Literature Review

5 most challenging requirements in 2023 [for hospitals]: Joint Commission Becker's Clinical Leadership, by Mackenzie Bean; 4/3/24Maintaining infection prevention and control during disinfection and sterilization activities was the most challenging compliance standard for hospitals in 2023, according to The Joint Commission. The organization identified the top five requirements for which hospitals were most frequently out of compliance, based on surveys and reviews from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. ... [Click on the title's article for the 5 top challenges.]

CMS provides first look at shorter, Risk-Based Survey process McKnights Long-Term Care News, by Kimberly Marselas; 4/4/24 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Wednesday revealed initial information about a potential “Risk-Based Survey” option that could be available to some of the nation’s best performing nursing homes. ... CMS said in an update to its nursing home provider enrollment page Wednesday that it is working with states to test this process over the next several months. ... CMS said the proposed risk-based survey, or RBS, approach would allow “consistently higher-quality facilities” to receive a more focused survey, while still ensuring compliance with health and safety standards. 

ASCO Congratulates 2024 Special Awards RecipientsThe ASCO Post, by ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc.); 4/2/24 ASCO and Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, recognized researchers, patient advocates, philanthropists, teachers, and global oncology leaders who have reshaped cancer care around the world with the Society’s highest honors at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting. [Click on the title's link for ASCO's 2024 Special Award Recipients.

Tool simplifies requests for palliative care consultsAmerican Association of Critical-Care Nurses; 4/2/24A simple screening tool integrated into the admissions process for critically ill patients can streamline requests for palliative care consultations, according to a study published in Critical Care Nurse (CCN). ... An initiative in the mixed surgical and medical ICU at Bon Secours Mercy Health Anderson, a 230-bed, community hospital in Cincinnati, sought to improve the process of requesting palliative care consultations. “ Integrating Palliative Care Screening in the Intensive Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Project” demonstrates the potential impact of adding a simple screening tool at the point of admission to initiate automatic referrals for palliative care consultations.

PACS Group could raise $400 million in IPOMcKnights Long-Term Care News, by Kimberly Marselas;   4/3/24PACS Group, one of the nation’s largest nursing home operators, could raise about $400 million in an initial public offering, according to a fresh round of documents filed this week. Utah-based PACS plans to offer 19.05 million shares of common stock when it goes public, with an estimated price of $20 to $22 per share. At the top of that range, the move to the New York Stock Exchange could net the company $429 million in value.

Destigmatizing conversations around the end of life ABC News WCVB 5, Boston; produced by Lisa Thalhamer; 3/28/24 Stanley Sagov is a jazz musician and physician who is managing a diagnosis of malignant melanoma. He shares his story with medical students and doctors, offering counsel on how to discuss end-of-life matters. 

Hospice, home health provider Charter Healthcare files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 4/2/24 Hospice and home health provider Charter Healthcare, a portfolio company of Pharos Capital, recently filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. No public announcement was made. The petition for bankruptcy was filed in the Federal District Court of Delaware in late January, according to documents obtained by Hospice News. A public record search showed Chapter 7 filings for Charter locations in at least eight states, which span the company’s entire footprint. 

What home health providers need to know about the Medicare TPE Audit ProcessHome Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa;  4/2/24... TPE is a medical review program that began for the home health and hospice settings in December 2017. The goal of the program is to weed out improper payments by zeroing-in on providers with high claims denial rates or unusual billing practices. ... TPE has three pillars. Target refers to errors or mistakes that are identified through data in comparison to providers or peers. Probe is the examination of 20 to 40 claims. ... Education means helping providers reduce claim denials and appeals through one-on-one individualized education.

Home care providers hail bill establishing standard classification for direct support workers McKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 4/3/24 The Senate last week passed legislation that would address the dire shortage of direct support workers with the establishment of a classification to help stakeholders collect workforce data. Specifically, if signed into law, the Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act would require the Office of Management and Budget to consider establishing a standard occupational classification (SOC) for direct support professionals (DSPs). This classification would make it easier for policymakers to gather useful data about these workers and help them better address critical workforce challenges.

Vietnam veterans group salutes Mish, the World War II vet in hospice care who adopted them NBC News KGET.com, Bakersfield, CA; by Robert Price;  4/2/24Ray Mish’s military service to this country ended with World War II, but his service to the community of Bakersfield and to his fellow veterans never ended. As the number of Kern County veterans of World War II gradually diminished over the years, and Ray Mish saw the brotherhood of fighters he so cherished slowly erode, he looked elsewhere for that special sort of camaraderie. He found it in a generation-younger group of local Vietnam War veterans. ... This week [as Mish rests at home receiving hospice care], 24 days before his 100th birthday, a dozen members of Bakersfield’s Vietnam Rat Pack converged on his home in north Bakersfield. ...

9 health systems join digital startup venture with Northwell HealthBecker's Health IT, by Giles Bruces, 4/2/24 Nine health systems are partnering with a venture studio aiming to launch digital health startups. The systems will work with Aegis Ventures, a startup incubator that has built four companies over the past three years with New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health. John Noseworthy, MD, emeritus president and CEO of Rochester, MN-based Mayo Clinic, will serve as chair of the new Digital Consortium. The group says its goal is to develop solutions "built for health systems by health systems." The nine founding members of Aegis Ventures' Digital Consortium are:

Bereaved Parent Support Study: Seeking Participants Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center/University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Cancer, St. Jude Children's Hospital, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; 4/2/24This program is offered as a research study examining three types of support for bereaved parents who have lost a child to cancer. The study is jointly sponsored by Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center/University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Cancer, St. Jude Children's Hospital, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; however, families need not have received care from one of these institutions. ...The counseling will be provided through videoconferencing and all activities for this study can be completed in [the participant's] home. ... There will be no charge for any support offered through the study. [Click on the title's link for more information.]