Literature Review

Why long-term hospice care might be goodNBC KPRC TV, interview with Joseph Rotella, MD MBA HMDC FAAHPM, Chief Medical Director American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; 2/21/24Most people receiving hospice care don't live for more than a few weeks. Doctor explains why receiving hospice care earlier can be beneficial.

How one hospice owner got convicted of healthcare fraud and how you can avoid that fateHospice Insights: The Law and Beyond, by Husch Blackwell; 2/21/24The owner of a Louisiana hospice was indicted and then convicted of healthcare fraud. How did that happen? In this [podcast] episode, Husch Blackwell's Meg Pekarske and Jonathan Porter talk about how a routine audit led to a whistleblower complaint by a hospice employee, which then led to the hospice owner’s criminal conviction following trial in November 2023. Most importantly, the pair discuss how other hospices can avoid that fate.

Top home health & hospice investors of 2023Levin Associates; 2/20/24The most active Home Health & Hospice investor during 2023 was The Pennant Group, which completed the year with five deal announcements across the home hospice, home health and multi-service specialties. The company made acquisitions in Arizona, Idaho, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado. [Click on the title's link for more investors and extensive details.]

Vanderbilt latest system to adopt patient code of conductBecker's Hospital Review, by Ashleigh Hollowell, 2/16/24Nashville, TN-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center is the latest system to adopt a patient code of conduct amid a national increase of violence against healthcare workers, the system announced Feb. 16. According to a Feb. 5 report from National Nurses United, 81.6% of nurses reported that they have experienced workplace violence, with half also noting they have seen instances of violence increase in the last year.Editor's Note: Applying this hospice inpatient units and residential facilities, ask your staff. Examine data from Incident Reports. Yes, incidents from family members and friends can easily erupt of escalated conflicts and potential violence. What Policies and Procedures, safety trainings, security measures, and emergency resources do you have in place? When did you last assess new gaps? Does Vanderbilt's system offer insights for your hospice?

Medicare home health patients more likely to eventually receive hospice care, study finds McKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 2/20/24Patients who use home health later in life tend to be more likely to enter hospice for end-of-life care — particularly those without dementia. This underscores the need for better home health staff training and enhanced care continuity for Medicare patients, according to a recent study. ... Those beneficiaries who received home healthcare were more likely to enter hospice during their last year of life compared to those who did not have any home health, the study published Feb. 15 in the Journal of Palliative Medicine found.

Hospices see growth opportunities with physician offices, memory careHospice News, by Holly Vossel; 2/16/24Hospice providers are increasingly focused on memory care settings and physician offices as referral sources. ... Physician offices were identified among the most significant referral growth opportunities in 2024 by about 6% of 143 respondents to Hospice News’ 2024 Outlook Survey, conducted with Homecare Homebase. Meanwhile, 7% reported that their hospice organizations saw memory care settings as a significant referral source.

Inclusive hospice care: Gilchrist’s efforts to ensure equal end-of-life care accessAfro News - The Black Media Authority; 2/16/24Despite concerted efforts to address disparities, Black Americans continue to be underrepresented in hospice and palliative care services, a trend Gilchrist, a leading provider of end-of-life care for 30 years, is actively working to change. “We’re creating a paradigm shift around how hospitals communicate with communities of color. We’re going into communities and humbly asking what we can do to better serve their needs,” Wayman Scott, Associate Director of DEI and Community Relations, said.

Healthcare's Oppenheimer moment Becker's Health IT, by Laura Dyrda; 2/16/224The thing that makes C-suite executives most excited about the future is also making them incredibly nervous: artificial intelligence. AI exploded in healthcare over the last 18 months as ChatGPT ushered in a new era of capabilities to automate repetitive tasks, analyze data and generate sophisticated chatbot communications. But there are risks with AI, including trained biases, information security and accuracy.

Chapters CEO Andrew Molosky: Building an ecosystem of care around the seriously illHospice News, by Jim Parker; 2/13/24Going forward, hospice and other post-acute providers are preparing to operate within a value-based ecosystem, and Florida-based nonprofit Chapters Health System is no exception. ... The organization has been hard at work in recent years to position itself for risk-based relationships and build out a continuum of care for chronically and terminally ill patients, while maintaining positive employee engagement.

United States: Buying or selling a hospice? The 36-month rule prohibiting change of ownership now appliesGreenbergTraurig, by Sonya C. Penley and Christopher E. Gottfried; 2/15/24Effective Jan. 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) extended the so-called "36-month rule" to hospices, prohibiting a change in majority ownership of a hospice, as well as the transfer of a Medicare provider agreement and Medicare billing privileges, in the 36 months after Medicare enrollment or a prior change of majority ownership. The 36-month rule previously only applied to home health agencies.

How New Day Healthcare plans to be the face of a changing home health landscapeHome Health Care News; 2/12/24New Day Healthcare has been one of the most active acquirers in home health care over the last year. As it grows, it’s looking to set itself apart from the home health company archetype of yesteryear.

Former President Jimmy Carter spends 12 months in hospice careNewsNation, by Katie Smith; 2/14/24Sunday will mark one year since America’s longest-living president, 99-year-old Jimmy Carter, entered hospice care to spend his remaining time at home with his family. The 39th U.S. president elected to receive hospice care Feb. 18, 2023, according to a statement The Carter Center issued that day.Editor's Note: How are you addressing this length of 1+ year with the patients you serve? Click here for the CMS pdf of the 6-month rule, "Face-to-Face Requirement Affecting Hospice Recertification." 

What is a good death? End-of-life doulas can help the dying have one.Boston Globe, by Sherrie Dulworth; 2/9/24... Home hospice agencies offer vital services for terminally ill people who wish to die at home, assisting with, among other things, pain management and helping the terminally ill avoid needless medical procedures. ... But while it is often thought that home hospice workers are the primary caregivers for the dying, this is not so. Instead, it is loved ones who often do the heavy lifting, both physically and emotionally, that comes with tending to the dying. ... This is where a death doula comes in, and the work they do speaks to the nonmedical, more spiritual side of what it means to have a good death.