Literature Review

‘Joint employer’ rule effective date now March 11 McKnights Senior Living, by Lois A. Bowers; 2/26/24The National Labor Relations Board’s “joint employer” rule now is set to go into effect on March 11 after a federal judge granted a stay last week. ... Long-term care providers that use temporary or contract workers, as well as operators that are part of franchises, and others, could be affected.

HCA Mission Hospital regains CMS complianceBecker's Hospital Review, by Mariah Taylor; 2/26/24CMS found Asheville, N.C.-based HCA Mission Hospital in compliance with its plan of correction and recommended removing the immediate jeopardy designation, Blue Ridge Public Radio reported Feb. 23. The hospital's plan of correction to address serious deficiencies it was cited for in January focuses on improving policies and educating staff.

Be kind to yourself and others. We're all walking our own unique path. - Sheryl Lee Ralph

Compassus certified to provide palliative care Tahlequah Daily Press; 2/25/24Compassus, a leading nationwide provider of integrated home-based care services, including palliative care, is now certified to provide palliative care under the Veterans Administration benefit in Oklahoma. The Community Care Network credential is awarded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to community providers that demonstrate high-quality standards and a commitment to offering veterans the best possible care.

VITAS® Healthcare continues its pathway of success and promotes two key operations executives Investors Observer; 2/23/24 Two executive leaders at VITAS Healthcare have been promoted to top operational roles. Joel Wherley now serves as president and chief operating officer (COO) and Bryan Wysong as executive vice president (EVP) of operations for the nation’s leading end-of-life care provider. 

Where hospices are investing their 2024 recruitment, retention dollars Hospice News, by Holly Vossel; 2/20/24As hospices zero in on their investments in staff engagement and operational efficiencies, organizational culture is becoming a higher priority. ... Some have leveraged technology to streamline their operations and reduce documentation burdens, while others have poured resources into sculpting their organizational culture and developing training and career pathways.Notable mentions: Tanya Marion, Enhabit; Craig Dresang, YoloCares; Cooper Linton, Duke HomeCare & Hospice.

[Updated] CMS crackdown on fraudulent hospice providers in full effect in 2024, expert says McKnights Product Theater, by Adam Healy; 2/22/24In recent years, unscrupulous hospice providers have cropped up in California and other states. In response, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has prepared a slew of tools to curtail the fraud. States continue to feel the effects. As an example, a California hospice operator last week was convicted in a Medicare fraud scheme for billing nearly $3 million for services that patients did not need, according to the Department of Justice. 

10 states where 'nurse burnout' is Googled most Becker's Clinical Leadership, by Mariah Taylor; 2/21/24Betternurse.org used Google Trends from Oct. 21, 2023 to Jan. 23, 2024, to gauge the relative search interest for the term "nurse burnout." Arizona had the highest search for nurse burnout, while Los Angeles was the metro area with the most burnout searches. The week in 2023 with the most searches for burnout was Nov. 26 to Dec. 2. On average in the last five years, November was the highest search month for nurse burnout. [Click on the title's link for states with the highest scores for "nurse burnout" searches.]

C-suites, clinicians are burning out at both endsBecker's Hospital Review, by Alexis Kayser; 2/22/24C-suite leaders and clinicians often feel they are on opposite sides of an ever-expanding chasm. But they actually have a lot in common, according to Bruce Cummings and Paul DeChant, MD — a former executive and a former practicing physician, respectively, and perhaps an unlikely pair. Executives and physicians are both knowledge workers. Both are trained to spot and solve problems. Both crave the autonomy to fix those problems — but often, neither feels they truly have it. Both are far strides from the bright-eyed, difference-driven graduates they once were. Both are exhausted, and neither really knows how to talk about it. 

RiverStone Health closing hospice facility in Billings MTN News; 2/23/24RiverStone Health Home Hospice will close this summer in Billings, the agency announced Friday, largely because of struggles to raise enough money to support operations and find enough employees. RiverStone officials said in a news release they will instead focus efforts on providing hospice care to patients at their own homes, regardless of their ability to pay.

Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives. - Oprah Winfrey

UnitedHealth unplugs change healthcare information systems to contain cyber attackManaged Healthcare Executive, by Peter Wehrwein; 2/23/24UnitedHealth Group disconnected Change Healthcare's information system to contain a cyberattack that the company says is from an unnamed “nation-state associated cyber security threat actor.”

Palliating serious illness during disasters and public health emergenciesAm J Nurs, by Masako Mayahara, Djin L Tay, Jeannette Kates, William E Rosa; 2/23/24, ahead of print 3/1/24The increase in disasters and public health emergencies in recent years is a serious public health concern. The needs of suffering victims can be multifaceted, particularly the needs of those who are from systematically marginalized populations. Palliative care nurses play a vital role in mitigating the suffering of those affected by these events.