Literature Review

Maxwell Healthcare Associates and KATANA Safety announce partnership to help protect home health workersPR Newswire; 1/17/24Maxwell Healthcare Associates (MHA) – the home health industry's leading post-acute consulting firm, and KATANA Safety (KATANA) – the premier provider of lone and workforce safety solutions, have announced a new strategic partnership to help create a safer work environment for home-based workers. 

Nationwide PACE program helps seniors avoid nursing homesThe Lake County Star, by Cathie Crew; 1/17/24The Program for All Inclusive Care of the Elderly, or PACE, provides care and services to nursing home-eligible seniors and disabled individuals, enabling them to remain in their home far longer than they might otherwise be able to do. 

Mother Cabrini Health Foundation awards $172 million in grants to advance health equity across New York statePR Newswire; 1/17/24The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation today announced it has awarded 514 grants totaling $172 million to support nonprofit organizations addressing community health needs and disparities in health outcomes across New York State in 2024. ... Funded programs include: Calvary Hospital's training program to expand palliative care, hospice care, and end of life care in the Bronx. 

Moving beyond death anxiety to reflections on mortalityPsychology Today, by Shoba Sreenivasan and Linda E. Weinberger, reviewed by Lybi Ma; 1/15/24For the healthy, it may be considered macabre to contemplate their mortality; it may seem fatalistic, negative, and something that pulls one away from the present joy of living today. Yet, it can also remind us of the inevitable and consider how we want to spend today as well as whatever time we have left.

NAVC announces Pet Peace of Mind as the 2024 NAVC gives Marquee Award recipient

Longfield Hospice collects more than 3,000 Christmas treesBBC News, West of England, by Rhiannon Yhnell; 1/15/24For a voluntary donation, people around Gloucestershire have had their trees taken away by volunteers from Longfield Community Hospice in Minchinhampton. Every year trees are taken to recycling sites where they are turned into a multi-purpose mulch. So far more than 3,000 trees have been collected in four days. ... [The amount of money is] a bit of secret at the moment but we've raised more [than last year's] just under £50,000 ... for hospice care. [Approximately $63,000 in US dollars]

“We can’t operate at a higher level without consistency.” from The Bear, by Carmy, Season 1, Episode 2

Rural nursing homes' livelihood may depend on non-existent staffMcKnights Long-Term Care News, by Kimberly Marselas; 1/15/24... Rural skilled nursing providers have been among the most deeply affected by pandemic-era losses, a fact acknowledged by a provision in the mandate that gives them two extra years to hire needed staff. ... Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association, has called staffing “the metric that will matter most” for rural healthcare over the next five to 10 years.

Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce to celebrate regional business excellenceSanta Barbara Independent; 1/11/24Community Business of the Year – VNA Health. As the only certified nonprofit home healthcare and hospice agency in the region, VNA Health has been caring for the Santa Barbara community with a deep sense of dedication and excellence. Their services, ranging from skilled nursing and rehabilitation therapies to hospice and palliative care, have been pivotal in enhancing the quality of life for countless individuals and families.

Mount Carmel Health System and Anthem announce multi-year contract with enhanced value-based health care and improved data connectivityPress release; 1/11/24COLUMBUS, OHIO — January 11, 2024 — Mount Carmel Health System and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced today a new, multi-year provider network agreement. The agreement secures long-term access to affordable health care for Mount Carmel patients covered by Anthem Medicare, Medicaid, and employer-sponsored health plans. As part of the agreement, the two organizations will accelerate their collaboration on several innovative initiatives, including advance data connectivity and value-based care (VBC) models designed to improve health outcomes and better control costs for care for Mount Carmel patients covered by Anthem health plans.Notable mentions: Lorraine Lutton, Mount Carmel President & CEO.

Pediatric oncology hospice: A comprehensive reviewAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, by Ali Tafazoli and Katharine Cronin-Wood; 1/15/24.Our systematic approach led to development of a well-organized structure introducing the foundational elements, highlighting complications, and uncovering hidden gaps in this critical area. This structured framework comprises nine major categories including general ideology, population specifications, role of parents and family, psychosocial issues, financial complications, service locations, involved specialties, regulations, and quality improvement. This platform can serve as a valuable resource in establishing a scientifically reliable foundation for future experiments and practices in pediatric oncology hospice.

Creative thinking needed to save rural hospitalsSouth Dakota Searchlight, by Tom Dean; 1/14/24Over the last 15 years, approximately 150 rural hospitals have closed nationwide. What does it mean? Are these facilities obsolete, no longer needed?  Maybe in a few places, but in the vast majority of communities they provide critically important services.