiona and substance use. Republican lawmakers are once again pushing legislation that would require Missouri to conduct a clinical study on using psilocybin, more commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms,” to treat depression, substance use or as part end-of-life care. ... In the House Veterans Committee on Tuesday, Republican Rep. Aaron McMullen of Independence plans to present an amended version of the bill that would limit its scope to only veterans. The suicide rate among veterans in Missouri is nearly double the state rate and one of the highest in the country. ... McMullen, a veteran who served in a combat unit in Afghanistan, told The Independent, “While psilocybin is not a panacea for every issue, it represents a first true scientifically-validated hope that we have to address this crisis.”

Hospice fraud back in the spotlight, with new data also raising questions about home health careHome Health Care News, by Robert Holly; 1/30/24The number of hospice providers enrolled in the Medicare program in four states has skyrocketed over the past few years. The jaw-dropping spike, in turn, has triggered increased oversight efforts – some of which may not be having the desired effect. A similar trend could be happening in home health care in one major county, U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data suggests. In hospice, the surge of new providers and potentially fraudulent activities has been concentrated in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. In home health care, it’s Los Angeles County.

Predictors of early hospice or death in patients with inoperable lung cancer treated with curative intentClin Lung Cancer, by Siddharth Ramanathan, Kimberly A Hochstedler, Anna M Laucis, Benjamin Movsas, Craig W Stevens, Larry L Kestin, Michael M Dominello, Inga S Grills, Martha Matuszak, James Hayman, Peter A Paximadis, Matthew J Schipper, Shruti Jolly, Thomas P Boike; Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium; NCBI published 1/31/24Introduction: Treatment for inoperable stage II to III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) involves chemo-radiotherapy (CRT). However, some patients transition to hospice or die early during their treatment course. We present a model to prognosticate early poor outcomes in NSCLC patients treated with curative-intent CRT.