Literature Review
I Promised My Sister I Would Write About How She Chose to Die
12/30/23 at 03:11 AMI Promised My Sister I Would Write About How She Chose to DieBy Steven Petrow, Guest ColumnistNew York TimesDecember 28, 2023On the day before my sister Julie died, I lay down on her bed and held her gingerly in my arms, afraid that any pressure would hurt her. She had lost so much weight that she looked like a stick figure I might have drawn when we were kids.
America has a life expectancy crisis. But it’s not a political priority.
12/30/23 at 03:08 AMAmerica has a life expectancy crisis. But it’s not a political priority.Washington PostDecember 28, 2023The commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration had an urgent message last winter for his colleagues, brandishing data that life expectancy in the United States had fallen again—the biggest two-year decline in a century. Robert Califf’s warning, summarized by three people with knowledge of the conversations, boiled down to this: Americans’ life expectancy is going the wrong way.
Aaron A. & Maria H. Putnam Family Charitable Trust gives grant to Aroostook Hospice Foundation
12/30/23 at 03:05 AMAaron A. & Maria H. Putnam Family Charitable Trust gives grant to Aroostook Hospice FoundationThe County (Presque Isle, ME)December 26, 2023Presque Isle, ME—The Aroostook Hospice Foundation, owner of the Aroostook House of Comfort, is delighted to announce the receipt of a generous $5,000 grant from the Aaron A. and Maria H. Putnam Family Charitable Trust of Houlton.
Bank Employees Go Above and Beyond—Donations Exceed $100,000 in 2023
12/30/23 at 03:02 AMBank Employees Go Above and Beyond—Donations Exceed $100,000 in 2023PRNewswireDecember 28, 2023Lake City, FL—First Federal Bank is pleased to announce the success of its 2023 First Federal Way campaign, which received contributions of $50,430 from employees. With the bank’s match, a total of $100,900 is being donated to local non-profit agencies who make a significant difference in their communities.
Today's Encouragement: Life ... backwards, forwards, or both?
12/30/23 at 03:01 AM“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”Søren Kierkegaard
New residential end-of-life facility opens in central Pa.
12/30/23 at 02:53 AMNew residential end-of-life facility opens in central Pa.Patriot-News (Harrisburg, PA)December 26, 2023Chambersburg, PA—Mercy House of Chambersburg has opened at 730 Norland Ave. in Chambersburg. Mercy House was formed last year and partners with local hospice agencies in providing care for those who need 24-hour assistance and who are unable to remain at home.
Saint Louis University Hospital readies for 2-day nurse strike
12/29/23 at 03:56 AMSaint Louis University Hospital readies for 2-day nurse strikeBecker’s Hospital ReviewDecember 26, 2023Nurses represented by National Nurses United are set to begin a two-day strike at Saint Louis University Hospital in St. Louis. Dec. 27. ... The union said the strike is in response to hospital management’s “persistent union-busting and outsourcing of RN jobs.” This is the second strike the union has called this year at Saint Louis University Hospital, with the first taking place in September.
Cannabis sales on hold in Mississippi over ‘regulatory standards’ gaffe
12/29/23 at 03:53 AMCannabis sales on hold in Mississippi over ‘regulatory standards’ gaffeWMC-TV (Memphis, TN)December 25, 2023A large number of medical cannabis products are not being sold in Mississippi for the time being. The Mississippi State Department of Health says the products have been put on an administrative hold “to protect the health and safety of medical cannabis patients.” ... One of the products that was tested failed for eight pesticides, but that was just one of 13 products Steep Hill tested, with all of them containing THC levels 30 to 40 times over the legal limit. MSDH says retesting is being done as quickly as possible.
Death by Doctor May Soon Be Available for the Mentally Ill in Canada
12/29/23 at 03:50 AMDeath by Doctor May Soon Be Available for the Mentally Ill in CanadaNew York TimesDecember 27, 2023Canada already has one of the most liberal assisted death laws in the world, offering the practice to terminally and chronically ill Canadians. But under a law scheduled to take effect in March assisted dying would also become accessible to people whose only medical condition is mental illness, making Canada one of about half a dozen countries to permit the procedure for that category of people. That move has divided Canadians, some of whom view it as a sign that the country’s public health care system is not offering adequate psychiatric care, which is notoriously underfunded and in high demand.
Brookdale Sells 20% Stake in Hospice, Home Health JV with HCA
12/29/23 at 03:47 AMBrookdale Sells 20% Stake in Hospice, Home Health JV with HCAHospice NewsDecember 27, 2023Brookdale Senior Living has sold its remaining 20% stake in its hospice, home health and therapy joint venture with HCA Healthcare for $27 million. The company did not name the buyer. The joint venture formed in 2021 when the senior housing operator sold an 80% stake in its health care services segment to HCA, a large hospital operator, in a $400 million transaction.
Non-profit hospice group uses thrift store to help fund their services
12/29/23 at 03:45 AMNon-profit hospice group uses thrift store to help fund their servicesWMAZ-TV (Macon, GA)December 27, 2023Warner-Robins, GA—This thrift store might sell a variety of goods, but the proceeds help terminally ill patients get the end-of-life services they need. Sheila Redding is the store manager for the Heart of Georgia Hospice thrift store. She enjoys the opportunity to give back. Since 2021, the thrift store has provided more than $80,000 for hospice services.
Palliative care pioneer named chief medical officer of The Elizabeth Hospice
12/29/23 at 03:41 AMPalliative care pioneer named chief medical officer of The Elizabeth HospiceSan Diego Union-TribuneDecember 24, 2023Escondido, CA—Charles von Gunten, M.D., F.A.A.H.P.M. is the new chief medical officer for The Elizabeth Hospice and will oversee all medical aspects of the organization’s hospice and palliative care and services. ... Von Gunten is a pioneer in palliative medicine. He was the founding chairman of the test committee for Hospice & Palliative Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine on behalf of nine American Board of Medical Specialties member boards. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine in 2011.
Palliative Care Consultation and Family-Centered Outcomes in Patients With Unplanned Intensive Care Unit Admissions
12/29/23 at 03:08 AMPalliative Care Consultation and Family-Centered Outcomes in Patients With Unplanned Intensive Care Unit AdmissionsJournal of Palliative MedicineJamie T Nomitch, et.al.December 25, 2023Context: Hospitalized patients who experience unplanned intensive care unit (ICU) admissions face significant challenges, and their family members have unique palliative care needs. Objectives: To identify predictors of palliative care consultation among hospitalized patients with unplanned ICU admissions and to examine the association between palliative care consultation and family outcomes.Conclusions: For patients experiencing unplanned ICU admission, palliative care consultation often happened after transfer and was associated with illness severity, comorbid illness, and hospital site. Patient death was associated with family symptoms of psychological distress.
ProMedica’s bond rating improved from ‘negative’ to ‘stable’ by Moody’s
12/28/23 at 03:59 AMProMedica’s bond rating improved from ‘negative’ to ‘stable’ by Moody’sWTOL-TV (Toledo, OH)December 26, 2023Moody’s Investors Service has announced that it has upgraded ProMedica’s bond rating from “negative” to “stable.” The firm said the change reflects the sale of ProMedica’s hospice and home-care divisions, as well as the elimination of bank debt. The news release from Moody’s indicates ProMedica still has about $1.8 billion of debt.
Hospice volunteer rule to return in ‘24 Requirement to resume in U.S., state
12/28/23 at 03:56 AMHospice volunteer rule to return in ‘24 Requirement to resume in U.S., stateArkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, AR)December 24, 2023On Jan. 1, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will reinstate rules that, among other things, require volunteers to provide at least 5% of care hours at hospices across the country, including in Arkansas. Those rules were lifted during the first years of the covid pandemic ...
The dementia crisis is here. Better training can’t wait.
12/28/23 at 03:53 AMThe dementia crisis is here. Better training can’t wait.EditorialWashington PostDecember 22, 2023... [A] rise in the number of older Americans also means a rise in the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. ... Recent years have brought a substantial increase in people with dementia residing in assisted-living homes. As a Post investigative series has revealed in appalling detail, these centers aren’t always equipped to provide the special care that people with dementia need. To be sure, assisted-living centers were not created as homes for people with dementia or any other serious health problems. ... The Post reporters found many instances in which assisted-living staff members, often overworked and poorly paid, neglected patients, missed giving them their medicines, skipped scheduled bed checks or ignored alarms.
Serious Medical Errors Rose After Private Equity Firms Bought Hospitals
12/28/23 at 03:49 AMSerious Medical Errors Rose After Private Equity Firms Bought HospitalsNew York TimesDecember 26, 2023The rate of serious medical complications increased in hospitals after they were purchased by private equity investment firms, according to a major study of the effects of such acquisitions on patient care in recent years. The study, published in JAMA on Tuesday, found that, in the three years after a private equity fund bought a hospital, adverse events including surgical infections and bed sores rose by 25 percent among Medicare patients when compared with similar hospitals that were not bought by such investors. The researchers reported a nearly 38 percent increase in central line infections, a dangerous kind of infection that medical authorities say should never happen, and a 27 percent increase in falls by patients while staying in the hospital.
Mercy medical record transition heats up in bankruptcy court
12/28/23 at 03:46 AMMercy medical record transition heats up in bankruptcy courtThe Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA)December 22, 2023Iowa City, IA—Among the complexities of a Mercy Iowa City bankruptcy sale to the University of Iowa is the transition of its electronic medical system—with any gap or abrupt termination of system operations posing “significant” threat to Mercy and its patients.
Hospital merger activity to increase in 2024
12/28/23 at 03:42 AMHospital merger activity to increase in 2024Modern HealthcareDecember 26, 2023Hospital merger and acquisition activity is expected to increase next year as hospitals manage financial pressure, competitors combine and insurers grow. ... The number of announced hospital deals through the third quarter rose by more than 50%, to 53 proposed transactions from 35 last year, according to data from consultancy Kaufman Hall. Deal activity was particularly pronounced among midsized health systems ranging from $1 billion to $5 billion in annual revenue. ... Nearly 40% of the 18 proposed hospital deals announced in the third quarter were driven by financial distress, according to Kaufman Hall.
Super One Foods Wadena and Baxter help raise $3,925.08 for Knute Nelson hospice program
12/28/23 at 03:40 AMSuper One Foods Wadena and Baxter help raise $3,925.08 for Knute Nelson hospice programPioneer Journal (Wadena, MN)December 26, 2023Wadena, MN—Super One Foods Wadena and Super One Foods Baxter partnered with the Knute Nelson Foundation on a fund raising drive to benefit the Hospice Program. From Nov. 10 through Nov. 27 customers were able to round up or select a donation amount at the registers to donate towards the hospice program. ... [A] total of $ 3,925.08 was donated.
Community Foundation Event Raises Funds for Hospice
12/28/23 at 03:39 AMCommunity Foundation Event Raises Funds for HospicePhoto CaptionKCII-AM (Washington, IA)December 26, 2023Washington, IA—The Community Foundation of Washington County shared proceeds raised with the Dessert Auction at their recent Chef Spotlight Fundraising Dinner with Hospice of Washington County. CFWC board members presented a check in the amount of $5,125 to Katrina Altenhofen, Hospice Director.
Hockey For Hospice Tournament Kicks Off Wednesday
12/28/23 at 03:36 AMHockey For Hospice Tournament Kicks Off WednesdayWindsorDOTca.com (Windsor, ON)December 26, 2023Windsor, ON—The annual Hockey For Hospice tournament is back for the 27th year taking place on December 27th, 28th and 29th, 2023. Originally conceived as a skate-a-thon by tournament founder, Tim Beaulieu, Hockey For Hospice has grown each year from its humble beginnings. This year’s edition will include a schedule of more than 215 games played at four different arenas over three days.
Today's Encouragement: ... when dawn is still dark
12/28/23 at 03:24 AM"Faith is the bird that sings when dawn is still dark." Rabindranath Tagore
‘Fight’s not over’ striking Lower Bucks Hospital nurses say as they head back to work
12/28/23 at 03:15 AM‘Fight’s not over’ striking Lower Bucks Hospital nurses say as they head back to workBucks County Courier TimesDecember 26, 2023Bucks County, PA—Nurses at Lower Bucks Hospital are scheduled to return to work Wednesday morning after a five-day strike without having reached a deal with the hospital owner Prime Healthcare Services Inc.
For underserved patients, Alzheimer’s care requires balance, respect, and cultural sensitivity
12/28/23 at 03:08 AMFor underserved patients, Alzheimer’s care requires balance, respect, and cultural sensitivityPittsburgh News December 20, 2023Dr. Jennifer Hagerty Lingler