Literature Review

As drugstores close, more people are left in ‘pharmacy deserts’ The San Diego Union-Tribune; by The New York Times Service Syndicate; 12/31/24 In July, a notice appeared on the front door of The Drug Store, the only pharmacy in rural Kernville, in Kern County. After 45 years, the proprietor wrote regretfully, it would be closing in four days and transferring customers’ prescriptions to a Rite Aid about 12 miles away. ... Its closing created practical concerns. “We are an aging population,” Gordon, 69, said of the townspeople. ... Now, those services require a 20- to 30-minute drive to the Rite Aid, which is in Lake Isabella and which Gordon described as understaffed for its growing number of customers. “On any given day, there’s a line of 10 to 15 people waiting at the pickup window,” she said. Unlike The Drug Store, the Rite Aid doesn’t deliver. That leaves Kernville residents in what researchers call a pharmacy desert, defined as living more than 10 miles from the nearest pharmacy in rural areas, 2 miles away in suburban communities or 1 mile away in urban neighborhoods. Nearly 30% of pharmacies in the United States closed between 2010 and 2021, according to a new study in the journal Health Affairs. 

Even one step a day gets you 365 steps farther in a year. ~ Andie Daniels 

What 13 CEOs told Becker's about their 2025 strategiesBecker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch, Kristin Kuchno; 12/20/24Hospital and health system CEOs are leading organizations through growth and adaptation to meet the demands of an evolving healthcare landscape. Amid these efforts, 13 healthcare executives shared their thoughts on healthcare strategy with Becker's, addressing topics ranging from financial challenges to partnerships with community organizations and other healthcare institutions. Below is a sampling of insights obtained from CEOs throughout the past year, representing systems with national footprints and critical access hospitals serving local communities.

What hospital CEOs are reading to prepare for the futureBecker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 12/18/24Hospital and health system CEOs must think strategically to prepare their organization for success over the long term. Becker's regular series of conversations with CEOs of the nation's health systems poses a variety of questions, including what leaders are reading to prepare for the next three to 10 years. Here are answers collected this year.

What’s ahead for AI regulation in 2025? Modern Healthcare; by Brock E.W. Turner; 12/24/24 The development of artificial intelligence in healthcare continues to pace ahead of the industry's ability to regulate the technology. Over the past year, large tech firms partnered with providers and digital health companies to implement healthcare-focused AI at speeds rarely found in the industry. But outside of a few states passing specific health AI bills, legislators have not kept up with development leading the industry to regulate itself. Most experts say comprehensive federal policy that would regulate healthcare AI remains unlikely in 2025, but there will be a lot of activity at the state level and through industry groups. 

I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind. ~ Neil Gaiman

Where 74 health system leaders are focused to prepare for 2025 Becker's Hospital Review; Mariah Muhammad; 12/23/24 Becker's asked C-suite executives from hospitals and health systems across the U.S. to share the areas they're focusing on for 2025. The 74 executives featured in this article are all speaking at the Becker's Healthcare 15th Annual Meeting on April 28 - May 1, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. ...  Question: What are the top headwinds you're preparing for in 2025? Editor's note: Click on the title's link for this lengthy list. Key themes include (but are not limited to):

10 headwinds for health systems in 2025Becker's Hospital Review; by Laura Dyrda; 12/23/24Healthcare executives are preparing for 2025, a year likely filled with profound challenges and big opportunities. From workforce shortages to financial pressures, technological advances, and policy uncertainties, 74 health system executives and leaders shared their biggest headwinds heading into next year. The big themes include:

2025 Home care trends include tightened EVV oversight, investments in caregiver training McKnights Home Care; by Stephen Vaccaro; 12/19/24 The factors influencing the home care industry as the new year approaches are as diverse and complicated as they are plentiful. Evolving regulations, technological innovations, and the dynamic needs of aging and disabled populations are all driving the developments that will define 2025 and beyond. From enhanced EVV compliance measures to the integration of AI solutions, here are a few of the most significant trends shaping the home care landscape — along with predictions about what they mean for the industry’s future.

[Cure] Top palliative care stories from 2024 Cure; by Alex Biese; 12/28/24 This year, CURE® worked to provide education and insight that underscored the importance of palliative care in cancer treatment. Early integration of palliative care, whether through in-person visits, telehealth or ongoing emotional support, can make a significant difference in a patient's quality of life. Here are some of the top articles on the topic of palliative care from 2024.

Hospice News’ top 10 stories of 2024 Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 12/13/24 Fraud and program integrity concerns dominated the news in 2024, along with large acquisitions, payment rules and regulatory changes. This year saw regulatory evolutions spurred by program integrity concerns, as well as the introduction of landmark legislation, shifts in reimbursement trends and a change in presidential administration with unknown impacts across the care continuum. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ramped up auditing activity in the space while also sunsetting the hospice component of its value-based insurance design (VBID) model demonstration ahead of its initial expiration. Meanwhile, lawmakers unveiled a bill with some of the most significant reforms proposed to date for hospice payment and oversight. Dubbed as the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act, the bill has ignited conversations across the industry about future sustainability, growth and program integrity. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

2024 Review: The best thought leadership of the past year PRovoke Media; by Paul Holmes; 12/27/24 There were some familiar themes, from the impact of artificial intelligence to the changing face of ESG, as well as a focus on geopolitical turmoil and the coming Generation Alpha. ... The content below identifies the most interesting themes of the thought leadership we saw in 2024, and includes 12 surveys conducted by researchers, consulting firms, professional organizations, and agencies.