Literature Review

Hospice of the Chesapeake celebrates 45 years at event, raising $500k The Baynet; by Hospice of the Chesapeake; 5/23/24 Around 300 guests mixed and mingled at the Fluegel Alumni Center to celebrate Hospice of the Chesapeake’s history of caring for life at its 45th Anniversary Celebration on May 11. The event raised $500,000 to support the organization’s hospice, supportive and grief care programs and services provided to patients and families in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles and Prince George’s counties.

Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice rebrands to ‘Andwell Health Partners’ Home Health Care News; by Andrew Donlan; 5/21/24 The Maine-based Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice is rebranding to “better reflect its evolutions and future,” and will be operating under the name Andwell Health Partners moving forward. ... Andwell – formerly Androscoggin – is a nonprofit operator that employs more than 500 workers across all 16 counties in Maine. The company ... has expanded past just home health care over the years to provide hospice, palliative, behavioral health and pediatric care services to patients. Its president and CEO, Ken Albert, has served on the board of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) ... including as chairperson of the board. ... The word Andwell is “an amalgamation of the organization’s history, mission and services,” the company said. Specifically, the “And” makes reference to Androscoggin, the “Well” emphasizes the focus on health and wellbeing and “Dwell” evokes its home-based care focus.

In good hands: VA medical center introduces new inpatient hospice room and dialysis suites Salisbury Post; by Brad Dountz; 5/21/24The W.B. (Bill) Hefner Salisbury Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center ... held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new inpatient hospice room, dialysis suites and six patient care rooms earlier this month. The amenities will allow veterans to get the treatment they need. Construction began during the days of COVID, but thanks to the work of the VA employees who built it, veterans can finally reap the benefits.  “We come together to honor those who have selflessly served our country and now require specialized care. Some of them are in their final moments,” said Dr. Kamran Lateef, chief of hospital medicine. “In this sanctuary of compassion and solace, every detail has been meticulously crafted to offer the highest quality of care tailored to the unique needs of our beloved veterans.”

Montgomery Hospice & Prince George’s Hospice hires new Chief Executive OfficerPress release; 5/21/24Montgomery Hospice & Prince George’s Hospice is pleased to announce the selection of Karen Brubaker Miller, MSW, as the organization’s next Chief Executive Officer. Brubaker Miller’s tenure will start on July 1, succeeding Ann Mitchell, MPH, who was at the organization for the past 26 years. A licensed clinical social worker, Mrs. Brubaker Miller is a business and strategic minded leader with over 25 years of leadership experience working in the non-profit and for-profit hospice industry.

98-year-old Marine veteran in hospice care finally receives his high school diploma[MD] WJLA; by Jay Korff; 5/18/24A nearly 100-year-old Marine veteran in hospice Friday was hand-delivered the high school diploma he never received. 98-year-old Richard Remp was unable to get his diploma back in the 1940s because he dropped out at age 17 to serve in World War II, then Korea, and then Vietnam. But he savored the remarkable moment Friday.

Addus CEO: Hospice Headwinds Starting to AbateHospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/16/24Addus Homecare Corp. (NASDAQ: ADUS) is seeing constrictions on growth start to ease in its hospice business. Many of those headwinds were associated with lingering effects of the pandemic. Like many hospice providers, Addus has faced COVID-19 challenges that include reduced patient volumes and shorter length of stays. Now, the company’s hospice rebound is starting to accelerate, CEO Dirk Allison said during the Bank of America Securities Health Care Conference.

Compassus Taps Fresenius Veteran Michael Asselta As Next CEOHome Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 5/7/24There’s a new leader at the helm of Compassus. The company’s board of directors has named Michael J. Asselta as CEO. Compassus is one of the largest home-based care providers in the country. The Brentwood, Tennessee-based company provides home health, hospice, palliative and home infusion services across more than 270 locations in 30 states.

Emerging leaders in hospice and palliative care AAHPM - American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; webpage source for various press releeases of individuals; 5/24AAHPM developed the Emerging Leaders in Hospice and Palliative Care program to recognize the exceptional work accomplished by the next generation of leaders and bring increased exposure to the specialty of hospice and palliative medicine. In 2014, the first class of Emerging Leaders was named. AAHPM seeks to recognize accomplished early career professionals and the next generation of hospice and palliative care leaders. This award recognizes new Emerging Leaders in recognition of their career accomplishments, involvement in the Academy, mentoring of residents and students, and participation in charitable work. [Click on the title's link for the list of 36 honorees.]Editor's Note: Do you work with or know any of these honorees? If so, please share this with them and your colleagues, along with congratulations from Hospice & Palliative Care Today! (Invite them to register for free--no strings attached--to our daily newsletter.)

Care Synergy appoints Dr. Pradeep Rai as Chief Medical Officer Care Synergy Network; 5/13/24  Care Synergy announced the selection of Dr. Pradeep Rai, MD, as the company’s chief medical officer. Additionally, Dr. Rai will serve as The Denver Hospice’s (TDH) medical director as well. As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Rai will lead clinical operations across all of Care Synergy’s hospice, palliative care, and home health affiliates. These affiliates include The Denver Hospice, Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care in Colorado Springs, Pathways Hospice in Fort Collins, and the Colorado Visting Nurses Association (CVNA) which serves patients across the Front Range. He will also spearhead medical operations for Colorado PACE upon its anticipated Q4 2024 launch.

End of life outcomes following Comfort Care Orders: A single center experience The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Matthew Tucker, Dayna Hovern, John Liantonion, Elizabeth Collins, Adam F Binder; 5/13/24 Conclusions: The majority of patients placed on comfort care died during their hospitalization demonstrating a real need for comprehensive end of life care and immediate hospice services. For those discharged with hospice services, they spent an excessive amount of time in the hospital waiting for services to be arranged.

Hospice remains underserved by Medicare Advantage, data showsBioMedWire; 5/13/24 While the Medicare Advantage space grows bigger, it is difficult for regulators and the medical industry to decide how best to integrate hospice into MA programs. This is a major concern because hospice care is the only segment of the healthcare sector that isn’t catered for in Medicare Advantage (MA). ... Almost 50% of all individuals (1.7 million) on MA programs that succumbed to their terminal illnesses in 2022 were recipients of hospice services. ... 

Investing in employee engagement can add a competitive advantageHomeCare; by Jeffrey Knapp; 5/9/24You cannot pay people enough to care. But it is possible to attract and retain great talent and bring out the best in them by fully engaging employees in a shared purpose, giving them a sense that their work is worthwhile and that they are making a difference in the world. That is the culture effect on health care staffing. ... For leaders who want either to start building or to invest more in a culture infrastructure, do not forget these essential steps: 

Vitas Healthcare names four leaders to its executive team: Melad, Escueta, Dr. Loftis, DurkinInvestorsObserver; 5/13/24Vitas Healthcare proudly announces the addition of four new leaders to its executive management team, including the promotions of Jennifer Melad, Martin Escueta and Lauren Loftis, MD. The hospice company also welcomes Vicky Durkin as its latest newly hired executive. Healthcare proudly announces the addition of four new leaders to its executive management team, including the promotions of Jennifer Melad, Martin Escueta and Lauren Loftis, MD. The hospice company also welcomes Vicky Durkin as its latest newly hired executive.