Literature Review

Bluegrass Care Navigators hosts Pikeville Radio DayWKYT News, Lexington, KY; by Buddy Forbes; 6/11/24Bluegrass Care Navigators hosted its annual Pikeville Radio Day Tuesday, raising money and increasing awareness about its programs. The event, which partnered with Q95 FM (WQHY) in Prestonsburg, shared stories of hospice patients, outreach programs, and more. “We are raising awareness for patients and their families about what we do here at Bluegrass Care Navigators,” said Associate Director of Philanthropy Dawson Barnett. “And then also we’re raising money to support the programs that we offer, that are not funded any other way other than their support.”

New partnership aims to expand hospice services in EUP [Michigan]The Sault News; by Brendan Wiesner; 6/7/24 A new partnership between local and state organizations will help support hospice services for the Sault community. Several months ago, the Chippewa County Health Department decided to close its home health and hospice division. The division committed to providing hospice services until the end of 2024 or until a new program was made available for the community. The closing of the division did not affect the hospice services at the Hospice of the EUP, but it would have limited access to hospice services that are set up in people's homes. The division also provided some support to Hospice of the EUP through clinical support.Editor's Note: We posted a related article on 6/7/24, "Collaboration looks to fill void left by closure of Hiland Cottage Hospice." However, that article highlighted "Hiland Cottage Hospice" while this one focuses on "Hospice of the EUP."

Good Samaritan Hospice opens regions first freestanding hospice house CBS WDBJ TV - 7, Roanoke, VA; by Neesy Payne; 6/7/24 A grand opening celebration was held Friday, June 7, for the Sheila S. Strauss Hospice House. It’s the region’s first freestanding hospice house. It was a part of the original plans of Good Samaritan Hospice back in 1992, and 32 years later, it is now a reality. “Our primary focus will always be taking care of patients at home; but when that’s not possible, maybe someone has pain, or needs respite, or a situation just arises that they need a different level of care, then we will be able to provide that in a facility that looks and is designed to be as homelike as possible,” said President and CEO of Good Samaritan Hospice Aaron Housh. ... It includes 16 private rooms, a living room, dining room, a chapel, and a courtyard – all aimed to make residents and their families feel at home.

Collaboration looks to fill void left by closure of Hiland Cottage Hospice Harbor Light; by Harbor Light News Staff; 6/5/24 When McLaren Northern Michigan closed the Hiland Cottage Hospice House in March of this year, the future of trusted end-of-life residential care in this community became uncertain. In an effort to ensure this essential service is still provided, Bay Bluffs, the Emmet County Medical Care Facility, has stepped up to lead a collaborative effort to fill this void. “We are deeply committed to supporting our community through this transition,” said Lisa Ashley, Bay Bluffs administrator in announcing the partnership with Friends of Hiland Cottage, area hospice services, and other local end-of-life providers. 

Community Hospice & Palliative Care setting sights on Florida, Georgia expansionHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/3/24Florida-based Community Hospice & Palliative Care recently opened a new location in its home state that will serve as an office for interdisciplinary staff and a community center. The new center is a key part of the hospice and palliative care provider’s overall strategic growth plans to improve access among underserved populations, according to Community CEO Phillip Ward. ... One aim of launching the center is to improve care collaboration and access among African Americans in the community, according to Ward.

Providence Hospice-Community Healthcare of Texas and Ascension Providence Hospital collaborate to enhance inpatient hospice care Community Healthcare of Texas; 5/28/24 Providence Hospice-Community Healthcare of Texas, the state’s largest not-for-profit hospice and palliative care provider since 1996, has partnered with Ascension Providence Hospital in Waco to provide inpatient hospice care for qualified patients. The new designated hospice wing will open on June 1 and feature five private rooms located on the fourth floor of Ascension Providence Hospital.

Early talks about governance essential for nonprofit hospice affiliations Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 5/28/24 Nonprofit hospices can combine their businesses in a number of ways, including traditional acquisitions, board member substitutions and other types of affiliations. However, member substitutions are becoming more common, according to Meg Pekarske, partner at the law firm Husch Blackwell. While this model offers benefits it can also become a political minefield that can sink an affiliation. ...

Stoneridge Hospice expands services with launch of palliative care branch in Scottsdale, Arizona KNWA Fox24; by EIN Presswire; 5/26/24Stoneridge Hospice ... is proud to announce the establishment of its newest branch offering palliative care services in Scottsdale, Arizona. ... This new agency will offer a range of palliative care services, including pain and symptom management, emotional and spiritual support, coordination of care, and assistance with advanced care planning.

Opinion: I care for people in their final days. Here’s what I’ve learned about hospice.San Diego Union-Tribune; by Kim Ann Dang; 5/23/24[Commentary] Dang, M.D., is a physician specializing in hospice and palliative medicine with Sharp HospiceCare, as well as family medicine with SharpCare, and lives in San Diego. As a doctor specializing in the care of older adults, I have witnessed firsthand the profound impact that timely, compassionate hospice care can have on patients and their families. Hospice isn’t just a service, but a philosophy of care that focuses on enhancing the quality of life for those facing end-stage diseases. It supports people in their final months and weeks, ensuring comfort, dignity and respect. ... Hospice is not about hastening death; it’s about enriching the quality of the time that remains. I urge health care providers, patients and families to consider hospice care not as a last resort but as an integral part of compassionate, dignified end-of-life care.

Hospice of the Chesapeake celebrates 45 years at event, raising $500k The Baynet; by Hospice of the Chesapeake; 5/23/24 Around 300 guests mixed and mingled at the Fluegel Alumni Center to celebrate Hospice of the Chesapeake’s history of caring for life at its 45th Anniversary Celebration on May 11. The event raised $500,000 to support the organization’s hospice, supportive and grief care programs and services provided to patients and families in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles and Prince George’s counties.

Experts urge Legislature to pass bill preventing for-profit and private equity hospice in New York Spectrum News 1; by Susan Arbetter; 5/21/24The FBI has issued public warnings about hospice fraud in four states — Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California. The bureau is alerting consumers to a wide-spread scam in which patients are enrolled in hospice without their knowledge by recruiters who “sell” hospice care to people who aren’t actually eligible. ...  One reason fraudsters have yet to gain a foothold in New York is that new hospices here go through a “Certificate of Need” process (CON) which reviews applications, provides for public comment and ensures that hospice operators don’t have a history of fraud or abuse. But according to Jeanne Chirico, president and CEO of the Hospice & Palliative Care Association of NYS (HPCANYS), and Kara Travis, president and CEO of Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care, and a trustee of HPCANYS, there’s more that New York can do to protect consumers. They are urging lawmakers to pass a bill carried by state Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Amy Paulin that would prohibit the establishment of new for-profit hospices in the state (A6032 - Paulin / S6460 – Krueger).

Montgomery Hospice & Prince George’s Hospice hires new Chief Executive OfficerPress release; 5/21/24Montgomery Hospice & Prince George’s Hospice is pleased to announce the selection of Karen Brubaker Miller, MSW, as the organization’s next Chief Executive Officer. Brubaker Miller’s tenure will start on July 1, succeeding Ann Mitchell, MPH, who was at the organization for the past 26 years. A licensed clinical social worker, Mrs. Brubaker Miller is a business and strategic minded leader with over 25 years of leadership experience working in the non-profit and for-profit hospice industry.

Connecticut hospices obtain carveout from sweeping safety billMcKnight's Home Care; by Adam Healy; 5/15/24Grassroots advocacy paid off for Connecticut’s hospice providers. Last week, they successfully obtained a carveout from Senate Bill 1, which requires home-based healthcare providers to run background checks on all potential clients. “It was basically a total victory,” Barbara Pearce, chief executive officer of The Connecticut Hospice and the main proponent calling for a carveout, told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “You’re never going to defeat Senate Bill One, because they said - in naming it - it’s their top priority. We just tried to take hospice off, and we did.” ... The bill would have unintentionally limited patients’ access to hospice care, Pearce said. By the time a background check could be conducted on a client, it may be too late to provide effective care for the patient. Furthermore, current staffing challenges hospices face would make compliance even harder, she noted.