Literature Review

The future of healthcare systems with Richard Church Podcast by Teleios Collaborative Network; by Chris Comeaux; 10/15/24 In this conversation, Chris Comeaux interviews Rich Church, the Chief Growth and Strategy Officer of Parkview Health in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.  Chris and Rich discuss the future of nonprofit healthcare systems.  Rich explains that nonprofit systems need to think like for-profit organizations in the future in terms of managing their finances, but the difference lies in how they use their margins to invest back into their communities. Nonprofits use their margins to provide care to those who may not have access otherwise, while for-profits distribute their margins to stockholders.  Rich also emphasizes the importance of innovation and simplification in healthcare, as well as the need for a cultural shift that encourages risk-taking and learning from mistakes.  The conversation explores the importance of preventing high acuity care and keeping patients healthier to bend the cost curve in the long run.

Pathway to leadership and self-mastery with Mike Harbour Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux; 10/9/24 Mike Harbour and Chris Comeaux dive deep into the transformative power of self-mastery and all things leadership.  Mike shares about his personal journey of overcoming trauma and learning how to observe himself while navigating life’s challenges. Mike highlights a key insight: leaders must first address their own internal battles before they can effectively lead and care for others.  The conversation explores the relevance of stoicism, urging leaders to confront unresolved issues that could otherwise undermine their leadership. Self-mastery isn’t just a tool—it’s the foundation of strong leadership. ... 

Images of the dying: A podcast with Wendy MacNaughton, Lingsheng Li, and Frank OstaseskiGeriPal [podcast]; 10/3/24In this episode, we [Alex Smith and Eric Widera] share the joy of talking with Wendy MacNaughton (artist, author, graphic journalist) and Frank Ostaseski (Buddhist teacher, author, founder of the Metta Institute and Zen Hospice Project) about using drawings and images as tools for creating human connections and processing death and dying.

Allowing patients to die: Louise Aronson and Bill AndereckGeriPal podcast; by Alex Smith, Eric Widera, Louise Aronson, Bill Andereck; 9/5/24In today’s podcast we set the stage with the story of Dax Cowart, who in 1973 was a 25 year old man horribly burned in a freak accident. Two thirds of his body was burned, most of his fingers were amputated, and he lost vision in both eyes. During his 14 month recovery Dax repeatedly demanded that he be allowed to die. The requests were ignored. After, he said he was both glad to be alive, and that the doctors should have respected his wish to be allowed to die. But that was 1973, you might say. We don’t have such issues today, do we? Louise Aronson’s recent perspective about her mother in the NEJM, titled, “Beyond Code Status” suggests no, we still struggle with this issue. And Bill Andereck is still haunted by the decision he made to have the police break down the door to rescue his patient who attempted suicide in the 1980s, as detailed in this essay in the Cambridge Quarterly of HealthCare Ethics.

What is Death?GeriPal podcast; by Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Winston Chiong, Sean Aas; 8/22/24We’ve talked about Brain Death before ... and in many ways today’s podcast is a follow up to that episode. Why does this issue keep coming up? Why is it unresolved? Today we put these questions to Winston Chiong, a neurologist and bioethicist, and Sean Aas, a philosopher and bioethicist.

Transforming hospice care: The evolving role of medical directorsCHAPcast podcast; by Jennifer Kennedy, Daniel Maison; 8/21/24How have federal regulatory changes reshaped the role of hospice medical directors from mere formalities to key players in patient care and organizational leadership? Join Jennifer Kennedy and our esteemed guest, Dr. Daniel Maison, as we unpack the historical "three S's" and explore the significant transformations driven by CMS regulations. You'll gain valuable insights into the evolving responsibilities of hospice medical directors, highlighting their integral contributions to both operational and clinical aspects within hospice organizations.

Top news stories of the month, July 2024Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux and Mark Cohen; 8/7/24 In this week’s podcast, Mark Cohen joins me once more for the Top News Stories for the prior month from Hospice & Palliative Care Today... The conversation covers various topics including private equity in healthcare, the increasing scrutiny of for-profit hospitals, fraud in hospice care, and the importance of trust in the hospice sector. The principal themes include the playbook of private equity playbook, the challenges faced by for-profit hospitals and their potential the impact on the Hospice sector, and the erosion of trust due to fraud.

Prognosis Superspecial: A Podcast with Kara Bischoff, James Deardorff, and Elizabeth LilleyGeriPal Podcast; by Alex Smith, Eric Widera, Kara Bischoff, James Deardorff, Elizabeth Lilley; 7/25/24We are dusting off our crystal balls today with three amazing guests who have all recently published an article on prognosis over the last couple months: Kara Bischoff, James Deardorff, and Elizabeth Lilley. To start us off we talk with Kara Bischoff about the article she just published in JAMA Network on a re-validation of the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) in a modern day palliative care setting... Next, we talk with James Deardorff about whether we can accurately predict nursing home level of care in community-dwelling older adults with dementia... Lastly, we invite Liz Lilley to talk about her paper in Annals of Surgery about prognostic alignment, including why as palliative care and geriatrics teams we need to take time to ensure that all disciplines and specialties are prognostically aligned before a family meeting.

Screening for Dementia: A Podcast with Anna Chodos, Joseph Gaugler and Soo BorsonGeriPal Podcast; Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Anna Chodos, Joseph Gaugler, Soo Borson; 7/19/24The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concluded back in 2000 that there is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against routine screening for dementia in older adults. Are there, though, populations that it may be helpful in, or should that change with the advent of the new amyloid antibodies?  Should it?  If so, how do we screen and who do we screen? On this week’s podcast we talk with three experts in the field about screening for dementia. 

Anxiety in late life and serious illness: A podcast with Alex Gamble and Brianna WilliamsonGeriPal [podcast]; by Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Alex Gamble, Brianna Williamson; 6/27/24“Anxiety is a lot like a toddler. It never stops talking, tells you you’re wrong about everything, and wakes you up at 3 a.m.” I’m not sure who wrote this quote, but it feels right to me. We’ve all had anxiety, and probably all recognize that anxiety can be a force of action or growth but can also spiral to quickly take over our lives and our sleep. How, though, do we navigate anxiety and help our patients who may end up in the anxiety spiral that becomes so hard to get out of? On today’s podcast, we’ve invited Alex Gamble and Brianna Williamson to talk to us about anxiety. Alex is a triple-boarded (palliative care, internal medicine, and psychiatry) assistant professor of medicine at Stanford. Brianna is one of UCSF’s palliative care fellows who just completed her psychiatry residency.

Misconceptions about palliative care still abound, two experts assertMcKnight's Home Care; by Liza Berger, Brynn Bowman, Allison Silvers; 6/12/24[Podcast] While awareness has grown, a sound understanding of palliative care — specialized medical care for people living with serious illnesses — still lacks among the general public and among physicians and other healthcare professionals. The misconceptions present a barrier to its wider use, according to Brynn Bowman, CEO, and Allison Silvers, chief healthcare transformation officer, of the Center to Advance Palliative Care, who spoke to McKnight’s Home Care in a Newsmakers podcast. Among the many myths is that palliative care is not paid for; it is a service under Medicare Part B, they clarified.

Sexual function in serious illness: Areej El-Jawahri, Sharon Bober, and Don DizonGeriPal Podcast; Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Areej El-Jawahri, Sharon Bober, Don Dizon; 6/6/24As Eric notes at the end of today’s podcast, we talk about many difficult issues with our patients. How long they might have to live. Their declining cognitive abilities. What makes their lives meaningful, brings them joy, a sense of purpose. But one issue we’re not as good at discussing with our patients is sexual health. On today’s podcast Areej El-Jawahri, oncologist specializing in blood cancers at MGH, says that sexual health is one of the top if not the top issue among cancer survivors. Clearly this issue is important to patients.

Health equity: Insights on the CMS Framework and Leadership in HealthcareCHAP Podcast; by CHAP and Marisette Hassan; 5/23/24As a nurse, witnessing the pervasive disparities in healthcare access was a profound wake-up call. Our conversation with Marisette Hassan takes us on a journey through the challenges and aspirations of achieving health equity, a mission that has never been more critical than in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. When systems fail to serve everyone equally, the consequences are dire, and our discussion underlines the urgency of this issue. With Marisette's insights on the CMS health equity framework, we unpack the layers of this complex issue, from the importance of data collection to the necessity of culturally tailored services.