Literature Review

Why good palliative care clinicians get fired JAMA Network - Viewpoint; by Abby R. Rosenberg, MD, MS, MA; Elliot Rabinowitz, MD; and Robert M. Arnold; 4/14/25 Even the most seasoned palliative care clinician gets fired. In the past year, one of us was fired after asking whether a patient endorsing suicidal ideation had access to a gun; the patient requested not to see the palliative care team because we asked intrusive questions and documented the encounter. One of us was fired after supporting a family’s decision to discontinue life-sustaining therapies for their loved one with multisystem organ failure; the primary intensivist suggested palliative care overstepped in discussing options for which the family (and clinical teams) was not ready. And one of us was fired after sharing the impression that a patient with cancer was dying; the family suggested they preferred the oncologist’s version of a more hopeful future.

Medicaid’s role in health and in the health care landscape: LDI expert insights and key takeaways from select publications Penn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, Philadelphia, PA; by Julia Hinckley, JD; 3/17/25... Medicaid accounts for one-fifth of U.S. health care spending and covers more than a quarter of Americans. LDI researchers have examined the services it provides in supporting aging adults, people with disabilities, and children, as well as its role in health crises such as chronic disease and suicide. ... Below are select key findings from recent peer-reviewed research, along with expert insights for policymakers considering changes to Medicaid funding in the federal budget.

Congress passes telehealth, hospital-at-home in funding bill Modern Healthcare; by Michael McAuliff; 3/14/25 Congress completed work on a government funding bill Friday that modestly trims spending, gives President Donald Trump greater flexibility to cut programs and extends expiring healthcare priorities. In a 54-46 vote, the Senate approved legislation the House passed Tuesday that prevents the partial government shutdown that would have commenced at midnight EDT. ... The "continuing resolution," or CR, funds government operations through fiscal 2025, which ends Sept. 30, and extends and finances key healthcare programs for the same duration. Those include reauthorizing Medicare reimbursements for telehealth and hospital-at-home services, originally authorized during the COVID-19 pandemic; ...

OIG Nursing Facility Compliance Program Guidance: Renewed focus on fraud and abuse McDermott Will & Emery, Chicago, IL; by Gregory E. Fosheim, Monica Wallace, Dexter Golinghorst, and Brigit Dunne; 3/11/25 The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (OIG’s) release of Nursing Facility Industry Segment-Specific Compliance Program Guidance (ICPG) for the first time since 2008 reemphasizes the importance of billing and coding and fraud and abuse compliance for nursing facilities and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). This On the Subject is the second in a two-part series summarizing highlights of the Nursing Facility ICPG. This installment focuses on OIG’s recommendation that nursing facilities comply with existing billing rules and analyze referral source arrangements for compliance with fraud and abuse laws. [Click on the title's link for this significant information.]

Palliative care clinicians goals-of-care notes more extensive than other providers’ documentation Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 3/5/25 A team of researchers has developed a standardized goals-of-care note to document patient wishes in the electronic medical record. Many patients do not experience goals-of-care conversations in a timely manner. But even among those who have, their wishes can get lost if they are not documented. The standardized note created by a research team from the Regenstrief Institute, the Indiana University School of Medicine and Indiana University Health can help health care providers be aware of and access patients’ goals of care, according to lead investigator Dr. Alexia Torke. ... The research on the note was published in the American Journal of Medicine.

Mobile hospital-at-home pilot to deliver care to rural patients Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 2/26/25  Mobile medical units will deliver hospital-at-home care to patients in rural communities as part of a five-year pilot program aimed at expanding healthcare access in underserved areas. The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health recently awarded an undisclosed amount of funding to Boston’s Mass General Brigham, University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute and Kentwood, Michigan-based Homeward Health to develop programs that will extend hospital-level care to patients in remote communities using mobile platforms.

Flu cases continue to rise across the countryABC 6 News, Rochester, MN; by KAALTV; 2/10/25Flu cases are continuing to rise across the country as doctor visits for flu-like symptoms are now reaching their highest point in 15 years. The CDC estimates at least 24 million illnesses this flu season alone, with 13,000 turning deadly. Right now, about 31% of flu tests are coming back positive, nearly double the peak from last season. Doctors say your best line of defense is vaccination.Editor's note: We see this surge across news media sources, and compiled this state-specific list for you. 

16 states where virus activity remains high: 5 updates Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Alexandra Murphy; 1/27/25 The CDC is reporting high levels of respiratory virus activity across the U.S. While respiratory syncytial virus levels are beginning to peak in many areas of the country, flu-related emergency department visits are at very high levels and are still rising, according to the latest data. Thirteen states are experiencing "high" respiratory virus activity: Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Minnesota, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Hawaii and Washington, D.C. Three states are experiencing "very high" levels: New Hampshire, New Jersey and Wisconsin. [Click here for the CDC's "Respiratory Virus Activity Levels," with more detailed data and maps for all 50 states.]

How innovation is changing [hospital] length of stayHealthLeaders; by Eric Wicklund; 1/23/25 Allina Health is using technology and new ideas to reduce the time a patient spends in the hospital. They're seeing improved outcomes, reduced costs and more capacity to treat patients who need to be hospitalized.  One of the key metrics in clinical care is patient length of stay (LOS), traditionally defined as the time between a patient's admittance and discharge from a hospital. ... New technologies like AI and concepts like remote patient monitoring (RPM) and Hospital at Home are helping healthcare executives gain a better understanding of LOS, and in turn they're reducing costs and improving care management.Editor's note: How do these hospital technologies interesect with and impact your referrals for palliative and hospice referrals? For discharges to home health or senior facilities that receive care from your agency?

Transforming care: Spencer Health Solutions and Pharmerica partner to simplify medication management and improve lives The MarCom Journal, Morrisville, NC; by Leigh White, PharMerica and Daphne Earley, Spencer Health Solutions; 1/21/25In a move set to redefine how medication is managed, Spencer Health Solutions (SHS), a leader in innovative healthcare technology, and PharMerica, one of the nation’s largest and most trusted long-term care pharmacy services provider, are joining forces. This transformative partnership aims to make managing medications easier and more reliable for individuals with complex medication needs, senior living communities, and payers nationwide. ... Spencer Health Solutions (SHS) is dedicated to transforming medication management through innovative healthcare technology. ... PharMerica ... serves the long-term care, senior living, hospital, home infusion, hospice, behavioral, specialty and oncology pharmacy markets. 

Which health facilities have been impacted by L.A.-area fires? AI may paint a clearer picture DirectRelief; by Andrew Schroeder; 1/14/25 Geospatial AI and remote sensing advance health system impact analysis shows where facilities have been damaged or destroyed -- and where medical needs may be greatest. One of the most important factors for humanitarian responders in these types of large-scale disaster situations is to understand the effects on the formal health system, upon which most people — and vulnerable communities in particular — rely upon in their neighborhoods. Evaluation of the impact of disasters ... is traditionally a relatively slow and manually arduous process, involving extensive ground truth visitation by teams of assessment professionals. Speeding up this process without losing accuracy, while potentially improving the safety and efficiency of assessment teams, is among the more important analytical efforts Direct Relief can undertake for response and recovery efforts.

St. Croix Hospice to acquire Mayo Clinic Health System hospice operations in Southwest Minnesota PR Newswire, Oakdale, MN; by St. Croix Hospice and Mayo Clinic Health System; 1/13/25 St. Croix Hospice and Mayo Clinic Health System have entered into a definitive agreement for St. Croix Hospice to acquire Mayo Clinic Health System's hospice operations in Southwest Minnesota. The agreement remains subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025. ... "With more than 75 locations across the Midwest staffed by local care teams, St. Croix Hospice has been proudly providing hospice care for Mayo Clinic Health System patients throughout the Midwest for many years," says St. Croix Hospice Chief Clinical Officer Mandy Cogswell. ... "This marks the second recent transaction where St. Croix Hospice has acquired a health-system based hospice program, including a fourth quarter 2024 purchase in Iowa and Nebraska," said St. Croix Hospice CEO Heath Bartness.

Top Modern Healthcare stories of 2024 Modern Healthcare; by Mary Ellen Podmolik; 12/31/24 Ups and downs in healthcare kept Modern Healthcare reporters plenty busy in 2024, and 2025 is shaping up as a critical year for the industry, particularly as a new administration takes over in Washington, D.C. Our reporters this year did what Modern Healthcare excels at — bringing readers the news along with the context and analysis our audience needs to stay ahead. Get ready for 2025 by catching up on some hot topics during 2024.