Literature Review

4 hospital closures in 2024 Becker's Hospital CFO Report, by Madeline Ashley; 3/5/24Many hospitals and emergency departments have been forced to close in 2024 due to circumstances like high costs and shifts in care needs. Becker's has reported on four hospital and emergency department closures in 2024.Editor's Note: Locations include Michigan, Wisconsin, Tesac, and Ohio. Click on this article's link for details.

Rising suicide risk among seniors due to loneliness, mobility, financial insecurity, study finds McKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 3/5/24As the number of adults over 65 continues to grow, suicide rates among older adults have also been rising, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Between 2008 and 2017, the share of suicide-related emergency department visits among adults 65 years and older more than doubled. These older adults face age-related stressors that can negatively affect mental health, such as declining physical health, reduced mental sharpness, or the loss of friends or loved ones, which can heighten the risk of suicide. 

Scientists reveal that nearly all older Americans follow one of nine trajectories in their last three years of life SciTechDaily, by Rutgers University; 3/2/24A Rutgers Health analysis of millions of Medicare records has laid the groundwork for improving end-of-life care by demonstrating that nearly all older Americans follow one of nine trajectories in their last three years of life. “Identifying which paths people actually take is a necessary precursor to identifying which factors send different people down different paths and designing interventions that send more people down whatever path is right for them,” said Olga Jarrín, the Hunterdon Professor of Nursing Research at Rutgers and corresponding author of the study published in BMC Geriatrics.

3 predictions for the future of post-acute careBecker's Hospital Review, by Mariah Taylor; 2/28/24Robust in-home care, advances in technology and seamless access to nursing facilities are some of the ways leaders anticipate post-acute care may change in the next 50 years. Here, three leaders give their predictions and hopes for the industry in the future.

Ascension posts $708M quarterly turnaroundBecker's Hospital CFO Report, by Alan Condon; 2/19/24Ascension reported a net income of $359.5 million in the fiscal second quarter ending Dec. 31, which is a $708 million improvement on the $238.1 million net loss it reported during the same quarter in 2022. "We remain focused on improving hospital operations, ensuring sustainability for the future and making purposeful decisions that improve the health of individuals and the communities we are privileged to serve,"CFO Liz Foshage said. "Our Q2 quarterly results are a demonstration of this commitment and a signal that we continue to move in the right direction."

Experts see for-profit firms, rural areas as drivers of future PACE growthMcKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 2/14/24InnovAge, the only publicly traded Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly company, revealed last week that it continues to grapple with regulatory challenges. But its stumbling blocks of late are not curbing interest in PACE. The program — funded by Medicare and Medicaid — has continued to grow in recent years, leading states to explore new and innovative ways to bring PACE to a greater share of residents.

Care Guide Partners PACE Center secures $500,000 grantThe News-Enterprise; 2/14/24Care Guide Partners, an affiliate of Hosparus Health, recently was awarded a $500,000 lead grant from the Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana. This contribution supports the launch of the Care Guide Partners PACE Center, at 109 Buffalo Creek Drive in Elizabethtown. Scheduled to open next quarter, the PACE Center will increase accessibility to comprehensive health care services for seniors in and around the region, a news release from the organization said.

Will home care’s wage violations spark closures—or more workers?Modern Healthcare, by Diane Eastabrook; 2/5/24Home care providers are split on whether the Labor Department’s fines against the industry for wage violations could force more business closures or attract more workers to the high-demand sector. As more care moved into the home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the department’s Wage and Hour Division targeted home care and home health providers in 2021 for overtime infractions, worker misclassification and other violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Why some health systems say 'hospital at home' not 'worth it'Becker's IT, by Giles Bruce; 2/9/24Some health systems have decided that providing hospital-at-home care "might not be worth it," NBC News reported. While "hospital at home" has exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly since CMS started reimbursing for it, some systems have been reluctant to partake in the trend because the CMS waiver expires at the end of 2024, ...

Atlanta’s health care system is strained by major hospital’s closing, doctors and patients sayNBC News, by Bracey Harris and J.J. McCorvey; 2/7/24At Emory University Hospital Midtown in downtown Atlanta, two mobile pods have been stationed outside the emergency room. Doctors have been called in during extra busy “surge” times, and an administrator described patients on stretchers lining the halls. ... Nearby, Grady Memorial Hospital is so packed that ambulance traffic is sometimes routed to facilities miles away. ... These are the aftershocks from the closing in 2022 of Atlanta Medical Center in a city that already struggled to meet demand for services and provide accessible care. 

Petersen Health Care in battle for $50 million share of massive nursing home portfolioMcKnight's Long-Term Care News, by Josh Henreckson; 2/6/24An operator of nearly 100 Midwest care facilities is now embroiled in a two-front legal battle over more than $50 million in loans. Two lenders say that Petersen Health Care has failed to make payments due at 17 nursing homes across Illinois, Iowa and Missouri and are seeking foreclosure. The Peoria, IL, company is among the largest care providers in the region, employing several thousand care workers at its facilities in suburban and rural Illinois.

How Steward Health’s relationship with private equity souredModern Healthcare, by Alex Kacik; 2/5/24The financial decline of Steward Health Care may serve as a cautionary tale for health systems and other providers considering private equity investment.