Literature Review

Most Americans would rather feel 25% healthier than live 25% longer. Here’s how to lengthen your health span Fortune Well, by Alexa Mikhail; 3/15/24 Across all generations, more Americans would choose to feel 25% healthier than live 25% longer. Broken down, 60% of Gen Z and millennials say they would choose to feel healthier rather than live longer as compared to 67% of Gen X and 70% of Boomers, according to a consumer trends report from The New Consumer in partnership with Coefficient Capital. Only 15% of Boomers, 22% of Gen X, and about a third of Gen Z and millennials say they would rather live 25% longer.

Film Festival and local organizations partner to present ‘Lily’ March 21 Sedona.Biz; 3/9/24Accord Hospice & Palliative Care is continuing their educational efforts by partnering with the Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) to marry theater and Advance Care Directive education through the AD Project – a series of 10-minute plays that feature different relationships and settings to illustrate the importance of putting your medical wishes in writing. ...Playwright Bryan Harnetiaux has worked with HFA for years developing a series of shows that depict real life scenarios involving all different family dynamics. The show “Lily” will present a divorced couple who are embarking on a very real dilemma – who to choose to be your voice when you can no longer speak for yourself.

Paintings by famous artists reimagined in exhibition showcasing end-of-life care

Detroit Lions fan who dyed his hair blue during playoff run has died CBS News 11 Detroit, by Sara Powers; 3/11/24A Detroit Lions fan in hospice care, who dyed his hair blue during the team's playoff run, has died.  Larry Benjamin, 83, of Saginaw, went viral after he dyed his hair Honolulu blue to support the Lions. He was inspired by Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who dyed his hair blue before the team's playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. Editor's Note: We ran a couple of updates to this story during the NFL playoffs. 

Opportunity uncovered: How COVID-19 accelerated healthcare transformation Managed Healthcare Executive; by Patrick Horine, MHA; 3/6/24The COVID-19 pandemic left an indelible mark on the healthcare landscape, spotlighting critical areas for improvement while accelerating transformations that were already underway. From addressing disparities in equity and access to adopting digital health strategies, the pandemic has forced healthcare to move swiftly to meet urgent needs. First, let us look at some of the issues we had been facing and how these were changed by the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic. ...

Western Slope lawmakers introduce bill to license funeral home operatorsGrand Junction (CO) Daily Sentinel, by Elliott Wenzler; 3/6/24[CO Senate Bill 173] would address one glaring issue with the funeral home industry in Colorado — it’s the only state in the country that doesn’t license funeral home operators.Publisher's note: This legislative action is part of a broad response to the Return to Nature Funeral Home felony charges following discovery of 189 improperly stored bodies detailed in this Colorado Springs Gazette story.

Mother and daughter brave Sahara trek in memory of beloved Grace for hospice fundraiser BNN, by Wojciech Zyim; 3/7/24Rebecca Gaskell and her daughter, Imogen, from Chalfont St Peter, are embarking on a moving journey across the Sahara Desert this March to honor the memory of their daughter and sister, Grace, while raising funds for Helen & Douglas House, the hospice that provided care for Grace during her battle with a brain tumor. Diagnosed at just 12, Grace’s brave fight ended two years later, leaving her family seeking ways to give back to the hospice that offered them comfort in their darkest times.Editor's Note: The Helen & Douglas House for terminally ill children is located at Oxford, United Kingdom. 

Lubbock salon owners deliver hope with hospice manicure for cancer fighter Norma Hernandez BNN, by Shivani Chauhan; 3/4/24In an inspiring act of kindness, John Dawkins and his wife, owners of Absolute Nails in Lubbock, Texas, visited Norma Hernandez in the hospital to offer her a manicure and pedicure. Battling cancer and facing uncertain days ahead, Norma's simple wish was to have her nails done, a request that was turned down by other salons until Debbie, a close friend of Norma's, reached out to the Dawkins. Moved by the story, they decided to fulfill Norma's wish, bringing not just nail polish but also much-needed joy and comfort to her hospital room.

Workforce trends CFOs must knowBecker's Hospital CFO Report, by Alan Condon; 3/6/24The labor market pendulum is beginning to swing back in the favor of employers, but staffing shortages and controlling workforce costs are expected to continue to be a challenge for finance leaders for the foreseeable future. ... Here are eight trending workforce terms leaders should know in 2024, according to cfo.com:

UChicago Medicine nurses plan 1-day strike Becker's Hospital Review, by Kelly Gooch; 3/5/24Members of the National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate of National Nurses United, are set to hold a one-day strike March 14 at UChicago Medicine. The union represents 2,800 nurses at UChicago Medicine, according to a union news release. UChicago Medicine, which includes the flagship 811-bed University of Chicago Medical Center, has roughly 13,000 employees total.Editor's Note: The University of Chicago Medical Center provides palliative and hospice care services. At the time of this publication, we do not know if or how these services will be impacted. 

Home care nurse strike ends without deal Northwest Labor Press, by Mallory Gruben; 3/1/24Usually, PeaceHealth jointly bargains with the home health unit and a unit of about 1,500 hospital nurses, and all nurses are paid the same. But for this round of negotiations, PeaceHealth demanded that bargaining happen separately. Hospital nurses reached an agreement in August that raises wages 20.5% over four years. PeaceHealth’s latest offer to the home health nurses is a 14.75% raise over four years. [Erin] Grace [a nurse,] says without an equal contract for equal work, PeaceHealth will have difficulty attracting and retaining home care nurses. According to ONA, the unit has already lost a quarter of its members, and more say they plan to leave if a contract isn’t reached soon. 

Physicians grow louder on noncompetes Becker's Hospital Review, by Ashleigh Hollowell; 3/4/24 Amid a nationwide shortage of physicians, contractual noncompete clauses are making it more challenging for patients to receive the care they need, particularly in more rural regions, and physicians are pushing back, NBC News reported March 3. The American Medical Association estimates that between 35% and 45% of physicians in the U.S. are bound by noncompete clauses of some kind.

APRNs, home health / personal care aides top healthcare careers in 2024 McKnights Senior Living, by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 2/28/24Advanced practice registered nurses and home health and personal care aides lead the list of top healthcare careers in 2024, according to a study from digital healthcare platform Tebra. The researchers compared 46 healthcare industry jobs by median pay, 10-year outlook and expected job growth, employment per 10,000 workers and web search volume, using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau. ... Among all healthcare occupations included in the study, ones in home care had the highest employment rate.