Literature Review

Meet the 'Flower Lady': Crafting bouquets of comfort and compassion for hospice patients NBC 5 On Your Side, by Mike Bush; 3/19/24 In the heart of Evelyn's House, a hospice facility dedicated to providing comfort in life's final moments, resides 79-year-old Anne Hensley, affectionately dubbed the "flower lady" by staff and patients alike. ... Her lifelong passion for floral artistry has since blossomed into a symbol of solace and compassion within the halls of Evelyn's House. ... For Anne, her role as the "flower lady" is more than just arranging bouquets; it's a labor of love rooted in empathy and understanding.

A Western Slope program is helping older Coloradans maintain independence The Colorado Trust, by Nancy Lofhholm; 3/20/24 [Case example of a 74-year-old widow, wheelchair, who can live alone in her home because of PACE.] ... The center houses the HopeWest PACE program, which delivers wide-ranging services for older adults. HopeWest PACE is a local fulfillment of a national Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services program known as PACE, which stands for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. HopeWest PACE is one of 150 programs nationwide that carry out the PACE mandate to keep qualifying older adults like Powell living in their homes by providing them with a holistic bundle of health care and social and emotional support. It includes primary and specialty medical care, prescription medications, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, dietary counseling, and mental health counseling.

New ACO model paves way for innovative home-based primary care services: CMS McKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 3/20/24 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Tuesday unveiled a new person-centered care payment model that expands how and where beneficiaries can receive primary care. “People whose primary care provider participates in the ACO PC Flex Model may get care in more convenient ways, like care based at home or through virtual means, extra help managing chronic diseases, and more preventive health services to keep them healthy,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a statement. “Not only will people with Medicare receive more coordinated, seamless care that addresses their unique needs, but CMS is supporting primary care clinicians and giving them more flexibility to provide person-centered care.”

Amid tense negotiations, Oregon nurses allege patient neglect by PeaceHealth during strike Eugene Register-Guard, by Miranda Cyr; 3/20/24 Tensions between PeaceHealth and Sacred Heart home health and hospice nurses persist, with the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) claiming last week that PeaceHealth neglected patients during the nurses' two-week strike in February. ... ONA has been negotiating a new contract with PeaceHealth for a full year. The last contract expired in April of 2023. Despite 40 negotiation meetings, no agreement has been reached, according to ONA.

Noem signs bill removing some medical marijuana dispensary protections SDPB Radio (South Dakota Public Radio), by Evan Walton; 3/19/24 Gov. Kristi Noem has signed a bill removing some protections medical cannabis facilitates now receive. Senate Bill 71 allows local law enforcement to inspect, search, seize, prosecute, or impose disciplinary action on medical cannabis dispensaries. This includes medical cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, and testing facilities. 

$4.25 million gene therapy for kids becomes world's priciest drug NBC LEX18, by Alex Arger; 3/20/24 A lifesaving gene therapy for children born with a rare and debilitating disease has just been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The catch? Its wholesale cost has been set at $4.25 million, making it the most expensive medicine in the world. Orchard Therapeutics announced the hefty price for Lenmeldy Wednesday, two days after the FDA approved the therapy as the only treatment for kids with metachromatic leukodystrophy, or MLD. 

How home care providers build out successful training programs Home Health Care News, by Patrick Filbin; 3/19/24 Building a successful and sustainable caregiver training program in personal home care demands meticulous planning and execution. From defining leadership responsibilities to establishing a comprehensive training schedule, every aspect plays a pivotal role in shaping the program’s effectiveness. Strong training programs and ongoing education also go a long way in retaining caregivers in an industry where every provider is trying their best to hold onto the employees they onboard.

Is cybersecurity spending too low to prevent another Change breach? Modern Healthcare, by Brock E.W. Turner; 3/19/24 On Feb. 21, Change Healthcare, which processes 15 billion transactions a year, suffered a ransomware attack that has caused ripple effects throughout the healthcare system, hampering operations and finances for hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, insurers and patients. Cybersecurity professionals are sounding the alarm on future attacks if healthcare organizations don't start putting more financial resources into protecting their data. 

UnitedHealth hack takes toll on healthcare providers to the nation's poor Reuters, by Julie Steenhuysen; 3/20/24 The ransomware attack on UnitedHealth that has disrupted payments to U.S. doctors and healthcare facilities nationwide for a month, has taken an especially harsh toll on the community health centers that serve more than 30 million poor and uninsured patients. Many large healthcare centers have been able to resume receiving payments and making claims after the hack by using alternative technology, UnitedHealth says. ... One Texas-based association said if the situation continues through the end of this month, some members will not be able to make payroll.

Planning for National Healthcare Decisions Day 2024: 8 ideas to spread the word the conversation project; 3/12/24 Looking for ideas to plan and promote NHDD in your community? We’ve pulled together some ideas from the hundreds of local, state, and national groups across the country who have shared what they did last year or are planning for this April 16th. Be sure to take a peek at this roadmap to help you navigate all things NHDD, including where to find more examples. We hope the information ... will spark ideas and get you started.

Student-run Arizona non-profit uses origami to connect with hospital [and hospice] patients The State Press, by Pippa Fung; 3/19/24The Wishing Crane Project, founded by Arizona student Charles Zhang, serves hospice and hospital patients through art. In the story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, a young girl tried to fold 1,000 paper cranes in the hopes that it would help her push through a terminal illness. Years later, students across Arizona and at ASU are folding their own cranes [and writing hopeful messages] to support others through their difficult journeys. 

Hospice group pushes for clarity in N.Y. state budget as some warm to for-profit care Spectrum News 1; by Susan Arbetter; 3/19/24 New York state has the lowest utilization of hospice in the country, which can be attributed to several factors, including low health literacy rates. But the state’s recent progress in support of end-of-life care may be threatened by something even more insidious: corporate greed. To investigate that issue nationally, a joint request for information was issued by the federal Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Trade Commission into private equity-backed health care and its impact on quality. Yet despite dire warnings, New York state is slowly opening the door to for-profit, private equity-backed hospice care.