Literature Review

Recognition program honors vetsCOEUR d'ALENE / Post Fall; 1/17/24The Coeur d'Alene Elks, in conjunction with Pappy Boyington Marine Corps League 966, recently donated $5,000 to the Veteran Recognition Program, run by Hospice of North Idaho.During the recognition ceremony, the veteran is presented with a plaque, a pin and certificate of appreciation for service to our country.

OIG report has clues for 2024 healthcare fraud enforcementLAW360, by Mackenzie Wortley, Elizabeth Nevins and Megan Miller; 1/16/24In late 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Justice released the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program Annual Report for fiscal year 2022, highlighting continued enforcement and recovery actions under the program.

Survey shows 2024 to be a "Year of Efficiency" for Care at Home OrganizationsHomeCare News; 1/16/24To improve their bottom line and operations, care-at-home organizations plan to focus on shoring up operational processes and how they manage staffing and scheduling, according to the just-released 2024 Industry Trends Report. ... The focus on having more efficient operations was reflected in the top concerns from respondents: staffing, and addressing the changing payment dynamics and new regulations and oversight in the care at-home industry.

MedPAC approves hospital, physician pay bump; Doubles down on post-acute cutsInsideHealth Policy, by Bridget Early; 1/12/24Congress’ Medicare pay advisors recommended pay raises in 2025 for hospitals and physicians along with extra so-called Medicare safety-net pay and voted Thursday ... to recommend a second year’s worth of post-acute pay cuts as it approved proposals that would lower base pay rates for skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies and inpatient rehabilitation facilities. 

Maxwell Healthcare Associates and KATANA Safety announce partnership to help protect home health workersPR Newswire; 1/17/24Maxwell Healthcare Associates (MHA) – the home health industry's leading post-acute consulting firm, and KATANA Safety (KATANA) – the premier provider of lone and workforce safety solutions, have announced a new strategic partnership to help create a safer work environment for home-based workers. 

Nationwide PACE program helps seniors avoid nursing homesThe Lake County Star, by Cathie Crew; 1/17/24The Program for All Inclusive Care of the Elderly, or PACE, provides care and services to nursing home-eligible seniors and disabled individuals, enabling them to remain in their home far longer than they might otherwise be able to do. 

Mother Cabrini Health Foundation awards $172 million in grants to advance health equity across New York statePR Newswire; 1/17/24The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation today announced it has awarded 514 grants totaling $172 million to support nonprofit organizations addressing community health needs and disparities in health outcomes across New York State in 2024. ... Funded programs include: Calvary Hospital's training program to expand palliative care, hospice care, and end of life care in the Bronx. 

Microsoft seeking chief medical officerBecker's Health IT, by Naomi Diaz; 1/16/24Publisher note: No article here, but the idea of MS seeking a CMO is intriguing...

What we're reading - The Digtal Mindset: What it really takes to thrive in the age of data, algorithms, and AIBy Paul Leonardi and Tsedal Neeley, 2022.The digital revolution is here, changing how work gets done, how industries are structured, and how people from all walks of life work, behave, and relate to each other. To thrive in a world driven by data and powered by algorithms, we must learn to see, think, and act in new ways. We need to develop a digital mindset.

Man with cancer once wanted assisted suicide, but was glad he chose natural death insteadLive Action, by Cassy Fiano-Chesser; 1/15/24“In our last moments, when he was awake, I sat on his bed and sang to him — Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now. He had watched her sing it at the Isle of Wight pop festival and it was a magical memory he had relived with us.

Palliative telecare improves quality of life for those with chronic illnesses, and results last for months: StudyMedical Xpress, by CU Anschutz Medical Campus; 1/16/24Researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have found that a team intervention, provided by phone, leads to persistent improvements in depression, anxiety, and quality of life for people managing chronic illnesses. Additionally, researchers found that the improvement in quality of life results last months after intervention concludes.

Former director of two non-profits sentenced for stealing from organizationsWABI News Desk (tv); 1/12/24The former director of two Skowhegan (ME) non-profits has been sentenced for stealing $200,000 from the organizations, according to the Morning Sentinel. The paper reports 37-year-old Jason Gayne of Athens stole from the Skowhegan Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Hospice Volunteers of Somerset County. Gayne was the ... director of Hospice Volunteers from 2014 to 2022.

Hospital study on AI identifies undiagnosed dementia patients coming from LTCMcKnights Senior Living, by Aaron Dorman; 1/16/24A high number of senior living and care residents have dementia on admission, or develop it during their stay, despite never receiving a formal diagnosis. When these “secret” dementia patients, however, have an emergency – say, a fall – and are hospitalized, they can catch the new care team unaware and struggling to make appropriate clinical decisions. To avoid this pitfall, new research is looking at electronic health records to flag individuals who might have dementia, possibly undiagnosed, so that when they arrive at a hospital, the care team is ready.