Literature Review

Virtual reality for pain management in hospitalized patients with cancer: A randomized controlled trialCancer; by Hunter Groninger, Diana Violanti, Mihriye Mete; 4/24Among hospitalized adult patients with moderate-severe pain related to cancer and cancer therapies, VR provided more nonpharmacologic pain relief than active control and this benefit sustained long after conclusion of the intervention.

Pennant’s home health, hospice growth ‘significantly ahead’ of prior expectationsHome Health Care News; by Audrie Martin; 8/7/24The Pennant Group Inc. (Nasdaq: PNTG) leaders highlighted the company’s significant home health growth Tuesday. They also teased continued expansion in the East Coast and elsewhere. “We are thrilled to report record-breaking second quarter results as we continue to experience momentum across all our service lines and create meaningful growth opportunities for local leaders and teams,” Pennant CEO Brent Guerisoli said during the company’s second-quarter earnings call. “Our financial performance and growth trajectory reflect the consistent efforts we have applied to every aspect of our business through our five key focus areas: leadership development, clinical excellence, employee engagement, margin and growth.” The Pennant Group is a holding company based in Eagle, Idaho, with independent operating subsidiaries that provide health care services through 117 home health and hospice agencies and 54 senior living communities across 13 states.

Local hospice and palliative care center starts virtual reality program to better patient experienceKYMA (Yuma, AZ); by Danyelle Burke North; 8/6/24The Southwestern Palliative Care and Hospice is bringing a new virtual reality experience program to its center. They added the Oculus VR device to their program to better their hospice and palliative patient experience. They say it provides a therapeutic escape and a way for patients to digitally see new environments without needing to leave their bed.

CVS launches $2B in cost cuts, Aetna president outModern Healthcare; by Fiona Rutherford; 8/7/24CVS Health Corp. lowered its 2024 earnings outlook for the third straight quarter and announced cost-cutting measures to save $2 billion over several years as healthcare expenses continue to soar. The company also announced the departure of Brian Kane, who took the helm as the president of the Aetna insurance unit just under a year ago. CVS Chief Executive Officer Karen Lynch and Chief Financial Officer Tom Cowhey will temporarily take over his duties during the search for a successor. CVS is slashing spending and streamlining operations as its insurance arm faces pressure from rising US medical costs. Aetna accounts for about a third of the company’s revenue, but its struggles this year are largely to blame for a downturn in earnings and slump in the stock price.

Hospice care uplifts and encourages patients' families during difficult timesWLOS (NC); 8/6/24When a loved one becomes ill and needs extra assistance, it is vital for family members and caregivers to step up to the challenge. It is also important to find support that prioritizes what is important to the patient and their kin. Four Seasons, The Care You Trust, emphasizes that they are always “here for you,” but what does that mean? Learn the answer through the words of Larry Moore, who found the resources and guidance he needed from Four Seasons as he served as the primary caregiver for his mother, Joan, while she was living with dementia... That’s the highlight of my Four Seasons story. The care that they give the patient is phenomenal, but I think people expect that. What they don’t realize is the care Four Seasons gives to the family is equally as important. Don’t pass up the opportunity to ask them for help.”

Ten-Minute VR Therapy Provides Sustained Pain Relief for Patients With CancerPhysician's Weekly; 8/7/24A new study suggests virtual reality pain relief interventions may be effective at reducing pain in hospitalized populations with cancer. Virtual reality (VR) provides pain relief in various health settings, but few studies investigate its impact on hospitalized patients with cancer. A recent study in Cancer intends to fill that gap. The researchers completed a randomized control trial in which patients received a VR pain relief intervention or a 2D alternative. While both provided pain relief, the VR intervention was more effective. The researchers also found that pain relief lasted up to 24 hours after the intervention. “Virtual reality is a relatively new, rapidly developing technology that has capabilities to influence the patient experience in innovative ways,” said Hunter Groninger, MD, in an interview. Dr. Groninger is the director of Palliative Care at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where the study was conducted, and a professor of medicine at Georgetown University.

Closing the gap in value-based care: Lessons from provider-led ACO experienceHealth Affairs; by Clive Fields, Gary M. Jacobs; 8/6/24Achieving the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS’s) goal to bring every Medicare patient into a value-based care (VBC) arrangement by 2030 requires bold action. With six years left to achieve that goal (as of January 2024), only half of current Medicare beneficiaries are aligned with an accountable care organization (ACO) providing care within a VBC arrangement. This gap is large, but accelerated participation and reaching the 2030 goal remain possible. To close the gap, policy makers must apply the lessons learned from the real-world experience of models developed by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (the Innovation Center), the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), and other CMS demonstrations. ACOs participating in the MSSP and alternative payment models developed by the Innovation Center have proven that they can deliver high-quality care, improve the patient experience, and generate savings for Medicare. The Congressional Budget Office has found that physician-led ACOs and ACOs with a larger proportion of primary care providers, as opposed to specialists or clinicians in non-primary care settings, generate greater savings.

Enhabit walks away from UnitedHealthcare after ‘9 months of unsuccessful negotiations’Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa;8/7/24Staying on course with its payer innovation strategy, Enhabit Inc. (NYSE: EHAB) has decided to walk away from certain Medicare Advantage (MA) payers – and namely UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) UnitedHealthcare. That decision, and the recent home health proposed payment rule, were top of mind for Enhabit leaders on Tuesday.

Jelly Roll stops concert to help ‘cancer survivor’ find better seatYahoo!Entertainment; by Erin Carlson; 8/5/24When Jelly Roll spotted a woman at his concert using an IV drip, he pointed her out from the stage. “I've seen a lot of crazy s—t at my shows. But this young lady is out here with a full-blown IV," the country star (real name Jason Bradley DeFord) declared while performing at the Tailgates N’ Tallboys festival in Midland, Michigan in late July. In footage uploaded on TikTok, the woman told Jelly Roll, 39, that she’s a “cancer survivor.” After hearing this, he turned to his team and said, “Let’s get her a chair” to watch the rest of the show. He then looked at the fan standing in the crowd and assured, “We'll get you off your feet, baby. OK?” ... But while his career takes off, he has been known to make time for fans battling cancer. In July 2023, Taste of Country reported that Jelly Roll met with 65-year-old Suzanne Durham, a Nashville-based hospice patient with lung cancer whose dying wish was to see him perform live. He gave Durham and her friends a private show...

Steward to lay off more than 1,200 Massachusetts hospital workersModern Healthcare; by Alex Kacik;8/5/24Dallas-based Steward plans to cut 753 workers at Carney Hospital in Dorchester and 490 employees at Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer on Aug. 31, according to two Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filings.

Passion is a huge prerequisite to winning. It makes you willing to jump through hoops, go through all the ups and downs and everything in between to reach your goal. ~Kerri Walsh, American beach volleyball player and three-time gold medalist

How the best leaders get unstuckMcKinsey & Company; 8/7/24Great leaders know that success isn’t a singular achievement—it’s an ongoing journey. That’s why they avoid the “complacency trap,” or getting too comfortable with their existing knowledge and routines. If you’re feeling stuck in life or at work, consider taking a page from the best CEOs, who tend to prioritize these four things to sustain a high level of performance throughout their tenure: