Literature Review

Embracing the platinum rule in palliative care: Treating patients the way they want to be treated Anschutz, by Tari Advani, MD; 2/26/24 One of the first take aways from this journey, for me, in a mid-career directional change from emergency medicine to palliative care was a move away from the golden rule and towards the platinum rule. Treat patients the way they want to be treated, not the way we want to be treated. It is so simple, it allows people to exist in their own context, with their own histories and their own wishes. And, we, as caretakers, take the kind of care of them that they want. Where had that idea been during the past 20 years of my career? How many situations had I judged, wrongly, based on my own preferences, not the preferences of the patient.

Hospice of Southern West Virginia receives grant WVNS Bluefield, WV; by Ashley Davidson; 2/26/24The Hospice of Southern West Virginia received a grant from the Beckley Area Foundation. The grant totals $33,962.15. “We’ve had numerous awards from them over the years that allow us to grow and achieve… It allows us to innovate and advance and all in the names of service to our patients and their families,” said Jeri Knowlton, Director of Public Relations for HOSWV.

4 key trends for hospices to watch in 2024 Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 2/26/24Hospice operators in 2024 are navigating a rapidly transforming environment. Four key trends hospices should watch this year:

More than $37,700 raised to fund grief and loss support for children in SWFL Avow Foundation Press Reslease; 2/26/24Avow [Hospice] raised funds throughout January as part of a matching gift campaign with St. John’s Episcopal Church, resulting in more than $37,700 donated in support of the Avow Kids program. St. John’s Episcopal Church pledged to match dollar-for-dollar up to $17,350 for children’s grief and loss support, a goal Avow achieved well before the end of the month.

VITAS® Healthcare continues its pathway of success and promotes two key operations executives Investors Observer; 2/23/24 Two executive leaders at VITAS Healthcare have been promoted to top operational roles. Joel Wherley now serves as president and chief operating officer (COO) and Bryan Wysong as executive vice president (EVP) of operations for the nation’s leading end-of-life care provider. 

Health care workers push for their own confidential mental health treatmentKFF Health News, by Katheryn Houghton; 2/22/24States are redefining when medical professionals can get mental health treatment without risking notifying the boards that regulate their licenses. Montana is among the states looking to boost confidential care for health professionals as long as they’re not deemed a danger to themselves or patients. In recent years, at least a dozen states have considered or created confidential wellness programs to offer clinicians help early on for career burnout or mental health issues. ... The changes are modeled after Virginia legislation from 2020.

How many docs are feeling burned out? Almost all of them, survey findsMedPageToday, by Joyce Frieden; 2/22/24More than half of survey participants (56%) said they've thought about either staying in medicine but no longer seeing patients, or leaving the field entirely, the poll found. Primary care doctors expressed more frustration than specialists, with a higher percentage considering leaving the field entirely (54% vs 42%). Only 30% of respondents overall said they were optimistic about the future.

The employment outlook for hospice aidesHospice News, by Holly Vossel; 2/23/24Rising wages, reimbursement pressures and immigration policies are fueling high turnover rates for hospice and personal care aides. Similar trends are proliferating among hospitals and health systems that provide these services. Current reimbursement structures for aide services represent the most significant challenge in maintaining a sufficient workforce, according to Kenneth Albert, president and CEO of Maine-based Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice. 

RiverStone Health closing hospice facility in Billings MTN News; 2/23/24RiverStone Health Home Hospice will close this summer in Billings, the agency announced Friday, largely because of struggles to raise enough money to support operations and find enough employees. RiverStone officials said in a news release they will instead focus efforts on providing hospice care to patients at their own homes, regardless of their ability to pay.

New outlook report shows home-based care providers bullish on near-term revenue opportunities in the year aheadWTWH Media LLC, by Marshall Matheson; 2/20/24Home Health Care News, a WTWH Media publication, has released the results of its 2024 Home-Based Care Outlook Survey, identifying the top challenges and opportunities for home-based care providers in the year ahead.

Racial differences in hospice care outcomes among patients with advanced heart failure: Systematic review and meta-analysisAm J Cardiol, by Diego Chambergo-Michilot, Victor G Becerra-Gonzales, Veraprapas Kittipibul, Rosario Colombo, Katia Bravo-Jaimes; 2/19/24There remains a paucity of investigational data about disparities in hospice services among people with non-cancer diagnoses, specifically in heart failure. Black patients with advanced heart failure have been disproportionally affected by health care services inequities but their outcomes after hospice enrollment are not well studied. We aimed to describe race-specific outcomes in patients with advanced heart failure who were enrolled in hospice services.

Jimmy Carter's hospice care shines light on the vital role of end-of-life services in GeorgiaBNN, by Dil Bar Irshad; 2/19/24As news emerged that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter had entered hospice care at his home in Georgia, the spotlight turned not only to the respected statesman's final chapter but also to the broader narrative of hospice care in America. This development underscores the critical importance of raising awareness about holistic end-of-life services, a mission that hospices around the nation, such as the esteemed Shakespeare Hospice, have been championing for decades.

Creative examples of hospice fundraising