Literature Review

Winter snow storm slams into over a dozen states in the East, Midwest USA Today; by Julia Gomez; 1/6/25 The Central Plains and Midwest are getting slammed by a winter storm , according to officials, and it's leaving over a dozen inches of snow in some places. Here's a look at what the storm is leaving behind. Over 60 million people in the Central Plains, Midwest and along the East Coast are being bombarded by heavy snowfall because of the "disruptive" winter storm moving through the area, according to the National Weather Service. Some areas could see snowfall anywhere between 8 to 14 inches. The storm is also expected to impact travel in Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Cincinnati and bring the cities to a standstill.Editor's note: Are you ready for emergencies in your service areas? Click here for the CMS.gov Emergency Preparedness Rule. Click here for Wisconsin's CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule Toolkit: Hospices.

Top hospice trends to watch in 2025 Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/3/25 Hospice leaders will need to keep their eyes on five key trends in the new year when it comes to compliance, business operations and finance. Coupled with these trends is rising utilization. Hospice utilization reached 51.7% among Medicare decedents in 2023, up more than two percentage points from the prior year, according to recent data from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). This is the highest rate since 2019. ... The number of hospice care days also saw increases, as did average length of stay and average number of patient visits per week. Total Medicare hospice payments in 2023 reached $25.7 billion. ...

Kaiser's Habitat Health opens first PACE center Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 1/2/25 Habitat Health opened Thursday its first integrated healthcare program for older adults in Sacramento, California, less than 10 months after Kaiser Permanente and Town Hall Partners launched the company. ... Habitat Health estimates approximately 6,500 older adults in the Sacramento area are eligible for the program. Oglevee said the program is targeting potential participants through Kaiser Permanente’s integrated health system and insurance plans.

4 new healthcare laws in 2025 Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 1/3/25 Through recently passed ballot initiatives and legislation, states across the U.S. are implementing healthcare and workforce-related changes in 2025.

The Pennant Group Closes $80M Signature acquisition Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/3/25 The Pennant Group Inc. (Nasdaq: PNTG) completed its $80 million acquisition of Signature Healthcare at Home’s hospice and home health assets. Pennant closed the deal on seven of Signature’s Oregon locations on Jan. 1. The company previously completed the purchase of Signature’s Idaho and Washington assets on August 1, 2024. Acquiring Signature will boost Pennant’s existing presence across three states. The purchase adds seven locations to the company’s footprint in Oregon, as well as multiple locations in four Washington cities and two cities in southwest Idaho. 

‘Getting comfortable with the uncomfortable’: Coloradans gather at Death Cafes to discuss mortalityKUNC; by Gabe Allen; 1/1/25 On the first Sunday afternoon of each month, a cozy table tucked between bookshelves in the back corner of the Bean Fosters coffee shop in Golden becomes a portal to the other side. Agroup of people, some newcomers and some regulars, gather to eat homemade baked goods, drink tea and coffee and talk about the ultimate taboo: death. Karen Keeran, a death doula and former hospice aide, organizes the Golden Death Cafe. ... “It’s an open forum,” she said. “We’re here to talk about anything related to death and dying.” The discussion never strayed from mortality, yet there was a lightness and optimism to it. Death Cafe, a loosely affiliated international organization, claims to have no guiding ethos or philosophy, yet its participants are united by at least one shared idea. The belief that death is just another part of life — and we should talk about it a whole lot more.

Navigating Aging: The LGBTQ+ community relives old traumas as they face aging on their own Northern Kentucky Tribune; by Judith Graham; 1/5/25 Bill Hall, 71, has been fighting for his life for 38 years. These days, he’s feeling worn out. Hall contracted HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS, in 1986. ... This past year, Hall has been hospitalized five times with dangerous infections and life-threatening internal bleeding. But that’s only part of what Hall, a gay man, has dealt with. ... By 2030, the number of LGBTQ+ seniors is expected to double. Many won’t have partners and most won’t have children or grandchildren to help care for them, AARP research indicates. They face a daunting array of problems, including higher-than-usual rates of anxiety and depression, chronic stress, disability, and chronic illnesses such as heart disease, according to numerous research studies. High rates of smoking, alcohol use, and drug use — all ways people try to cope with stress — contribute to poor health. Keep in mind, this generation grew up at a time when every state outlawed same-sex relations and when the American Psychiatric Association identified homosexuality as a psychiatric disorder. Many were rejected by their families and their churches when they came out. Then, they endured the horrifying impact of the AIDS crisis.

Here are new state healthcare laws taking effect in 2025Modern Healthcare;by Hayley Desilva;1/2/25 Providers and insurers in several states will have to grapple with health-related laws taking effect in 2025. Most of the legislation concerns reproductive care and insurance coverage. Here are some of the laws affecting healthcare this year. [States include Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pensylvania, and Washington.]

Trends in private equity acquisition of pain management practicesJAMA Network Open; Geronimo Bejarano, MPH; James E. Eubanks, MD, MS; Robert T. Braun, PhD; 12/24Pain has the highest health care spending in the US and is expected to increase with the aging population, which may entice private equity acquisitions of pain management practices. Private equity has increasingly acquired physician practices and acquisitions are associated with higher spending, utilization of more expensive treatments, and increasing patient volume. In this cross-sectional study of private equity acquisitions of pain management practices, we found a rise in acquisitions over the last decade with almost 1 in 10 pain management physicians affiliated with a private equity–owned pain management practice. [The] ... high amount of consolidation within certain states poses concerns for private equity to have enough market power to control care delivery of several procedure-based specialties, including pain management. Policymakers and the Federal Trade Commission have taken notice of the harms of increases in both health care consolidation and private equity acquisitions, and there are ongoing efforts to curb their detrimental effects. 

Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model: Third evaluation report (2018-2023)CMS press release; 12/27/24The Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model tested whether connecting beneficiaries to community resources for their health-related social needs (HRSNs) improved health care utilization outcomes and reduced costs. [The five core HRNS's include housing instability, food insecurity, transportation problems, utility difficulties, and interpersonal violence.] Collectively, these findings provide evidence that navigation can transform the delivery of care in ways that address major HRSN barriers to health and promote health equity for underserved populations.

Health systems are struggling to keep up with AI - A national registration system could helpJAMA; Roy Perlis, MD, MSc; Rita Rubin, MA; 12/24This conversation is part of a series of interviews in which JAMA Network editors and expert guests explore issues surrounding the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and medicine. In a Viewpoint published in JAMA this past August, Michael Pencina, PhD, Duke Health’s chief data scientist, argued for a federated registration system for AI and health. Dr Pencina:I strongly believe that every organization needs to know what AI solutions it has implemented. In particular, health systems should keep track of AI algorithms or other AI solutions they’re running in clinical care and clinical operations. Imagine a portal where you record all the AI that you’re running and all the information related to it. Say Duke does it, but another health system does it, and another health system. It becomes national. That opens really interesting opportunities for collaboration, information sharing, and enhancing the ecosystem, as well as transparency for patients, our ultimate stakeholders.

Recommendations to ensure safety of AI in real-world clinical careJAMA; Dean F. Sittig, PhD; Hardeep Singh, MD, MPH; 11/24As HCOs [health care organizations] adapt their clinical and administrative workflows to new AI [artificial intelligence]-driven technologies, unintended adverse consequences will inevitably occur, particularly during transitions. To address these risks, HCOs and AI/EHR [electronic health record] developers must collaborate to ensure that AI systems are robust, reliable, and transparent. HCOs must proactively develop AI safety assurance programs that leverage shared responsibility principles, implement a multifaceted approach to address AI implementation, monitor AI use, and engage clinicians and patients. Monitoring risks is crucial to maintaining system integrity, prioritizing patient safety, and ensuring data security. 

Hospice volunteering isn't for everyone but a rewarding way to give back News Talk 830 WCCO; by Susie Jones; 12/27/24 Volunteering is big part of the holiday season for some, with people wanting to help others even in difficult times. Being a hospice volunteer isn't for everyone.  It can certainly be scary to sit with someone who is dying. "It's not just a job, it's not just a volunteer gig, and I can always, always welcome new volunteers," says Allina Health hospice program administrator Erika Schuld. However, Schuld says it can be very rewarding. "You're in these really intimate, vulnerable settings, and you just form bonds really quickly, and it really is our honor in hospice to walk along with patients and families," explains Schuld. Doctor Glen Varns is the medical director of the program and he says volunteers do not administer medication. Instead they do other things to support families. Editor's note: The CMS standard 42 CFR §418.78(e) requires hospices to use volunteers for at least 5% of patient care hours. This was waived during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then reinstated May 11, 2023 when the Public Health Emergency (PHE) officially expired. CMS's volunteer requirement is unique to hospice care. Ensure that your hospice provides appropriate selection, background checks, required TB tests, job descriptions for different volunteer roles, matching of the volunteer to the best role, training, supervision, and tracking of hours for CMS's requirement. Additionally, your hospice must adhere to applicable state laws and internal HR Policies and Procedures regarding volunteers. Click here for the CMS standard.