Literature Review

Henry Ford Health to take over 8 Ascension hospitalsModern Healthcare; by Dustin Walsh; 9/4/24A joint venture between Henry Ford Health and Ascension Michigan will launch on Oct. 1, a spokesperson for Henry Ford Health confirmed to Crain’s. Under the no-cash deal, eight Ascension and Genesys hospitals and an addiction treatment center will be rebranded under Henry Ford Health.

‘His Three Daughters’: A sister act that’s among the year’s best movies The Washington Post - Arts & Entertainment; by Ty Burr; 9/5/24 Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen and Natasha Lyonne give career-peak performances in Azazel Jacobs's relatable family drama. ... “His Three Daughters” is in all its simplicity and complexity the story of how these women get along over the course of their dad’s final week. Spoiler alert: They don’t. If that sounds like a downer, the movie’s kept from terminal morbidity by writer-director Jacobs’s uncanny ear for dialogue and by the empathy of the three central performances. There’s humor here, gallows and otherwise. But there’s also an overflowing heartful of feeling, approached from three different angles by three different people who all happen to love the same parent. Other people come and go: a hospice worker (Rudy Galvan) whose smooth bromides eventually grate on the sisters’ nerves and ours; a night nurse (Jasmine Bracey) with patience and kindness and a full, unseen life outside the apartment; ... In its final moments, the movie takes a risk — a huge gamble, really — that for my money pays off on any number of levels, and in doing so finally confirms its writer-director’s talent. ... Available Sept. 20 on Netflix. [Netflix trailor and reminder available now.]

Executive Personnel Changes - 9/6/24 

Grief redoubled by a death certificate delayed: A seven-week odyssey in search of a vital record The Provincetown Independent; by Aden Choate; 9/4/24 Richard Pask, 72, came to the select board on Aug. 27 distraught. His wife, Carol Harris, 69, who had ALS, had died at home in hospice care on July 18, he said, and the town had still not issued a death certificate. Without the certificate, Pask could not access his late wife’s pension payments, manage their mutual assets, update annuity contracts, or cancel service accounts in her name. The Social Security Administration, which has continued to issue payments to Harris — a death certificate is required to stop them — had launched an investigation into possible fraud, ...Editor's note: Root causes from this complex case study relate to the family having used a "green burial" which is becoming more common, where permitted. This case study represents a gap in collaboration between typical systems. Hospice personnel who have any 'touch-points" with the death certificate process must know and adhere to federal, state, and local policies and procedures, especially when variables occur (such as green burials). 

Healthcare private equity transactions under scrutiny: Midyear review Healthcare Business Today; by Editorial Team; 9/4/24 Highlights

“What I wish I knew about hospice”: A Cleveland Clinic palliative care physician’s insights The Healthy; by Dr. Patricia Varacall, DO; 9/3/24 End-of-life care is deeply personal and incredibly complex. An expert MD shares essential insights on hospice: "At its core, is about human connection." … Laura Hoeksema, MD, MPH, FAAHPM, medical director of Cleveland Clinic Hospice and staff physician in the department of palliative and supportive care, explains the importance of hospice: “Death is a part of life just as much as birth is. When time becomes limited, patients need to be able to spend time in a way that’s meaningful to them.” ... Dr. Hoeksema emphasizes that choosing hospice care is exactly that—a choice. The team offers additional support, guiding patients and their families through the last months of life. ... “When a patient has a serious illness, it’s common for their illness to become the primary focus,” reflects Dr. Hoeksema. The constant anticipation of how the disease might progress can create overwhelming anxiety. With hospice, the illness recedes into the background, allowing the emphasis to be on caring for the person as a whole. ... “The most profound healing I’ve witnessed as a physician has been in patients receiving hospice care,” Dr. Hoeksema adds. She recalls seeing families reconcile after years of tension and others coming together after long periods of distance. The joy on a patient’s face when surrounded by loved ones, laughing and reminiscing, is what it’s all about. “Hospice care, at its core, is about human connection.”

Aroostook House of Comfort hosts Remembrance Way Memorial Garden & Pathway dedication The County, Presque Isel, ME; 9/2/24 On Saturday, August 24 the Aroostook Hospice Foundation hosted its annual Remembrance Way Memorial Garden &  Pathway Dedication Ceremony at the Aroostook House of Comfort Gazebo, a touching event that brought together families and friends to honor the memory of their loved ones. This year’s ceremony featured the dedication of 38 new stones, a bench, wind sculptures and one mini garden, each carefully personalized to celebrate the lives they represent. ... The Remembrance Way is more than just a garden — it’s a meaningful tribute and a vital part of the Aroostook House of Comfort’s mission.

Interventions provided by palliative care social workers: Provide interventions that lessen suffering in patients living with serious illnessUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center email; by Melissa C Palmer; 9/3/24... Reflecting on my own years of experience as a palliative care social worker, the work we do is not as clear-cut as being able to prescribe medication for a symptom or titrate pain medication. The art of the intervention for social work takes time, patience, and congruent presence. To the layperson, it may appear that our interventions are just to talk with people. But that is just a small piece of the beauty and grace that evolves from our work.

Private equity ownership of US hospice centers boomed in recent years – studyThe Guardian; by Jessica Glenza; 9/3/24Investors spent about $1tn buying healthcare facilities over last decade, leading to reports of worsening patient care. Private equity investors are increasingly buying up hospice centers – healthcare facilities meant to focus on pain relief and emotional support for people near the end of their lives. The new study was published in the journal Health Affairs [Private equity acquisitions of hospices are increasing; Ownership remains opaque, by Melissa D. Aldridge, Lauren J. Hunt, Zelle Halloran, and Krista L. Harrison] and provides more evidence of how private equity have acquired firms using often sophisticated and opaque ownership structures. Although for-profit ownership is not new in US healthcare, the surge of private equity ownership is. Such investment groups have spent an estimated $1tn over the last decade, buying up hospitals and doctors’ offices.

Estela’s blog: A mother’s scent KTSM.com, El Paso, TX; by Esther Casas; 9/3/24 My mom passed away on September 28, 2002. This year will mark 22 years since we had our last conversations. I remember that day like it was yesterday. ... I remember her eyes, but I barely remember her voice. We had captured many memorable moments in pictures but never recorded her voice or asked her questions that would never be answered. If you have elderly parents, I suggest you have a real and frank conversation and record it. As I spent several hours doing some fall cleaning, I found myself immersed in memories. ... Each item I discarded felt like a small step towards closure. ... I found a zip-lock bag with the house dress my mom was wearing the morning she died. ... A hospice nurse had written her name: Esther Casas. I carefully opened the plastic and took a deep breath. Most of her scent is now gone. I quickly closed the bag to preserve what little scent is left and put it back in the drawer. ... I felt melancholy, but I used it as an opportunity to remember the three weeks she was in hospice care and the incredible team of family, friends, and hospice nurses who helped her transition home.Editor's note: Have you experienced the hospice care and death of a family member? Whom would you like to thank? Now is a great time. Let them know how that experience of good care plays into the daily care you provide now.

A wave of change is coming for healthcare benefits — are hospitals ready? Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Jakob Emerson; 9/3/24Surveys of employers are making one thing clear: Healthcare costs are rising faster than they did before the pandemic, and those costs are being driven by inflation, the increasing use of weight loss medications, and higher overall medical expenses.  ... As financial pressures mount, many employers are exploring or expanding alternative payment and coverage models, a trend that could significantly alter hospital's revenue streams. ...  The average cost of employer-sponsored coverage is expected to jump 9% from 2024 to 2025, according to estimates from Aon published in August. Healthcare costs per employee are projected to surpass $16,000 per employee in 2025, driven by rising employment levels, inflation and rising pharmaceutical costs. In 2024, employers budgeted an average of $14,823 per employee for healthcare costs. These costs have risen by more than 20% over the past five years and by 43% over the past decade.

After successful IT career, Denise DeLeo finds new meaning in teen hobby LNP / LancasterOnline, Lancaster, PA; by Karyl Carmingnani; 9/4/24 For 50 years, the Lancaster New Era ... highlighted the accomplishments and aspirations of local high school students in a weekly feature known as Teen of the Week. This is one of a series of stories in which we catch up with some of those students highlighted 50 years ago, in 1974, to see how their lives met their teenage goals and what they would tell today’s high school students. When Denise Weitzel was featured as a Teen of the Week in 1974, the bright-eyed 18-year-old had spent three months as an exchange student in a speck of a town in Denmark, was an avid seamstress, ... [Denise] DeLeo got her first sewing machine when she was 12, and made a lot of her clothes growing up. ... DeLeo had an illustrious career in IT, becoming vice president for an information company. But tragedy struck when a disgruntled employee at one of her company’s clients returned to the workplace and gunned down nine people, including her boss. DeLeo decided to leave the industry and help raise her granddaughter instead. And get back to what she loves: sewing. DeLeo also makes memory bears for hospice families. She uses clothing from the deceased person to make personalized keepsakes for family members.