Literature Review

Training opportunities for managers in home health, hospice, and community-based care settingsThe Journal of Nursing Administration; by Ann M Nguyen, Alfred F Tallia, Tami M Videon, Robert J Rosati; 6/24The aim of this study was to identify areas for developing management skills-focused continuing education for managers working in home health, hospice, and community-based settings. For all 33 management tasks, managers with 6+ years of experience reported greater confidence than managers with 0 to 5 years of experience. Tasks with the lowest confidence were budgeting, interpreting annual reports, strategic planning, measuring organizational performance, and project planning. Managers were clustered into 5 "profiles." Management training is not 1-size-fits-all. Healthcare organizations should consider investing in training specific to the identified low-confidence areas and manager roles to better support and develop a robust management workforce.

We now no longer camp as for a night, but have settled down on earth and forgotten heaven. ~Henry David Thoreau

Hospice Readmission, Hospitalization, and Hospital Death Among Patients Discharged Alive from HospiceJAMA Network; by Elizabeth A. Luth, Caitlin Brennan, Susan L. Hurley, Veerawat Phongtankuel, Holly G. Prigerson, Miriam Ryvicker, Hui Shao, Yongkang Zhang; 5/24This retrospective cohort study of burdensome transitions following live hospice discharge found that non-Hispanic Black race, short hospice stays, and care from for-profit hospices were associated with higher odds of experiencing a burdensome transition. These findings suggest that changes to clinical practice and policy may reduce the risk of burdensome transitions, such as hospice discharge planning that is incentivized, systematically applied, and tailored to needs of patients at greater risk for burdensome transitions.

Educating the future of hospice and palliative carePortage.life; by Center for Hospice Care; 5/21/24This spring students at the University of Notre Dame gained insight into the delivery of care to patients and families dealing with serious advanced illnesses. The university, in partnership with Center for Hospice Care (CHC), once again offered the course “Introduction to Hospice and Palliative Care” that was designed by Dr. Dominic Vachon, Director of Ruth M. Hillebrand Center for Compassionate Care in Medicine and Mike Wargo, COO and vice president of the Hospice Foundation. The five-week class covered a variety of topics focused on hospice and palliative care and was taught by CHC staff including physicians, social workers, chaplains, bereavement counselors and other hospice and palliative care support staff.

Uber expands healthcare reach with new patient transport platform Modern Healthcare / Crain's New York Business; by Amanda Glodowski; 5/17/24 Uber has announced a new platform to help caregivers facilitate transportation for those they care for. The move also further expands the company’s footprint in the healthcare space. The new offering ...  allows caregivers to request and monitor rides and deliveries of prescriptions, groceries and over-the-counter items for those they care for. In the coming months, Uber said it will start to partner with Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and commercial plans to reimburse consumers for the cost.

How value-based models can aid palliative care team recruitment Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/22/24 A transition from fee-for-service to value-based payment models could help palliative care providers boost recruitment and retention. Providers walk a tightrope when it comes to ensuring that their palliative care services are financially sustainable, including the ability to attract and compensate staff at competitive rates. In today’s predominant reimbursement structure, palliative care programs are often loss leaders. But moving away from fee-for-service towards value-based payment could make a difference when it comes to hiring and retention, according to Dr. Jennifer Blechman, palliative care medical director at the Oregon-based nonprofit Partners in Care. ...

Tuesday Health launches revolutionary Supportive Care solution with $60 million of strategic investment from healthcare leadersInvestors Observier; by PR Newswire; 5/21/24Tuesday Health, a pioneer in value-based care dedicated to transforming serious illness, has launched its innovative supportive care solution in partnership with Valtruis, Blue Venture Fund, Mass General Brigham Ventures , and CareSource. This alliance brings a $60 million strategic investment to Tuesday Health, fueling its mission to redefine supportive care for patients and caregivers facing serious illnesses. "Leveraging clinical expertise, advanced data solutions, and cutting-edge technology, while partnering with Ohio's largest Medicaid plan, its largest hospice provider and the unmatched palliative care experience of Mass General, Tuesday Health is dedicated to tackling one of healthcare's biggest challenges-providing support and care in the right setting, at the right time, for those facing serious illness", said Jim Wieland, CEO of Tuesday Health.Editor's Note: What is the difference between supportive care and palliative care? Click here for a description from ASCO, the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 

21 hospitals, health systems raising workers' pay Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 5/20/24 The following hospitals and health systems have announced or shared plans for raising workers' pay this year. Note: This is not an exhaustive list. This webpage was last updated May 20. [Click on the title's link for the detailed list.]

Understanding the role of Learning & Development in employee well-being Today Headline - Education News; 5/21/24... The Connection Between Learning and Well-Being: Learning and Development programs [L&D] are often associated with upskilling, reskilling, and career advancement. But their potential extends far beyond professional growth. Learning can have a positive impact on employee well-being, too. When employees are engaged in continuous learning and skill development, their overall sense of well-being improves significantly. ... [The] role of L&D in employee well-being. ...

[NHPCO] Memorial Day Resources and Social Media Graphics NHPCO; We Honor Veterans webpage; retrieved from the internet 5/23/24 The National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization provides various "Memorial Day Resources and Social Media Graphics" on this page of its "We Honor Veterans" program.

HHS puts $50M toward hospitals' ransomware fightBecker's Health IT; by Molly Gamble; 5/20/24A new agency within the National Institutes of Health is launching a $50 million initiative to develop tools for hospital IT teams that enhance their cybersecurity measures and resources to combat ransomware. On May 20, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health introduced its Universal PatchinG and Remediation for Autonomous DEfense, or UPGRADE, program. "What if every hospital could autonomously protect itself and patients from cyber threats?" That is the guiding question for the initiative, which aims to develop a tailored and scalable software suite of remediations and patches for hospitals, reducing the patching time for vulnerable healthcare products to days or weeks.

Congress earmarks $12.5 million for palliative care research

End-of-life talks, planning benefit all racial groups, study finds McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Kristen Fischer ... Having formal advanced care planning (ACP) in place was linked to higher odds of receiving care that aligned with individuals’ goals, the researchers found. The study evaluated how ACP and goal-concordant care (GCC) — an approach that aims to meet the patient’s goal and includes ACP and conversations about care goals —  affected people of different races. The report was published on May 18 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  The framework is especially important for people in racial or ethnic minority populations who have a greater risk of poor end-of-life outcomes and don’t receive GCC. ... Older adults are more likely to receive hospice care at the end of life compared to previous decades, but a lot of people still report care that didn’t meet their preferences, the authors noted.