Literature Review

Skowhegan nonprofits say they have moved on after former director stole thousands Portland Press Herald, by Jake Freudberg; 1/30/24Jason Gayne, the former executive director of the Skowhegan Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Hospice Volunteers of Somerset County, began his prison sentence Monday for stealing thousands from the nonprofits, but leaders of the two organizations said they have already worked to move forward. For the last two years, the Skowhegan Regional Chamber of Commerce has had a clear goal: returning the organization to its members. “From the ground up, we rebuilt everything,” said Luke York, the chair of the chamber’s board of directors.

Adventist Health re-establishes in-home and hospice care in Paradise and Butte CountyKRCR TV, by Hannah Gutierrez; 1/23/24PARADISE, Calif. — Adventist Health has announced that in-home and hospice care services have been re-established for residents in Paradise and Butte County. Adventist Health a faith-based non-profit health system, has served the Paradise community for more than half a century.

New, grant-funded health care high schools aim to help address N.C. staffing shortagesNC Health News, by Jennifer Fernandez; 1/30/24Efforts in Durham, Charlotte will graduate hundreds of students who are ready to fill jobs in health care professions facing shortages. ... A new $29.5 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies will provide more opportunities for students in Durham Public Schools to explore health care careers. Those students will be able to get jobs that pay well right out of high school.

Provider rebrands as Rainbow Community CareWatertown Daily Times; 1/25/24Rainbow Hospice Care, a trusted local provider of hospice care for over three decades, has rebranded to Rainbow Community Care. This transformation reflects its Board’s longstanding commitment to provide a broad spectrum of services that supports patients and families throughout the entire aging journey, not just at end-of-life. ... “It has been a tremendous honor to be viewed as the area’s cornerstone hospice provider for so many years,” said CEO Karen Carrig.

Androscoggin Home Healthcare & Hospice CEO receives service awardSun Journal (ME); 1/26/24LEWISTON — Kenneth Albert, president and CEO of Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice, has received the Home Care & Hospice Alliance of Maine’s 2023 Distinguished Service Award.Publisher's note: A "subscribe" box appears when accessing this article, but can be delinced.

Petoskey hospice center to close with transition to community-based care Interlochen Public Radio, by Ed Ronco; 1/26/24A hospice center in Petoskey will shut down, despite earlier statements by officials that there were no plans to do so. McLaren Health Management Group said Friday that it “will no longer continue operations” at the seven-bed Hiland Cottage, effective March 1. McLaren Hospice says it’s transitioning its care to community-based services. A statement from McLaren says patients and staff at Hiland Cottage will be moved to other facilities “in coordination with patient family, caregivers, and providers.”

Marshfield Clinic closing Wisconsin hospice centerBecker's Hospital CFO Report, by Madeline Ashley; 1/24/24Phillips, Wis.-based Marshfield Medical Center Park Falls Home Health and Hospice facility, part of Marshfield (Wis.) Clinic, is closing at the end of February due to limited resources. Marshfield Clinic is working with other providers who offer home health and hospice services to provide continued care to patients. 

Nurses declare intent to strike

Hospice providers must be better regulatedScientific American, 2/1/24 (also ran last week)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.

Race, ethnicity, and cancer type influence which patients access hospice careOncology Nurse Advisor, by Jennifer Larson; 1/19/24... [A] researcher from a comprehensive cancer center in North Carolina conducted a clinical literature review to investigate research outcomes of hospice use in the United States. ... A total of 17 quantitative studies, published between 2017 and 2023, was included in this review. Notable differences by cancer type were found. ... The analysis also showed disparities in hospice use by race and ethnicity.

Visiting Nurses Foundation awards $130,000 to Assured Hospice for comfort therapiesThe Chronicle; 1/19/24The Visiting Nurses Foundation has awarded Assured Hospice $130,000 as part of a continued partnership to provide therapies for end-of-life patients. The money supports comfort therapies, which include acupuncture and acupressure, animal-assisted therapy, guided imagery, healing touch, therapeutic touch, reiki, music and sound therapy and massages, which are integrated to enhance existing treatment plans.

Teleios announces addition of Emmanuel Hospice to networkPress release; 1/19/24Hendersonville, NC   January 11, 2024:  Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN) announced the addition of Emmanuel Hospice to its clinically integrated network, expanding the nonprofit’s resources, tools and expertise in order to grow its presence and services in West Michigan.

How Medicare Advantage, labor, AI will shape home-based care in 2024Home Health Care News, by Andrew Donlan; 1/18/24Home Health Care News recently spoke with 15 home-based care leaders for our annual “Executive Forecast” articles, which we published at the end of last year. Those executives’ responses covered a wide range of topics, and were surprisingly and refreshingly diverse. But, in the end, a few themes emerged.