Literature Review

Fairhope Hospice & Palliative Care, Inc. buys building to expand services Perry County Tribune; 4/17/24 FairhopeHospice & Palliative Care, Inc. [Lancaster, OH] announced Monday that it has purchased a building at 1319 E. Main St., Lancaster. The building will allow Fairhope to expand its palliative care services by opening a clinic specifically designed for palliative patients. ... Currently, Fairhope serves 300 palliative care patients.

Valley Health provider’s memory lives on with help of donor generosity Valley Helath Foundations, 4/9/24 On March 27, a new Intensivist Workroom was dedicated in Winchester Medical Center’s Critical Care unit in memory of Mark Clinton, MD, who passed away in 2018 from cancer. Dr. Clinton’s specialty was palliative care, including the care of the caregiver. He was a superb clinician, a compassionate provider and a steadfast partner. He worked for Valley Intensivists for five years before his death. Since his passing, nearly $30,000 has been donated in his memory. 

Hospital charity care falls short of nonprofit tax breaks: Lown Modern Healthcare, by Caroline Hudson; 3/26/24The vast majority of nonprofit hospitals aren't providing a level of community support equal to the value of what they are receiving in tax breaks, according to a study published Tuesday. ... Using 2021 Internal Revenue Service data, Lown found about 80% of nonprofit hospitals, or more than 1,900 out of 2,425 hospitals, received more in tax break benefits than the support provided to communities.

The current state of community-based palliative careHospice News, by Jim Parker; 3/4/24“Palliative care” is becoming a buzz word in health care, even if many people don’t understand the loosely defined term. However, wide variation exists in how different providers deliver these services in the absence of a standardized, national definition or a more concrete regulatory structure that includes quality measures, Logan Hoover, vice president of policy and public relations for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), said at the Hospice News Palliative Care Conference in Tampa, Florida.

NorthStar Care Community partners with Centrica Care Navigators affiliate, creating one of the largest not-for-profit providers in the United StatesHospice of Michigan; retrieved 2/19/24Centrica’s community-leading presence in southwest Michigan will be a strong complement to the capabilities that Hospice of Michigan and Arbor Hospice bring to the state. By joining the NorthStar Care Community, they can ensure that a strong not-for-profit provider is an option in southwest Michigan for those needing serious illness care for years to come.

Provider rebrands as Rainbow Community CareWatertown Daily Times; 1/25/24Rainbow Hospice Care, a trusted local provider of hospice care for over three decades, has rebranded to Rainbow Community Care. This transformation reflects its Board’s longstanding commitment to provide a broad spectrum of services that supports patients and families throughout the entire aging journey, not just at end-of-life. ... “It has been a tremendous honor to be viewed as the area’s cornerstone hospice provider for so many years,” said CEO Karen Carrig.

Netsmart, NorthStar and Hospice of Michigan unite to advance innovative technology and establish industry standards for post-acute careBusiness Wire; 1/23/24Netsmart, a leading healthcare technology provider, has announced a strategic collaboration with NorthStar Care Community (NorthStar) and its esteemed member, Hospice of Michigan (HOM), to support the mission of continually improving end-of-life care. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the standard of post-acute care, leveraging the powerful combination of innovative technology and best practices to advance value-based care delivery.

Sutter Health announces its first-ever Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer; Dana Beckton to drive diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and initiativesGlobeNewsire; 11/29/23... Beckton will lead the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategy for the California-based integrated health system, while serving as a key member of Sutter’s Executive Leadership Team. She will work directly with Sutter Health President and CEO Warner Thomas and interim Chief Human Resources Officer Gail Lerch to drive DEI programming and initiatives.   

New Hosparus care center for elderly nearing final approvalThe News-Enterprise, by Gina Clear; 1/11/24Known for hospice care for 45 years, Hosparus Health is expanding its mission with a new level of care at its Care Guide Partners PACE center in Elizabethtown (KY). Not yet open — the agency still is seeking approval from Medicare — the program is meant to offer services to elderly family members who need extra assistance, but might not want or be ready for full-time nursing care, Hosparus Health President and CEO David W. Cook said.

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.

NAHC and NHPCO Announce Transition Board of DirectorsNews ReleaseDecember 21, 2023Alexandria, VA, and Washington, DC—The National Association for Home Care & Hospice and the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization jointly announced today that they have developed a proposed slate of Transition Board of Directors and officers for 2024. The Transition Board will oversee the transition to a new, consolidated organization pursuant to its ratification by both associations’ Boards of Directors in an agreement to combine which is contemplated in early 2024. ... The proposed Transition Board was selected collaboratively by the boards of NAHC and NHPCO and represents the full breadth of the patient-centered healthcare sector providing care in homes and communities nationwide, with wide-ranging expertise, demographic and geographic diversity, varied organizational tax statuses, and other criteria. The Transition Board includes equal representation from NAHC and NHPCO ... The proposed Transition Board is as follows:

The Denver Hospice Announces Grand Opening of Second Optio Palliative Care Outpatient ClinicNews ReleaseDecember 7, 2023Denver, CO—Focused on providing comfort and a better quality of life for patients facing serious or chronic illnesses, The Denver Hospice is opening its second palliative care outpatient clinic, Optio Palliative Care Clinic-South. ... “Finding care for patients with serious illness presents significant challenges and stress for those patients and their caregivers. Optio Palliative Care Clinics provide support so that patients have the best possible quality of life while they complete their treatments, and caregivers get their questions and concerns answered about the care. Easy, convenient, access to palliative care services is a key reason for opening our second outpatient palliative care location,” said Ernesto Lopez, president of The Denver Hospice. 

Chris Comeaux, nationally recognized Hospice leader, announces the release of first leadership book.