Literature Review

TCMH foundation event raised nearly $31,000Houston (MO) HeraldDecember 18, 2023Texas County, MO—Texas County Memorial Hospital Healthcare Foundation held a successful online auction from Nov. 21-30, raising $30,844 for TCMH Hospice of Care. The fundraising total included cash and non-cash gifts. All proceeds from the event go to TCMH Hospice of Care, which provides end-of-life and grief support for patients and families in Texas County and surrounding areas.

More rural hospitals mulling clinically integrated networksModern HealthcareDecember 14, 2023In October, 23 rural hospitals in North Dakota announced the formation of the Rough Rider High-Value Network. Such clinically integrated alliances are designed to reduce hospitals’ costs through shared services and provide the infrastructure for hospitals to invest in alternative payment models. Rough Rider CEO Nathan White discussed his outlook for the rural hospital sector, his goals for the Rough Rider network and the advantages of clinically integrated networks compared to mergers or acquisitions.

Rural hospitals embrace ‘grow your own’ approach to staffingModern HealthcareDecember 15, 2023Always on the hunt for staff, some rural hospitals have been trying a less common recruitment setting: K-12 classrooms. The hospitals hope that by interesting local children in healthcare careers and investing in their education, the students will one day return to work as full-fledged providers. It’s a long game, but one that could help rural hospitals better compete for clinicians with urban health systems that have the budgets for higher salaries and bigger sign-on bonuses.

Greener nurses enter field as workforce demand continues to spikeMcKnight’s Home Care DailyDecember 15, 2023Job openings in healthcare and social services have risen sharply in the last several years, and healthcare providers are taking on less-experienced registered nurses to handle the pressure. At the beginning of 2018, the average nurse’s tenure was more than six years of experience, according to a recent workforce report by the ADP Research Institute. In the five years since, however, high turnover rates and a corresponding abundance of job opportunities deflated a nurse’s average tenure to about five years of experience. 

Baptist Health Baptist Hospital Launches Inspirational Space for Patients and VisitorsSouth Florida Hospital NewsDecember 14, 2023Baptist Health Baptist Hospital launched the Inspiration Hall, powered by national leader in hospice and palliative care services, VITAS Healthcare. Located on the first floor near the hospital’s imaging center waiting room, the Inspiration Hall is an immersive experience where patients, visitors and hospital team members can submit, read or watch messages of comfort and support that will inspire others in their health journey. 

Board hears comment on noise ordinance, EPH home healthcareEstes Park (CO) Trail GazetteDecember 14, 2023Estes Park, CO—The Estes Park Board of Trustees held their regular meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 12, where they heard ... [an] update from Estes Park Health about home health care, hospice and non-medical home care. ... EPH Board of Directors Chairman David Batey described the hospital’s decision to no longer provide in-home hospice care, highlighting that there are four licensed providers of hospice care other than EPH, and that EPH will continue to provide inpatient hospice care at the facility. 

Licensed practical nurses petition to oust union at Mayo Clinic’s Austin hospitalMinnesota ReformerDecember 12, 2023Licensed practical nurses and other medical assistants at Mayo Clinic’s Austin hospital are looking to oust their union, the United Steelworkers. It’s the latest in a series of campaigns—supported by the anti-union non-profit National Right to Work Legal Defense Fund—to get rid of unions at Mayo Clinic hospitals. 

22 states to increase minimum wage on Jan. 1McKnight’s Senior LivingDecember 13, 2023Almost half of the states, along with 40 local jurisdictions, are set to ring in 2024 with increases to minimum wage, according to Polsinelli law firm. The 22 states with minimum wage increases coming in the new year: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington. 

Demand for nurses continues to eclipse supply—reportMcKnight’s Senior LivingDecember 14, 2023Almost three years after the start of the pandemic, a shortage of registered nurses continues to eclipse the supply of qualified professionals. “The US shortage of registered nurses has been called a crisis. Burnout, staff turnover, a growing and aging baby-boomer population, and a lack of educators have contributed to high demand and undersupply, a longstanding problem aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a new report from ADP Research Institute. 

VITAS Healthcare Expands Hospital-Based Inpatient Hospice CenterHospice NewsDecember 13, 2023Chemed Corp. VITAS Healthcare recently expanded its inpatient hospice care unit at the Florida-based Broward Health Medical Center. The inpatient facility now has 12 patient beds, up from eight prior to the renovations. VITAS expects to serve roughly 550 patients annually at the center. 

Workers set to strike at 4 Prime hospitalsBecker’s Hospital ReviewDecember 11, 2023Members of the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West are set to launch a five-day strike Dec. 20 affecting four Prime Healthcare facilities in Southern California. The union represents about 1,800 workers ... Union members, which include emergency room technicians, licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants, radiology technicians, medical assistants, respiratory technicians, and others, voted to authorize a strike earlier this year. 

UC San Diego Health Completes $200 Million Purchase of Alvarado HospitalSan Diego Union-TribuneDecember 12, 2023UC San Diego Health Monday completed the purchase of Alvarado Hospital Medical Center from Prime Healthcare, adding the 302-bed medical facility to its network of clinics and hospitals. ... The university hospital system purchased Alvarado Hospital for $200 million.

Novant Health makes third round of layoffs in 2023 as it outsources IT services to Indian firmTriad Business Journal (Greensboro/Winston-Salem, NC)December 11, 2023Amid C-suite changes and large acquisition deals, Novant Health is making its third round of layoffs in 2023. The Winston-Salem health system is outsourcing some of its IT operations to Wipro, a technology company based in India. Novant declined to say how many employees would be affected but said it would “fluctuate based on individual interests... [with] some having the opportunity to consider newly assigned roles and responsibilities with the redesign of this new model.” ... In 2023, Novant has cut more than 200 jobs—the largest workforce reduction for the health system in nearly a decade.