Literature Review

‘You can complain about it, or lean in’: Top home health leaders brace for 2024Home Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 1/19/24With the start of a new year, home health leaders are looking ahead, and identifying their top priorities. Some of these areas of focus will directly address last year’s challenges, and some are proactive measures that will place them ahead. At Bayada Home Health Care, these priorities include focusing on the employee experience, as well as clinical model evolution.

Study shows 'alarming' sharp increase of colon cancer in younger AmericansThe National Desk, by Jamel Valencia; 1/17/24Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and the second in women under the age of 50, according to the American Cancer Society's annual report on cancer facts and trends. It indicated that colon cancer moved up from being the fourth leading cause of cancer death in both younger men and women two decades ago to first in men and second in women. Breast cancer leads in women under 50 with 2,251 deaths in 2021.

MedPAC approves hospital, physician pay bump; Doubles down on post-acute cutsInsideHealth Policy, by Bridget Early; 1/12/24Congress’ Medicare pay advisors recommended pay raises in 2025 for hospitals and physicians along with extra so-called Medicare safety-net pay and voted Thursday ... to recommend a second year’s worth of post-acute pay cuts as it approved proposals that would lower base pay rates for skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies and inpatient rehabilitation facilities. 

Increasing longevity, decreasing health quality: A close look at American health trendsBNN, by Ayesha Mumtaz; 1/16/24Recent data paints a concerning picture of Americans’ health despite an increase in longevity. While people are living longer, the quality of their health during these extended years is deteriorating. 

Nationwide PACE program helps seniors avoid nursing homesThe Lake County Star, by Cathie Crew; 1/17/24The Program for All Inclusive Care of the Elderly, or PACE, provides care and services to nursing home-eligible seniors and disabled individuals, enabling them to remain in their home far longer than they might otherwise be able to do. 

Hospice of the Western Reserve targeting $75,000 grant to address racial disparitiesCleveland.com Community News, by John Benson; 12/14/23Hospice of the Western Reserve applied for and recently received a Three Arches Foundation grant, with the intent to address healthcare inequity. Providing end-of-life care, caregiver support and bereavement services throughout Northern Ohio, the nonprofit was recently awarded $75,000 to expand outreach and address racial disparity in utilization of in-home, pre-hospice palliative care for patients with advanced serious and progressive illness.Quotes Heidi L. Barham, Hospice of the Western Reserve Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

PeaceHealth nurses mull a strike amid wage, workload pressuresHospice News, by Holly Vossel; 1/9/24Nurses at PeaceHealth’s Sacred Heart Home Care Services have voted to authorize a strike, citing low wages and staffing strains.PeaceHealth operates two hospice locations in Oregon, along with six others in Alaska and Washington state.

Provider partnerships providing driving palliative care growth  Hospice News, by Holly Vossel; 1/8/24An increasingly diverse base of health care providers have taken an interest in the palliative care space, a trend that could be indicative of how strategic growth is taking shape in the field. ... More home health care, health systems, hospices and primary care providers have gained a foothold in the palliative care space, often through community-based collaborations.

Home health agencies grapple with 'acuity creep' as patient needs become more complexHome Health Care News, by Patrick Filbin; 1/5/24As the demand for home-based care continues to rise, so does the need for more intensive care plans as patients continue to be sicker and more complex. Home health agencies are feeling this “acuity creep,” and they’re adjusting. But at times, it’s hard to keep up. “When I’m talking about acuity creep, I’m thinking about how much need do the patients in our care models require?” Michael Johnson, president of home health and hospice at Bayada Home Health Care, said. “It’s not just medical needs, either — there’s a social need as well."

About 10 percent of Medicare home health providers do not use EHRs, study findsMcKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 1/3/24Home health agencies that do not have electronic health record (EHR) systems in place are at a disadvantage, but many still lack this technology, according to a recent study published in the journal Home Health Care Management and Practice. Among a sample of  more than 1,500 Medicare home health providers, about 10% did not use EHRs. 

Compassus, Pennant Group expand home health JV portfoliosHome Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 1/3/24Two home-based care providers – Compassus and the Pennant Group (Nasdaq: PNTG) – have expanded their JV portfolios this week. On Wednesday, Compassus and Ascension announced the expansion of their Tennessee-based home health partnership, which is dubbed Ascension Saint Thomas at Home. Subsequently, Ascension Saint Thomas at Home’s service area now covers 17 Tennessee counties in the mid and west parts of the state.

NY healthcare orgs collab to deliver value-based hospice, palliative careTechTarget, by Victoria Bailey; 1/3/24Bassett Healthcare Network, a New York-based health system, has partnered with Helios Care to provide patients with value-based hospice and palliative care. ... Together, the two organizations will create an electronically driven referral process that will promote value-based contracting for hospice and palliative care services and establish a comprehensive palliative care and hospice service to treat patients in the hospital, in outpatient settings, and at home. In addition, the partnership will prioritize developing a transitional care program to provide in-home care for patients with serious illnesses, chronic diseases, and end-of-life needs.

BrightSpring Health Services Files To Go Public For The Second TimeHome Health Care News, by Andrew Donlan; 1/3/24BrightSpring Health Services officially filed plans for an initial public offering Tuesday. The home- and community-based services provider first planned to go public in 2021, but ultimately decided against it. Now, those plans are full speed ahead yet again. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, and backed by the investment firm KKR, BrightSpring provides home- and community-based provider services to complex populations. It provides care across all 50 states to 350,000 patients daily, and provides home-based care specifically to 250,000 patients daily across 40 states.Notable Mentions: Jon Rousseau, CEO; Michael McMaude.