Literature Review

Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare to merge with National Alliance for Care at Home Home Health Care News; by Audrie Martin; 1/17/25 The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (PQHH) will shut down effective March 1. The PQHH board of directors will join efforts with the National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) to create a stronger and unified voice for the industry. By collaborating with the Alliance, the PQHH board aims to enhance advocacy on public policy and regulatory issues impacting the home health community. Their goal is to promote a health care system that acknowledges home health’s vital role in providing compassionate, value-driven care. ... Since its founding in 2010, PQHH has represented community — and hospital-based home health care agencies, working in partnership with government officials to ensure access to high-quality home health care. This mission was at the forefront of their decision to close.

How CommonSpirit Health doubled AI deployment in '24Becker's Hospital Review; by Giles Bruce; 12/31/24Many of the largest U.S. health systems increasingly pivoted toward artificial intelligence in 2024 for tasks such as clinical documentation and physician inbox management. Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, with more than 140 hospitals across the country, was no exception.Publisher's note: Hospice implications for 2025...?

Early successes, untapped potential, lingering questions: AI Adoption in Healthcare Report 2024 Medscape; by Jon McKenna; 12/6/24 ... For this report, Medscape partnered with Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), a global professional society that includes an interest group focused on AI-related issues. ... Data came from a jointly managed survey to practicing physicians and other clinicians, practicing nurses, IT professionals, clinical leadership, and executive leadership at medical organizations. All respondents were in the U.S. 

The change leadership strategy that costs nothing Forbes; by Jane Sparrow; 12/5/24 ... [Often] the most successful strategies for change management are the easiest ones to implement. And one strategy, in particular, is in every leader’s gift. I’m talking, of course, about leading with kindness. I was speaking recently during my podcast to Andrew Moultrie, the CEO of BBC Studioworks, about the one thing he would advise leaders to focus on when going through change. There was no hesitation. Andrew said: “Underlined, kindness is the fundamental tenet of every emotional state that people can commit to. And if your actions are coming from a position of kindness, then your ability to manage change will be far more effective and fulfilling for those people you’re managing. ..."

A people-centric approach powers successful digital transformations in healthcare HFMA - Healthcare Financial Management Association; by Utlimate Kronos Group; 12/2/24 Digital transformation is a high priority for C-suite executives at healthcare organizations, and a dizzying array of new technologies in a growing market is beckoning. But to succeed, leaders must be able to meld the use of technology with a people-first mindset and embrace their people focus in a systematic, measurable manner. ... McKinsey research suggests that almost 90% of health system executives believe that digital and AI transformation is a high or top priority for their organization, though 75% indicated that budget constraints and issues with legacy systems were hampering achievement of technology goals. ... [The discussion includes the following.]

Q&A: Prioritizing health equity with Emory Healthcare’s Chief Transformation Office CDW Healthcare - Patient-Centered Care; by Teta Alim; 11/19/24 Most healthcare organizations regularly prioritize goals to improve the patient experience and increase clinician satisfaction, aligning with the Quintuple Aim. Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare created the role of chief transformation officer to focus on these areas, and in July 2023, Dr. Amaka Eneanya became the first to fill the role. ... What would you say were the top three lessons you learned during the first year in your new role? ENEANYA: It's been a great year. For lesson one, as someone coming from a different part of the U.S., ingraining yourself and getting to know the people and the culture of the organization that you’re in, that’s important to determine the change readiness of an organization. ... The second lesson is that change is exciting. There's a lot of trepidation with change, and part of being effective with change management and transformation is really garnering excitement. ... The third lesson that continues to be pervasive in my career is that health equity is poorly understood. ... You have to start with the basic foundation and concepts of health equity before you can make initiatives, otherwise people won't understand what you're doing, and they might have a visceral response to what you're doing because of the misinformation around health equity. 

Embracing the ‘soft front, strong back’ leadership style People Management; by Gaia van der Esch; 11/15/24 This method empowers leaders to take bold decisions, but also to be grounded in principles and inspire others to do the same, says Gaia van der Esch. What do you think of when asked to imagine a leader? Probably your big boss, someone decisive, authoritative, comfortable with power and hierarchy, competitive and with a strong track record of delivering results. However, from my experience managing teams and being managed by others, I know how difficult it is to find a boss who is also a good leader. By ‘good leader’, I mean someone who knows how to share power and responsibilities, who values trust, respect and the wellbeing of employees. Someone who possesses clear values that underpin their leadership decisions and ground them when leading by example. Someone who knows how to inspire others and dedicate time to helping employees reach their full potential, ultimately transforming them into leaders. And, most of all, a good leader should possess emotional intelligence: being empathetic, listening to and being ready to learn from everyone – no matter their role, not fearing showing doubt or vulnerability in their team and being bold in encouraging others to do the same. 

Your overall leadership success comes down to 2 simple strategies, say experts: These strategies should be top of mind as you plan ahead for 2025. Inc.; by Marcel Schwantes; 11/5/24 In 2001, Anne Mulcahy suddenly found herself in charge at Xerox as its CEO right when the company was going through a major financial crisis. In previous interviews, she mentioned that one of the first things she did was pick up the phone and call Warren Buffett for advice. Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, told Mulcahy: “Focus on your customers, and lead your people like their lives depend on your success.” Buffett’s advice was exactly what helped Xerox pull through. The first part of this two-part strategy—focusing on customers—was key. Mulcahy often quotes Xerox founder Joe Wilson, who said, “Customers decide whether we have jobs or not. Their attitude is what makes or breaks us.” But the second part of Buffett’s advice often doesn’t get enough attention. Regarding good leadership, taking care of your employees first is the best way to win over your customers. Happy employees lead to happy customers.

Bay Bluffs opens hospice wing as end-of-life care models change Interlochen Public Radio; by Michael Livingston; 9/4/24 Three new beds for hospice care opened in Harbor Springs today marking the end of a year-long pivot for an end-of-life care organization in the region. Last year, McLaren Health System closed hospice facilities in Petoskey and Cheboygan. Combined, the facilities provided more than a dozen beds for hospice in the region. At the time, McLaren called the decision to close "difficult" but necessary due to staffing constraints and said it would move to prioritizing outpatient hospice care - when a nurse visits patients in the home rather than a facility. But a group of advocates in Petoskey said residential hospice is needed in the region - especially for people with serious terminal illnesses. David McBride leads the newly renamed group, Friends of Hospice of Little Traverse Bay. It used to be called the Friends of Hiland Cottage for the facility in Petoskey. ... That’s what led to a partnership with skilled nursing facility Bay Bluffs in Harbor Springs. It’s the Emmet County Medical Care Facility and owned by the county health department. Bay Bluffs is not a licensed hospice provider but it is able to outsource hospice from other companies while providing rooms for families to gather with their loved ones and trained nursing. This newer model of end-of-life care is a growing trend and has been tried in other places such as Arbor Hospice in Ann Arbor which closed its residential facility in 2022.

Transformational leadership: The how and why  Forbes; by Akin Akinpelu; 8/13/24 The ability to inspire and motivate a team isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a necessity. That is why transformational leadership goes beyond traditional management tactics, to driving innovation and fostering a culture where everyone feels valued and empowered. Here’s why it matters and how you can cultivate it within your own organization. At its heart, transformational leadership is about creating a vision that motivates and inspires your team to achieve more than they ever thought possible. There are a few key elements that really set transformational leaders apart: 

Study: AI adoption spends jump among enterprises as eliminating data privacy concerns remains a foremost opportunity for driving long-term growth and ROI BusinessWire, San Francisco, CA; by Kayla Spiess; 8/14/24  Searce, a modern technology consulting firm that empowers businesses to be future-ready, today released its State of AI 2024 report. Polling 300 C-suite and senior technology executives – including Chief AI Officers, Chief Data & Analytics Officers, Chief Transformation Officers, and Chief Digital Officers – from organizations across the US and UK with at least $500 million in revenue, the report examines some of the biggest trends, successes and challenges facing businesses in their decision-making, strategy and execution as they try to unlock AI growth. [Key takeaways:]

Free CHAP Webinar: CMS Posts Final Hospice Rule - Quality changes and regulatory requirement Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP); taught by Dr. Jennifer Kennedy; posted 8/13/24, webinar will be 8/21/24, 1:00-2:00 pm EDTCMS posted the final rule for hospice providers which drives big changes into motion for 2025.  [Click here for the] Final FY 2025 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update/Quality Reporting Rule  (CMS-1810-F), posted on the Federal Register on August 7, 2024. This free webinar will be taught by Jennifer Kennedy, Vice President, Quality, Compliance and Standards, CHAP. She spent many years as a leader and nurse in diverse healthcare settings with the past 25 years in hospice and palliative care. Dr. Kennedy came to CHAP in 2021 with a vision of moving the organization’s quality forward as “the” accreditation partner of choice for the majority of community-based providers. She believes no matter what type of care a patient receives or how many times they receive care, every experience should be of the highest quality. Webinar Objectives:

Transforming healthcare: Enabling change through tailored change management strategies Healthcare Dive; by Brad Cauthen and Jenny Denver, and Scott Madden; 8/12/24In the fast-paced and demanding healthcare environment, where every moment focuses on patient care, introducing and managing operational changes—such as implementing a new system or altering an existing process—can be particularly challenging. ... Here are some tips for creating effective change management initiatives tailored to the operational realities of the healthcare setting and fostering a change-ready environment. ...