Literature Review

Hospices welcome VBID’s demise, but questions remainHospice News, by Jim Parker; 3/5/24Citing “operational challenges,” the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced [Monday] that it would bring to a close the hospice component of the value-based insurance design (VBID) demonstration, effective Dec. 31. ... Hospice News spoke with leaders of hospice organizations, industry groups and other stakeholders to gauge providers’ perceptions of the CMS decision. 

St. Croix Hospice improves access to end-of-life care with new branch in Clarinda, IAPR Newswire, by St. Croix Hospice; 2/29/24St. Croix Hospice expands their presence in Iowa with a new branch in Clarinda. This location marks the fifteenth St. Croix Hospice branch in Iowa and helps patients and families residing in the surrounding communities access exceptional hospice care from local caregivers and clinical staff.

RiverStone Health closing hospice facility in Billings MTN News; 2/23/24RiverStone Health Home Hospice will close this summer in Billings, the agency announced Friday, largely because of struggles to raise enough money to support operations and find enough employees. RiverStone officials said in a news release they will instead focus efforts on providing hospice care to patients at their own homes, regardless of their ability to pay.

Commentary: Virginia hospice care coalition a model for other states to emulateThe Roanoke Times, by Steve Cone; 2/16/24 Here in Virginia, eight nonprofit hospice care organizations are working together with a private sector sponsor on a statewide initiative called the Virginia Hospice Awareness Campaign to publicize the benefits of hospice. This approach should serve as a model for other states to emulate. (Two of the nonprofits in the campaign serve the Roanoke and New River valleys and Alleghany Highlands: Good Samaritan and ConnectionsPlus.)

Umatilla County resident finds comfort in hospice care amid disparity studyBNN, by Muhammad Jawad; 2/14/24 In the heart of Umatilla County [Oregon], Lila Transue, an 86-year-old Pendleton resident, has found solace in the care provided by Vange John Memorial Hospice. A recent study highlights the underutilization of hospice care, particularly for minority groups and patients with certain types of cancer, but Transue's experience offers a glimmer of hope.

Big Bend Hospice Inpatient Unit opens at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, increases access to quality end-of-life careBusiness Wire; 2/8/24Big Bend Hospice, in partnership with Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH), proudly announces the opening of the First Commerce Center for Compassionate Care (FCCCC), a new inpatient hospice unit on the third floor of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.

Hospice of Western Reserve plans to merge with Hospice of North Central OhioCrain's Cleveland Business, by Paige Bennett; 2/6/24Hospice of the Western Reserve, a provider of palliative and end-of-life care, caregiver support and bereavement services and one of Cleveland’s largest nonprofits, intends to merge with the Hospice of North Central Ohio.

Skowhegan nonprofits say they have moved on after former director stole thousands Portland Press Herald, by Jake Freudberg; 1/30/24Jason Gayne, the former executive director of the Skowhegan Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Hospice Volunteers of Somerset County, began his prison sentence Monday for stealing thousands from the nonprofits, but leaders of the two organizations said they have already worked to move forward. For the last two years, the Skowhegan Regional Chamber of Commerce has had a clear goal: returning the organization to its members. “From the ground up, we rebuilt everything,” said Luke York, the chair of the chamber’s board of directors.

Petoskey hospice center to close with transition to community-based care Interlochen Public Radio, by Ed Ronco; 1/26/24A hospice center in Petoskey will shut down, despite earlier statements by officials that there were no plans to do so. McLaren Health Management Group said Friday that it “will no longer continue operations” at the seven-bed Hiland Cottage, effective March 1. McLaren Hospice says it’s transitioning its care to community-based services. A statement from McLaren says patients and staff at Hiland Cottage will be moved to other facilities “in coordination with patient family, caregivers, and providers.”

Marshfield Clinic closing Wisconsin hospice centerBecker's Hospital CFO Report, by Madeline Ashley; 1/24/24Phillips, Wis.-based Marshfield Medical Center Park Falls Home Health and Hospice facility, part of Marshfield (Wis.) Clinic, is closing at the end of February due to limited resources. Marshfield Clinic is working with other providers who offer home health and hospice services to provide continued care to patients. 

Norwell hospice honors Weymouth nurse, 99, with a Nightingale pin. "I felt so proud!" The Patriot Ledger, by Sue Scheible; 1/23/24Retired nurse Betty Beecher of Weymouth, nearing 100, describes receiving a Nightingale pin from the NVNA and Hospice, where she now is a patient.

Don’t stop dreamin’ turns nursing home residents’ dreams into realityiAdvanceSeniorCare, by Paige Cerulli; 1/22/24The nonprofit now works to fulfill dreams for residents of all Quality Life Services homes, as well as for patients of Three Rivers Hospice. “There is one employee at all ten locations, including Three Rivers Hospice, that represents Don’t Stop Dream’ as a Dream Ambassador,” explains [Paula] Elder. “They are responsible for learning about our residents and patients’ needs and dreams, and submitting them for request. Most dreams are typically granted to our residents and patients after research is completed to ensure their safety, travel arrangements (if necessary), and staffing is available.”

'Suncoast' review: Laura Linney-led semi-autobiographical dramedy is best at its most specificY! entertainment, by Katie Rife; 1/22/24... Evoking “human life” is especially pertinent when talking about “Suncoast,” the semi-autobiographical dramedy from writer-director Laura Chinn. The movie is based on Chinn’s own adolescence — it’s dedicated to her brother Max, who died in 2005 while Chinn was still in high school. Premature death is widely understood to be a tragedy, but there’s a wrinkle to Chinn’s story that gives it a bizarre specificity: Shortly before his death, he was placed in the same hospice as Terri Schaivo.