Literature Review

70K nursing home patients have personal data stolen in breachMcKnight's Long-Term Care News; by Zee Johnson; 1/29/25Several skilled nursing facilities in Ohio and Pennsylvania have sent letters to thousands of patients informing them of a data breach that gained access to their names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and other sensitive information. Approximately 70,000 HCF Management patients from facilities across the chain’s network of SNF’s had their data obtained by RansomHub, a ransomware organization.Publisher's note: Pairing this story with "Ransomware attack prompts Maryland hospital to take systems offline" article. It's likely a matter of "when not if" this happens in hospice. How are you preparing for it?

Advice on navigating complex caregiving Philadelphia Corporation for Aging; by Jay Nachman; 2/3/25 The biggest challenge for someone taking care of a parent or loved one is “accepting your loved one for who they are now. Not who you knew them to be,” said Dr. Kiplee Bell, an internal medicine physician who has created a practice focused on caregiving. ... It’s not uncommon, according to Bell, for minority community members to live in multi-generational households. Additionally, in some homes, grandparents are raising grandchildren. Then there is the flipside, where young children are helping to take care of their older family members. And when English is not a native tongue, language barriers can preclude an adequate understanding of how to navigate the social service and health care systems. ...

Early palliative care improves EOL comfort in colorectal cancerTargeted Oncology; by Roman Fabbricatore; 1/30/25A real-world study presented at the 2025 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium found that early palliative care in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) can lead to fewer invasive treatments, improving patient comfort at the end of life. Data revealed that among patients with early-onset CRC who died during hospitalization, palliative care was associated with significant reductions in multiple invasive interventions.

Former NAHC Leader Dombi joins Arnall Golden Gregory LLP Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 2/4/25 Bill Dombi, former president and CEO of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, has joined law firm Arnall Golden Gregory LLP. Dombi will serve as senior counsel in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. He has over four decades of experience spearheading major litigation and policy matters for the home health and hospice industry. ... Dombi first stepped into the role of NAHC’s vice president for law in 1987. He became NAHC’s interim president in 2017, and was named the association’s permanent president the following year. Throughout his time at NAHC, Dombi was a key player in the advancement of the home health and hospice industries. He officially retired from his role at NAHC at the end of 2024. The association also merged with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, and is now known as the National Alliance for Care at Home.

CMS Hospice Special Focus Program: What every hospice leader needs to knowCHAP; by Jennifer Kennedy, Kim Skehan; 1/22/25Join Jennifer Kennedy and Kim Skehan for an unfiltered conversation about the CMS Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP), launched on January 1, 2025. This transformative program is reshaping hospice care—and Jennifer and Kim are here to ensure you’re prepared to adapt and thrive. In this episode, they simplify the complexities of SFP, exploring how it works, who it impacts, and most importantly, how your hospice can stay ahead. Learn how to interpret the program’s data-driven selection process, evaluate your organization’s readiness, and build the strategies you need to mitigate risks while maintaining top-quality care.

Telehealth vs in-person palliative care: A podcast with Joseph Greer, Lynn Flint, Simone Rinaldi, Vicki JacksonGeriPal Podcast; by Alex Smith, Eric Widera; 1/30/25It is a battle royale on this week’s GeriPal podcast. In one corner, weighing in at decades of experience, well known for heavy hits of bedside assessments, strong patient-family relationships, and a knockout punch of interdisciplinary collaboration, we have in-person palliative care consults. But watch out! Travel time can leave this champ vulnerable to fatigue and no-shows. In the other corner, we have the young upstart, able to reach patients across vast distances when delivering palliative care, all in the comfort of wearing pajamas, we have telehealth delivered palliative care. However, lack of physical presence may make this contender struggle to land the emotional support punch that is at the very heart of palliative care. Who will emerge victorious?

Pennant Group acquires senior living communities in Idaho, Texas Markets Insider; 2/4/25Pennant Group (PNTG) announced that effective February 1, it has acquired three premier senior living facilities in Idaho and Texas. The acquisition in Idaho is subject to a triple net lease with the option to purchase, and the two Texas facilities are subject to a long-term, triple net lease. These transactions expand Pennant’s operations by 188 units, comprised of both assisted living and memory care services.

Owners of McHenry Village restaurant have partnered with nonprofit [hospice] to open Modesto cafe The Modesto Bee, Modesto, CA; by Dominique Williams; 2/3/25 ... Cafe Verona opened to the public Monday inside Community Hospice & Health Services, a Modesto nonprofit. It is operated by executive chef Jaime Alderete and his wife, Edwarda, owners of Verona Cucina Italiana in McHenry Village and Verona18 in Copperopolis. ... The cafe is open for breakfast and lunch. Its business hours are weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Former Apex Hospice director can proceed with retaliation suit Bloomberg Law; by Daniel Seiden; 1/31/25 A former medical director at Illinois-based Apex Hospice and Palliative Care can move forward with her claim that the company violated the False Claims Act by firing her in retaliation for calling attention to Medicare fraud, a federal district court said. [She] adequately alleged that Apex fired her because she refused to certify patients who would be covered by Medicare but were otherwise ineligible for hospice care, Judge Virginia M. Kendall of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois said Thursday.

Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties receives $10,000 donation from Elan Charitable Giving Program Mid-Hudson News; 1/31/25 Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties has received a $10,000 donation from the Elan Charitable Giving Program. This contribution is part of Elan Credit Card’s nationwide philanthropic initiative, which has awarded $250,000 to 25 community organizations across the country. 

HomeCare & Hospice launches CRCF fund to support local care services Olean Times Herald, Olean, NY; by Olean Times Herald Staff; 1/30/25 HomeCare & Hospice recently established an agency fund at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation to support its mission, programming and operations. Through this new fund, HomeCare & Hospice hopes to ensure the continuation and enhancement of compassionate care services across Allegany, Cattaraugus, Genesee and Wyoming counties [New York]. By collaborating with CRCF, HomeCare & Hospice aims to strengthen its financial foundation, allowing for sustained delivery of essential services such as home care, hospice, palliative care and nursing home programs.

Carolina Caring receives a $975,000 grant from The Duke Endowment Carolina Caring; Press Release; 1/29/25 We are excited to announce that Carolina Caring, through the work of Carolina Caring Foundation, has received a $975,000 grant from The Duke Endowment to fund a palliative care pilot program developed in partnership with CaroNova, a nonprofit health transformation catalyst serving North and South Carolina. Combining strategy and solutions to accelerate the future of an affordable, equitable, and effective system of health for all Carolinians, CaroNova works with partners across the Carolinas to drive reforms. The Endowment grant is one of the highest grant amounts Carolina Caring has received in organizational history. The grant will be distributed over two years:  $375,000 in 2025 and $600,000 in 2026. 

How to build a company culture that sticks HR Brew; by Mikaela Cohen; 1/30/25 Figuring out how to craft a company culture can sometimes feel like figuring out what to eat for dinner. What you have isn’t working ...,  creating something from scratch is a lot of work ..., so you end up going with the quick-and-easy fix ... Perhaps there’s a better solution for HR pros trying to build a company culture that sticks with employees ... HR leaders from SiriusXM, Fanatics, Aveanna Healthcare, and DailyPay shared their strategies for creating a strong company culture, especially during times of change and uncertainty.