Literature Review

Medicare certifies hospices in California despite state ban on new licenses ProPublica, by Ava Kofman; 1/25/24The agency has rolled out sweeping changes to target end-of-life care providers that were billing for unneeded services, but some fraud hot spots continue to evade scrutiny.Notable mentions: Sheila Clark, President / CEO CHAPCA.

'Sky is the limit' for health information networks' SNF insightsMcKnights Senior Living, by Kimberly Marselas; 1/24/24An expanding health information exchange connecting 71 hospitals and almost 600 post-acute providers in New Jersey is exceeding expectations and providing staffing insights not necessarily envisioned when state officials launched a patient discharge initiative.

Historic 21.3 million people choose ACA Marketplace coverageCMS.gov Press Release; 1/24/24Marketplace enrollment climbs nearly 5 million higher than previous year. ... Total plan selections include more than five million people — about a fourth — who are new to the Marketplaces and 16 million people who renewed their coverage. Notably, open enrollment continues in four states and Washington, D.C., through January 31. 

Cleveland Clinic confiscated 30K weapons last yearBecker's Hospital Review, by Alexis Kayse; 1/24/24In 2023, Cleveland Clinic saw a record 14 million patients — and took 30,000 weapons from those patients and their visitors. Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD, president, CEO and Morton L. Mandel CEO Chair of Cleveland Clinic, delivered the statistic during the system's annual "State of the Clinic" address Jan. 24. ... Cleveland Clinic, which employs 81,000 people across 300 global locations, was designed to be an "optimal work environment," Dr. Mihaljevic said: engaging, rewarding, inclusive and safe. But workers' safety was threatened thousands of times last year, with caregivers reporting 3,800 incidents of physical and verbal violence. 

Timing of prognostic discussions in people with advanced cancer: a systematic reviewSupport Care Cancer, by Sharon H Nahm, Shalini Subramaniam, Martin R Stockler, Belinda E Kiely; 1/23/24Conclusions: Prognostic discussions with people with advanced cancer need to be individualised, and there are several key timepoints when doctors should attempt to initiate these conversations. These recommended timepoints can inform clinical trial design and communication training for doctors to help improve prognostic understanding.

A psychologist offers advice on 'being there' for aging parentsForbes, by Mark Travers; 1/22/24As our parents age, we find ourselves on a challenging emotional journey, one that often remains unspoken but deeply felt. It’s the journey of anticipatory grief, a complex mix of emotions and thoughts that arise as we witness our parents becoming older, weaker and more frail. This concept, often overshadowed by post-loss grief, is equally devastating.

Masonic Village Elizabethtown hosts hiring event to combat nurse shortageFox43 WPMT, by Cyera Williams; 1/24/24According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the U.S. is projected to experience a shortage of registered nurses (RNs) that is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for health care grows. Masonic Village at Elizabethtown is combatting that shortage by hosting a nursing service hiring event ... 

Soul doctors: How Minnesota chaplains' roles are changingMPR News, by Angela Davis and Maja Beckstrom; 1/24/24Chaplains often show up on the worst days of people’s lives. They arrive in a hospital room after a distressing diagnosis. They accompany police to help inform someone of a loved one’s death. One in four Americans have been visited by a chaplain, usually at a hospital or hospice, ... But the role of spiritual caregiver is evolving as society becomes both less religious and more religiously diverse.Editor's Note: Click here for the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Inc., Palliative Care & Hospice Certification

New York State Bar Association endorses medical aid in dying billBrooklyn Daily Eagle, by Robert Abruzzese; 1/24/24The New York State Bar Association's House of Delegates, the association's governing body, has officially endorsed the Medical Aid in Dying bill, the group announced Monday. ... "The Task Force on Medical Aid in Dying has worked tirelessly on this issues and produced recommendations that safeguard our most vulnerable populations," said NYSBA President Richard Lewis. "Support for medical aid in dying offers both dignity and compassion for those grappling with what can be a very difficult time in their lives."

Healthgrades' 50 top hospitals for 2024Becker's Hospital Review, by Mariah Taylor; 1/23/24Healthgrades has recognized 250 hospitals nationwide for exceptional care via its "America's Best Hospitals" awards, released Jan. 23. Three lists feature America's 50, 100 and 250 best hospitals, which represent the top 1 percent, 2 percent and 5 percent of hospitals in the nation, respectively.

46% of C-Suite execs prioritizing cost reduction, survey saysBecker's Hospital CFO Report, by Madeline Ashley; 1/23/24"The New Healthcare C-Suite Agenda: 2024-2025" report surveyed more than 100 C-suite executives and focused on topics like digital tools, EMR optimization, patient publication, operations, and more. Of the respondents, 29% held a CEO title, 13% chief medical officer, 10% CFO, 10% CIO, 10% COO, 7% chief nursing officer, 6% chief quality officer, 3% chief strategy officer, and 2% chief digital innovation officer. ... For top strategic initiatives for executives, 57% said growing revenue, 55% said staff recruitment and retention, and 46% said reducing cost. 

Hospice Benefit Policy Manual updates related to the addition of Marriage and Family Therapists or Mental Health Counselors to the Hospice Interdisciplinary TeamCMS; 1/22/24Change Request 13437 (PDF) purpose is to manualize changes to the hospice interdisciplinary group (IDG) to include Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) or Mental Health Counselors (MHCs). Publisher's note: Also see CMS Hospice Open Door Forum (November 29, 2023) Q&A.