Literature Review

Governor Lamont announces $35.5 million in state grants to support nonprofit providers with capital improvement projects [$775 thousand to Connecticut Hospice]  State of Connecticut, Office of the Governor; 4/10/24 Governor Ned Lamont today announced that his administration is awarding approximately $35.5 million in state funding to nonprofit providers across Connecticut for capital improvement projects that support each respective organization in their mission of delivering services to some of the state’s most vulnerable residents. The grants are being released through the state’s Nonprofit Grant Program, which is administered by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management. [The list includes:] ... "Branford – Connecticut Hospice: $775,000 (Pharmacy Improvements)"

City-country mortality gap widens amid persistent holes in rural health care access KFF Health News, by Jazmin Orozco Rodriquez; 4/9/24 The health disparities between rural and urban Americans have long been documented, but a recent report from the Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service found the chasm has grown in recent decades. In their examination, USDA researchers found rural Americans from the ages of 25 to 54 die from natural causes, like chronic diseases and cancer, at wildly higher rates than the same age group living in urban areas. ... In 1999, the natural-cause mortality rate for people ages 25 to 54 in rural areas was only 6% higher than for city dwellers in the same age bracket. By 2019, the gap widened to 43%.

Other Business Headlines of Interest, updated 4/11/24 per nasdaq.com

Negotiations end between Local 17 Nurses and Providence St. Patrick Hospital The Fairfield Sun Times - Missoula, MT, by Ian Alvano; 4/9/24 After a standstill of contract negotiations, a new contract has been ratified between the Local 17 Nurse Union and Providence St. Patrick Hospital. The nurses were looking for safe staffing ratios and competitive pay, in a new contract.  Some of the demands were met and some weren't, said Local 17 co-president, Kate Marmorato, regarding the new ratified contract between the nurses and the hospital. 

Valley Health provider’s memory lives on with help of donor generosity Valley Helath Foundations, 4/9/24 On March 27, a new Intensivist Workroom was dedicated in Winchester Medical Center’s Critical Care unit in memory of Mark Clinton, MD, who passed away in 2018 from cancer. Dr. Clinton’s specialty was palliative care, including the care of the caregiver. He was a superb clinician, a compassionate provider and a steadfast partner. He worked for Valley Intensivists for five years before his death. Since his passing, nearly $30,000 has been donated in his memory. 

A wish to remember: Penn Medicine program fulfills patients’ last requests Penn Medicine News, by Meredith Mann; 4/9/24 The patient was dying of cancer. All options for saving or prolonging their life had been exhausted. Now, the patient most wanted to spend one more carefree, joyous day with their grandchild. ... This is just one example of the last requests granted through Princeton Health’s Three Wishes Project. On paper, it’s about performing small gestures that bring comfort and meaning to patients at the end of their lives. In practice, it’s about so much more—providing a sense of hope and closure, not only to these patients and their families, but also to staff.

HCA Healthcare faces more Mission Health-related allegations Modern Healthcare, by Alex Kacik; 4/9/24Buncombe County in North Caroline seeks to join state Attorney General Josh Stein’s (D) lawsuit against HCA Healthcare alleging the health system shirked its Mission Health acquisition agreement. When HCA acquired Asheville, North Carolina-based Mission for $1.5 billion in 2019, Stein approved the transaction as long as HCA maintained services and increased behavioral health capacity, among other conditions. Stein in December sued HCA, alleging the Nashville, Tennessee-based for-profit hospital chain has failed to meet those terms. 

Young KC hospice patient feels love from Eric Stonestreet, Royals -- and a sweet pig The Kansas City Star, by Lisa Gutierrez; 4/9/24 For more than three hours Sunday, a big ol’, droopy-eared Chester White pig from Kansas with the longest of eyelashes and the pinkest of snouts cuddled with Isabelle Sears. She brushed him over and over and over. The pig’s owner was awed by its gentle manners. So was Eric Stonestreet, the man who fulfilled Isabelle’s request for the visit. You see, 22-year-old Isabelle wanted to be a veterinarian. Then brain cancer found her, again. She is a patient of Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care, at home in the Kansas City area surrounded by family and her pets.

Social media for palliative and end-of-life care research: a systematic review BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care; by Yijun Wang, Jonathan Koffman, Wei Gao, Yuxin Zhou, Emeka Chukwusa, and Vasa Curcin; 4/9/24, online ahead of printBackground: Social media with real-time content and a wide-reaching user network opens up more possibilities for palliative and end-of-life care (PEoLC) researchers who have begun to embrace it as a complementary research tool. This review aims to identify the uses of social media in PEoLC studies and to examine the ethical considerations and data collection approaches raised by this research approach. 

Grief and justice: A sneak peek of Providence artist Jordan Seaberry’s new exhibit Rhode Island Monthly, by Veronica Bruno; 4/8/24 "We Live Until" explores grief, social justice and human rights through the lens of hospice care. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Jordan Seaberry embraced the Providence community after attending the Rhode Island School of Design. It was there that Seaberry became involved in legislative efforts centering around criminal justice reform, which reinvigorated his artistry as a painter. Seaberry’s new exhibit, “We Live Until,” opening April 27 at the Newport Art Museum, incorporates these political and cultural issues through the intimate stories of hospice care patients. The show also gives Seaberry an opportunity to come to grips with his grandmother’s passing.

Why home-based healthcare could invite cyberattacks Modern Healthcare, by Diane Eastabrook; 3/29/24 Cybersecurity experts warn that as more healthcare is provided in patients’ homes, the flow of data between those locations, vendors and providers raises the risk for ransomware attacks. In the wake of the Change Healthcare attack, cybersecurity consultants are scrutinizing home-based care — particularly the storage and transfer of data through telehealth, remote patient monitoring and wearable devices. 

Anti-DEI initiatives in medicine harm us all MedPage Today - Perspectives; by Aderonke Pederson, MD; 4/9/24I entered into medical school as a top student at the University of Chicago with a high GPA ... and a stellar CV exhibiting strong leadership qualities. I had beaten all odds, despite being a Black orphan migrant with no financial means. Medical school was a grueling process ... I would likely have felt even more socially isolated at my predominantly white institution if not for three essential factors. First, I was welcomed by Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) administrators and participants ... Second, I had a dean of DEI who... said, "You can do this, Ronke." Finally, without my deep faith, ... I would not be where I am today. My experience is not unique from other underrepresented physicians of color. Despite this, DEI programs across the country are under attack.

Top factors in nurses ending health care employment between 2018 and 2021 JAMA Network; by K. Jane Muir, PhD, RN, FNP-BC; Joshua Porat-Dahlerbruch, PhD, RN; Jacqueline Nikpour, PhD, RN; et al; 5/9/24Question: Why did nurses leave health care employment from 2018 to 2021?Findings: In this cross-sectional study of 7887 nurses who were employed in a non–health care job, not currently employed, or retired, the top contributing factors for leaving health care employment were planned retirement (39% of nurses), burnout (26%), insufficient staffing (21%), and family obligations (18%). Age distributions of nurses not employed in health care were similar to nurses currently employed in health care.