Literature Review
Here are new state healthcare laws taking effect in 2025
01/06/25 at 03:00 AMHere are new state healthcare laws taking effect in 2025Modern Healthcare;by Hayley Desilva;1/2/25 Providers and insurers in several states will have to grapple with health-related laws taking effect in 2025. Most of the legislation concerns reproductive care and insurance coverage. Here are some of the laws affecting healthcare this year. [States include Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pensylvania, and Washington.]
Navigating Aging: The LGBTQ+ community relives old traumas as they face aging on their own
01/06/25 at 03:00 AMNavigating Aging: The LGBTQ+ community relives old traumas as they face aging on their own Northern Kentucky Tribune; by Judith Graham; 1/5/25 Bill Hall, 71, has been fighting for his life for 38 years. These days, he’s feeling worn out. Hall contracted HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS, in 1986. ... This past year, Hall has been hospitalized five times with dangerous infections and life-threatening internal bleeding. But that’s only part of what Hall, a gay man, has dealt with. ... By 2030, the number of LGBTQ+ seniors is expected to double. Many won’t have partners and most won’t have children or grandchildren to help care for them, AARP research indicates. They face a daunting array of problems, including higher-than-usual rates of anxiety and depression, chronic stress, disability, and chronic illnesses such as heart disease, according to numerous research studies. High rates of smoking, alcohol use, and drug use — all ways people try to cope with stress — contribute to poor health. Keep in mind, this generation grew up at a time when every state outlawed same-sex relations and when the American Psychiatric Association identified homosexuality as a psychiatric disorder. Many were rejected by their families and their churches when they came out. Then, they endured the horrifying impact of the AIDS crisis.
Santa Maria investment advisor pleads guilty to federal wire fraud charge
01/06/25 at 03:00 AMSanta Maria investment advisor pleads guilty to federal wire fraud chargeSannta Maria Times, Santa Maria, CA; by Dave Minsky; 1/2/25 A Santa Maria registered investment advisor pleaded guilty to a wire fraud charge after admitting to stealing $2.25 million from mostly elderly clients who put her in charge of their assets, according to a plea agreement filed in Los Angeles federal court earlier this month. ... Federal officials alleged that [Julie] Darrah’s scheme ran from November 2016 until about July 2023 and involved at least 11 victims who were mostly elderly, including some who were receiving end-of-life care. ... Prosecutors alleged Darrah would gain control of her clients’ assets in several ways, including making her the trustee of their trusts, having the victims executing standing letters of authorization that gave Darrah control of their accounts, making Darrah a signatory on their accounts and giving Darrah power of attorney over their property.
Now open: VITAS Healthcare inpatient hospice unit in Fort Worth
01/06/25 at 03:00 AMNow open: VITAS Healthcare inpatient hospice unit in Fort Worth South Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report; by cfelixcpa; 1/3/25Easier access to compassionate end-of-life care is now available for patients and families in Fort Worth and surrounding communities. The new freestanding VITAS Healthcare Inpatient Hospice Unit (IPU), located within five miles of the medical district, provides high-quality hospice services in a homelike environment for patients nearing the end of life. The IPU is expected to care for more than 500 patients each year, particularly those whose pain and symptoms cannot be managed effectively at home. A grand opening celebration was held to commemorate the addition to the Fort Worth community.
Top hospice trends to watch in 2025
01/06/25 at 03:00 AMTop hospice trends to watch in 2025 Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/3/25 Hospice leaders will need to keep their eyes on five key trends in the new year when it comes to compliance, business operations and finance. Coupled with these trends is rising utilization. Hospice utilization reached 51.7% among Medicare decedents in 2023, up more than two percentage points from the prior year, according to recent data from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). This is the highest rate since 2019. ... The number of hospice care days also saw increases, as did average length of stay and average number of patient visits per week. Total Medicare hospice payments in 2023 reached $25.7 billion. ...
Today's Encouragement: Any new beginning ...
01/06/25 at 03:00 AMAny new beginning is forged from the shards of the past, not from the abandonment of the past. ~ Craig D. Lounsbrough
Kaiser's Habitat Health opens first PACE center
01/06/25 at 03:00 AMKaiser's Habitat Health opens first PACE center Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 1/2/25 Habitat Health opened Thursday its first integrated healthcare program for older adults in Sacramento, California, less than 10 months after Kaiser Permanente and Town Hall Partners launched the company. ... Habitat Health estimates approximately 6,500 older adults in the Sacramento area are eligible for the program. Oglevee said the program is targeting potential participants through Kaiser Permanente’s integrated health system and insurance plans.
From immortality to ugly people: 100-year-old predictions about 2025
01/06/25 at 03:00 AMFrom immortality to ugly people: 100-year-old predictions about 2025Akron Beacon Journal; by Mark J. Price; 12/30/24Nearly 100 years ago, a group of deep thinkers dared to imagine what life would be like in 2025. Some of their prophecies were completely off target, while others proved to be weirdly accurate. [Including:]
An unimaginable year for UnitedHealth
01/06/25 at 03:00 AMAn unimaginable year for UnitedHealth Becker's Payer Issues; by Jakob Emerson; 12/30/24 The year 2024 will be remembered as one full of unprecedented challenges and turmoil for the nation's largest healthcare company. From the tragic and targeted killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson to a crippling cyberattack on subsidiary Change Healthcare, UnitedHealth Group has faced a cascade of crises that affected the entire healthcare industry. These major events, compounded by legal battles and heightened public scrutiny, have exposed systemwide vulnerabilities and sparked a broader reckoning about the role of insurers within healthcare. ... Adding to the turbulence, the Justice Department is actively investigating the relationship between UnitedHealthcare and Optum, while also suing to block the company's planned $3.3 billion acquisition of home health provider Amedisys.
Pennant completes acquisition of Signature Healthcare at Home assets
01/06/25 at 03:00 AMThe Pennant Group Closes $80M Signature acquisition Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/3/25 The Pennant Group Inc. (Nasdaq: PNTG) completed its $80 million acquisition of Signature Healthcare at Home’s hospice and home health assets. Pennant closed the deal on seven of Signature’s Oregon locations on Jan. 1. The company previously completed the purchase of Signature’s Idaho and Washington assets on August 1, 2024. Acquiring Signature will boost Pennant’s existing presence across three states. The purchase adds seven locations to the company’s footprint in Oregon, as well as multiple locations in four Washington cities and two cities in southwest Idaho.
National Alliance for Care at Home, Transcend Strategy Group release hospice report
01/06/25 at 03:00 AMNational Alliance for Care at Home, Transcend Strategy Group release hospice report HomeCare, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; HomeCare; 1/3/25 The National Alliance for Care at Home (The Alliance) and Transcend Strategy Group, a marketing agency for homecare companies, published the results of their Rural American Hospice Insights report, a new study that explored perceptions of hospice care among rural and small-town communities. The Alliance said the survey, which included 400 participants, aims to provide health equity and break down barriers to accessing hospice and homecare through knowledge sharing, data collection and collaborative discussion. “Ensuring access to high-quality hospice and homecare in rural communities is critical,” said Steve Landers, CEO of The National Alliance for Care at Home. “These communities deserve care that is tailored to their unique needs, and in an America where more and more health care desserts are arising due to provider closures from inadequate reimbursement, maintaining quality care and continuing to build trust in the care provided is of the utmost importance."
Trends in private equity acquisition of pain management practices
01/05/25 at 03:55 AMTrends in private equity acquisition of pain management practicesJAMA Network Open; Geronimo Bejarano, MPH; James E. Eubanks, MD, MS; Robert T. Braun, PhD; 12/24Pain has the highest health care spending in the US and is expected to increase with the aging population, which may entice private equity acquisitions of pain management practices. Private equity has increasingly acquired physician practices and acquisitions are associated with higher spending, utilization of more expensive treatments, and increasing patient volume. In this cross-sectional study of private equity acquisitions of pain management practices, we found a rise in acquisitions over the last decade with almost 1 in 10 pain management physicians affiliated with a private equity–owned pain management practice. [The] ... high amount of consolidation within certain states poses concerns for private equity to have enough market power to control care delivery of several procedure-based specialties, including pain management. Policymakers and the Federal Trade Commission have taken notice of the harms of increases in both health care consolidation and private equity acquisitions, and there are ongoing efforts to curb their detrimental effects.
Monroe Clinic & Hospital Foundation supports hospice home with financial gift
01/05/25 at 03:50 AMMonroe Clinic & Hospital Foundation supports hospice home with financial gift The Monroe Times, Monroe, WI; 12/25/24 The Monroe Clinic & Hospital Foundation, a member of SSM Health, recently presented the SSM Health Monroe Hospice Home with a donation of $120,000. The annual support of $120,000 fulfills the gift the Foundation Board pledged to give every year upon the opening of the hospice home. This gift is primarily comprised of dollars raised at the annual “Little Golf” & Grill event, as well as memorials and other hospice gifts throughout the year. “Gifts given to hospice through the Foundation help provide a continued option for end-of-life patients who wish to be close to their families but are unable to remain in their home,” said Jane Sybers, Monroe Clinic & Hospital Foundation Executive Director. “This cumulative gift reflects the strong support and love our community has for local hospice care, which we are so grateful for.”
Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model: Third evaluation report (2018-2023)
01/05/25 at 03:45 AMAccountable Health Communities (AHC) Model: Third evaluation report (2018-2023)CMS press release; 12/27/24The Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model tested whether connecting beneficiaries to community resources for their health-related social needs (HRSNs) improved health care utilization outcomes and reduced costs. [The five core HRNS's include housing instability, food insecurity, transportation problems, utility difficulties, and interpersonal violence.] Collectively, these findings provide evidence that navigation can transform the delivery of care in ways that address major HRSN barriers to health and promote health equity for underserved populations.
Cannabidiol for scan-related anxiety in women with advanced breast cancer - A randomized clinical trial
01/05/25 at 03:40 AMCannabidiol for scan-related anxiety in women with advanced breast cancer - A randomized clinical trialJAMA Network Open; Manan M. Nayak, PhD, MA; Peter Chai, MD; Paul J. Catalano, ScD; William F. Pirl, MD, MPH; James A. Tulsky, MD; Stephanie C. Tung, MD; Nancy U. Lin, MD; Nicole Andrade, BA; Sabrina Johns, MPH; Clint Vaz, MD; Melissa Hughes, MSc; Ilana M. Braun, MD; 12/24The findings of this randomized clinical trial show that CBD [cannabidiol] can be used safely in women with advanced breast cancer and clinical anxiety. Although the study did not meet its primary end point comparing preingestion vs postingestion anxiety change scores between study arms, anxiety levels in the CBD arm were significantly lower 2 to 4 hours after ingestion, suggesting a possible anxiolytic effect and warranting further investigation.
Health systems are struggling to keep up with AI - A national registration system could help
01/05/25 at 03:35 AMHealth systems are struggling to keep up with AI - A national registration system could helpJAMA; Roy Perlis, MD, MSc; Rita Rubin, MA; 12/24This conversation is part of a series of interviews in which JAMA Network editors and expert guests explore issues surrounding the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and medicine. In a Viewpoint published in JAMA this past August, Michael Pencina, PhD, Duke Health’s chief data scientist, argued for a federated registration system for AI and health. Dr Pencina:I strongly believe that every organization needs to know what AI solutions it has implemented. In particular, health systems should keep track of AI algorithms or other AI solutions they’re running in clinical care and clinical operations. Imagine a portal where you record all the AI that you’re running and all the information related to it. Say Duke does it, but another health system does it, and another health system. It becomes national. That opens really interesting opportunities for collaboration, information sharing, and enhancing the ecosystem, as well as transparency for patients, our ultimate stakeholders.
“I had no words”: The patient gifts doctors never forget
01/05/25 at 03:30 AM“I had no words”: The patient gifts doctors never forgetMedscape; by Sarah Yahr Tucker; 12/19/24[Three unforgettable gifts...]
Recommendations to ensure safety of AI in real-world clinical care
01/05/25 at 03:25 AMRecommendations to ensure safety of AI in real-world clinical careJAMA; Dean F. Sittig, PhD; Hardeep Singh, MD, MPH; 11/24As HCOs [health care organizations] adapt their clinical and administrative workflows to new AI [artificial intelligence]-driven technologies, unintended adverse consequences will inevitably occur, particularly during transitions. To address these risks, HCOs and AI/EHR [electronic health record] developers must collaborate to ensure that AI systems are robust, reliable, and transparent. HCOs must proactively develop AI safety assurance programs that leverage shared responsibility principles, implement a multifaceted approach to address AI implementation, monitor AI use, and engage clinicians and patients. Monitoring risks is crucial to maintaining system integrity, prioritizing patient safety, and ensuring data security.
Estimation of cancer deaths averted from prevention, screening, and treatment efforts, 1975-2020
01/05/25 at 03:20 AMEstimation of cancer deaths averted from prevention, screening, and treatment efforts, 1975-2020JAMA Oncology; Katrina A. B. Goddard, PhD; Eric J. Feuer, PhD; Jeanne S. Mandelblatt, MD, MPH; Rafael Meza, PhD; Theodore R. Holford, PhD; Jihyoun Jeon, PhD; Iris Lansdorp-Vogelaar, PhD; Roman Gulati, MS; Natasha K. Stout, PhD; Nadia Howlader, PhD; Amy B. Knudsen, PhD; Daniel Miller, BA; Jennifer L. Caswell-Jin, MD; Clyde B. Schechter, MD; Ruth Etzioni, PhD; Amy Trentham-Dietz, PhD; Allison W. Kurian, MD, MSc; Sylvia K. Plevritis, PhD; John M. Hampton, MS; Sarah Stein, PhD; Liyang P. Sun, MS; Asad Umar, DVM, PhD; Philip E. Castle, PhD; 12/24Overall US mortality has declined over time for most major cancer sites because of progress in prevention, screening, and treatment. Nevertheless, the reignited Cancer Moonshot goal to reduce the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate by 50% in the next 25 years will not be achieved without accelerating progress. In this model-based study using population-level cancer mortality data, an estimated 5.94 million deaths were averted from these 5 cancers [breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate] combined. Prevention and screening accounted for 8 of every 10 averted deaths, and the contribution varied by cancer site. A comprehensive plan to reduce cancer mortality includes interventions in cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship care.
Hospice volunteering isn't for everyone but a rewarding way to give back
01/05/25 at 03:15 AMHospice volunteering isn't for everyone but a rewarding way to give back News Talk 830 WCCO; by Susie Jones; 12/27/24 Volunteering is big part of the holiday season for some, with people wanting to help others even in difficult times. Being a hospice volunteer isn't for everyone. It can certainly be scary to sit with someone who is dying. "It's not just a job, it's not just a volunteer gig, and I can always, always welcome new volunteers," says Allina Health hospice program administrator Erika Schuld. However, Schuld says it can be very rewarding. "You're in these really intimate, vulnerable settings, and you just form bonds really quickly, and it really is our honor in hospice to walk along with patients and families," explains Schuld. Doctor Glen Varns is the medical director of the program and he says volunteers do not administer medication. Instead they do other things to support families. Editor's note: The CMS standard 42 CFR §418.78(e) requires hospices to use volunteers for at least 5% of patient care hours. This was waived during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then reinstated May 11, 2023 when the Public Health Emergency (PHE) officially expired. CMS's volunteer requirement is unique to hospice care. Ensure that your hospice provides appropriate selection, background checks, required TB tests, job descriptions for different volunteer roles, matching of the volunteer to the best role, training, supervision, and tracking of hours for CMS's requirement. Additionally, your hospice must adhere to applicable state laws and internal HR Policies and Procedures regarding volunteers. Click here for the CMS standard.
The HAP Foundation partners with Communities in Schools of Chicago
01/05/25 at 03:10 AMThe HAP Foundation partners with Communities in Schools of ChicagoHAP Foundation press release; 12/16/24The HAP Foundation has partnered with Communities in Schools of Chicago to fulfill the need for grief workshops for students in Chicago Public Schools. Through HAP’s Missing Pieces program, we have provided support for nearly 10 students and families that have experienced a death of a sibling or friend through this partnership. Missing Pieces provides grief navigation support for families who experience the loss of a child. This year, over 350 families have been served.
Awards and Recognitions: December 2024
01/05/25 at 03:05 AMAwards and Recognitions: December 2024
Tributes to President Jimmy Carter
01/05/25 at 03:00 AMTributes to President Jimmy CarterThe Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers invites you to visit the official tribute website to the life of President Carter at www.jimmycartertribute.org for the official online condolence book, arrangements, and schedule of events as well as print and visual biographical materials commemorating his life. ...
Sunday newsletters
01/05/25 at 03:00 AMSunday newsletters focus on headlines and top read stories of the last week (in order) - enjoy!
Today's Encouragement
01/05/25 at 03:00 AMAccept your past without regret, handle your present with confidence, and face your future wtihout fear. ~Nicholas Sansbury Smith