Literature Review

5 signs that quickly identify someone with good leadership skills Inc., by Marcel Schwantes; 9/25/24 Not every person in charge of another person, team, or company is aware of which behaviors motivates and inspires others. Do you agree with this statement? For any human relationship to thrive, it has to be founded on trust. ... Great Place To Work -- the global research consultancy that partners with Fortune to conduct the annual study of those best companies -- has confirmed that trust is the human behavior you cannot afford not to have. It found that 92 percent of employees believe that their managers are people they can trust. ... Not every person in charge of another person, team, or company is aware of which behaviors produce the kind of trust that motivates and inspires others. For those who do, it is a continuous journey of personal development. In their journey, they'll most likely find that trust is only present when certain behaviors are displayed daily. Here are five that I have identified as leading to trust:

Texas families take on Houston-based solar company in arbitration case CBS News Texas; by Andrea Lucia, Lexi Salazar, and Mike Lozano; 9/24/24 In February, the CBS News Texas I-Team revealed a pattern of complaints against Sunnova Energy, accusing it of preying on the sick and elderly by getting them to sign long-term payment plans for solar panels they can't afford. ... Joshua resident Cynthia Hampton was featured in the I-Team's February report about Sunnova. Hampton believed her late father, who was receiving in-home hospice care, was tricked into signing a contract with Sunnova, leaving his children to settle the debt after his death. ... Mark Alexander believes the company's practices violate the Deceptive Trade Practices Act and that the company has committed breach of warranty and fraud. ... In an emailed statement to the I-Team, Sunnova wrote in part: "Nothing is more important to us as a company than customer service. ... 

HopeHealth CMO: Hospice rules for ‘unrelated care’ getting stricter Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 9/25/24 Dr. Ed Martin began working in hospice in 1987 after hearing families talk about their experiences with those services. Today, he is chief medical officer of Rhode Island-based HopeHealth. The more than 50-year-old nonprofit organization also serves parts of Massachusetts. Martin recently spoke about the complicated issue of care that is deemed “unrelated” to a patient’s terminal diagnosis at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Annual Leadership Conference in Denver. Hospice News sat down with Martin at the conference to discuss how he and his organization are addressing the matter of unrelated care, as well as the efficacy of requirements for an addendum to the election statement. [Click on the title's link to continue reading this interview.]

‘Think like a reviewer’: How hospices can use communication, documentation to boost quality McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 9/24/24 Regulators are tightening their scrutiny of the hospice industry, so providers must prioritize the documentation and communication practices that help them obtain higher quality scores. That’s according to hospice industry experts who spoke during an educational session at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s annual meeting in Denver. “They’re looking closely at the hospice industry,” Angela Huff, senior managing consultant at Forvis Mazars, said last week during the conference. “They have increasing concerns about fraud, waste and abuse in this space. … Don’t think this is going to stop.” ... A key part of hospice quality assurance is communication, Gallarneau said. Providers should support open, friendly channels of communication. This helps staff and clients feel comfortable raising concerns, making quality issues easier to tackle quickly and effectively. Also, prioritizing accuracy in documentation will help providers stay ready for any surveys or audits, Gallarneau noted. Hospices should ensure patient consent and election of benefit forms are properly filled out, signed and dated, and staff should all be trained to do so accordingly. 

3HC appoints new President and CEO Goldsboro Daily News, Goldsboro, NC; by Andrew Stevens; 9/24/24 3HC Home Health and Hospice Care Inc., a leading North Carolina provider of home health and hospice announced today that a new President and CEO has been appointed by their Board of Directors. The Board Chair, Shirley Harkey, DHA, RN, FACHE, sent notice to 3HC’s Executive Team on Sept. 16, announcing the appointment of Jennifer J. Whitley, MSN, RN, FNP-C as President and Chief Executive Officer effective Sept., 17. “Mrs. Whitley has successfully served in many roles at 3HC since 1995, from Home Health Nurse to Interim CEO,” said Shirley Harkey, 3HC Board Chair. “With 10 years of experience as Assistant Vice President of Clinical Services and 9 years as Chief Clinical Officer, she stepped into the Interim CEO role in April 2024 and served this organization well during that time. Over the years, Mrs. Whitely has led the organization through many challenges and opportunities to improve clinical care, documentation, and operational efficiencies. ..."

You have to color outside the lines once in a while if you want to make your life a masterpiece. ~ Albert Einstein

The power of collaboration: Pharmacists and nurses partner to enhance patient care American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) News Center; by Karen Blum; 9/23/24 Pharmacists and nurses work together on today's most pressing health challenges - from managing heart failure to deprescribing in palliative care to tackling obesity in pre-transplant patients. The Collaborative Care Grant for Nurses and Pharmacists from the ASHP Foundation and American Nurses Foundation recognizes the potential impact of this interdisciplinary teamwork on improving healthcare outcomes. At UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, the grant program helped fund the creation of a medication optimization clinic (MOC) for those with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. “It made a lot of sense to bring together our collective expertise to manage these patients to get them on more optimal medications,” said James Coons, a clinical pharmacist in cardiology at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. Coons, an ASHP member and professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, worked with nurse practitioner and longtime collaborator, Jennifer Kliner, on the project.

Filling trailers, homes & hearts Tracy Area Headlight Herald, Tracy, MN; 9/25/24 The Hospice of Murray County Rummage Sale takes place every fall at the Murray County Fairgrounds in Slayton. But in no other year has the event meant as much to people organizers will never meet. And for one former Tracy resident, it provided a chance to make an even bigger difference than she already does in her hometown of Mankato. Two trailers full of all kinds of furniture — from chairs, tables and couches, to beds and lamps — were driven from the fairgrounds to Mankato on Saturday for an organization called A Fresh Start, a program started during COVID that supports those impacted by the homeless. Editor's note: What a beautiful, thoughtful community partnership.

James City County couple who started pediatric hospice nonprofit glad for its expansion Daily Press; James City, VA; by Alison Johnson; 9/25/24 Every year on July 3, Allen and Joan Hogge take out old photo albums to look at pictures of a little boy who barely reached age 8. The James City County couple remembers happy moments on the birthday of their only son, Marcus, who died of a progressive neurological disease. ... They think about how he loved sneaking up on people, giving them a gentle pinch and running off giggling as a toddler. ... Marc’s short life with his parents and two younger sisters led the Hogges to found a pediatric home health and hospice nonprofit, Edmarc, that has grown steadily over the past 46 years to provide free services to families across Hampton Roads. Recently, the nonprofit opened a new Williamsburg office to reach residents of the city and surrounding counties, including James City, Gloucester, Mathews, Charles City and New Kent.  ... “This expansion means so much to us,” Allen Hogge said. “We understand all too well how lonely and difficult and exhausting it can be to have a child with a serious illness." ... Named for Marc and the late Rev. Edward “Ed” Page, the pastor at the Hogges’ former church in Suffolk, Edmarc in 1978 became the nation’s first hospice and palliative care program designed for children. 

Fairhope Hospice and Palliative Care announces Grand Opening of Advanced Illness Management (AIM) Clinic Fairhope Hospice & Palliative Care; by Julie Theado; 9/24/24Fairhope Hospice & Palliative Care celebrated the grand opening of their Advanced Illness Management (AIM) Clinic through a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 23, hosted by the Lancaster-Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce alongside community leaders. The AIM clinic ... is designed to meet the growing needs of the community by providing a convenient setting where patients can receive care from nurse practitioners for routine visits and urgent, non-emergency care. Physician support will also be available to help patients better manage symptoms and stress associated with their conditions, ultimately aiming to reduce frequent hospitalizations. ... Kristin Glasure, President and CEO of Fairhope Hospice and Palliative Care, shared her thoughts on this expansion: “... By offering more specialized services in a dedicated setting, we’re ensuring that patients with advanced illnesses receive the best possible care while staying close to home."

Here's what for-profit systems are watching as 2025 approaches Modern Healthcare; by Caroline Hudson; 9/9/24 ... Executives from HCA Healthcare, Tenet Healthcare, Community Health Systems and Universal Health Services joined insurers, pharmaceutical companies and others in the spotlight this week at the annual Wells Fargo Healthcare Conference in Boston.  Discussions ranged from upcoming capital projects to supplemental payment programs. Here are five takeaways from the for-profits' discussions.

[United Kingdom] 'Cuts to hospice care are a tragedy' BBC News, United Kingdom; by Helen Drew and James W. Kelly; 9/22/24 A south London hospice has made several staff redundant and cut services because funding levels are failing to meet rising operating costs, its chief executive has said. Nick Stevens said St Raphael's Hospice's operating costs have risen by £1m over the last four years but only received a £140,000 uplift from the NHS, which provides a quarter of the charity's funding. Among the cuts was the disbandment of the "hospice at home" service which serves the local area. ... Mr. Stevens said they have had to reduce their clinical nurse community team by 20%. "That is a real tragedy. We've lost members with decades of expertise and experience who have supported hundreds of people through the last stages of their lives," he said. Mr. Stevens described such staff as "irreplaceable" and their loss will have a "detrimental impact" on the services offered by the hospice. Editor's Note: This trend continues to grow throughout the United Kingdom, with huge fundraisers to help pay costs. What implications might it have for the United States, or not?

Cigna to cut Medicare Advantage plans in several statesModern Healthcare; by Lauren Berryman; 9/19/24Cigna Group's health insurance unit is scaling back Medicare Advantage offerings in eight states next year, according to a notice to third-party marketers published by the insurance brokerage Pinnacle Financial Services. Members in 36 health plans will be affected by Cigna Healthcare’s cuts and service area reductions in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. Most people will have another Cigna Medicare Advantage plan available in their counties. The company's Medicare Advantage business is fully exiting at least three counties: two in Missouri and one in North Carolina, the notice said.