Literature Review

New residential end-of-life facility opens in central Pa.Patriot-News (Harrisburg, PA)December 26, 2023Chambersburg, PA—Mercy House of Chambersburg has opened at 730 Norland Ave. in Chambersburg. Mercy House was formed last year and partners with local hospice agencies in providing care for those who need 24-hour assistance and who are unable to remain at home. 

Cannabis sales on hold in Mississippi over ‘regulatory standards’ gaffeWMC-TV (Memphis, TN)December 25, 2023A large number of medical cannabis products are not being sold in Mississippi for the time being. The Mississippi State Department of Health says the products have been put on an administrative hold “to protect the health and safety of medical cannabis patients.” ... One of the products that was tested failed for eight pesticides, but that was just one of 13 products Steep Hill tested, with all of them containing THC levels 30 to 40 times over the legal limit. MSDH says retesting is being done as quickly as possible.

Brookdale Sells 20% Stake in Hospice, Home Health JV with HCAHospice NewsDecember 27, 2023Brookdale Senior Living has sold its remaining 20% stake in its hospice, home health and therapy joint venture with HCA Healthcare for $27 million. The company did not name the buyer. The joint venture formed in 2021 when the senior housing operator sold an 80% stake in its health care services segment to HCA, a large hospital operator, in a $400 million transaction. 

Palliative care pioneer named chief medical officer of The Elizabeth HospiceSan Diego Union-TribuneDecember 24, 2023Escondido, CA—Charles von Gunten, M.D., F.A.A.H.P.M. is the new chief medical officer for The Elizabeth Hospice and will oversee all medical aspects of the organization’s hospice and palliative care and services. ... Von Gunten is a pioneer in palliative medicine. He was the founding chairman of the test committee for Hospice & Palliative Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine on behalf of nine American Board of Medical Specialties member boards. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine in 2011.

ProMedica’s bond rating improved from ‘negative’ to ‘stable’ by Moody’sWTOL-TV (Toledo, OH)December 26, 2023Moody’s Investors Service has announced that it has upgraded ProMedica’s bond rating from “negative” to “stable.” The firm said the change reflects the sale of ProMedica’s hospice and home-care divisions, as well as the elimination of bank debt. The news release from Moody’s indicates ProMedica still has about $1.8 billion of debt. 

The dementia crisis is here. Better training can’t wait.EditorialWashington PostDecember 22, 2023... [A] rise in the number of older Americans also means a rise in the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. ... Recent years have brought a substantial increase in people with dementia residing in assisted-living homes. As a Post investigative series has revealed in appalling detail, these centers aren’t always equipped to provide the special care that people with dementia need. To be sure, assisted-living centers were not created as homes for people with dementia or any other serious health problems. ... The Post reporters found many instances in which assisted-living staff members, often overworked and poorly paid, neglected patients, missed giving them their medicines, skipped scheduled bed checks or ignored alarms. 

Mercy medical record transition heats up in bankruptcy courtThe Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA)December 22, 2023Iowa City, IA—Among the complexities of a Mercy Iowa City bankruptcy sale to the University of Iowa is the transition of its electronic medical system—with any gap or abrupt termination of system operations posing “significant” threat to Mercy and its patients. 

Super One Foods Wadena and Baxter help raise $3,925.08 for Knute Nelson hospice programPioneer Journal (Wadena, MN)December 26, 2023Wadena, MN—Super One Foods Wadena and Super One Foods Baxter partnered with the Knute Nelson Foundation on a fund raising drive to benefit the Hospice Program. From Nov. 10 through Nov. 27 customers were able to round up or select a donation amount at the registers to donate towards the hospice program. ... [A] total of $ 3,925.08 was donated.

Hockey For Hospice Tournament Kicks Off WednesdayWindsorDOTca.com (Windsor, ON)December 26, 2023Windsor, ON—The annual Hockey For Hospice tournament is back for the 27th year taking place on December 27th, 28th and 29th, 2023. Originally conceived as a skate-a-thon by tournament founder, Tim Beaulieu, Hockey For Hospice has grown each year from its humble beginnings. This year’s edition will include a schedule of more than 215 games played at four different arenas over three days. 

‘Fight’s not over’ striking Lower Bucks Hospital nurses say as they head back to workBucks County Courier TimesDecember 26, 2023Bucks County, PA—Nurses at Lower Bucks Hospital are scheduled to return to work Wednesday morning after a five-day strike without having reached a deal with the hospital owner Prime Healthcare Services Inc. 

Rosalynn Carter’s impact on caregiversBy R. Lynn BarnettBlogKevin MDDecember 25, 2023...  As caregivers, we are the voice for others, but we also need to be a voice for ourselves. ... I wasn’t prepared, as many people aren’t, for the fiscal and physical aspects of caregiving. ... The toll that caregiving can take is often underrated, understated, and under-appreciated. ... Rosalynn Carter was known as a “Steel Magnolia,” showing the same inner fortitude and mettle, combined with grace, of the main characters in the film of the same name. I think all of us caregivers become steel magnolias. It’s not that we deserve a medal for our actions; we just deserve a little peace.[Editor's Note, Joy Berger for Hospice and Palliative Care Today: Rosalynn Carter founded the Institute for Caregiving 35 years ago, preparing for the surge of Baby Boomers' aging and caregiving needs. Her memorable quote lives on: "There are only four kinds of people in the world--those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers." Visit www.rosalynncarter.org for more information.

Ohio hospital, vendor hit with class action suit after data breachHealthcare DiveDecember 22, 2023A nonprofit hospital in Ohio and a medical transcription services company are facing a class action lawsuit after a data breach at the vendor earlier this year may have exposed personal and health information of nearly nine million people. The suit, filed this week in a district court in Ohio, alleges Salem Community Hospital and Perry Johnson & Associates, or PJ&A, waited six months to inform people who could have been affected by the breach, leaving patients vulnerable to identify theft.