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All posts tagged with “Post-Acute Care News | Hospital News.”
[Australia] Palliative patients can die peacefully at home with paramedic support, claims proposed framework
05/08/24 at 03:00 AMPalliative patients can die peacefully at home with paramedic support, claims proposed frameworkRiotack - Australia; by James Day; 5/6/24A proposed national framework suggests paramedics could help ease pressure on emergency departments by supporting palliative care patients who wish to die at home. Published in the leading international peer reviewed journal Palliative Medicine, the framework seeks to embed palliative care into paramedics’ core business and reduce needless transports to hospital. ... Lead author and trained paramedic Dr. Madeleine Juhrmann developed the framework in consultation with paramedics, palliative care doctors, GPs, carers with lived experience and others. The expert group – representing six countries and all the states of Australia – agreed on the framework’s 32 service changes to standardise best practice for paramedics delivering palliative care in community-based settings.Pair this with a USA article in today's newsletter, "Stranded in the ER, seniors await hospital care and suffer avoidable harm."
He thinks his wife died in an understaffed hospital. Now he’s trying to change the industry.
05/08/24 at 03:00 AMHe Thinks His Wife Died in an Understaffed Hospital. Now He’s Trying to Change the Industry.Fortune; by KFF Health News and Kate Wells; 4/19/24For the past year, police Detective Tim Lillard has spent most of his waking hours unofficially investigating his wife’s death. The question has never been exactly how Ann Picha-Lillard died on Nov. 19, 2022: She succumbed to respiratory failure after an infection put too much strain on her weakened lungs. She was 65. For Tim Lillard, the question has been why.Publisher's note: We often discuss workforce shortages in terms of staff stress. This interesting and heartbreaking story explores workforce shortages in terms of patient harm.
How Mass General Brigham provides emergency care at home
05/08/24 at 03:00 AMHow Mass General Brigham provides emergency care at home Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 5/6/24Somerville, MA-based Mass General Brigham now treats patients needing emergency or urgent care at home. The health system's patients can request referrals to the Home Hospital Emergency Care program through their primary care providers, who decide if patients are stable enough to be treated at home. If they are, a nurse talks to the provider and schedules a home visit, where a paramedic completes a physical exam joined virtually by an emergency medicine physician. Editor's Note: Pair this article with others in today's newsletter: "Stranded in the ER, seniors await hospital care and suffer avoidable harm" (in our Post-Acute Care section), and "[Australia] Palliative patients can die peacefully at home with paramedic support, claims proposed framework" (in our International section).
Steward files for bankruptcy
05/08/24 at 03:00 AMSteward files for bankruptcyBecker's Hospital CFO Report; by Laura Dyrda; 5/6/24Dallas, Texas-based Steward Health Care filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will receive millions in financing from Medical Properties Trust to maintain operations at existing hospitals and clinics, according to a May 6 health system news release. The 30 hospitals in the Steward network will continue patient care during the bankruptcy proceedings, and the physician-led health system does not expect interruptions to daily operations. ... The for-profit health system has faced financial challenges and liquidity issues in recent months, blaming low reimbursement from government payers and increasing costs for labor, materials and operations due to inflation. The system also reported continuing to experience negative financial effects from the COVID-19 pandemic.
27 hospitals, health systems cutting jobs
05/08/24 at 03:00 AM27 hospitals, health systems cutting jobs Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Kelly Gooch; updated 5/3/24A number of hospitals and health systems are reducing their workforces or jobs due to financial and operational challenges. Below are workforce reduction efforts or job eliminations announced this year. ...
Star ratings of Leapfrog's 25 straight-'A' and 'F' hospitals
05/08/24 at 03:00 AMStar ratings of Leapfrog's 25 straight-'A' and 'F' hospitals Becker's Hospital Review; by Mackenzie Bean; updated 5/3/24 A comparison of data from CMS and The Leapfrog Group suggests that a hospital's strong performance in one national quality rating system does not necessarily mean it will be a top performer in another. Leapfrog updated its spring safety grades May 1, recognizing 15 hospitals that have received an "A" grade in every consecutive update since 2012. Of these hospitals, only eight received a five-star rating from CMS. Similar discrepancies are seen across Leapfrog's "F" hospitals. While two did receive one star — the lowest possible rating — another five received two stars, and one hospital earned four stars. [Click on the title's link for the list.]
Georgia system reopens hospital to inpatient services
05/08/24 at 03:00 AMGeorgia system reopens hospital to inpatient services Hospital CFO Report; by Mariah Taylor; 5/2/24 Piedmont Augusta (GA) is reopening the emergency department and inpatient services at its Summerville campus after converting the location into an outpatient campus over a year ago. Effective May 16, the hospital will open 15 beds in the emergency department, 12 inpatient unit beds, and new imaging services. Outpatient services will continue as normal, according to a May 1 system news release. "What we heard pretty quickly from our community is that they missed the efficiency of that campus," Lily Henson, MD, CEO of Piedmont's Augusta clinical hub, said in the release.
Stranded in the ER, seniors await hospital care and suffer avoidable harm
05/08/24 at 03:00 AMStranded in the ER, seniors await hospital care and suffer avoidable harm KFF Health News; by Judith Graham; 5/6/24 Every day, the scene plays out in hospitals across America: Older men and women lie on gurneys in emergency room corridors moaning or suffering silently as harried medical staff attend to crises. Even when physicians determine these patients need to be admitted to the hospital, they often wait for hours — sometimes more than a day — in the ER in pain and discomfort, not getting enough food or water, not moving around, not being helped to the bathroom, and not getting the kind of care doctors deem necessary.
Terminal cancer: What matters to patients and caregivers
05/08/24 at 03:00 AMTerminal cancer: What matters to patients and caregivers Medscape Medical News; by Megan Brooks; 5/6/24 What's most important to patients with terminal cancer and their caregivers? New research found that patients and caregivers both tend to prioritize symptom control over life extension but often preferring a balance. Patients and caregivers, however, are less aligned on decisions about cost containment, with patients more likely to prioritize cost containment. ... As patients approached the end of life, neither patients nor caregivers shifted their priorities from life extension to symptom management.
Noncompete ban may squeeze rural hospitals, report shows
05/06/24 at 03:00 AMNoncompete ban may squeeze rural hospitals, report shows Modern Healthcare; by Alex Kacik; 5/2/24 The federal noncompete ban may squeeze rural nonprofit hospitals that continue to see labor costs rise, a new report shows. Last week, the Federal Trade Commission voted to finalize a rule preventing most employers from enforcing or issuing contracts that restrict employees from working for a competitor. ... Larger hospitals are more likely to have the financial flexibility to offer clinicians and staff higher wages, likely at the expense of smaller, rural hospitals, Fitch Senior Director Kevin Holloran said.
Big Bend Hospice, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Partner on transformative approach to transitional care
05/06/24 at 03:00 AMBig Bend Hospice, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Partner on transformative approach to transitional careBusiness Wire; 5/2/24 Big Bend Hospice (BBH) and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) announced a partnership today to improve patient navigation within the healthcare system. This collaboration aims to streamline transitions between hospitals, doctor's offices, rehabilitation centers, and home care. The signing of the Affiliation Agreement creates a governance structure that will develop a transformative approach to improving transitions of care in the Big Bend community. Transitions of care involve a patient's movement between healthcare settings, such as doctor's offices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, long-term care, home health, hospice, etc. This partnership establishes a network of connected healthcare services, creating a seamless patient journey regardless of specific needs.
Tenet adds 45 ASCs, sells 9 hospitals in Q1
05/06/24 at 02:00 AMTenet adds 45 ASCs, sells 9 hospitals in Q1Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Alan Condon; 5/1/24 In the first quarter, Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare sold nine hospitals while its outpatient business United Surgical International Partners acquired 45 ambulatory surgery centers and added 32 service lines. Tenet has increased the number of ASCs in its portfolio to 512 and decreased the number of hospitals it operates to 49, highlighting the company's expectation that its ASC business will drive long-term growth as care continues to shift from inpatient to outpatient settings. Tenet posted a net income of $2.2 billion in the first quarter — up from $143 million in the same period last year — and aims to spend about $250 million a year on ASC mergers and acquisitions.
43 health systems ranked by long-term debt
05/03/24 at 03:00 AM43 health systems ranked by long-term debt Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Alan Condon; 4/29/24 Long-term debt has long been a staple in healthcare, but many hospitals and health systems are responding to the increasing cost of debt and debt service in the rising rates environment. Highly levered health systems are looking to sell hospitals, facilities or business lines to reduce their debt leverage and secure long-term sustainability, which creates significant growth opportunities for systems with balance sheets on a more solid financial footing. Forty-three health systems ranked by their long-term debt: ... [Click on the title's link for the list.]
Transitional Bridges offers compassionate alternative to plastic belongings bags
05/03/24 at 03:00 AMTransitional Bridges offers compassionate alternative to plastic belongings bagsABC 8 News, Richmond, VA; by EIN Presswire; 4/30/24Transitional Bridges, a San Diego-based nonprofit focused on inspiring compassion and improving end-of-life care through art, has created Transitional Belongings Bags, a compassionate and eco-friendly alternative to the plastic bags hospitals use to hand over belongings to loved ones after a patient has died. The concept was first introduced 17 years ago by the Irish Hospice Foundation Hospice Friendly Hospitals Program to promote dignity and sensitivity when returning a loved one’s possessions to bereaved family and friends. ... Lorene Morris, the founder and president of Transitional Bridges, became inspired to bring the movement to the U.S. after her mother, an artist, died unexpectedly from postoperative complications. When the family was handed their mother's possessions in two large, clear plastic bags, Morris recalls, “I felt like the whole world could see those intimate items. It was just so wrong.”
Why hospital executives think Walmart Health failed
05/03/24 at 03:00 AMWhy hospital executives think Walmart Health failed Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 5/1/24 Health system leaders told Becker's they're not surprised by the failure of Walmart Health given the arduous economics of healthcare and the difficulty of providing primary care at scale.Walmart said April 30 it would be closing its 51 Walmart Health Centers and virtual care offerings five years into its foray into healthcare. The company cited the "challenging reimbursement environment" and "escalating operating costs" that left its healthcare arm unprofitable.
Ensign Group buys 7 nursing homes in 6 states
05/03/24 at 03:00 AMEnsign Group buys 7 nursing homes in 6 states Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 5/1/24 Senior living services company Ensign Group acquired seven skilled nursing facilities in six states, as well as a long-term acute care hospital. The deals closed Wednesday [5/1], the same day Ensign Group will report first quarter 2024 earnings. The acquisitions include: [click on the title's link for the list] ...
20 states with most rural hospital closures
05/02/24 at 03:00 AM20 states with most rural hospital closures Hospital CFO Report; by Molly Gamble; 4/29/24 Since 2005, 192 hospitals in rural America have shut down, and the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated rural hospitals' risk of closure. Eight rural hospitals closed in 2023, as many as in 2022 and 2021 combined, according to the report. This followed a landmark 18 rural hospital closures in 2020, more than any year in the previous decade. [Click on the title's link for]
OSF launches new tools to help make end-of-life planning easier
05/01/24 at 03:00 AMOSF launches new tools to help make end-of-life planning easier News25, Peoria, IL; by Liz Lape; 4/26/24 OSF Healthcare reports that thousands of patients are dying in medical facilities without end-of-life care plans. ... Sarah Overton, Chief Officer of Nursing, describes that studies show that over 70% of patients would prefer a setting other than a hospital to spend their last moments, like at home hospice or palliative care. OSF has launched self-service resources such as an Advanced Careplanning page and Patient Questionnaire on their app MyChart. Overton says the goal is to make end-of-life care planning more available to the public.
The value of hospice-emergency department collaboration
05/01/24 at 03:00 AMThe value of hospice-emergency department collaboration Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/29/24 Fostering greater collaboration between hospices and hospice emergency departments can help reduce health care costs, generate revenue and improve patient outcomes. Reducing hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits are key goals for many health care stakeholders, particularly those that operate within a value-based environment. ... Nearly 40 million seniors visit the ED annually, according to the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation at the University of Michigan. For patients, however, the ED may not always be the best option, Rebeka Malloy, director of clinical engagement for Compassion and Choices, said at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) Virtual Interdisciplinary Conference. ...
Penn State Hershey Medical Center nurses ratify new contract
05/01/24 at 03:00 AMPenn State Hershey Medical Center nurses ratify new contractNBC WGAL TV 8; by Lori Has More; 4/27/24 More than 2,000 registered nurses working at Penn State Hershey Medical Center have ratified a new three-year contract. The union says their new deal will increase pay rates by an average of 22.5%, include more time off and new initiatives to address staffing needs. Editor's Note: These changes reflect national trends for recent healthcare strikes and high turnover rates: pay rates, work-life balance, and staffing. Additionally, we're seeing demands for improved workplace safety as a common theme for healthcare professionals.
Understanding the scope of aggressive incidents in hospitals | Safer Hospitals
04/30/24 at 03:00 AMUnderstanding the scope of aggressive incidents in hospitals | Safer Hospitals Chief Healthcare Executive; by Ron Southwick; 4/26/24 Researchers found healthcare workers are facing a verbal or physical incident at least once for every 40 hours worked. Joanne De Santo lennaco of Yale University talks about protecting staff. Even with more attention being placed on violence in hospitals and health systems, healthcare leaders say many incidents don’t come to light. ... Much attention has been focused on incidents involving healthcare workers that have resulted in physical injuries, but she says that fails to capture the hostility healthcare workers routinely encounter, she says.
Cleveland Clinic eHospital expands to monitor 300,000 patients
04/30/24 at 02:00 AMCleveland Clinic eHospital expands to monitor 300,000 patients Becker's Health IT; by Naomi Diaz; 4/24/24 Cleveland Clinic's eHospital program has expanded and now monitors 248 patient beds in ICUs and other units across the organization's network. The eHospital program launched in 2014 as a pilot in one intensive care unit. ... The program has enabled more patients to receive care at community hospitals, reducing the need for transfers to the main campus, according to Cleveland Clinic. It has also helped decrease ICU lengths of stay and minimize the volume of calls received at night.
Hospital CEOs chart paths into healthcare's future
04/29/24 at 03:15 AMHospital 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.
5 hospitals seeking CEOs
04/29/24 at 03:00 AM5 hospitals seeking CEOsBecker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 4/22/24 Here are five hospitals that recently posted job listings seeking CEOs.Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Listings were compiled from job-seeker websites. Listings will be updated routinely on this page and were last updated April 22. ...
HCA's CEO-to-worker pay ratio over the past 5 years
04/29/24 at 03:00 AMHCA's CEO-to-worker pay ratio over the past 5 years Hospital CFO Report; by Andrew Cass; 4/22/24 Nashville, TN-based HCA Healthcare CEO Sam Hazen was paid between 254 and 556 times more than the health system's median employee since becoming the health system's chief executive in 2019, according to proxy statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. ... Here is how the ceo-to-median-worker pay ratio has changed the past five years: ...