Literature Review

CareXM and Enhabit increase clinician capacity by 250% using virtual visits amid staffing shortages GlobeNewswire; by CareXM; 8/27/24 CareXM ... is proud to announce  some of the exciting results with Enhabit in their quick connect Virtual Visits platform. ... “We saw an increase in clinician capacity, allowing us to do more with less,” says Vice President of Care Management Shelley Baker of Enhabit, which provides care annually to 228,000 patients. “Completing visits virtually, when appropriate, has freed up our clinicians to better manage their schedules so they can be with patients who need hands-on care.” "While virtual visits do not replace the need for in-home visits, they do offer the ability to connect with patients more frequently, supplementing the visits that do need to be in-person,” said Si Luo, CEO at CareXM, “We see a growing need not just for visit utilization but for visit prioritization- let’s save our field nurses for those visits that truly do need to be in-person. ..."

Unity Hospice expands service into Outagamie and Winnebago counties Seehafernews.com; by Ryan Brahm; 8/27/24 De Pere-based healthcare provider is expanding its service into two nearby counties. Unity Hospice recently announced that they would begin providing services in Outagamie and Winnebago Counties beginning September 1st. The expanded territory enables Unity to support patients and families wherever they call home, including private residences, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities.Unity Executive Director Alisa Gerke said of the expansion, “We’re excited to expand our footprint to enhance the quality of life for more patients and families. Our experienced, local care team knows the community well and is aligned with area pharmacies and agencies to ensure outstanding, prompt, and dignified care.”

Not intervening as a form of care: Negotiating medical practices at the end-of-life AnthroSource, by the American Anthropological Association; by Simon Cohn, Eric Borgstrom, and Annelieke Driessen; 8/27/24 ... The story of Keith, a patient living with multiple sclerosis but now with limited time left, introduces a common feature of biomedicine; once set on a particular trajectory, clinicians are often committed to a cascade of options without really questioning their ultimate value: "When I saw the doctor, the first thing he said was, ‘Oh, we can do this, or we can do that…’ So I said, ‘No, you won't. You won't do any of those things, thank you very much.’ And then when he suggested a drug that will give me ‘an extra few months’, I replied ‘Does that give me an extra few months now, or an extra few months at the end? Because I want the few months now, I don't want them at the end.’" Here, Keith recounts how his doctor seemed compelled to suggest one treatment after another with the intention of prolonging his life, rather than acknowledge that because he was dying, a different approach might be more appropriate. ...

Editorial: Palliative care can drive change via new payment models Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 8/27/24 A range of emerging payment model demonstrations are integrating principles traditionally associated with “palliative care” into their structures, but without using that term. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation’s (CMMI) has unveiled a series of models that incorporate elements designed to provide patient-centered care to improve seriously ill patients’ quality of life. Examples include the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE), the Kidney Care Choices and Enhancing Oncology models. The GUIDE model, for example, includes language requiring “person-centered care meant to improve quality of life, delivered by interdisciplinary teams.” Thus, one could argue that palliative care principles are becoming more integrated into the larger system, even if stakeholders are not using the same terminology. ...

High Desert PACE Program launches in Victorville to provide comprehensive care for seniors Victor Valley News Group (VVNG), Victorville, CA; 8/25/24 The Victor Valley region now has a new, innovative resource for its senior population with the launch of the High Desert PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly). This new program is dedicated to offering comprehensive and personalized care to elderly individuals, helping them maintain their independence and quality of life while living in the comfort of their own homes.

Majority of Mission nurses pledge support for strike vote The Biltmore Beacon, Asheville, NC; by Andrew R. Jones; 8/28/24 Nursing leaders at Asheville’s Mission Hospital said they have the pledges needed to call for a strike vote, increasing the likelihood of a significant labor action at the HCA Healthcare-owned facility if an agreement wasn’t reached this week. Local nursing representatives said that more than 800 of the approximately 1,600 registered nurses, including members of the Mission Hospital United union and non-union members, signed pledges agreeing to vote on a possible strike at the Asheville hospital, the only Level II trauma center in WNC. The vote will be held over four days, Aug. 25, 26, 28, and 29. Nurse union leaders told Asheville Watchdog that they anticipate most of the nurses covered by the union contract will authorize a strike that could last from one to three days. ... Several other unions at HCA hospitals across the nation — including those in Nevada, Florida, Texas and Kansas — are moving toward strike votes right now, nurses said. ...

Healthcare leaders navigate pushback to health equity programsModern Healthcare; by Mari Devereaux; 8/27/24Brewing opposition to health systems' programs on equitable care for patients of color could make health systems need to justify or reframe their efforts. A nonprofit conservative law firm earlier this month filed a federal civil rights complaint with the Health and Human Services Department against Cleveland Clinic, alleging its minority stroke program and minority men’s center discriminate against other patients. The center and program offer treatments, prevention services and specialist referrals tailored to meet the needs of Black and Latino patients... [Alternatively...] “There's a war on DEI and health equity right now, because people don't really understand what's happening in these programs,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. Health equity programs aren’t giving more care to one patient versus another based on race or ethnicity, Benjamin said. Instead, they are identifying high-risk patients with a likelihood for poor outcomes, who are often people of color, and putting together resources to help those individuals get the same care as others, he said.

AHCA’s Access to Care report provides grim assessment of nursing home trends McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Jessica R. Towhey; 8/22/24 Nearly 800 nursing homes closed between February 2020 and July 2024, displacing nearly 30,000 residents, according to a new report from the sector’s largest provider advocacy group. The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living added in its annual Access to Care report that the consequences to rural communities have been devastating. “It’s not hyperbole to say access to care is a national crisis,” Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL, said in a press release announcing the report on Thursday. “Nursing homes are closing at a rate much faster than they are opening, and yet with each passing day, our nation grows older. Providers are doing everything they can to protect and expand access to care, but without support from policymakers, access to care remains under threat.”

Community turns out for boy in hospice's 10th birthday Cecil Whig, Cambridge, MD; 8/23/24 On Aug. 19, Jeremiah Shaw had a 10th birthday bash for the ages. The town of Cambridge turned out in droves to make sure this boy felt appreciated with a parade down Foxtail Drive. There were bikers, school buses, fire trucks and tractor trailers. The whole point was to ride by and put a smile on Shaw’s face. Shaw has struggled with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, a neurodegenerative disease that causes him to have seizures. His mother, Maschell Hines, said he has been recently put in to hospice care and that this could be his last fall season.

VNA Hospice and Don Quijote supports Meals on Wheels with annual benefit dinner GreatNews.Life, Valparaiso, IN; by Garrett Spoort; 8/27/24 Don Quijote Restaurant hosted its fourth annual VNA Hospice NWI Meals on Wheels benefit dinner on Sunday, August 25. The event serves as a traditional fundraiser while educating the community and sharing stories about the program. Bob Franko, CEO of VNA Hospice NWI, has high anticipation every year as this event inches closer. “This is something that we look forward to every year,” Franko said. “We have about 250 people in our Meals on Wheels program. Every $125 that we raise today will feed a senior for a month. Food scarcity has become more of an issue in our community for the seniors, so this event is really important for us.” Don Quijote has supported the mission for VNA Hospice’s Meals on Wheels program. The restaurant covers all of the event costs, allowing all of the funds raised to go directly to feeding seniors in need.Editor's Note: What a wonderful community partnership. Typically, nonprofit organizations are raising money for their own services. This initiative has a larger, collective purpose and community engagement that benefits all involved.

The surprising truth about who opts for palliative care Psychology Today; by Jer Clifton, PhD; 8/23/24 A study of 407 cancer patients says palliative care is a final act of hope. Key points:

10 CEOs transforming healthcare Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 8/21/24 The CEO Forum Group, a media and marketing company focused exclusively on CEOs, has unveiled its latest list of the "Top 10 CEOs Transforming Healthcare in America" for 2024. CEOs on the list were selected after interviews with Robert Reiss, Forbes contributor and founder and CEO of the forum group, and then criteria-based evaluation and approval by the forum group's editorial board. The criteria is based on "creating new value that helps advance healthcare in America," Mr. Reiss told Becker's. Each CEO on the list was awarded by the editorial board a specific category where they led the transformation of healthcare. [These categories include:] Holistic health... Community impact... Culture... Innovation... Vision... Behavioral  health... Urban healthcare... Leading with humanity... Patient-centered care... Leadership...Editor's Note: These categories alone indicate healthcare values that are considered to be transformative for now and ahead. . Click on the title's link to read the names and their organizations.

Bonners Ferry Class of 1991 celebrates classmate in hospice care Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls Press, Coeur d'Alene, ID; by Staff Report; 8/26/24 No amount of time or distance can weaken the bonds of true friendship. The Bonners Ferry High School Class of 1991 proved that recently when they gathered at Hospice of North Idaho’s Schneidmiller House for a surprise reunion. Teresa Skeen, 52, is battling terminal cancer, ... buoyed by the support of family and friends who have visited day and night since she was admitted to hospice care at Schneidmiller House. She often spoke fondly of her high school years, reminiscing about the close-knit Bonners Ferry community and the cherished friendships she forged at school. “When we heard about her diagnosis, we knew we had to do something special for her, something that would remind her of how much she means to us,” said Laura, a friend and classmate. ... Unbeknownst to Skeen, her classmates worked with Schneidmiller House staff to plan a special celebration. ...