Literature Review

How Medicare Advantage, labor, AI will shape home-based care in 2024Home Health Care News, by Andrew Donlan; 1/18/24Home Health Care News recently spoke with 15 home-based care leaders for our annual “Executive Forecast” articles, which we published at the end of last year. Those executives’ responses covered a wide range of topics, and were surprisingly and refreshingly diverse. But, in the end, a few themes emerged.

‘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.

Home-based leaders are focusing on culture, creative benefits to mitigate staffing challengesHome Healthcare News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 1/16/24One of Accurate Home Care’s biggest strategies for combating the nursing shortage is positioning the company as the employer of choice and focusing on culture. ... “We have to focus heavily on culture, and we have to focus heavily on purpose, and try to attract those who have a heart for home care, and the money is secondary to them,” [Bill] English said [president and CEO of Accurate Home Care]. “Those are the nurses that we went after. Today, we were voted as one of the top 200 workplaces in Minnesota by the Star Tribune.”

Microsoft seeking chief medical officerBecker's Health IT, by Naomi Diaz; 1/16/24Publisher note: No article here, but the idea of MS seeking a CMO is intriguing...

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility ProgramU.S. Department of Health and Human Services website; ongoing key referenceThe Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity & Inclusion (EEODI) is within the Assistant Secretary for Administration’s (ASA) office and its mission is to promote, encourage, develop, and maintain a culture of equality, fairness, and objectivity throughout HHS.

Labor Department issues independent contractor final ruleMcKnights Senior Living, by Lois Bowers; 1/9/24Acting Labor Secretary Julie SuThe Department of Labor this morning issued a final rule that will change how senior living companies and other employers determine who is an employee and who is an independent contractor. The rule is effective March 11. “The misclassification of employees as independent contractors may deny workers minimum wage, overtime pay and other protections,” the Labor Department said in an online post. “This final rule will reduce the risk that employees are misclassified as independent contractors while providing a consistent approach for businesses that engage with individuals who are in business for themselves.”Editor's Note: Click here for the final rule.

Home healthcare company agrees to pay nearly $10 million to resolve false claims act allegations relating to its participation in the energy employees occupational illness compensation programOffice of Public Affairs; 1/5/24Atlantic Home Health Care LLC (AHH), a home health care agency operating in Arizona and eight other states, has agreed to pay $9,990,944 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP or the Energy Program), a healthcare program administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) for the benefit of Department of Energy employees and contractors with occupational illnesses.

Sleep pods, coffee bars, and coworking spaces: Hospital staff lounges get a makeoverHealthcare Brew, by Shannon Young; 12/7/23Health systems are looking at how they can better attract, retain, and support staff with respite spaces. Picture this: a large coworking environment with collaboration areas, cappuccino bars, and programmable spaces. No, it’s not a Silicon Valley startup, a student union, or even a swanky airport lounge. It’s the next generation of hospital employee break rooms. After years of optimizing hospital spaces to focus on the patient experience, more health systems are looking at how they can better attract, retain, and support staff, Mike Pukszta, codirector of CannonDesign’s global health practice, told Healthcare Brew.Editor's Note: Consider implications for today's hospice staffing. Office-based leaders, have you ever spent a day with a team member making visit after visit? While you want staff out in the field, do they have a home base where they can easily collaborate, eat, communicate with each other? Seek feedback and consider adjustments that can make a big difference in employee satisfaction and well-being.

We’re college students with ideas of how to promote senior living careers to a younger generation

12 healthcare trends and issues we are following for 2024 Becker's Hospital Review, by Scott Becker and Molly Gamble; 1/2/24The year begins with a number of challenges that have only intensified for U.S. healthcare providers. Below are a dozen trends and issues that commanded our attention throughout 2023 and hold our curiosity in the year ahead. These patterns and shifts directly or indirectly influence how healthcare providers fare in 2024, and ultimately affect how Americans access, afford and receive care.

Lane County home care and hospice workers authorize strike, but hold out hope for future negotiationsKEZI-TV (Eugene, OR); 12/29/23Springfield, OR—PeaceHealth home and hospice care nurses represented by the Oregon Nurses Association voted this week to authorize a strike, but one will not be called immediately. Jo Turner, a hospice nurse and member of ONA’s executive committee at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services, said at a press conference on Friday that a “significant majority” of nurses voted between December 27 and 28 to authorize the strike, but a decision to go on strike is not one that is taken lightly. “We are not calling for a strike—yet,” she said.