Literature Review

46% of C-Suite execs prioritizing cost reduction, survey saysBecker's Hospital CFO Report, by Madeline Ashley; 1/23/24"The New Healthcare C-Suite Agenda: 2024-2025" report surveyed more than 100 C-suite executives and focused on topics like digital tools, EMR optimization, patient publication, operations, and more. Of the respondents, 29% held a CEO title, 13% chief medical officer, 10% CFO, 10% CIO, 10% COO, 7% chief nursing officer, 6% chief quality officer, 3% chief strategy officer, and 2% chief digital innovation officer. ... For top strategic initiatives for executives, 57% said growing revenue, 55% said staff recruitment and retention, and 46% said reducing cost. 

Healthcare ranks second among industries with workers frustrated by low pay: survey McKnights Senior Living, by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 1/19/24Healthcare workers rank second among those frustrated about their industry’s pay, according to a recent analysis from USA Today Blueprint. ... The research included 3 million Glassdoor reviews of 500 large employers in 25 industries. ... Only workers in the education field are less satisfied with their pay than are workers in healthcare, according to the findings.

Grief care’s 2024 outlook in hospiceHospice News, by Holly Vossel; 1/11/24Finding the right balance of support and career development for bereavement care professionals is key to recruitment and retention as hospices combat labor strains. ... The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires hospices to offer bereavement care for a minimum of 13 months following a patient’s death. Many providers extend this care to communities across their service regions, regardless of whether the deceased was a patient.

Home-based leaders are focusing on culture, creative benefits to mitigate staffing challengesHome Healthcare News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 1/16/24One of Accurate Home Care’s biggest strategies for combating the nursing shortage is positioning the company as the employer of choice and focusing on culture. ... “We have to focus heavily on culture, and we have to focus heavily on purpose, and try to attract those who have a heart for home care, and the money is secondary to them,” [Bill] English said [president and CEO of Accurate Home Care]. “Those are the nurses that we went after. Today, we were voted as one of the top 200 workplaces in Minnesota by the Star Tribune.”

Survey shows 2024 to be a "Year of Efficiency" for Care at Home OrganizationsHomeCare News; 1/16/24To improve their bottom line and operations, care-at-home organizations plan to focus on shoring up operational processes and how they manage staffing and scheduling, according to the just-released 2024 Industry Trends Report. ... The focus on having more efficient operations was reflected in the top concerns from respondents: staffing, and addressing the changing payment dynamics and new regulations and oversight in the care at-home industry.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility ProgramU.S. Department of Health and Human Services website; ongoing key referenceThe Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity & Inclusion (EEODI) is within the Assistant Secretary for Administration’s (ASA) office and its mission is to promote, encourage, develop, and maintain a culture of equality, fairness, and objectivity throughout HHS.

Best healthcare jobs in 2024: US newsBecker's Hospital Review, by Alexis Kayser; 1/9/24U.S. News & World Report has ranked the top 26 jobs in the healthcare industry, encompassing some of America's top-paying jobs with high growth potential. [Of note: #1 Nurse practitioner. #2 Physician assistant.] 

Labor Department issues independent contractor final ruleMcKnights Senior Living, by Lois Bowers; 1/9/24Acting Labor Secretary Julie SuThe Department of Labor this morning issued a final rule that will change how senior living companies and other employers determine who is an employee and who is an independent contractor. The rule is effective March 11. “The misclassification of employees as independent contractors may deny workers minimum wage, overtime pay and other protections,” the Labor Department said in an online post. “This final rule will reduce the risk that employees are misclassified as independent contractors while providing a consistent approach for businesses that engage with individuals who are in business for themselves.”Editor's Note: Click here for the final rule.

2024 Hospice News outlook survey and reportHospice News; 1/9/24From rising industry challenges to the latest technology investments, participants of this year’s Hospice Outlook Survey shared their take on the industry’s obstacles and growth opportunities in the year ahead. Hospice News is pleased to share these survey results, revealing how providers are:

Sleep pods, coffee bars, and coworking spaces: Hospital staff lounges get a makeoverHealthcare Brew, by Shannon Young; 12/7/23Health systems are looking at how they can better attract, retain, and support staff with respite spaces. Picture this: a large coworking environment with collaboration areas, cappuccino bars, and programmable spaces. No, it’s not a Silicon Valley startup, a student union, or even a swanky airport lounge. It’s the next generation of hospital employee break rooms. After years of optimizing hospital spaces to focus on the patient experience, more health systems are looking at how they can better attract, retain, and support staff, Mike Pukszta, codirector of CannonDesign’s global health practice, told Healthcare Brew.Editor's Note: Consider implications for today's hospice staffing. Office-based leaders, have you ever spent a day with a team member making visit after visit? While you want staff out in the field, do they have a home base where they can easily collaborate, eat, communicate with each other? Seek feedback and consider adjustments that can make a big difference in employee satisfaction and well-being.

We’re college students with ideas of how to promote senior living careers to a younger generation

Hospice volunteer rule to return in ‘24 Requirement to resume in U.S., stateArkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, AR)December 24, 2023On Jan. 1, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will reinstate rules that, among other things, require volunteers to provide at least 5% of care hours at hospices across the country, including in Arkansas. Those rules were lifted during the first years of the covid pandemic ...

10 Hospice Professionals Complete Innovative Professional ProgramEye on AnnapolisDecember 24, 2023Two social workers, three chaplains and five registered nurses are being celebrated for completing an innovative professional program pioneered by Hospice of the Chesapeake. The Clinical Ladder program, launched in early 2023, recognizes team members for their clinical expertise, professional and educational achievements, and contributions to the hospice team as well as the full organization.