Literature Review

SLU Hospital nurses plan two-day strike in late-DecemberKTVI-TV (St. Louis, MO)December 15, 2023St. Louis, MO—A group of SLU Hospital nurses is planning a two-day strike later this month. Organizers say the strike comes in protest of “union-busting” practices and outsourcing of RN jobs. Nurses gave their employer (SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital) notice Friday that they would plan a 48-hour strike. It’s currently scheduled outside the hospital from 7 a.m. on Dec. 27 to 6:59 a.m. on Dec. 29.

Orlando Health boosts operating performance by $734M in FY 2023Becker’s Hospital CFO ReviewDecember 15, 2023Orlando (FL) Health transformed a $422.7 million operating loss (-8% margin) in fiscal year 2022 into a $310.8 million gain (5.1% margin) in FY 2023, according to financial documents published Dec. 13. The results equate to a $733.5 million swing from the black to the red. Revenue increased 15.9% year over year to $6.1 billion while expenses rose 16.1% to $5.6 billion.

Three found guilty of fraud in South Florida nursing-school ‘diploma mill’ trialMiami HeraldDecember 15, 2023Three people charged with playing crucial roles in a South Florida nursing-school “diploma mill” were found guilty by a federal jury Friday, after a three-week trial where prosecutors accused the defendants of corrupting the healthcare field. The defendants, a former registrar for the defunct Palm Beach School of Nursing and two recruiters from the northeast, were accused of selling fake transcripts and degrees to thousands of students for millions of dollars so they could qualify to attain licenses as nurses.

National Health Expenditures 2022 HighlightsCMS Fact Sheet, 12/13/23U.S. health care spending grew 4.1% to reach $4.5 trillion in 2022, faster than the increase of 3.2% in 2021, but much slower than the rate of 10.6% in 2020. The growth in 2022 reflected strong growth in Medicaid and private health insurance spending that was somewhat offset by continued declines in supplemental funding by the federal government associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Palliative care for infants with life-limiting conditions: integrative reviewBMJ Journals, 12/16/23By Rebecca Iten, Moira O'Connor, and Fenella J. GillBackground: Infants with life-limiting conditions are a heterogeneous population. Palliative care for infants is delivered in a diverse range of healthcare settings and by interdisciplinary primary healthcare teams, which may not involve specialist palliative care service consultation. Conclusion: There are complex issues surrounding the provision of palliative care for infants. Optimal palliative care should encompass a collaborative and coordinated approach between the primary healthcare teams and specialist palliative care services and prioritisation of palliative care education for nurses and physicians involved in providing palliative care to infants.

Horizon Home Care & Hospice announces CEO’s retirementWashington County Daily News, 12/16/23MILWAUKEE — Horizon Home Care & Hospice announced on Thursday that CEO Mary Haynor will be retiring on Jan. 5, 2024. "Mary’s outstanding leadership and 24-year commitment to Horizon has resulted in exceptional services in home care, hospice and grief support," said Chair of Horizon’s Board of Directors and VP of Post Acute Care with Froedtert Health Diane Ehn in the release. "She has made a difference in the lives of others and this community impact will be her legacy."

Big Medicare Changes Coming in 2024AARP, 12/14/23By Dena BunisThe new year rings in more Rx drug savings, higher Part B premiums and new Advantage rules.

End-of-life doulas are changing conversation around death in Central OregonCentral Oregon Daily (Bend, OR)December 14, 2023Sisters, OR—... Cheryl Adcox has been working as an end-of-life doula in Central Oregon since 2018. That’s when the registered nurse opened Hand-in-Hand End of Life Doula Services. For her, death is “sacred and it’s magical and it’s part of the mystery of life.” It’s a view that few people understand. It’s one these death doulas understand intimately.

Oklahoma Woman Finds Help To Cope With Mother’s Loss During The HolidaysKOTV-TV (Tulsa, OK)December 14, 2023Tulsa, OK—The loss of a loved one is difficult at any time, but during the holidays, grief and sorrow can be heightened. For one Oklahoma woman, she found comfort through hospice care even after her mother passed away.

More rural hospitals mulling clinically integrated networksModern HealthcareDecember 14, 2023In October, 23 rural hospitals in North Dakota announced the formation of the Rough Rider High-Value Network. Such clinically integrated alliances are designed to reduce hospitals’ costs through shared services and provide the infrastructure for hospitals to invest in alternative payment models. Rough Rider CEO Nathan White discussed his outlook for the rural hospital sector, his goals for the Rough Rider network and the advantages of clinically integrated networks compared to mergers or acquisitions.

State says nursing home’s residents in ‘immediate jeopardy’Salem News (Beverly, MA)December 14, 2023Danvers, MA—State health inspectors have determined that conditions in the Hathorne Hill nursing home constitute “immediate jeopardy” to the health and safety of residents. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said Tuesday it is investigating the facility and has imposed a freeze on new admissions to Hathorne Hill until the investigation is completed.

‘Stop the bleeding’—A year after Safe Staffing law, nurses report high patient loadsTimes Union (Albany, NY)December 15, 2023One year after New York’s minimum staffing law for hospitals went into effect, nurses continue to report exceptionally high patient loads as hospital leaders struggle to keep up with turnover rates. ... Implementation of the new regulations—from the establishment of committees to negotiate those institution-specific staffing standards to the mandate for hospitals to report departments’ actual staffing ratios to the state Department of Health annually—has been rocky across the state’s 222 hospitals.

The Backbone of Better Care: Compliance in Home-Based HealthcareBy Jennifer Kennedy, 12/15/23In the realm of home-based healthcare, the distinction between good and great care is often defined by the role of compliance. This invisible backbone extends beyond immediate healthcare services, forming a critical framework that upholds every action and procedure to the highest standards of legal and ethical conduct.