Literature Review

Health disparities across states: 6 new findings Becker's Clinical Leadership, by Kelly Gooch; 4/18/24 The Commonwealth Fund released a new report April 18 examining racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare access, quality and outcomes across the U.S. The report, titled "Advancing Racial Equity in U.S. Health Care: The Commonwealth Fund 2024 State Health Disparities Report," examined state health system performance for five racial and ethnic groups — (non-Hispanic) Black; white; American Indian and Alaska Native; Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander; and Hispanic (any race). [Click on the title's link for (1) Six summary findings, and (2) To download the report. 

Hospice volunteers share their ‘why’ The Journal, by Lores Morton; 4/21/2024 From volunteer Lores Morton: Why am I a volunteer for Hospice of the Panhandle? It is for our patient’s caregivers, to give them break relief; to share what may be missing with patient’s spiritual support; to be a memory keeper — legacy; to give simple visitation; and, also, to volunteer administratively for Light Up a Life. ...  From volunteer Kelly Orwig, "My why has evolved, but at the core, is that I love people. I love people who need love. Death and dying are natural, but over our lives, we’ve been socialized to fear death to the point that we fear those who are dying. ...." 

Save A Lot donates 7,000 pounds of food and $500 to local hospice Hazard Herald [KY], by Justin Begley; 4/18/24Save A Lot has once again lent its support by donating seven thousand pounds of food and water, along with a $500 gift card, to the Greg and Noreen Hospice Center. This year marks the fifth consecutive year that the grocery chain has made such a donation to hospice. Jason Smith, a district manager for Save A Lot, alongside management from other stores, was on hand to unload truckloads of supplies to replenish the hospice’s pantry ...

Black patients with ovarian cancer had lower-quality end-of-life care, study says American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), by Brooke McCormick; 4/21/24 Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) patients with ovarian cancer (OC) received lower-quality end-of-life (EOL) care than non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients, according to a study published in Cancer Research Communications. ... Although trends and disparities in EOL care among patients with OC are well documented, the researchers noted that the role of health care access (HCA) in quality EOL care has not been well characterized; HCA is comprised of 5 distinct, interrelated care access dimensions, namely affordability, availability, accessibility, accommodation, and acceptability. 

Man forces himself inside home, robs 2 women, including hospice patient, at gunpoint in north St. Louis NBC 5, St. Louis; by Calrissa Cowley; 4/19/24 The victim in hospice care was unable to move on her own or call the police during the ordeal. A man is facing charges three days after forcing his way into a north St. Louis home and robbing two 60-year-old women, one of whom was in hospice care, at gunpoint. St. Louis prosecutors charged 46-year-old Ronnie Jackson on Thursday with one count of first-degree robbery, one count of burglary, one count of kidnapping and three counts of armed criminal action. Each charge is a felony.

Connecticut home care safety bill would create administrative burdens, hospices sayMcKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 4/19/24 Some hospices are fighting to be carved out of a Connecticut state bill that would impose stricter safety policies for home-based healthcare providers. The legislation’s burdensome administrative requirements could affect patient care, they argue. ...  The bill’s introduction comes only months after a visiting nurse was killed on the job while providing care through a Connecticut home care agency. ... By the time a hospice could produce background checks and safety reports for a client, it may be too late to provide effective treatment, according to Barbara Pearce, chief executive officer of Connecticut Hospice.Editor's Note: For more information, see the articles we posted on 

Help Serenity Hospice workers win their unionSEIU503; 4/18/24Workers at Serenity Hospice have been organizing for pay equity, adequate raises, affordable health care, regular hours, PTO, and the ability to manage trauma and compassion fatigue. The workers unanimously decided to form a union, and asked management to voluntarily recognize them. Serenity’s parent company (Addus Healthcare) already has SEIU-represented employees at its home health agency in Eugene. Instead, Addus hired one of the most expensive union-busing law firms in the country, and has been paying them hundreds of dollars per hour to spread anti-union propaganda. Workers are sticking together and staying strong, and plan to vote YES in their union election next week. Editor's Note: Hospice & Palliative Care Today's posting of this article denotes neither support nor opposition to this action. Rather, we are reporting it for hospice and palliative care leadership awareness. Unions and strikes among healthcare professionals--for these same cited reasons--continue to be a growing trend, nationwide.

Volunteers make best days possible for 600 people a day at VNA Hospice NWIGreatNews.Life, Valparaiso, IN; 5/19/24VNA Hospice NWI serves over 600 people a day. From Hospice and Palliative Care, Grief Support services for adults and children to the Medical Guardian help button and a Meals on Wheels program, the impact of VNA services around the region is tremendous. The VNA staff work tirelessly to ensure these essential services are available each day – but they can’t do it alone. Their team relies on an army of volunteers, who do everything from stuffing envelopes and labeling meal bags, to working directly with hospice patients and bereaved children, and delivering the meals. Maria Galka, Director of Development for VNA Hospice, said that the organization’s volunteers outnumber its staff by about five to one. Editor's Note: April's Volunteer Appreciation Month is still underway. Learn from this superb article, posted on an online community site. VNA Hospice NWI's astonishing volunteer program bears repeating: "... the organization’s volunteers outnumber its staff by about five to one."

Hospice choices: VITAS® Healthcare opens in Alabama, expands in Florida Panhandle Investors Observer, GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia; 4/17/24 Hospice patients and their families in the Florida Panhandle and areas in Southern Alabama can now access quality end-of-life services with VITAS Healthcare. Starting today, the nation’s largest and leading provider of end-of-life care begins accepting referrals and admitting seriously ill patients throughout Tallahassee in Florida and Daphne-Mobile and Dothan in Alabama. ... In March 2024, VITAS entered into an agreement to acquire all hospice operations and an assisted living facility from Covenant Care. 

Rock River Hospice and Home receives $5,000 grant Shaw Local News Network; 4/18/24The Do it Best Foundation announced that a $5,000 grant has been awarded to Rock River Hospice and Home [Sterling, IL]. “Rock River is a regional leader in providing end-of-life care,” said Rich Jordan, general manager at the Do it Best warehouse in nearby Dixon. “No one is ever turned away from their services for their inability to pay, which is why donations and grants are so important. We’re honored to support their efforts to treat every patient and their families with dignity and respect.”

Valley Health and Blue Ridge Hospice collaborate to offer hospice in the hospital program at Shenandoah Memorial Hospital in Woodstock, VA Valley Health Press Release; 4/15/24 Valley Health and Blue Ridge Hospice have expanded their collaborative Hospice in the Hospital program to Shenandoah Memorial Hospital in Woodstock, VA. On April 1, the two signed an agreement for Blue Ridge Hospice to work alongside the hospital’s care team to provide supplemental comfort care services to ensure eligible patients and families receive the most complete and comprehensive care during and after their stay at the hospital.

CT Hospice says it can’t provide home care under bill to protect healthcare workersCT News Junkie, by John Ferraro; 4/16/24Connecticut Hospice has warned lawmakers it will be unable to care for gravely ill patients in their homes under a proposed law aimed at protecting home healthcare workers. At issue is Senate Bill 1, which would require organizations that care for people in their homes to conduct background checks on the clients and anyone in the location where care is being given. ... Barbara Pearce, the chief executive officer of Connecticut Hospice, urged lawmakers to remove Connecticut Hospice from entities that would be required to conduct those background checks, noting that the organization which provides end-of-life care is typically called into homes when a patient has days left to live. “Our national hospice organization could find no similar bill in any other state,” Pearce wrote in testimony to the Public Health Committee. “This bill is too broad, too unclear as to requirements, not guaranteed to achieve its aims, duplicative of other procedures required in hospice care, and contradictory to certain regulations of Medicare.” ...Editor's Note: See the previous article in our newsletter today, After death of nurses, CT lawmakers look for solutions: 'We just cannot ignore that risk'.

Canyon Lake Hospice Care extends compassionate services to El Cajon community Iowanews Headlines; 4/12/24 Canyon Lake Hospice Care, known for its unwavering commitment to providing compassionate end-of-life support, is extending its services to the El Cajon community. This expansion heralds a significant milestone, not just for Canyon Lake Hospice Care, but also for the residents of El Cajon who seek specialized hospice care.