Literature Review

Jefferson CEO lays out Lehigh Valley integration plan Modern Healthcare, by Alex Kacik; 4/9/24 Jefferson Health and Lehigh Valley Health Network will soon take the next steps toward the formation of a $15 billion nonprofit health system. Philadelphia-based Jefferson and Lehigh in December signed a non-binding letter of intent under which Jefferson would merge with Lehigh. The organizations plan to sign a definitive agreement this month, Jefferson CEO Dr. Joseph Cacchione said. 

The HAP Foundation, CLHPN partner to address unmet pediatric hospice needs Hospice News, by Holly Vossel; 4/5/24The HAP Foundation is partnering with the Child Life Hospice and Palliative Network (CLHPN) to improve awareness of and access to child life services among seriously ill youths and their families. The HAP Foundation helps support research and education in hospice and palliative care. Through the partnership, the organization will help fuel CLHPN’s efforts to expand understanding and utilization of child life specialist services and their benefits for families facing terminal and chronic illness. Child life specialists can help address a range of unmet psychosocial, emotional and spiritual family needs, according to Alyssa Friedberg, CLHPN co-founder.

Navigating new requirements in the 2025 proposed Hospice Rule Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 3/5/24 If the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed 2025 hospice rule is finalized as written, hospices may encounter some hurdles implementing some of the new requirements. MS late last month issued its proposed hospice rule for 2025. The proposal called for a 2.6% increase in hospice per diem base rates, a number that many stakeholders say is insufficient in today’s economic climate.

Community Hospice & Palliative Care recognizes National Volunteer MonthJAX Chamber, Press Release; 4/3/24 As April marks National Volunteer Month, Community Hospice & Palliative Care reaffirms its dedication to promoting and celebrating the invaluable contributions of volunteers. Volunteers are the heart and soul of our organization, providing companionship and a compassionate presence to patients and their families during challenging times. Throughout the month, Community Hospice & Palliative Care will spotlight individual volunteers and their inspiring stories through various social media platforms. These narratives will highlight the profound impact that volunteers have on the lives of those they serve and showcase the diverse ways in which they enrich our community. Editor's Note: Use this spark your own planning and recognition for your all-important hospice and palliative care volunteers!

5 most challenging requirements in 2023 [for hospitals]: Joint Commission Becker's Clinical Leadership, by Mackenzie Bean; 4/3/24Maintaining infection prevention and control during disinfection and sterilization activities was the most challenging compliance standard for hospitals in 2023, according to The Joint Commission. The organization identified the top five requirements for which hospitals were most frequently out of compliance, based on surveys and reviews from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. ... [Click on the title's article for the 5 top challenges.]

Elevating quality, outcomes, and patient experience through Value-Based Care: CMS Innovation Center’s Quality PathwayNEJM Catalyst; by Susannah M. Bernheim, MD, MHS; Noemi Rudolph, MPH; Jacob K. Quinton, MD, MPH; Julia Driessen, PhD; Purva Rawal, PhD; and Elizabeth Fowler, PhD, JD; 4/3/24The U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation is launching a new Quality Pathway to elevate patient-centered quality goals in the design and evaluation of alternative payment models. The Quality Pathway will align model design around quality goals; elevate outcomes and experience measures, particularly patient-reported outcomes; and ensure that evaluations have the ability to assess the impact of models on primary quality goals. These determinations will help the Innovation Center make critical decisions about which models to scale or expand in the pursuit of improving the quality of care for people with Medicare and Medicaid.

Glendale, California men sentenced for role in $9M hospice fraud scheme – owner of San Gabriel Hospice and Palliative Care Inc. and Broadway Hospice Inc.Sierra Sun Times; 3/31/24The owner of two California-based hospice companies, along with his biller and consultant, were sentenced last Thursday for their respective roles in a scheme that resulted in stealing over $9 million from Medicare in false and fraudulent claims for hospice services. ... According to court documents, ...  [Gayk] Akhsharumov concealed his ownership and control over the hospice entities from Medicare, inserted nominee owners, paid kickbacks to patient recruiters, and profited from the scheme. In April 2020, after San Gabriel had ceased operations, Akhsharumov used the company to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funds.

Sutter Health Partners with Abridge on generative AI solution to improve patient, physician experienceBusiness Wire Press Release, by Jill O'Brien and Liz Madison; 3/27/24Abridge and Sutter Health announced they will make Abridge’s generative AI platform for clinical documentation available to groups of its physicians across California. ... For physicians and advanced practice clinicians, Abridge generates a draft note in real-time based on the clinical conversation that flows directly into the electronic health record. Once clinicians review and verify the note, their paperwork is complete. 

How healthcare AI is regulated by the FDA, HHS, state laws Modern Healthcare, by Gabriel Perna; 3/26/24 Widespread oversight of artificial intelligence in healthcare is still a work in progress but that doesn’t mean the technology is completely unregulated. ... There are areas where developers, providers and insurers are regulated in how they use AI. Federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and Health and Human Services Department have some oversight authority. Also, a few states have enacted laws governing use of AI within clinical care.

How sales and marketing compensation can get hospices into hot waterHospice News, by Holly Vossel; 3/27/24Regulators are taking a closer look at how hospices pay their marketing and outreach workforces to curb fraudulent activity tied to referral streams. Federal and state regulatory agencies have systems in place to detect fraud, waste and abuse in hospice, and some are honing on oversight of sales, marketing and outreach staff payment arrangements, according to Ellen Persons, shareholder at Polsinelli Law Firm. 

M&A volume may shift from hospice to home health Hospice News, by Jim Parker, 3/26/24 Though many expect a hospice M&A rebound in 2024, the scales are tipping in favor of home health companies among buyers. Generally, signs point to heightened buyer activity this year, particularly among private equity as interest rates start to come down. 

[Pediatrics] North Dakota Health and Human Services announces new pilot program CBS KX News, by Nathaniel House; 3/26/24 North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced that family members who provide extraordinary care to either a child or adult enrolled in an eligible North Dakota (ND) Medicaid 1915(c) waiver may receive payments from the state through the new Family Paid Caregiver pilot program. State funding for the pilot program was approved from the passage of Senate Bill 2276 during the 2023 legislative session. Eligible ND Medicaid 1915(c) waivers include the Autism Spectrum Disorder Birth Through 17 Waiver, Children with Medically Fragile Needs Home and Community-Based Services Waiver, Children’s Hospice Home and Community-Based Services Waiver and the Traditional Individual with Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities Home and Community-Based Services Waiver. 

The Hospice Special Focus Program: What it is & why it is importantFORV/S, by Angela Huff; 3/25/24 The CMS Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP) aims to shed light on poorly performing hospices. CMS has publicly stated it is looking closely at the hospice industry due to increasing concerns regarding fraud, waste, and abuse. The Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP) is a new CMS program that identifies poor-performing hospices, takes action to inform the public, and engages those hospices to either improve their performance or terminate the hospice from the Medicare program.