Literature Review

How hospice valuations are shaping up in 2024Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/30/24When it comes to hospice acquisitions, buyers’ and sellers’ expectations on price tags are becoming more aligned. A surge of deals in 2021 and 2022 led to record-high valuations in the space with multiples reaching in excess of 30x in some instances. While many buyers were willing to pay that premium, some stepped out of the market due to the high valuations. But deal volume has largely declined in late 2023 and early 2024, and valuations are starting to come down.

Providence Hospice-Community Healthcare of Texas and Ascension Providence Hospital collaborate to enhance inpatient hospice care Community Healthcare of Texas; 5/28/24 Providence Hospice-Community Healthcare of Texas, the state’s largest not-for-profit hospice and palliative care provider since 1996, has partnered with Ascension Providence Hospital in Waco to provide inpatient hospice care for qualified patients. The new designated hospice wing will open on June 1 and feature five private rooms located on the fourth floor of Ascension Providence Hospital.

BetterRX and Hospice Dynamix announce strategic partnership to reduce pharmacy costs for hospice agencies NBC News Channel 8, Salt Lake City, UT; by EIN Presswire; 5/31/24 BetterRX, a leading hospice pharmacy services and technology provider, and Hospice Dynamix, a revolutionary time-on-service predictive analytics platform, today announced a strategic integration partnership. This collaboration will leverage Hospice Dynamix's proprietary Predicted Length of Stay (PLOS) technology to enhance BetterRX's proprietary medication ordering and management platform, enabling hospice providers to make ordering decisions based on the individual patient, creating immediate savings for the hospice.

Tech solutions for better patient care: How modern tools are transforming hospice management NerdBot; by Nerd Voices; 5/30/24 Hospice care, fundamentally centered on providing comfort and support to terminally ill patients, has traditionally been a deeply personal and human-centric field. However, as technology advances, it is clear that modern tools can significantly enhance the quality of care. Integrating technology into hospice revenue management allows caregivers to streamline operations, reduce errors, and focus more on delivering compassionate care.

The Foundation of Community Hospice & Palliative Care raises $328,000 at C.A.R.S. Benefit Event JaxChamber - Jacksonville News (FL); 5/29/24The Foundation of Community Hospice & Palliative Care is pleased to announce that the recent Children are Rock Stars (C.A.R.S) benefit event, presented by Ring Power and held at The Brumos Collection, raised an impressive $328,000. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to Ring Power and the dedicated C.A.R.S. committee for their incredible effort and unwavering support, which were instrumental in making this event a success,” said Annie Tuttle, Executive Director of The Foundation of Community Hospice & Palliative Care. “Their commitment to our cause and the generous contributions from our donors and sponsors have made a significant impact.”

Manassas Park teens complete inaugural nurse aide course while earning high school diploma ABC News 7 Washington DC; by Victoria Sanchez; 5/30/24 Ten Manassas Park seniors completed their high school nurse aide program and are on their way to being certified by the Virginia Board of Nursing, all while earning their diploma. The inaugural Nurse Aide Pathway class is a competitive, five-day-a-week program that teaches the teens 22 skills they need to become a CNA. They also learned outside the classroom during 40 hours of clinical rotations at a local hospice center. ... “This is the best opportunity I could ever have in high school and will forever be one of the best opportunities I ever have in my life,” said student Javi Sedeno Cisneros. He has an eye on earning an MD after becoming a CNA. ... During their time at the hospice center, the 17-year-olds experienced life lessons most of their peers won’t learn for years.... [Read more for this inspiring, innovative solution.]

Early talks about governance essential for nonprofit hospice affiliations Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 5/28/24 Nonprofit hospices can combine their businesses in a number of ways, including traditional acquisitions, board member substitutions and other types of affiliations. However, member substitutions are becoming more common, according to Meg Pekarske, partner at the law firm Husch Blackwell. While this model offers benefits it can also become a political minefield that can sink an affiliation. ...

Publicly traded hospice companies poised for dealsHospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/24/24The nation’s publicly traded hospice companies are primed for more acquisitions after a 2023 slump, fueled by census and growth. Transaction volume declined in the hospice and home-based care space in 2023, following the two record-breaking prior years. [Examples include:]

Would an 'unbossed' culture work in healthcare? Becker's Hospital Review; by Madeline Ashley; 5/24/24 The workforce has seen an influx of changes and trends come and go in a post-pandemic world, with more employees taking the reins and standing up for new, flexible ways to get their jobs done. One such trend catching on lately is the "unbossed culture." The term describes a work environment wherein management assumes more of a leadership role than a supervisor role. The hands-off approach makes for fewer check-ins, allowing employees to have more ownership over how they tackle and complete their tasks. While this new workforce trend spreads across multiple industries, the glaring question remains, "Would an unbossed culture work in healthcare?" 

New CEOs Tapped at Adory, Montgomery, Prince George HospicesHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 5/23/24[Several leadership changes discussed in this article, including:]

Data paramount in hospice-payer, referral partner negotiationsHospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/23/24As hospice and palliative care providers move further into value-based care, data is becoming paramount to building payer and referral partner relationships. In this climate, hospices that can demonstrate their value — and their ability to financially and operationally weather changes in an evolving reimbursement landscape — will have a leg up on competitors. Key data points include performance on the Hospice Item Set, the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) surveys and other quality measures.

National Hospice Locator updatedBlog; by Cordt Kassner; 5/27/24The National Hospice Locator (NHL) is an online directory of every known hospice location, and for over a year default search results have been sorted by a quality matrix. On 5/22/24, CMS released updated Hospice Care Compare files. Part of the NHL's quality matrix includes Hospice Care Compare information, and the NHL has now been updated. Search on your state or city and see how your hospice is listed.

Legacy society honors ardent supporters of Blue Ridge HospiceThe Winchester Star; by Brian Brehm; 5/21/24 Blue Ridge Hospice holds its cofounder in such high esteem, it has created a legacy society and named it in her honor. The new Helen Zebarth Legacy Society aims to honor Zebarth’s vision, inspire philanthropy and ensure the continuity of compassionate end-of-life care for generations to come, according to a media release from Blue Ridge Hospice in Winchester. Blue Ridge Hospice was formed after Zebarth visited England while her husband, Roger, was stationed in Europe on a military assignment in the 1970s. When the Zebarths returned to the United States in the late 1970s, Helen Zebarth, a former nurse at Winchester Memorial Hospital, got in touch with the hospital’s CEO, George Caley, and told him they needed to start a local hospice. Editor's Note: May we learn from Blue Ridge Hospice. On this day of remembering, we thank those whose vision and perseverance for "hospice care" carved out new paths for better living, dying, moments of death, and bereavement. Who were those pioneers for your hospice? How do you remember their legacies?