Literature Review

TCN News Stories of the Month, April 2024TCN Talks; by Chris Comeaux; 5/1/24In this week’s podcast Mark Cohen joins once more for the Top News Stories for the prior month. This is a new format as Mark has retired from publishing the Hospice News Today as he has transitioned it to Cordt Kassner and the daily publication has been rebranded as Hospice and Palliative Care Today. You can subscribe for free here: https://www.hospicepalliativecaretoday.com.

Drug discount program is exploiting poor patients while corporate giants profit Minnesota Reformer; by David Balto; 4/26/24 ... The federal 340B drug discount program was created three decades ago to help economically vulnerable Americans access affordable prescription medications and providers in underserved areas expand and improve services. Under the program, drug companies participating in Medicaid — known in Minnesota as Medical Assistance — provide sizeable discounts as high as 50% to these ‘safety net’ health care facilities. ... Unfortunately, over time, the tens of billions of dollars flowing through this program have proven irresistible to for-profit corporate entities, including giant health systems and big box chain pharmacies — and there is no guarantee those discounts are reaching patients. 

End-of-life and palliative care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, or another diverse gender identity older adultsClinics in Geriatric Medicine; by Evie Kalmar MD, MS, Jeffrey Mariano MD; 5/24Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, or another diverse gender identity (LGBTQ+) people are more likely to have alternative family structures. It is important to engage in advance care planning to understand their values, clarify surrogate decision makers, and contribute to goal-concordant care at the end of life. Clinicians can follow recommendations in this article to ensure they are providing LGBTQ-inclusive palliative and hospice care.

HHS issues new rule to strengthen nondiscrimination protections and advance Civil Rights in health careHHS Press Office; 4/26/24Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) advancing protections against discrimination in health care. By taking bold action to strengthen protections against discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability, this rule reduces language access barriers, expands physical and digital accessibility, tackles bias in health technology, and much more.

E-book: "Combating loneliness in senior living residents: A call to action"McKnights Senior Living; 4/24/24Discover in [this] e-book:

45 top healthcare workplaces for mental well-being: Newsweek Becker's Hospital Review; by Alexis Kayer, 4/22/24Newsweek has named 45 hospitals and health systems among its 750 greatest employers for mental well-being. The publication partnered with data researchers Plant-A to rank the top U.S. workplaces "making a positive difference in the mental wellness of their workers," according to a five-stage evaluation. ... Here are the 45 hospitals and health systems included on the list, excluding organizations that exclusively provide long-term, hospice, rehabilitative and medical care, or staffing and management services: [Click on the title's link for the list.]Editor's Note: Is your organization on the list? Or perhaps a colleague's organization? Forward this to them with your congratulations! Invite them to join our newsletter for free at www.HospicePalliativeCareToday.com/registration.

UK survey finds 65% of adults are worried about access to palliative care Medical Xpress; by King's College London; 4/30/24 A survey commissioned by King's College London, and carried out by YouGov, has found that 65% of people across the U.K. are worried about access to palliative and end of life care, and 41% think there is too little NHS resource allocated to palliative care. The survey of 2,164 adults across the U.K. was commissioned by the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care at King's to explore people's knowledge and experiences of palliative and end of life care. ... Findings from the survey conducted in January 2024 show that nearly a quarter of people (24%) across the U.K. say they don't know much about or have not heard of palliative care, with disparities in knowledge between white and ethnic minority groups.

May 6-12, 2024 National Nurses Week: Nurses Make a DifferenceNursing World; by the American Nurses Association; 4/30/24 The American Nurses Association is celebrating National Nurses Week 2024 May 6 - May 12, and throughout May. This year's theme, "Nurses Make the Difference," honors the incredible nurses who embody the spirit of compassion and care in every health care setting. Join us in recognizing the invaluable contributions of nurses worldwide. Whether you're a health care professional, a patient, or simply someone who appreciates nurses' dedication, this is your chance to express gratitude and support for their capability and fortitude. Let’s come together to celebrate Nurses Week 2024 and show our appreciation for these extraordinary professionals!

Elara Caring agrees to pay $4.2 million to settle False Claims Act allegations that it billed Medicare for ineligible hospice patients Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of Justice; Press Release; 5/1/24Elara Caring, and its wholly owned subsidiaries JHH/CIMA Holdings Inc., CIMA Healthcare Management Inc., CIMA Hospice of Texarkana L.L.C., CIMA Hospice of East Texas L.L.C. and CIMA Hospice of El Paso L.P., have agreed to pay $4.2 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting false claims and knowingly retaining overpayments for the care of hospice patients in Texas who were ineligible for the Medicare hospice benefit because they were not terminally ill. 

HHS issues new rule to strengthen nondiscrimination protections and advance Civil Rights in health careHHS Press Office; 4/26/24Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) advancing protections against discrimination in health care. By taking bold action to strengthen protections against discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability, this rule reduces language access barriers, expands physical and digital accessibility, tackles bias in health technology, and much more.

Palliative care nursing: Podcast with Betty Ferrell about ELNECGeriPal Podcast; by Alex Smith, Eric Widera, and Betty Ferrell; 4/26/24As Betty Ferrell says on our podcast today, nurses play an essential role in care of people with serious illness. Who spends the most time with the patient in the infusion center? Doing home care? Hospice visits? In the ICU at the bedside? Nurses. ELNEC (End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium) celebrates it’s 25th anniversary in 2025. We talk today with Betty Ferrell, who has been a nurse for 47 years, and is the founder and PI of ELNEC.

Hospice fraud must be stopped!Hospice Action Network; via email; 4/26/24Across multiple states, the same story is playing out: Criminals are defrauding Medicare, getting licensed and certified to operate as hospices when they have no intent of providing care. This flagrant abuse of vulnerable patients and our healthcare system must be stopped in its tracks. We need your help! Ask your representatives to support a letter demanding answers from CMS. We need as many signatures as possible to keep the pressure on CMS.Take action today!