Literature Review

Rep. Earl Blumenauer plans landmark hospice reform billHospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/13/24Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) is drafting a landmark bill that, if enacted, would represent the most significant reforms to date for hospice payment and oversight. Blumenauer announced the bill, the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act, on Thursday at the Hospice News Elevate conference in Washington D.C. Though the bill language is still in development, key provisions will likely include a new payment mechanism for high-acuity palliative services, changes to the per-diem payment process and actions to improve quality and combat fraud.

Breaking The Silence: Groundbreaking Guide on Tackling Domestic Violence and Elder Abuse Released by NPHI and NO MORENPHI press release; 6/13/24New Guide Equips Caregivers with Life-Saving Information to Spot Abuse and Empowers Them to Protect Elders. In advance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) [on June 15, 2024], the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) and NO MORE are proud to announce the release of a new educational resource titled Breaking the Silence, a comprehensive guide that takes a significant step towards tackling domestic violence, elder abuse, and neglect among more vulnerable populations. The guide provides insights into the prevalence and various forms of abuse. It offers steps for identifying signs of abuse, supports healthcare providers in screening and responding to suspected abuse, and includes information on available resources for victims, caregivers, and families. Some of the key takeaways from the guide include:

Integrating palliative care education into hematology-oncology fellowshipsThe ASCO Post; 6/11/2024An integrated palliative care rotation for hematology-oncology fellows may improve their palliative care knowledge and skill confidence, according to findings presented by Bauman et al at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 9007). “Despite national guidelines advocating that patients with advanced cancer receive dedicated palliative care services, many patients lack access to specialty palliative care due to workforce shortages,” stressed lead study author Jessica Bauman, MD, Associate Professor in the Department of Hematology/Oncology, Chief of the Division of Head and Neck Medical Oncology, and Director of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Training Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center. “Training hematology-oncologists to provide primary palliative care could close this gap and ensure [the] basic palliative care needs of patients are met,” she highlighted.

June is Adult Protection Awareness MonthKREX Grand Junction (CO); by Jessica Livingstone; 6/8/24June is Adult Protection Awareness Month, and Mesa County kicked this month off by tying purple ribbons around their campus to show their support for the victims. WesternSlopeNow talked to HopeWest about the resources they have to protect the community. If you’d like to know more information about HopeWest’s resources, you can call or click here.Publisher's Note: How is your hospice participating in Adult Protection Awareness Month?

Should children be enrolled in end-of-life clinical studies?Medscape Medical News; by Elena Riboldi; 6/11/24MILAN, Italy - Is it appropriate to enroll children and adolescents in end-of-life clinical studies? Experts discussed this challenging topic at the 2024 annual congress of the European Society for Pediatric Oncology, which was held in May. Monika Führer, MD, a professor of pediatric palliative medicine and head of the Pediatric Palliative Center in Munich, Germany, highlighted the following three aspects of the issue that require careful attention: Decisional autonomy, nonmaleficence, and advance care planning.

Tillery becomes 1st in NC certified as age-friendly care at homeThe Stanly News & Press; 6/10/24Tillery Compassionate Care has been officially named an Age-Friendly Care at Home organization by Community Health Accreditation Partner, Inc., (CHAP). Tillery Compassionate Care is the first hospice in North Carolina to achieve Age-Friendly Care at Home certification. “The 4Ms framework [what matters, medication, mentation and mobility] is evidence-based care and addresses the unique needs of older adults which leads to higher quality of life,” said Teresa Harbour, chief operating officer with CHAP.

Missouri system acquires Illinois hospice, home health companiesBecker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 6/7/24St. Louis, Mo.-based Dover Health is expanding into the Chicagoland area with the acquisition of Joliet, Ill.-based Centered Care Hospice and Palliative Care, and Cornerstone Home Health.

Executive Personnel Changes - 6/7/24

Palliative care considerations in frail older adults Annals of Palliative Medicine; by Andrew E Russell, Rachel Denny, Pearl G Lee, Marcos L Montagnini; 6/6/24, online ahead of print...This paper aims to guide clinicians in providing patientcentered care for older adults with frailty in the outpatient setting. Through a comprehensive literature review, we describe the leading models of frailty, frailty screening tools used in the clinical setting, and the assessment and management of palliative care needs in frail patients. We also describe emerging models of care focusing on palliative care for older adults with frailty and discuss issues related to access to palliative care for this population.

Red River Valley expands services for dual-eligible populationsHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/11/24North Dakota-based Hospice of the Red River Valley is focused on expanding its home- and community-based services among dual-eligible Medicare and Medicaid populations in need of greater support. Serious and terminally ill patients in lower socioeconomic and underserved regions face several competing challenges in accessing health care, according to Tracee Capron, executive director at Hospice of the Red River Valley. Developing a sustainable care delivery model that better addresses unmet needs among patients and their families requires significant investment, Capron said. 

Bluegrass Care Navigators hosts Pikeville Radio DayWKYT News, Lexington, KY; by Buddy Forbes; 6/11/24Bluegrass Care Navigators hosted its annual Pikeville Radio Day Tuesday, raising money and increasing awareness about its programs. The event, which partnered with Q95 FM (WQHY) in Prestonsburg, shared stories of hospice patients, outreach programs, and more. “We are raising awareness for patients and their families about what we do here at Bluegrass Care Navigators,” said Associate Director of Philanthropy Dawson Barnett. “And then also we’re raising money to support the programs that we offer, that are not funded any other way other than their support.”

Got questions about Medicare hospice services? Here are some answers Forbes; by Diane Omdahl; 6/11/24 Learning about services that Medicare covers, and their cost, is an important discussion topic for Medicare beneficiaries. However, there is one subject that rarely comes up: hospice, end-of-life care for the terminally ill. ... Perhaps a brief Q&A can plant the seed so those who may face an end-of-life situation in the future will know that hospice can help. 

Acting now to sustain and improve America’s healthcare system: Advice from innovative physicians and health system leadersSheppardMullin Healthcare Law Blog; by Kathleen O'Neill, John Golembesky, Jeralin Cardoso, Chi Huynh & Carolyn Young; 6/6/24 At [the recent] America’s Physician Groups Spring conference in San Diego, California, we listened as physicians and health system leaders described the ways in which they are responding to short and long term challenges to the sustainability of America’s healthcare system in its current form. It now stands at a critical juncture, facing challenges such as provider shortages and burnout, increasing concerns around access and cost for pharmaceutical products and other supplies, the increasing burden of managing chronic diseases, rising demand for services across the spectrum from an aging population, and balancing the transition to value-based care models in a predominantly fee-for-service environment. ... Here, we outline the key areas of focus described by leaders at the conference: ...