Literature Review

Human Services seeks proposals to expand PACE to serve older adults in all 21 counties [New Jersey] Department of Human Services - Official Site of the State of New Jersey, Trenton, NJ; 2/14/25 Human Services today issued two requests for proposals to establish a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in Hunterdon County and in Morris, Sussex, and Warren Counties, the remaining counties currently without a PACE program. PACE is an innovative program that provides individuals 55 years of age or older with comprehensive medical and social services. The care is coordinated and provided by an interdisciplinary team of professionals in a community-based center and in their homes. ... “PACE connects older residents with specific health needs to vital health and social services that can help delay or avoid admission to long-term care facilities. This is the last step to achieving our goal of expanding PACE as an option to older adults in every county of New Jersey,” said Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman.

How medtech is meeting the demand for hospital-at-home care Modern Healthcare; by Lauren Dubinsky; 2/13/25 Medtech companies have their eye on the growing hospital-at-home market, which is driven largely by the rising elderly population, the prevalence of chronic diseases and favorable reimbursement policies. There have been hiccups but some of the largest health systems have leaned into providing hospital-level care at home. ... The desire to safely provide care for patients at home is creating a ripe opportunity for companies like Masimo, Cardinal Health, Medline Industries and McKesson, despite some uncertainty. The global home healthcare market was valued at $257 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach nearly $531 billion by 2032, according to a Vantage Market Research report published in September.

'Just wonderful': Clients praise benefits of new senior care facility The Winchester Star, Winchester, VA; by Brian Brehm; 2/5/25 Just five months after opening, Blue Ridge Independence at Home is already improving the lives of its clients. Over lunch on Monday, Berryville residents Darlene Hamby and David Rogan talked about their affection for the 15,000-square-foot social and medical support center that began operations in September ... “It’s just wonderful,” said Hamby, who was one of the first four clients to enroll at Blue Ridge Independence at Home (BRIH). ... The new center was created by Blue Ridge Hospice to support a local Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), a national initiative that provides medical and socialization services for people who are 55 or older and can live safely at home. It is one of 14 PACE programs in Virginia.

Flat MaineCare rates force home health company to discharge pediatric patients NBC News Center Maine, Lewiston, ME; by Vivien Leigh; 2/7/25 A home health company is lobbying state health officials to adopt a funding plan to ensure kids with severe health needs don't fall through the cracks. Andwell Health Partners provides nursing, therapy, and services to nearly 900 children across six counties. The majority of those kids are on MaineCare, the state's version of Medicaid. But the company said it has no choice but to discharge patients because of a lack of increase in reimbursement rates. ... Lindsay Hammes, spokesperson with Maine DHHS, released a statement to News Center Maine. "... MaineCare has been working with providers and partners, including Andwell, on a palliative care model that would, among other populations, cover children with medical complexity. We are in the rate-setting stage for this model." 

Fallon Health announces a new location in Framingham to serve older adults in the MetroWest Fallon Health, Worcester, MA; Press Release; 2/3/25 Fallon Health, a national leader in offering PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), is pleased to announce the opening of a new alternative care setting in Framingham. This location aims to bring care closer to home for older adults in the MetroWest region. ... The new space includes 3 exam rooms, lab services, a therapy room for physical, occupational, and other therapeutic services, a conference room for care planning and family meetings, a shower, laundry facilities, and dedicated office space. To ensure a comprehensive support system, Adult Day Health (ADH) services are provided through partnerships with like-minded local programs, including Dia Feliz Adult Day Health Center.

UNC Health, Duke Health to build children's hospital Modern Healthcare; by Alex Kacik; 1/28/25 UNC Health and Duke Health will build a freestanding children’s hospital in the Piedmont, North Carolina, area. The academic health systems plan to build a 500-bed children’s hospital, a pediatric outpatient center and a children’s behavioral health facility. The project, fueled by a $320 million investment by the state, is set to break ground in 2027 and take six years to complete, the organizations said in a Tuesday news release. 

Best small footprint design of 2024: PACE Center with homelike charm Senior Housing News; by Andrew Christman; 1/27/25 Healthcare and social connections blend seamlessly in a new Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) location in Winchester, Virginia. The organization behind the project, Blue Ridge, was inspired by the “community village” concept in its new concept, which is a PACE center that conjures a more homelike than clinical atmosphere. The program resides within a compact footprint of 15,540 square feet, according to SueAnn Myers, executive director and project lead for Blue Ridge Independence at Home. Prioritizing accessibility and ease of movement, the location features wide hallways, ramps and “thoughtfully placed” handrails. Recessed carpets reduce issues for visitors with wheelchairs and the building features a warm contemporary aesthetic that draws inspiration from the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. Blue Ridge Independence at Home’s PACE center design in a small package snagged it the top spot in the small footprint category of the 2024 Senior Housing News Architecture and Design Awards.

Utah home care association sounds alarm on HCBS access crisis McKnight's Home Care; by Adam Healy; 1/17/25The Homecare and Hospice Association of Utah (HHAU) is calling for greater Medicaid support of home- and community-based services as beneficiaries in the state face worsening access barriers. “Our biggest concern, and the most pressing one, is with the HCBS waiver rates,” Matt Hansen, executive director of HHAU, said Wednesday in an interview with McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “If [providers] are still participating in the HCBS waivers, they’re doing it as a charity in most cases. We’ve had 64% of providers exit these programs between December 2022 and December 2023, so that’s 64% fewer providers.”

University of Rochester Medical Center plans hospital-at-home program Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 1/21/25 Rochester, N.Y.-based UR Medicine plans to launch a hospital-at-home program in summer 2025. CMS approved the health system's flagship Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for acute hospital care at home in June 2024. The six-hospital system has since taken a "pragmatic and deliberate approach" to building the initiative, said Justin Hopkin, MD, chief of hospital medicine at University of Rochester Medical Center. "We are listening closely to what community members want and need, while observing how other health systems overcome challenges as they scale up their hospital-at-home programs," Dr. Hopkin told Becker's.

Novant and Atrium restricting visitors as respiratory viruses spread WCCB Charlotte, NC; by Jeff Monheit; 1/13/25 Starting Tuesday [1/14], children under age 12 are asked not to visit Atrium Health facilities and children under age 13 are asked not to visit Novant Health hospitals in North Carolina. The hospital systems are taking extra precautions to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses. Atrium Health is implementing temporary visitor restrictions in acute care hospitals, emergency departments, rehabilitation units and facilities, behavioral health, inpatient hospice, infusion centers and certain cancer areas including bone marrow transplant clinics ... At Novant, children under age 13 are asked not to visit Novant Health hospitals in North Carolina. Children may be permitted to visit hospitalized patients under special circumstances, such as visiting a family member who is in end-of-life care. In these instances, parents should work with the patient’s care team to make arrangements.

Building a smarter long-term care system in New York The National Law Review; by Adam Herbst of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP - Healthcare Law Blog; 1/10/25 New York State has a long-standing commitment to supporting its most vulnerable populations through Medicaid-funded services for older adults and those requiring long-term care. However, rising costs and an increasingly complex healthcare landscape have created challenges that demand innovative solutions.  ... The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) offers a clear path forward. This model has consistently demonstrated its ability to reduce healthcare costs while enhancing patient outcomes by integrating medical, social, and behavioral health services under one umbrella. ... Despite these clear benefits, New York has not approved a new PACE program since 2011, leaving this proven model underutilized in the state.

OnePoint Patient Care expands services to PACE programs Pharmiweb.com - Global Pharma News & Resources, Morton Grove, IL; 1/7/25 OnePoint Patient Care, a leading provider of community based pharmacy services, is proud to announce the launch of OnePoint PACE, a new business line that will bring the company's medication dispensing expertise and high level of service to Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) providers and participants. 

5 questions looming over healthcare leaders as 2025 beginsBecker's Hospital Review; by Molly Gamble; 1/2/25