Literature Review

Steward proposes timeline for selling assets in bankruptcy Modern Healthcare; by Caroline Hudson; 5/20/24Steward Health Care is seeing interest from potential buyers of its 31 hospitals, particularly in Massachusetts and Arizona, and it hopes to complete sales this summer. The health system, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this month, also is in advanced discussions with UnitedHealth Group's Optum to buy physician network Stewardship Health. Optum, which had been negotiating with Steward before the bankruptcy filing, submitted a "stalking horse" bid. A stalking horse bid is the initial bid on a bankrupt company's assets that helps set the minimum price for other potential buyers. Steward also is in discussions with "various third parties" for its northern Massachusetts facilities, the health system said in a bankruptcy court filing last week.

Around the nation: Steward Health Care puts hospitals up for sale following bankruptcyAdvisory Board; 5/10/24Steward Health Care, which filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday, has placed all its 31 hospitals in the United States up for sale in hopes of finalizing transactions by the end of the summer to address its $9 billion debt, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Georgia, Illinois, and Texas.

Premier Physician Network partners with Empatia on palliative care Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/30/24 Premier Physician Network (PPN) has launched an integrated palliative program among its medical group operations, in partnership with agilon health (NYSE: AGL) and its palliative arm Empatia. The program, branded as Senior Health Connect, will provide a palliative care program for Medicare Advantage patients who suffer from serious illnesses. Senior Health Connect is based on agilon’s palliative care model. “Our role there is as a partner. We bring technology. We bring insights. We can bring powerful data and care pathways,” Dr. Benjamin Kornitzer, agilon’s chief medical officer, previously told Hospice News. 

Private Equity: Proposed Health Over Wealth Act - What this means for you JD Supra, by Roger Strode; 4/11/24 On April 3, 2024, Senators Edward Markey ... and Elizabeth Warren ... chaired a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee ... titled, When Health Care Becomes Wealth Care: How Corporate Greed Puts Patient Care and Health Workers at Risk. As part of the hearing process, Senator Markey released his new legislative agenda that calls for transparency and accountability for private equity (PE) in health care. ... The bill would require PE-backed or other for-profit owned providers (those providing services covered by Medicare under 42 U.S.C. Section 1395d) such as hospitals, hospice, nursing homes, and certain other facilities[1], to annually report to HHS on all manner of things including, but not limited to ... [click on the title to link to the list].

Eight nurses from St. Vincent Hospital filed suit yesterday in Worcester Superior Court against Tenet Healthcare for wrongful termination after blowing the whistle on unsafe patient care conditions ABC WATE.com 6 / Cision PR Newswire; by Massachusetts Nurses Association; 3/22/24 Eight registered nurses represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association at St. Vincent Hospital filed a lawsuit yesterday in Worcester Superior Court against the hospital and its owner, Dallas-based for-profit owner Tenet Healthcare alleging they were fired for exercising their legal and professional obligation to report "unsafe and illegal conduct and conditions" that jeopardized the health and dignity of the patients under their care. ... last month the nurses' claims were validated by The Joint Commission, which conducted an investigation into the nurses' complaints and found the hospital to be "non-compliant with applicable Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) Conditions."

Patient and caregiver satisfaction of a palliative care chronic diseases clinic during COVID lockdowns Chronic Illness; by Xiang Rong Sim, Jade Hudson, Catriona Parker, Fiona Runacres, Peter Poon; 3/20/24, online ahead of print Objectives: To assess the quality assurance of a specialist palliative care clinic focused on chronic diseases and explore the satisfaction and acceptability of the telemedicine model amongst patients and caregivers.Results: ... the most common primary diagnosis was renal failure. Participants rated telemedicine as easier to access than face-to-face appointments due to convenience. Telemedicine was rated highly for future utility, with video consultations being perceived as more useful than telephone consultations. Participants responded overwhelmingly well towards the clinic.

Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services launch cross-government inquiry on impact of corporate greed in health careFederal Trade Commission; 3/5/24The Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) jointly launched a cross-government public inquiry into private-equity and other corporations’ increasing control over health care. ... The agencies seek comments on a variety of transactions, including those involving dialysis clinics, nursing homes, hospice providers, primary care providers, hospitals, home health agencies, home- and community-based services providers, behavioral health providers, as well as billing and collections services.

Compassus certified to provide palliative care Tahlequah Daily Press; 2/25/24Compassus, a leading nationwide provider of integrated home-based care services, including palliative care, is now certified to provide palliative care under the Veterans Administration benefit in Oklahoma. The Community Care Network credential is awarded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to community providers that demonstrate high-quality standards and a commitment to offering veterans the best possible care.

CAPC Strategic Plan: 2023-2025

Don’t stop dreamin’ turns nursing home residents’ dreams into realityiAdvanceSeniorCare, by Paige Cerulli; 1/22/24The nonprofit now works to fulfill dreams for residents of all Quality Life Services homes, as well as for patients of Three Rivers Hospice. “There is one employee at all ten locations, including Three Rivers Hospice, that represents Don’t Stop Dream’ as a Dream Ambassador,” explains [Paula] Elder. “They are responsible for learning about our residents and patients’ needs and dreams, and submitting them for request. Most dreams are typically granted to our residents and patients after research is completed to ensure their safety, travel arrangements (if necessary), and staffing is available.”

Palliative Care Consultation and Family-Centered Outcomes in Patients With Unplanned Intensive Care Unit AdmissionsJournal of Palliative MedicineJamie T Nomitch, et.al.December 25, 2023Context: Hospitalized patients who experience unplanned intensive care unit (ICU) admissions face significant challenges, and their family members have unique palliative care needs. Objectives: To identify predictors of palliative care consultation among hospitalized patients with unplanned ICU admissions and to examine the association between palliative care consultation and family outcomes.Conclusions: For patients experiencing unplanned ICU admission, palliative care consultation often happened after transfer and was associated with illness severity, comorbid illness, and hospital site. Patient death was associated with family symptoms of psychological distress.

VITAS® Healthcare Wins Award for Best-in-Class Employee Experience Across Healthcare in North AmericaNews ReleaseDecember 18, 2023Miami, FL—VITAS Healthcare is once again setting the standard for employer excellence within the healthcare and hospice community. The nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care for 45 years achieved the Best-in-Class Award in the category of employee experience in healthcare for North America, presented at the 2023 HRO Today Association Conference on December 1, 2023.