Literature Review

Upskilling and retraining for talent innovation in the AI ​​era Tech Trends Post; 5/13/24 According to a report from the IBM Institute for Business Value, more than 60% of executives say generative AI will disrupt the way their organizations design customer and employee experiences. Employees must change to meet these demands. Many are turning to AI upskilling – the act of providing the workforce with the skills and training to use AI to do their jobs. ... A 2024 Gallup poll found that about 25% of workers worry that their jobs could become obsolete due to AI. ... [This article outlines the following:]

A Philadelphia pharmacy’s closure after 26 years highlights the industry’s growing challenges Times Daily; by Lizzy McClellan Ravitch, The Philadelphia Inquirerer; 5/11/24Last Monday, Friendly Pharmacy filled 318 prescriptions. For about 100 of them, insurance companies paid the pharmacy less than $3. In 22 instances that day, the reimbursement was less than the cost of the medication. ... [Managing pharmacist Brad] Tabaac plans to close his doors on May 31 after 26 years in business. ... Independent pharmacies like Friendly, as well as some chains, have been pinched by pricing and fees set by pharmacy benefit managers — the companies that handle prescription drug plans for health insurance. The three biggest pharmacy benefit managers are CVS Health, Optum Rx and Express Scripts. They control nearly 90% of the market, according to the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), and some of their parent companies also own pharmacies.

Hospice pivotal to Enhabit’s growth strategy as a standalone company Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 5/9/24Hospice will remain a core piece of Enhabit Inc.’s (NYSE: EHAB) strategic growth plans following its recent announcements to remain a standalone business. The company was mum about its strategic decision not to sell in Thursday’s earnings call, but executives elaborated on its home health and hospice focal points. 

What nurses really need is better staffing: The common strategies to raise nurse morale need an updatePenn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; by Karen Lasater, PhD, RN, and Jane Muir, PhD, APRN; 5/10/24Pizza. Coloring books. Goody bags. They could be activities at a 5-year-old’s birthday party. But they’re not: These are many employers’ attempts to lift the morale of nurses on the frontlines of chronically understaffed organizations. What nurses really want are better working conditions so they can deliver the best care possible to their patients. As researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, we asked thousands of nurses why they are leaving their profession. Their answers are straightforward — short staffing is so rampant that the public’s health care is at risk. The playbook of corporate health care asks nurses to do much with little, but nurses aren’t willing to skimp on quality and safety. There isn’t a nursing shortage — it’s nurses’ refusal to be part of a system that puts profits before safety.

Van Duyne, Blumenauer, 38 lawmakers push CMS on hospice integrityVanDuyne.house.gov; Press Release; 5/8/24Today, Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) led a bipartisan group of 38 lawmakers demanding answers from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the implementation of recent reforms aimed at combatting hospice fraud and abuse. “When electing to receive hospice care, individuals and their families must be confident the provider is committed to delivering individualized, compassionate care that optimizes quality of life; however, we continue to hear about instances of pervasive fraud and abuse,” the lawmakers wrote.  ... To better understand the steps CMS has taken to increase program integrity, the lawmakers continued the letter with detailed questions on the implementation of reforms. Read the full letter here.  ...“Thank you, Representatives Blumenauer and Van Duyne, for your leadership in holding CMS accountable and safeguarding hospice patients and families from fraudulent activities,” said Ben Marcantonio, Interim CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. “Preserving the integrity of the Medicare Hospice Benefit is paramount to ensure high-quality care for Americans with serious illness and end-of-life care needs.” 

Ordered to pay $1.536B in criminal fines and forfeiture for distributing misbranded opioid medication Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of Justice; Press Release; 5/3/24Endo Health Solutions Inc. (EHSI) was ordered to pay $1.086 billion in criminal fines and an additional $450 million in criminal forfeiture — the second-largest set of criminal financial penalties ever levied against a pharmaceutical company —for violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act related to the distribution of the opioid medication Opana ER with INTAC (Opana ER). ...

Wide-ranging health care bill gets final approval from CT House CT Mirror - Connecticut's Nonprofit Journalism; by Jenna Carlesso; 5/6/24The House gave final passage Monday to a wide-ranging health care bill that would add protections for home care workers, boost preparedness for cyberattacks at medical facilities and establish new regulations for the state’s health information exchange, among other reforms. ... The sections on additional protections for home care workers were prompted by the murder of visiting nurse Joyce Grayson, who was killed in October while working at a halfway house in Willimantic. ... The bill requires home health aide agencies to collect certain client information upon intake and make it available to any employee assigned to the client. Information includes a history of violence against health care workers, domestic abuse, substance use, psychiatric history, any listing on a sex offender registry, the crime rate of the municipality the person lives in, and whether there are any weapons or safety hazards in the home. [Click on the title's link for more important information about this bill's safety measures.]

Hospice remains a blind spot for Medicare Advantage Axios; by Maya Goldman; 5/6/24 As Medicare Advantage grows bigger and bigger, there's one area the industry and regulators haven't figured out how to make work yet: hospice. Why it matters: The end-of-life care option is the only Medicare service that can't be offered in the private-run alternative, which now covers over half of enrollees. ... Catch up quick: Usually, when a Medicare Advantage beneficiary decides to enter hospice after receiving a terminal diagnosis, traditional Medicare pays for this care while they remain enrolled in their private plan. ... Editor's Note: This practical, user-friendly article outlines the purposes, challenges, and outcomes of Medicare Advantage with hospice patients. Share this with your leaders and board members.

Fallon Health plans to expand inclusive care program into Southeastern Massachusetts SouthCoast Today, The Standard-Times; by Kathryn Gallerani; 5/3/24 Fallon Health, a not-for-profit healthcare services organization based in Worcester with more than 45 years of experience providing care, has plans to open a new Summit ElderCare PACE Center in Dartmouth by the end of this year. PACE, a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, provides services to adults 55 and older, including adults with complex medical needs, so they can age with dignity in their home or community. It's the biggest PACE program in Massachusetts. ... The other Massachusetts Fallon PACE locations are in Webster, Lowell, Leominster and Springfield. Fallon also has a PACE in western New York.

Patients, caregivers more willing to spend extra for home-based care, study finds McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 4/30/24 [According to a new study published in JAMA Network Open:] ... On average, respondents were willing to spend an extra $51.81 for care that takes place in the home, compared to facility-based care such such as that in a skilled nursing facility. They were also more willing to pay more for care that can reduce their recovery time or reduce caregivers’ burden. Caregivers, meanwhile, also prioritized higher-quality care, even if it came with a heftier price tag. 

Social Model Hospice: Providing hospice and palliative care for a homeless population in Salt Lake City, UtahJournal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing; by Francine Bench Jensen, PhD, RN; Deborah Thorpe, PhD, APRN; 4/24Abstract:  Health care for the homeless population is a complex challenge and represents a significant gap in care, particularly for those at the end of life. Hospice care may be desired but is rarely an option for people without residences, social support, and payment sources. Social model hospice is a unique paradigm of care delivery that offers a viable solution to make hospice and palliative care possible for this population. ... Recommendations for establishing social model hospices are made: key strategies include identifying stakeholders dedicated to alleviating end-of-life homelessness needs, doing a formal needs assessment to identify community resource deficits, and forming mentoring relationships with established programs.

43 health systems ranked by long-term debt Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Alan Condon; 4/29/24 Long-term debt has long been a staple in healthcare, but many hospitals and health systems are responding to the increasing cost of debt and debt service in the rising rates environment. Highly levered health systems are looking to sell hospitals, facilities or business lines to reduce their debt leverage and secure long-term sustainability, which creates significant growth opportunities for systems with balance sheets on a more solid financial footing. Forty-three health systems ranked by their long-term debt: ... [Click on the title's link for the list.]

NHPCO's 2024 Pediatric Palliative and Hospice Care Needs Assessment NHPCO; via email; 5/1/24 The 2024 Pediatric Palliative and Hospice Care Needs Assessment is a product of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) Pediatric Advisory Council. The goal of the needs assessment is to gain a better understanding of the organizations and providers caring for pediatric patients with serious illnesses throughout the United States. The needs assessment helps create resources and support advocacy. The survey should only be completed once by each organization so please coordinate with your team to complete the survey. For help gathering information, we have created a PDF version of the survey but you will need to input the information into this survey for the information to be used.