Literature Review

AdventHealth University, new osteopathic college partner to meet region’s need for doctorsOrlando Business JournalDecember 12, 2023An existing medical college has partnered with one opening soon to keep more doctors in the Orlando region. AdventHealth University—tied to the Altamonte Springs-based nonprofit health system AdventHealth—and the upcoming Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine will guarantee admission interviews students in AHU’s bachelor’s degree in health sciences and bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences at the Horizon West medical college. The partnership will allow for students at the osteopathic college to rotate through AdventHealth hospitals in 2026 and several AdventHealth physicians also will serve as faculty at the Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine. 

More Providence St. Vincent doctors vote to unionize; hospital vows ‘good faith’ bargainingKOIN-TV (Portland, OR)December 14, 2023Portland, OR—More physicians with Providence St. Vincent Medical Center have voted to unionize. The small group of four palliative physicians is seeking to join a group of 70 Providence St. Vincent hospitalists who voted overwhelmingly to form a union with the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association back in August. The group said they’re seeking a fair contract that provides safe staffing levels, fair compensation and a healthy work environment. 

Licensed practical nurses petition to oust union at Mayo Clinic’s Austin hospitalMinnesota ReformerDecember 12, 2023Licensed practical nurses and other medical assistants at Mayo Clinic’s Austin hospital are looking to oust their union, the United Steelworkers. It’s the latest in a series of campaigns—supported by the anti-union non-profit National Right to Work Legal Defense Fund—to get rid of unions at Mayo Clinic hospitals. 

Memory Care Gap—GAO Report Shows Less than 2.5% of Medicare Beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s Receive Cognitive AssessmentSenior Housing NewsDecember 13, 2023Between 2018 and last year, use of cognitive assessment and care plan services tripled, but few Medicare beneficiaries who qualify received the service, according to a recent study by the Government Accountability Office. The GAO study found that, at most, 2.4% of Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder received this service. 

Demand for nurses continues to eclipse supply—reportMcKnight’s Senior LivingDecember 14, 2023Almost three years after the start of the pandemic, a shortage of registered nurses continues to eclipse the supply of qualified professionals. “The US shortage of registered nurses has been called a crisis. Burnout, staff turnover, a growing and aging baby-boomer population, and a lack of educators have contributed to high demand and undersupply, a longstanding problem aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a new report from ADP Research Institute. 

Awareness, Education Keys to Trauma-Informed Hospice CareHospice NewsDecember 7, 2023Having a greater understanding around the impacts of trauma and abuse can help hospices improve end-of-life experiences for patients and working conditions for staff. Training and education are keys to caring for patients and employees with unique needs impacted by trauma and abuse. ... Abuse and trauma experiences impact those delivering and receiving hospice care in many ways, some evident and some less apparent, according to Carole Fisher, president, National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation. ... "The impacts of trauma and abuse are important to include in staff training and education, as well as patient care delivery approaches and employee policies," Fisher stated. ... "Trauma-informed care involves having a complete understanding of a person’s overall life experiences and orienting health services toward healing," according to Lara McKinnis, professional development specialist at Teleios Collaborative Network.

A nursing reboot—Jobs are on the rise in FloridaTampa Bay Times/Florida TrendNovember 29, 2023All the (nursing shortage) churn resulted in the highest vacancy and turnover rates for hospital RNs ever recorded by the Florida Hospital Association, which tracks such data. Three years later, there are signs of a rebound. Vacancy rates for hospital RNs have dropped from 21% in 2022 to 13% in 2023, and turnover dropped from 32% to 20% over the same period.

Connecticut’s nursing shortage is all about pay ratesBy Latoya Hall, RN, and Heather Massicotte, RNCT MirrorDecember 1, 2023Like many other states across the United States, Connecticut is grappling with a severe shortage of nurses. Personally, we have both seen nurses leaving the bedside at alarming rates to find jobs in other states and even outside of healthcare. We are not alone in this observation. As dedicated healthcare professionals, we are proud to provide essential care to patients, but the financial strain is undeniable.[Editor’s Note: Both authors are candidates in the Doctor of Nursing Practice-Family Nurse Practitioner program at Sacred Heart University’s College of Nursing, Fairfield, CT.]

Journal of Palliative Medicine - High Impact Articles - Core Roles and Responsibilities of Physicians in Hospice Care: A Statement by and for U.S. Hospice and Palliative Care Physicians.By Ira Byock and on behalf of HPM Physicians Concerned About Hospice Care*.Physicians are integral members of hospice interdisciplinary teams (IDTs). This statement delineates the core roles and responsibilities of hospice medical directors (HMDs) and hospice physicians who are designated by the hospice program to fulfill core HMD responsibilities. In addition, we describe the basic elements of hospice programs' structure and function required for hospice physicians to fulfill their roles and responsibilities. Finally, we call attention to hospice program characteristics and circumstances of the work environment that should raise a hospice physician's concerns that hospice patients and families are at risk of receiving low-quality care.