Literature Review

HHS intervenes in Change Healthcare hack Becker's Health IT, by Giles Bruce; 3/5/24HHS said March 5 it would help accelerate payments to hospitals affected by the Change Healthcare cyberattack and institute other workarounds for providers. The agency said hospitals facing cash-flow issues from the IT outage can submit accelerated payment requests, like those issued during the pandemic, to their Medicare Administrative Contractors for "individual consideration." HHS said more details would be coming from the contractors later this week. 

'World's most ethical companies' list includes health systemsBecker's Hospital Review, by Kelly Gooch; 3/4/24Ethisphere Institute, a for-profit company that defines and measures corporate ethical standards, has released its 2024 list of the "world's most ethical companies," which includes health systems and other healthcare companies. This year's list recognizes 136 organizations "for their unwavering commitment to business integrity." Honorees span 20 countries and 44 industries, and include 15 first-time honorees and six organizations that have been on the list since its inception 18 years ago. [Click on the title's link for the] healthcare companies that made the 2024 list, along with their headquarters. ...

About 1,000 Minneapolis–Saint Paul nursing home staff go on strike KFF Health News, Morning Briefing; 3/6/24CBS News notes it's one of the biggest strikes seen in the industry in Minnesota. In Connecticut, Gov.Ned Lamont and the state's largest health workers union announced a deal for a 26% rise for home care aides.

Board Director Role: A discreet leadership role gets tougherBecker's Hospital Review, by Molly Gamble; 3/5/24A position at the top of organizations, including health systems, is "probably more complex than ever" but with limited visibility. The board director role is increasingly demanding, according to Frithjof Lund, the global leader of McKinsey's Board Services practice. "New topics pile onto the board agenda almost by the day," Mr. Lund said. "We've also seen a massive increase in the expectations of the board to engage on strategy, investments and M&A, performance management, risk, talent, and the organization." 

The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision. - Helen Keller

WellSky ® and Millennium Physician Group set new standard for healthcare delivery with innovative new partnership Benzinga, by Business Wire; 3/5/24 WellSky, a leading health and community care technology company, and Millennium Physician Group, a value-based physician group with more than 800 healthcare providers across the Southeast, today announced a new multi-year partnership to drive improved outcomes for Millennium patients. ... WellSky serves more than 20,000 client sites — including the largest hospital systems, blood banks, cell therapy labs, home health and hospice franchises, post-acute providers, government agencies, and human services organizations. 

Why home care leaders are now banking on ‘Caregiver-First’ cultures Home Health Care News, by Patrick Filbin; 3/4/24 Over the last several years, a notable trend is emerging in home care: Top-tier companies are shifting their focus from prioritizing customers to prioritizing caregivers. This strategic move reflects a growing recognition of the critical role caregivers play, and aims to address persistent caregiver shortages.

Understanding the role algorithms play in our lives and navigating palliative careListen - Life Matters, by Hilary Harper, presenter podcast; 3/4/24Every day, we interact with dozens of algorithms as we go about our lives, but many of us don't understand how they work. How do we get the the best out of these tools while keeping the potential dangers in check?Editor's Note: From palliative care experts Australia; information about algorithms and Artificial Intelligence (AI) transfers to our USA palliative care (of course, without applications to CMS systems).

Rising suicide risk among seniors due to loneliness, mobility, financial insecurity, study finds McKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 3/5/24As the number of adults over 65 continues to grow, suicide rates among older adults have also been rising, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Between 2008 and 2017, the share of suicide-related emergency department visits among adults 65 years and older more than doubled. These older adults face age-related stressors that can negatively affect mental health, such as declining physical health, reduced mental sharpness, or the loss of friends or loved ones, which can heighten the risk of suicide. 

Cornhole tournament raises $33K for Chatham-Kent HospiceCK News Today, by Millar Hill; 3/4/24The Chatham-Kent Hospice Foundation's inaugural cornhole tournament was a success, raising over $33,000 for end-of-life care in Chatham-Kent. The event, which took place Saturday at the Everest Convention Centre in Chatham, saw 28 teams take part who wanted to help raise some funds.Editor's Note: Who would have thought that cornhole could raise so much money? With its growing popularity in the US, consider incorporating a revenue-generating cornhole area into your standard (appropriate) fundraisers. Are you hosting a golf tournment? Consider including an intergenerational, family/team oriented cornhole contest for family, friends, and community groups.

15 C-level job openings with HCA Becker's Hospital Review, by Molly Gamble; 3/5/24The largest health system in the country is seeking leaders for numerous roles at the top of its hospitals. With more than 182 hospitals and 2,300 sites of care, Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare is seeking to fill thousands of positions across its 20-state enterprise. [Included] are job listings active on the HCA job boards as of March 4 for C-level executive positions with its hospitals or subsidiaries, organized by role and presented alphabetically.

The current state of community-based palliative careHospice News, by Jim Parker; 3/4/24“Palliative care” is becoming a buzz word in health care, even if many people don’t understand the loosely defined term. However, wide variation exists in how different providers deliver these services in the absence of a standardized, national definition or a more concrete regulatory structure that includes quality measures, Logan Hoover, vice president of policy and public relations for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), said at the Hospice News Palliative Care Conference in Tampa, Florida.

The framework on palliative care in Canada - five years later: a report on the state of palliative care in Canada.Government of Canada; 3/5/24[From the "Minister's Message," The Honorable Mark Holland, PC, MP] As Minister of Health, I am pleased to present Health Canada’s 2023 Report on the State of Palliative Care in Canada. Since the release of the Framework on Palliative Care in Canada in 2018, there have been collective efforts to advance palliative care awareness, access to training, supports for caregivers and providers, and to stimulate research and improve data collection on palliative care. And I am especially encouraged to report that, since 2018, we have moved closer to our collective vision for palliative care in Canada. This progress is the result of collective and collaborative efforts by governments, organizations and individuals over the last five years.Editor's Note: What can we learn from our Canadian neighbors from their new five-year report "On the state of palliative care in Canada"? In our daily gleaning of articles for this newsletter, numerous articles with similar topics, ethical challenges, and core purposes appear from Canada.