Literature Review

Key differences between palliative and hospice care in California Psychology Today; by Bob Uslander, MD; 12/3/24 ... Key Difference Between Palliative and Hospice Care in California: Whether you’re looking for support early in an illness or need end-of-life care, Californians have resources available to help. California also has some unique programs and resources, such as palliative care programs for people covered by Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. Additionally, California has strict laws to protect patients’ rights, ensuring that people are fully informed about your care options and can make choices that align with your personal values and cultural beliefs. Below are some of the key differences highlighted to help you make the best choice possible for you and your family when the time comes. [Click on the title's link for more information.]Editor's note: Through recent years, too many hospice agencies have eliminated references to end-of-life care, a life-expectancy of six months or less, and references to dying, death, or grief. Various fraud and abuse cases have described that persons/caregivers did not even realize they had signed up for "hospice" care. Ethically, this is untenable. Key differences between palliative and hospice care--with applications to the person--are significant.

Residential Hospice brings hospice care to eastern Kansas and western Missouri PR Newswire, Kansas City, MO; by Residential Home Health and Hospice; 12/4/24 Tutera Senior Living & Health Care (Tutera) and Residential Home Health and Hospice (Residential) have expanded their partnership and service offering, Residential Hospice is now acting as the preferred provider of hospice services. Tutera and Residential have been in a partnership since May 2022 with Residential providing home health care in their Kansas City market. "The focus of our partnership with Residential is to support patients at every stage of care in the communities we serve," said Randy Bloom, President/COO Tutera Health Care Division. "By expanding the partnership with Residential, we increase access to care and are better able to meet the healthcare needs of our community."

What healthcare CFOs don’t know about cybersecurity — and what they should ask their CISOs Healthcare Finance Technology (HFMA); by Plante Moran; 12/2/24Cybersecurity is a growing concern for all healthcare organizations amid the ongoing rise of ransomware attacks and other threats. In 2023, the number of reported data breaches in the U.S. rose to an all-time high of 3,205, a 78% increase from 2022, while the average cost of a healthcare data breach hit $10.93 million. What’s driving these alarming figures isn’t necessarily a lack of technology or talent. ... By rethinking their approach to collaboration and risk management, healthcare CFOs can more effectively align security with both technology and the business to help their organizations become more resilient. ... How ready is our organization for an attack? ... 

Creach Family Holdings announces acquisition of HealthRev Partners EIN Presswire, Stuart, FL; by Careficient, Inc.; 12/3/24 Creach Family Holdings announces acquisition of HealthRev Partners Expanding Healthcare Technology Solutions for Home Health and Hospice Providers. Creach Family Holdings, a privately held investment firm focused on healthcare technology and tech-enabled services, announces the acquisition of HealthRev Partners, a provider of technology-driven revenue cycle management (RCM) solutions serving the home health and hospice market. This acquisition complements Creach Family Holdings’ portfolio, including Careficient, a leading electronic medical record (EMR) provider for home health and hospice agencies. By combining HealthRev Partners’ RCM expertise with Careficient’s EMR platform, Creach Family Holdings aims to provide an integrated suite of solutions that streamline operations, optimize revenue cycles, and improve patient care. 

Delaware Court of Chancery awards damages and other relief to Encompass Health and Enhabit for misconduct by April Anthony, other former officers, and private equity firms Vistria Group and Nautic Partners Associated Press (AP) - Business Wire, Birmingham, AL and Dallas, TX; 12/4/24 On Monday, Encompass Health and Enhabit won their lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery related to breaches of fiduciary duty by April Anthony, Luke James, and Chris Walker while they served as the senior officers at Encompass Health’s former home health and hospice division, which is now Enhabit. The Court awarded judgment against private equity firms Vistria Group and Nautic Partners and the home health and hospice business now known as VitalCaring Group for aiding and abetting “the egregious breaches of the duty of loyalty” by Anthony, James, and Walker. The case was the subject of a 7-day trial in December 2023. After considering “the damning record presented at trial,” the Court found that, while employed by Encompass Health, Anthony, James, and Walker usurped acquisition opportunities falling within Encompass Health’s line of business, used Encompass Health’s confidential information, and swayed key Encompass Health employees to join them with the promise of equity in the home health and hospice competitor that Anthony now heads. 

11 top health system C-suite priorities for better patient care in 2025 Becker's Hospital Review; by Laura Dyrda; 12/2/24 ... Becker's collected insights from 94 health system executives highlight a collective commitment to transforming care delivery through innovation, accessibility, and patient-centered strategies. These leaders, representing a diverse range of hospitals and health systems across the country, are focusing on priorities such as leveraging advanced technology, strengthening workforce resilience, enhancing health equity, and reimagining care models to meet the needs of their communities. ... Below, we summarize the top 11 priorities identified by these executives to improve patient care in the years ahead.

VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region names Jessica Boutin CEO Vermont Business Magazine (VB), South Burlington, VT; by Tim, VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region; 12/3/24 Vermont Business Magazine VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region (VNAHSR) has announced that Jessica Boutin as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2025. Jessica, a long-time employee of the organization, steps into the role after years of dedicated service and proven leadership within the agency. "I am incredibly excited for Jessica to step into this role. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working closely with her, witnessing her unwavering commitment to our mission, to our vision and to the patients and families we serve. Jessica has shown time and time again that she has the leadership, compassion and dedication needed to lead our agency. I have complete confidence in her ability to continue our legacy of excellence, and continue to positively impact the communities we serve," said Sara King, outgoing CEO of VNAHSR.

Addus closes $350M Gentiva Personal Care deal Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/2/24 Addus HomeCare Corporation (Nasdaq: ADUS) has closed its $350 million acquisition of Gentiva’s personal care business. Gentiva’s personal care segment brings in annual revenues of close to $280.0 million. Post-transaction, Addus will continue with a leverage ratio of less than 3x, with the ability to further that amount with the influx of revenue resulting from this deal, Addus Chairman and CEO Dirk Allision said in a statement. ... Addus provides personal care, home health and hospice to more than 48,500 patients across 22 states. Its total revenue reached $289.8 million in the Q3 of 2024, a 7% year-over-year increase. Its personal care revenues reached $215.4 million that period.

Caring for patients at the end of life: CEJA reports AMA - American Medical Association; by Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA); 12/2/24 Reports by the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) interpret the AMA Principles of Medical Ethics to provide practical ethics guidance on timely topics. When the AMA House of Delegates adopts the recommendations of a CEJA report they become Opinions in the Code of Medical Ethics. The body of the report, which sets out CEJA’s ethics analysis, is archived and remains available as a resource to help users apply guidance. CEJA reports may not be reproduced without express written permission. [Click here to access these CEJA reports.]

Decoding complexity for leadership: 7 essential qualities to develop Forbes; by Gregory Crawford; 12/3/24 ... Leading large organizations involves managing intricate connections and interactions that yield both thorny challenges and thrilling achievements. ... As a university president, I lead an organization that feels like a conglomerate or perhaps a city; ... After nine years, I've identified a set of high-level leadership qualities essential for navigating such a complex environment: agility, delegation, consultation, breadth, communication, purpose and recognition.

All-inclusive elder care for aging at home: This nursing home alternative is on the rise Caring.com; by Dom DiFurio; 11/25/2024 ... PACE centers, or Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. As of August 2024, 177 programs across 33 states and the District of Columbia are in operation, allowing aging people to stay within their home communities while still receiving the elevated care they would need as older adults living with disabilities or chronic illnesses. A PACE facility is a kind of "one-stop shop" that offers services like dental care, social services, occupational therapy, prescription medication, and nutritional counseling. ... Caring.com examined data maintained by the National PACE Association to see which states have the most programs available to serve their aging populations and how they can impact the quality of care for adults who want to live independently outside a clinical setting for as long as possible. ... Several states are also undergoing trials, expansion, or establishing new PACE programs for their aging residents. Minnesota and South Dakota are considering starting PACE programs. Nevada is in the process of establishing its own program after using COVID-19 funding to experiment with the system to address the health needs of people ages 55 and older who need nursing facility-level care but can still live safely in their communities. Georgia's governor also signed a bill into law earlier this year creating the state's first PACE.

[Recommendations] OIG Report finds that the Medicare Program improperly paid acute-care hospitals for outpatient services provided to hospice enrollees JDSupra; by Michelle Huntsman; 12/3/24 On November 12, 2024, OIG published a report concluding that the Medicare program overpaid acute-care hospitals an estimated $190 million over five years for outpatient services provided to hospice enrollees. ... OIG made six recommendations to CMS to prospectively address the issues identified: