Literature Review

Fierce 50 Award presented to NPHI CEO at New York Gala National Partnership for Healtcare and Hospice Innovation - NPHI, Washington, DC; Press release; 12/9/24The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) and Tom Koutsoumpas, CEO, were honored with a Fierce 50 Award at the 2024 Fierce 50 Awards Gala in New York City on December 5. Hosted by Fierce Life Sciences and Fierce Healthcare, the event celebrated fifty trailblazers—individuals and organizations driving transformative change in healthcare, biopharma, and biotech. NPHI and Tom were recognized in the Innovation category for a bold commitment to healthcare innovation and for leadership in hospice, palliative, and advanced illness care through NPHI’s network of mission-driven, nonprofit providers. ... “It was such an honor to be in New York to celebrate this outstanding achievement, and to be surrounded by other major innovators across healthcare,” said Tom Koutsoumpas, NPHI CEO who gave an acceptance speech. “This recognition reflects the passion and dedication of our nonprofit members in setting standards of quality for hospice and end-of-life care. It was inspiring to share the evening with leaders who, like us, are deeply committed to transforming healthcare to better serve patients, families, and communities.” Editor's note: NPHI is a sponsor of our newsletter.

Hospice Care of The Lowcountry rebrands as MiraSol Health Cision PRWeb; by Hospice Care of the Lowcountry; 12/9/24 Bluffton, SC: Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, a leading nonprofit provider of compassionate end-of-life care, palliative and grief care services in Beaufort, Jasper, Colleton, and Hampton counties, proudly announces its rebranding as MiraSol Health. This new name reflects the organization's growing range of services unified under one umbrella as it redefines its care delivery approach to support patients facing serious illness, terminal diagnosis, or grief, while also providing vital support to caregivers. ... Today, MiraSol Health serves over 3,200 community members annually and encompasses four distinct programs: Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, Lowcountry Palliative Care, Rays of Hope Behavioral Health and The Maggie Clark Volunteer Program. The organization is supported by a dedicated team of 55 physicians, nurses, employees, and counselors, along with more than 200 volunteers. This rebrand signals a renewed commitment to delivering compassionate, innovative, and comprehensive healthcare in the Lowcountry.

Seasons Hospice, Homestead Hospice House successfully raise $850,000 KTTC, Rochester, MN; by Ryan Paris; 12/6/24 On Tuesday, Dec. 3, the Homestead Hospice House Board of Directors and Seasons Hospice reached its fundraising goal of $850,000. With the help of the money raised during the fundraiser, it makes the expansion of access to residential hospice care even more possible. Now that the fundraising goal is met, the two boards will now begin the process of negotiating details of a lease agreement for the new hospice facility. Once that lease is finalized, the next phase will be the beginning of the licensing process through the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Once all is complete, the formal timeline for the house reopening will be established. 

Aging and unhoused: What end-of-life care looks like Next Avenue; by Terry Ann Donner; 12/2/24 Karen Robyn is a 62-year-old homeless woman on disability; ... she fears dying alone on the streets or in a hospital hooked up to machines she doesn't want to use. ... For the 138,098 people aged 55 and older experiencing homelessness and 5 million older adults living below the poverty level, dying alone and unhoused is a real concern.  ... However, a viable solution has been quietly growing in communities across the country. Small nonprofit community homes provide hope for terminally ill people who do not have a reliable caregiver or a stable living environment. These small homes, usually caring for up to 4 to 10 guests at a time, provide "family" caregivers and a safe place to receive end-of-life care. They are developing outside of the health care system and receive no federal or state funding. Kelley Scott, executive director of the Omega Home Network and Clarehouse in Tulsa, Oklahoma, explains that the network's mission is to "foster the development of nonprofit community homes for people who are dying and have no caregiver support" due to a lack of family, homelessness or family dysfunction. The network has 135 members with 55 homes providing care and another 70 to 80 homes in development.

Top News Stories of the Month Nov 2024 - TCN Podcast Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux with Mark Cohen; 12/4/24 What if the future of Hospice and Palliative Care depends on understanding the intricacies of industry integration and regulation?  Join us for an insightful journey through November's most compelling stories that have captured the attention of Hospice and Palliative Care Today's readership. Our conversation reveals the significant impact of national events, from elections to regulatory changes, on shaping news cycles and industry priorities.  Also, rising workforce demands and political changes, such as immigration restrictions, paint a concerning picture for the future labor pool in Hospice Care. We provide a comprehensive analysis of the month's key themes that may have been missed, like tackling issues from CMS payment cuts to the Justice Department's stance on UnitedHealthcare Group's acquisition of Amedisys. This episode is a must-listen for those seeking a deeper understanding of the critical yet often overlooked issues in Hospice and Palliative Care today, and Mark delivers another excellent masterclass on creating compelling headlines. 

What are the most charitable counties in the United States? Harmony & Healing; by Davod Victor; 11/27/24 Since its inception in 2010, the Charities Aid Foundation’s World Giving Index has consistently ranked the United States among the top 10 most charitable countries in the world. It’s easy to see why: from donating money, food, clothing, and more to volunteering time to help neighbors and strangers alike, the charitable spirit has always been a deep-rooted part of American culture. Since the United States has historically been a notably philanthropic country, our team at Harmony and Healing collected and analyzed data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to determine where the most charitable people live in the country. ... Using the most recent tax return data from the IRS, we analyzed charitable contribution and income figures to calculate the average contribution per tax return in each county, as well as percentage of each county’s income donated to charities, to identify the most charitable counties in the United States. [Click here to access their report.]

Carolina Caring Robin Johnson House welcomes new patient in aftermath of Hurricane Helene Hickory Daily Record, Hickory, NC and Carolina Caring; by Carolina Caring; 11/27/24 A hospice patient seeking immediate safety after the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene received vital care thanks to the newly established partnership between CaroMont Health and Carolina Caring. ...  Among those affected was 84-year-old Grace, a hospice patient requiring critical medications and oxygen. She was airlifted from her hometown of Burnsville, NC, to temporary shelter at the Catawba Valley Community College Tarlton Complex in Hickory, NC. In dire need, Catawba County Emergency Medical Services reached out to Carolina Caring for assistance, as Grace was rapidly depleting her medication and oxygen supplies. Within 48 hours of the initial call, Grace was successfully transferred to hospice care at the Carolina Caring Robin Johnson House. Though she felt anxious upon her arrival, Grace was comforted by the attentive support of Carolina Caring staff. When asked about the quality of care that she received, Grace described her experience as “wonderful.” “I don’t like being away from home even when I’m sick,” she shared. “... I felt wanted and loved. If I could say anything to the nurses, it’s that I love and appreciate what they’ve done.” This accommodation was made possible by a recent partnership established between CaroMont Health and Carolina Caring. On October 1st, CaroMont Health and Carolina Caring launched a strategic partnership, with Gaston Hospice now operating under the name Carolina Caring. ...

Blue Ridge Hospice eyes N. Va. expansion, breaks into preventative care Washington Business Journal; by Sara Gilgor; 11/27/24 Winchester nonprofit Blue Ridge Hospice is heading into 2025 with plans to accelerate its regional expansion - by broadening its services, beefing up its headcount, teaming up with other local health systems and employers, and penetrating new pockets within Northern Virginia. The organization has provided hospice and palliative care in Virginia for patients with terminal illnesses from cancer to dementia for 43 years, only recently breaking into Greater Washington via Loudoun County. But now, increasing demand in the market and challenges within the larger health care landscape have led the business to rethink both its own structure and how it delivers care to the elderly patients it serves, often not until the ends of their lives. That's why the parent organization is rebranding as Blue Ridge Care. Its patients often regret not seeking its help earlier, President and CEO Jason Parsons told me in an interview, so it's repositioning itself to care for patients well before they would ever need hospice. ... Blue Ridge, now with nearly 400 employees, is looking to add another 50 to 60 people - including doctors and nurses - to its headcount in 2025, Parsons told me. And it plans to invest between $3 million and $5 million into next year's expansion, after putting in $10 million over the last two years, he said.

Valley Health and Hospice of the Panhandle collaborate to expand hospice care Global Data; 11/26/24 Valley Health has partnered with Hospice of the Panhandle to launch a hospice care programme within its hospitals, War Memorial Hospital (WarMH) in Berkeley Springs and Hampshire Memorial Hospital (HMH) in Romney, West Virginia, US. An agreement, effective from 1 November, integrates Hospice of the Panhandle with the hospitals' existing care teams, aiming to enhance the quality and accessibility of end-of-life care for eligible patients and their families.  The Hospice in the Hospital programme, which began in 2020 at Winchester Medical Centre, has now extended to all Valley Health hospitals in Virginia and, with this recent development, to West Virginia. HMH and WarMH operations vice president Heather Sigel said: “We are extremely thankful to the Hospice of the Panhandle team for partnering with us to offer Hospice in the Hospital at both War Memorial and Hampshire Memorial. ..."

Nutrition Shake Drive supports local hospice patientsECB Publishing, Inc.; 11/26/24 Juanice Hughes Big Bend Hospice Advisory Council Big Bend Hospice is currently seeking donations of nutrition shakes, such as Ensure vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavors for its local patients. These shakes are essential for maintaining health and comfort during care. From some patients, this is the only nutrition they can tolerate. As one Big Bend Hospice administrator indicated, there is always a need for these shakes. There is not time that there is too much Ensure on hand, because it is an important sustenance for patients under hospice care. ... Editor's note: This is such a simple, significant, practical donation! Bravo to Big Bend Hospice! The privilege of my lifetime was for my Mom to live with us--with hospice care--through the last months of her life. Her chocolate similar-to-Ensure mini-cartons were essential to giving her crucial nutrition, in the midst of her dying. What a wonderful way to support patient (and caregiver!) care. Perhaps, this might be an 11th-hour idea for other hospices to use for December 3rd's Giving Tuesday? Thanks, Big Bend Hospice!

Hospice of Baton Rouge: New grief center opens offering vital support and healing Unfiltered With Kiran, Baton Rouge, LA; by Megan Kelly; 11/25/24 As the holiday season approaches, a time often filled with joy and togetherness, it can also be a profoundly challenging period for those experiencing grief. The Hospice of Baton Rouge has recognized this need and has transformed a property into a haven of healing: The Retreat at Quarters Lake. This newly established grief center aims to address the significant gap in resources for grieving individuals, a void that became especially apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Retreat at Quarters Lake provides hope, healing, and connectivity for the grieving through counseling, support groups, alternative grief therapies, and community education,” reads a statement on their website. The facility offers both traditional grief services, such as individual counseling and support groups, and unique, holistic approaches that include art therapy, music therapy, and pet therapy. The goal is to provide a comprehensive support system that caters to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. “We are focusing on some alternative therapies like yoga, meditation, gardening, and even fishing,” said Catherine Schendel, CEO of The Hospice of Baton Rouge. “We want to utilize the beautiful landscaping here to offer non-traditional grief support as well.” 

South Jersey organization helps families caring for ailing loved ones by delivering Thanksgiving meals Fox 29 Philadelphia; by Marcus Espinoza; 11/23/24 Haddonfield, N.J. - The holiday season and stress go hand-in-hand for many, but for some, like the Esposito family, holidays like Thanksgiving can be especially challenging. Thankfully, organizations like Samaritan step up with efforts like a food drive in South Jersey. "Samaritan for years has been delivering meals to hospice, palliative and bereaved families all around our five-county area," explained Volunteer Coordinator Lisa DiCerto. DiCerto is a long-time Volunteer Coordinator and says give back days really highlight their mission as an organization to provide not just a hot meal during Thanksgiving, but a chance for families to worry about one less thing. ... It’s a large operation full of volunteers committed to helping their neighbors. "We are delivering to about 140 different locations today," DiCerto said. Editor's note: Giving thanks year-round, Samaritan Hospice (and its other services) provides a beautiful, simple way to thank their staff: click here to view. "Fill out the form to send us a message. We welcome your thoughts about the care you and your loved one received. We’ll make sure to share it with the hospice team, palliative care professionals, or grief counselors who took care of you, your family member, or friend."