Literature Review

'Be a game-changer': Insights on leadership for Black History MonthBecker's Hospital Review, by Kelly Gooch; 2/8/24In honor of Black History Month in February, Becker's Hospital Review asked what it means to be a Black leader in healthcare. Here, Black healthcare leaders share how their heritage and culture infuses their leadership philosophies and adds purpose to their roles.

Hospice Nurse Shares The unexplained experience with a patient that changed her view on death and dyingYour Tango, by Nia Tipton; 1/29/24Death is the most mysterious part of the cycle of life for many individuals. What happens when we die? Is it peaceful? Is it scary? The unknown of what becomes of our souls once our physical presence leaves this Earth can be a daunting thought, but a hospice nurse named Julie offered some insight that she was a firsthand witness to after an elderly patient she'd been looking after passed away.

A guide to paying for hospice care at homeMediaFeed.org, by Claire Samuels; 1/23/24 According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which sets benchmarks for hospice care costs based on the payments they make to providers, here’s what two types of in-home hospice care will cost in 2024’s fiscal year ... [Additional descriptions include insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, VA health care, private health insurance.]

Advance care planning reaches underserved across U.S. recruitment continues for National Institutes of Health (NIH) ResearchHospice Foundation of America; 1/18/24Community outreach leaders and liaisons are urged to apply to serve as hosts for the Project Talk Trial, a national, 5-year research project funded by National Institutes of Health that seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of advance care planning conversations and whether those discussions result in advance care planning actions. ... The project is specifically focused on underserved communities of people who historically have the poorest access to healthcare services and the lowest engagement in advance care planning, which include racial and ethnic minorities, low-income individuals, and rural populations.

Hospice providers must be better regulatedScientific American, 2/1/24 (updated from last week's publication)Too many hospice providers in the U.S. are run by private equity and for-profit corporations. A lack of regulation allows them to provide abysmal end-of-life care.

Sunday NewslettersTop read stories of the last week (in order) is the focus of Sunday newsletters - enjoy!

From “high potential for abuse” to “accepted medical use”: Tracking developments and possible outcomes of federal cannabis rescheduling in the U.S.JD Supra, by Jean Smith-Gonnell and Cole White; 2/7/24Whether you believe that cannabis legalization has occurred too quickly or too slowly, one thing is certain: recent developments herald a potentially seismic shift in federal cannabis policy in the U.S. ... This article aims to catch readers up on the latest developments in federal cannabis legalization.

The No. 1 problem still keeping hospital CEOs up at nightBecker's Hospital Review, by Kelly Gooch; 1/31/24... Here are the 10 most concerning issues hospital CEOs ranked in 2023, along with their average score on an 11-point scale of how pressing CEOs find each issue.

What home health providers need to know about CMS’ Medicare enrollment changesHome Health Care News, by Patrick Filbin; 1/31/24The Medicare enrollment process undergoes annual changes at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure it remains up to date with evolving regulations, policies and health care practices. A number of changes went into effect on Jan. 1, and several of them will affect home health agencies. Here’s what home health agencies should know about those changes.

Why hospice utilization rates have fallenHospice News, by Jim Parker; 1/25/24National hospice utilization rates have fallen since 2020, though the total number of patients served remains consistent. ... Mathematically, the percentage declined in part because of continually changing demographics.Publisher's note: This article quotes a decline in Medicare hospice utilization rates through 2021, which is true. However, we are seeing a rebound / increase in 2022 and 2023 information.

Hospice providers must be better regulatedScientific American, 2/1/24 (updated from last week's publication)Too many hospice providers in the U.S. are run by private equity and for-profit corporations. A lack of regulation allows them to provide abysmal end-of-life care.

Advance care planning reaches underserved across U.S. recruitment continues for National Institutes of Health (NIH) ResearchHospice Foundation of America; 1/18/24Community outreach leaders and liaisons are urged to apply to serve as hosts for the Project Talk Trial, a national, 5-year research project funded by National Institutes of Health that seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of advance care planning conversations and whether those discussions result in advance care planning actions. ... The project is specifically focused on underserved communities of people who historically have the poorest access to healthcare services and the lowest engagement in advance care planning, which include racial and ethnic minorities, low-income individuals, and rural populations.