Literature Review

Hospital CEOs chart paths into healthcare's futureBecker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 4/24/24Hospital and health system CEOs understand the need to meet demand for healthcare services while also focusing on the well-being of employees and strengthening the talent pipeline. They are also focusing on healthcare education and workforce development. Additionally, they are zeroing in on technology or partnerships that can expand capacity, help improve care and drive innovation. The innovation piece particularly resonates with Bert O'Malley, MD, president and CEO of Baltimore-based University of Maryland Medical Center.

Novant Health launches 'hospital at home' with $2.7M donation Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 4/24/24 Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health launched a hospital-at-home program thanks to a $2.7 million donation. The health system rolled out the program in March at its coastal North Carolina region, and said the ideal patient is one likely to need four days or fewer of inpatient care. ... atients, who are monitored by technology around the clock, have 24/7 access to a remotely located registered nurse, receive at least two visits a day from paramedics, and meet virtually with a physician once daily. ... The New Hanover Regional Medical Center Foundation provided $2.7 million to help with operational startup costs. Novant Health received a waiver from CMS for the program in 2021.

Deadly shove at assisted-living center in Hugo investigated as homicide StarTribune, Minneapolis, MN, by Paul Walsh; 4/24/24 An assisted-living center resident in Hugo was pushed by another resident and died in what officials are calling a homicide, according to a court filing. Linda S. Steen 75, was shoved on March 11 at Good Life Assisted Living & Me and suffered a broken hip, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said in a search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday. Steen was put in hospice care and died on March 30, read the affidavit, which cleared the way for a sheriff's detective to collect the medical records of the 74-year-old resident who is suspected of pushing Steen.

Home care industry slams finalized 80-20 Rule, warns agency closures are coming Home Health Care News, by Andrew Donlan; 4/22/24 The “Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services” rule has been finalized. Most importantly, the bemoaned “80-20” provision has gone through as proposed, meaning providers will eventually be forced to direct 80% of reimbursement for home- and community-based services (HCBS) to caregiver wages. ... Organizations like the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and LeadingAge immediately condemned the rule being finalized on Monday. ...

Rate growth slows for SNFs, home care McKnights Senior Living, by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 4/17/24 Rates for both nursing home care and home healthcare grew more slowly in March than in February, according to Altarum’s monthly Health Sector Economic Indicators brief, released Tuesday. Nursing home rates increased by 4%, year over year, compared with 4.4% in February, while rates for home healthcare grew by 3.1%, down from 3.4% in February, George Miller, Altarum fellow and senior researcher, told the McKnight’s Business Daily on Tuesday. 

Care for Alzheimer's on Medicaid is unorganized, frustrating, inhumanThe Indianapolis Star, by Darcy Metcalfe; 4/14/24What it is like to die of Alzheimer’s in America? Without a doubt, it is nothing as it is portrayed on NBC’s hit series This is Us. At the end of this series, the character Rebecca dies from Alzheimer’s and falls peacefully asleep, snuggly tucked in her warm bed at home, surrounded by family and 24-hour skilled nursing care. Throughout the six seasons of This is Us, I simultaneously witnessed my father’s slow dying from Alzheimer’s in a reality that was worlds away from Rebecca’s. ...

Message-based telehealth an increasingly important part of seniors’ healthcare, study findsMcKnights Senior Living, by Aaron Dorman; 4/11/24 Many healthcare experts, and even government agencies, are working to try to expand telehealth coverage for older adults. But much of that work considers telehealth in terms of video and/or phone conversations. E-mails and digital messaging across patient portals, however, also are part of seniors’ healthcare regimen, particularly those who are Medicare beneficiaries, finds a new study published in Health Affairs Scholar. As such, updated telehealth coverage decisions should factor in the time that older adults, their caregivers and clinicians need to exchange these messages, the researchers said.

McLeod Health will build $45 million hospital in Cheraw The Post and Courier Pee Dee, Florence, SC; by Chris Day; 4/10/24 McLeod Health will build a $45 million hospital in Cheraw, replacing the current building that was constructed in 1980. ... McLeod Health operates seven hospitals to serve residents in northeastern South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina. The not-for-profit organization has 988 licensed beds, including hospice and behavorial health care. 

Alleged DNR mix-up death highlights concerns for nursing homes McKnights Long-Term Care News, by Josh Henreckson; 4/11/24 The untimely death of a Connecticut nursing home resident in September was the result of mistakenly applying a roommate’s do-not-resuscitate order, alleges a lawsuit filed by that resident’s daughter last week. The potential mix-up illuminates struggles faced by nursing homes across the country when it comes to managing the increasingly complex needs of their patients. 

Negotiations end between Local 17 Nurses and Providence St. Patrick Hospital The Fairfield Sun Times - Missoula, MT, by Ian Alvano; 4/9/24 After a standstill of contract negotiations, a new contract has been ratified between the Local 17 Nurse Union and Providence St. Patrick Hospital. The nurses were looking for safe staffing ratios and competitive pay, in a new contract.  Some of the demands were met and some weren't, said Local 17 co-president, Kate Marmorato, regarding the new ratified contract between the nurses and the hospital. 

Odom co-authors American Cancer Society Caregiver Services GuideThe University of Alamaba at Birmingham School of Nursing, by Laura Gasque; 4/9/24To help meet the needs of the growing number of people caring for family members and friends with cancer, the American Cancer Society has released the guide “Developing Caregiver Clinical Services: A Toolkit for Cancer Centers and Staff,” co-authored by University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Associate Professor and holder of the Doreen C. Harper Endowed Professorship in Nursing, J. Nicholas Odom, PhD, RN, ACHPN, FAAN. According to the ACS, this toolkit is the first of its kind to provide the tools and resources that oncology leaders, clinicians and staff members can use to implement for caregiver clinical services.Editor's Note: Click here to download this free, excellent resource.

Mixed reactions as St. Patrick Hospital nurses approve new contract KPAX-8 Missoula & Western Montana, by Claire Peterson; 4/8/24 The nurse's union at St. Patrick Hospital approved a three-year contract by a narrow vote. ... On Friday, April 5, the nurse’s union at Providence St. Patrick Hospital approved a three-year contract by a narrow vote, bringing months of negotiation to an end. ... The new contract was approved by 56% of the nurses who voted, according to Marmorato. St. Patrick Hospital nurses were fighting for higher wages, plans to prevent workplace violence and more effort to retain staff. 

Living to 100: Making Maryland a ‘Blue Zone’ The Baltimore Sun, commentary by Raya Elfadel Kheirbek; 4/5/24 In a bold stride toward redefining the approach to aging, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order in January aimed at expanding access to critical care and services for older Marylanders. ... At the heart of this initiative, dubbed Longevity Ready Maryland, is a comprehensive plan that transcends traditional state efforts focused solely on eldercare. Instead, it adopts a holistic, multisector approach that promises a transformative impact and enrichment in every dimension — health, financial security, social connectivity and purposeful living, irrespective of a Marylander’s socioeconomic status.