Literature Review
Today's Encouragement
03/09/24 at 03:00 AMHalf the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it. ~Robert Frost
Tour a room at Quiet Oaks Hospice House video
03/08/24 at 03:45 AMTour a room at Quiet Oaks Hospice House video WJON News, St. Cloud, MN; 3/6/24 Even though Quiet Oaks Hospice House has been in our community for over 15 years now, many of us have never actually visited the home. They have eight rooms with all suites similar in size and layout. Executive Director Linda Allen says they have a large-sized hospital bed so loved ones can sleep together. Other room amenities include a TV, radio, and wifi. ... The rooms are equipped with a call button for help and have a camera monitoring system.Editor's Note: This simple, warm, practical video can help allay fears of hospice patients, caregivers, and family members. This type of visual information can be especially supportive to long distance family members who might be grappling with the news of moving their loved one to a hospice facility.
Mother and daughter brave Sahara trek in memory of beloved Grace for hospice fundraiser
03/08/24 at 03:30 AMMother and daughter brave Sahara trek in memory of beloved Grace for hospice fundraiser BNN, by Wojciech Zyim; 3/7/24Rebecca Gaskell and her daughter, Imogen, from Chalfont St Peter, are embarking on a moving journey across the Sahara Desert this March to honor the memory of their daughter and sister, Grace, while raising funds for Helen & Douglas House, the hospice that provided care for Grace during her battle with a brain tumor. Diagnosed at just 12, Grace’s brave fight ended two years later, leaving her family seeking ways to give back to the hospice that offered them comfort in their darkest times.Editor's Note: The Helen & Douglas House for terminally ill children is located at Oxford, United Kingdom.
Today's Encouragement: Here comes the sun ...
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMHere comes the sun. And I say, it's all right. - The Beatles
House-passed funding bill makes Medicare hospice benefit a ‘piggybank,’ provider groups argue
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMHouse-passed funding bill makes Medicare hospice benefit a ‘piggybank,’ provider groups argue McKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 3/7/24 To keep the government open in fiscal year 2024, hospice partially may be bankrolling it — and providers are not pleased about this prospect. The House late Wednesday passed a newly released appropriations bill that includes an extension of the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT Act). This act which would effectively allow the Medicare hospice benefit to act as a pay-for for nonhospice legislative priorities.
UNE medical school students donate $2,000 to local hospice center
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMUNE medical school students donate $2,000 to local hospice center Portland Press Herald; 3/4/24Students at the University of New England’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) have donated $2,000 to the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough, building upon a successful partnership between the two organizations that has lasted nearly 10 years. The money was raised during a fundraising dinner held by the UNE COM American Geriatrics Society/Gerontological Society of America Student Chapter for Geriatrics and Palliative Care last November. The event, a “murder-mystery” dinner, featured several students and faculty performing a script written by chapter members. Over 160 people attended the dinner.
Digital ‘communication bridge’ for seniors with aphasia is $13M closer to reality
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMDigital ‘communication bridge’ for seniors with aphasia is $13M closer to reality McKnights Senior Living; by Aaron Dorman; 3/5/24 An upcoming research program will examine the potential for telehealth and wearable sensors to address a specific and nasty form of aphasia. The University of Chicago was awarded $13.2 million by the National Institutes of Health to study the disease, as part of its five-year Communication Bridge Research Program. The university recently announced the grant windfall and has begun reaching out to potential participants for a clinical trial.
Transforming tragedy into triumph: Lynne Hughes creates grief camp, helping 24,000 children
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMTransforming tragedy into triumph: Lynne Hughes creates grief camp, helping 24,000 children BNN, by Emmanuel Abara Benson; 3/6/24Lynne Hughes' journey from personal tragedy to establishing Comfort Zone Camp (CZC) spotlights the transformative power of empathy and support. Losing both parents by age 12, Hughes navigated her grief with little support, a struggle that later fueled her mission to ensure no child felt as isolated in their sorrow as she did. Today, CZC stands as a beacon of hope, having supported over 24,000 grieving children across the United States.
The question of palliative care sustainability
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMThe question of palliative care sustainabilityPalliative Care News, by Holly Vossel; 3/5/24A wide variety of palliative care services have cropped up nationwide in recent years, but not all have remained viable. The forces driving some community-based palliative programs to shutter are two-pronged, related to financial and operational sustainability, according to Renee McInnes, CEO of NVNA & Hospice. Reimbursement and staffing challenges are the most significant factors.
Lubbock salon owners deliver hope with hospice manicure for cancer fighter Norma Hernandez
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMLubbock salon owners deliver hope with hospice manicure for cancer fighter Norma Hernandez BNN, by Shivani Chauhan; 3/4/24In an inspiring act of kindness, John Dawkins and his wife, owners of Absolute Nails in Lubbock, Texas, visited Norma Hernandez in the hospital to offer her a manicure and pedicure. Battling cancer and facing uncertain days ahead, Norma's simple wish was to have her nails done, a request that was turned down by other salons until Debbie, a close friend of Norma's, reached out to the Dawkins. Moved by the story, they decided to fulfill Norma's wish, bringing not just nail polish but also much-needed joy and comfort to her hospital room.
UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Aetna continue to outgain peers in Medicare Advantage
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMUnitedHealthcare, Humana, Aetna continue to outgain peers in Medicare Advantage Home Health Care News, by Andrew Donlan; 3/6/24In 2023, Medicare Advantage (MA) plan members represented more than half of all Medicare beneficiaries for the first time. In 2024, while penetration continues, there are other trends within MA that home-based care providers should be paying attention to. ... A few of the top companies continue to gain market share. Specifically, UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) and CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) – through Aetna – continue to outpace competitors.
Lamont negotiates big pay hike for CT home health aides
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMLamont negotiates big pay hike for CT home health aides: Wages would rise nearly 26% by 2025-25 to $23 per hour CT Mirror, by Keith M. Phaneuf; 3/5/24 Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut’s largest health care workers union announced a tentative three-year contract Tuesday that would boost minimum wages for home health aides by 26% to $23 per hour by the 2025-26 fiscal year. But the package, which also would provide longevity bonuses, expand paid time off and reduce health insurance costs for an industry long seeking a major compensation adjustment, puts the General Assembly in a quandary.
Last Writers craft legacies, embrace stories in hospice care
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMLast Writers craft legacies, embrace stories in hospice care The Daily Texan, by Sabrina Ye; 3/6/24 At local hospice homes, a passionate group of volunteers task themselves with writing memoirs that celebrate the richness of patients’ experiences. This heartfelt service they provide not only preserves legacies but highlights the timeless beauty of storytelling. UT Last Writers volunteer to converse with hospice patients and capture their life stories.
Health systems invest in productivity
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMHealth systems invest in productivity Becker's Hospital Review, by Laura Dyrda; 3/6/24 Productivity is a buzzword for most workplaces today, and healthcare is no different. U.S. productivity measures showed big increases for the first time in years, according to a report in The New York Times, as organizations leverage artificial intelligence and aim to do more with less. For [health systems], many experiencing staffing shortages and tight margins, developing a culture of increased productivity is imperative.
Bringing the hospital home
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMBringing the hospital homePenn Medicine News, by Mary Beth Budnyk; 3/5/24Since his 2020 diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, Steve Lengle has had good and bad days. The bad days are becoming more frequent as his condition continues to decline, causing debilitating pain, weakness, and fatigue, and affecting everything from his memory to his ability to walk. The Lengles found the help they needed through Penn Medicine Advanced Home Health (PMAHH), a new program that aims to prevent hospitalizations by providing a higher level of in-home care to patients who are experiencing an acute medical concern. Editor's Note: This article describes an example of the fairly new Acute Hospital Care At Home program, launched by CMS in November 2020.
States eye (and deny) 4-day workweek
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMStates eye (and deny) 4-day workweek Becker's Hospital Review, by Alexis Kayser; 3/4/24 The shortened workweek appeals to most Americans. A July survey found that 81% of the full-time U.S. workforce supports a four-day schedule, and 89% would sacrifice something else for that extra day off: working longer hours on "on-days," taking a pay cut or even switching industries. But the idea is less likely to win executives' favor. ... Multiple states have introduced their own legislation to support the four-day workweek, to varying levels of success.
Why healthcare cyberattacks last so long
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMWhy healthcare cyberattacks last so long Becker's Health IT, by Giles Bruce; 3/7/24 The cyberattack on Change Healthcare that has caused disruptions across a wide swath of the industry has entered its third week. But why do these IT outages last so long?
Other Business Headlines of Interest, updated 3/7/24 per nasdaq.com
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMOther Business Headlines of Interest, updated 3/7/24 per nasdaq.com
The U.S. health system should focus on pre-acute care, not post-acute
03/08/24 at 03:00 AMThe U.S. health system should focus on pre-acute care, not post-acuteForbes, by Howard Gleckman; 3/5/24The U.S. health system focuses an enormous amount of money and attention on post-acute care—the medical treatment patients receive after they have been discharged from a hospital. But it would more cost-effective, and far better for patients, to refocus on what you might call pre-acute care: what the U.S. can do to prevent those hospitalizations in the first place.
Lower reimbursement a leading cause for poor margins, CFOs say
03/08/24 at 02:45 AMLower reimbursement a leading cause for poor margins, CFOs say Becker's Hospital CFO Report, by Madeline Ashley; 3/6/24 A recent report from the Healthcare Financial Management Association and Eliciting Insights, a healthcare strategy and marketing research company, found that 84% of health systems have cited lower payer reimbursements as a leading cause for low operating margins. [Click on the title's link for six more findings from the report.]
Home health leaders on leaders: 4 C-suite execs that are driving the industry forward
03/08/24 at 02:30 AM6 home care leaders to watch, according to other home care leaders
End-of-life care stakeholders celebrate end of hospice VBID carve-in
03/08/24 at 02:00 AMEnd-of-life care stakeholders celebrate end of hospice VBID carve-in McKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 3/6/24 Various hospice associations on Tuesday cheered the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ recent decision to abandon the Hospice Benefit Component of the Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) model. ... Providers have long held that the uniqueness of hospice care, a multidisciplinary, person-centered care model, would make it a poor fit for MA.
Workforce trends CFOs must know
03/08/24 at 02:00 AMWorkforce trends CFOs must knowBecker's Hospital CFO Report, by Alan Condon; 3/6/24The labor market pendulum is beginning to swing back in the favor of employers, but staffing shortages and controlling workforce costs are expected to continue to be a challenge for finance leaders for the foreseeable future. ... Here are eight trending workforce terms leaders should know in 2024, according to cfo.com:
50 most influential clinical executives: Nominate a clinical leader!
03/08/24 at 01:45 AM50 most influential clinical executives: Nominate a clinical leader!Modern Healthcare; email 3/6/24Eligibility: Nominees must carry an executive title of senior vice president or higher. Nominees must be or have previously been a licensed clinician working within the healthcare industry.Judging Criteria: Nominations will be reviewed and judged based on the following criteria:
Death doulas: Helping people at the end of their life
03/07/24 at 03:45 AMDeath doulas: Helping people at the end of their life The Conversation, by Joel Abrams; 3/5/24The role of death doulas is still relatively new, so the terminology and definitions of what they are based on what they do are in flux. They are sometimes referred to as an end-of-life doula, soul midwife, death coach, dying guide, death midwife and palliative care doula. ... In addition to their doula training, doulas bring their own professional and personal experience to the role. International research on death doulas has noted that many who have become death doulas have a background in professional healthcare, social care or education, and may already have some experience with death.