Literature Review

How 300 terminally ill couples had their ‘perfect’ weddings thanks to this nonprofit (Exclusive) People Magazine; by Johnny Dodd; 9/28/24 "We're in the business of hope," says Wish Upon a Wedding's executive director, Lacey Wicksall. On any given day, Lacey Wicksall can be found fielding phone calls from couples across the nation who are deeply in love but are running out of time. And that’s exactly why Wicksall is talking to them. As the executive director with the Chicago-based nonprofit Wish Upon a Wedding, the 43-year-old mother of two helps provide free weddings and vow renewals to couples who are facing a terminal illness or a life-altering health circumstance. “I just got off the phone with a couple a few hours ago and I still have tears in my eyes,” says Wicksall of a recent phone call, vetting a couple who were in the process of applying for one of the nonprofit’s weddings. “We were all in tears. It’s hard.” ... Since 2009, the organization has provided nearly 300 ceremonies by working with wedding industry professionals who donate everything from catered food and wedding attire to a venue, videographers and DJs. ... Before being selected for an interview by Wicksall and “wish coordinator” Megan Biehl, they verify the applicant’s health status through their physician or hospice worker, then go to work learning more about the couple and what they envision for their special day. ...

[Hurricane/Storm Helene] Workforce emergency support National Hospice Foundation; website; retrieved 9/30/24 Mission of the Hospice Workforce Emergency Support fund is to support hospice workforce needs in the wake of an emergency event. Examples of support could include post-event funding for a hospice staff member’s childcare, shelter, groceries, etc., or assistance with purchasing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). WHO CAN APPLY?

Visible, active leadership is vital to change management, says Epic emeritus CIO advisor Healthcare IT News; by Bill Siwicki; 9/26/24 [Part 1 of 2] Lost amidst talk of all the amazing technologies used in healthcare today is a subject very important to Robert Slepin: change management. ... Clinical workforce shortages and burnout, increasing costs and decreasing reimbursement, and capacity to care for patients with behavioral health/addiction issues – these are among the top issues confronting U.S. hospitals, according to the American College of Healthcare Executives. ... While there is no magic wand to accelerate progress, in my experience you can significantly improve the outcomes in a healthcare transformation initiative with an intentional focus and disciplined approach to change management. Conversely, not being thoughtful and effective in leading change could hinder your efforts or adversely impact the outcomes, and even possibly spell disaster. ... Visible, active leadership is vital. ... A hands-off approach of issuing orders from the corner office and asking others to "let me know when it's done" won't cut it. ... Besides being visible and hands-on, the best leaders I have worked with demonstrate a positive style; for example, they are authentic, coaching, transformational, engaging and compassionate. They remove fear and build trust, and inspire, educate, coach and support people in moving together toward a common, stretch goal. ...

Awards and Recognitions: September 2024 We congratulate these honorees and celebrate their contributions to our collective hospice and palliative care mission, vision, and compassionate care throughout our world. Do you know any of these leaders? We encourage you to forward this to them or to find another way to celebrate their success. 

89-year-old SoCal hospice patient wished he could skydive again, so his care team made it happen ABC-7 Los Angeles, CA; by Leticia Juarez; 9/27/24 Gary Patmor has lived a life of adventure and at 89 years old, the retired aerospace engineer is showing age doesn't mean adventures have to end. So he chose to go skydiving. "Oh, it is just fun exciting," he said. While he is a man of few words, Patmor is a man with plenty of stories he could tell. He's logged more than 1,300 jumps out of civilian, military, antique and experimental aircrafts. ... He survived 38 malfunctioning parachutes and he even doubled for Steve McQueen on film.  ... His backstory has been an incredible journey he has shared with others. "He was actually also the first person to mount a Sony camera and jump out of a plane," said Jocelyn Brito, a social worker for Suncrest Hospice in Riverside where Patmor is now a patient. ... "One of the things that he wanted to do was he wanted to skydive again," said Jessica Fields with Suncrest Hospice. "So we had to make sure that we got the doctor clearance, of course, and then the skydiving company to be able to consent to that before we offered it." On Friday afternoon, Patmor boarded a plane at Sky Dive Elsinore, making him the  oldest skydiver of the day. At 13,000 feet, he took a leap, strapped to an instructor and made his descent to the ground where his wife and Suncrest Hospice staff members cheered him on.

It costs nothing to be kind Parkview Health; 9/26/24 Throughout her life, Vera Jean Burnett lived by the motto, "It costs nothing to be kind." This ideology was present in everything she did and extended to all she encountered, from supporting local charities to helping animals in need. Recently, we spoke with her husband, Kevin Burnett, about how that kindness was returned to him and his family through the care provided to Vera in her final days at the Parkview Supportive Care Unit. ...

Key National Organizations for Community Crisis Preparation, Relief, and RecoveryList compiled for end-of-life care organizations and the public by Composing Life Out of Loss; 2022.American Red Cross Disaster and Emergency Preparedness and ReliefAmerican Trauma SocietyFEMA – Federal Emergency Management AgencyInternational Critical Incident Stress FoundationNational Association of State EMS OfficialsNational Emergency Management AssociationNational Voluntary Organizations Active in DisasterU.S. Department of Health & Human Services – The Medical Reserves CorpsU.S. Department of Health & Human Services – Trauma and Critical Care TeamsU.S. Department of Justice – Office for Victims of CrimeWorld Central KitchenWorld Health OrganizationEditor's note: Disclosure, Composing Life Out of Loss is a newsletter sponsor. 

Alliance sees Hospice CARE Act as opportunity to advance hospice benefit discussionNHCPO / National Alliance for Care at Home; Press Release; 9/26/24 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance), a new national organization formed by the integration of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) recognizes the introduction of the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (CARE) Act, by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3).  The Alliance shares Rep. Blumenauer’s desire to update the Medicare hospice benefit to address the evolving needs of our country’s aging population while ensuring the sustainability and integrity of the hospice program. As a long-standing champion of hospice care, Rep. Blumenauer has consistently demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that hospice services remain accessible, compassionate, and of the highest quality for patients and their families. The Alliance appreciates Rep. Blumenauer’s commitment to involving a diverse group of stakeholders in developing this legislation and will continue to work closely with congressional leaders on the finer points of the proposed bill to ensure that the final legislation supports the needs of patients, families, and providers alike. 

Community partnership helps Veterans navigate their health care U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC; by Dr. Chien Chen; 9/27/24 VA’s National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP) helps create and manage partnerships between VA and community organizations. The goal is simple: bring together VA and those in the community who share the same goals and mission when it comes to providing Veterans with outstanding health care and support. They are called Veteran Community Partnerships, or VCPs. “Developing and nurturing strong partnerships with VA and community providers is crucial to supporting Veteran health care,” said Dr. Jamie Davis, HAP health system specialist. “VCPs are instrumental in ensuring these partnerships enhance the health and well-being of Veterans across the country.” The East Bay VCP at Martinez VA is part of Northern California VA. Martinez VAMC and Veteran Community Partnerships focus on getting Veterans access to all available health care services. 

Longview hospice adds handmade quilt donations under new management The Daily News; by Minka Atkinson; 9/27/24 At PeaceHealth Ray Hickey Hospice House in Vancouver, patients receive handmade quilts to drape their beds that are then donated to their family as a memento after their passing. PeaceHealth is now looking to bring this tradition to Richard Nau Hospice House, which it took over in November. “It gives the home, cozy feeling to those patients,” Hospice Volunteer Program supervisor Jennifer Linde said. The quilts are sourced through donations from local community groups, like the Kalama Quilters and Calvary Community Church, Linde said. Individual quilters are also welcome to contribute. ...

The death toll rises as rescue crews respond to Hurricane Helene's devastation NPF Network; by Emma Bowman; 9/29/24, 4:35pm As rescue teams continued to respond in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s destruction in the Southeast U.S. and southern Appalachia on Sunday, the death toll continued to climb. Hundreds remained missing across the region. At least 64 people were killed across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, The Associated Press reported. Many people drowned after not heeding evacuation orders; others were killed in their homes and cars by falling trees and road signs. At least two Georgians were killed when a tornado picked up their car. Large portions of the region remained in darkness with power still knocked out to more than 2 million customers in five states on Sunday evening, nearly three days after Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region.Publisher's: 

Report: US has worst healthcare of 10 developed countriesMcKnight's Long-Term Care News; by Kristen Fischer; 9/19/24Americans die earlier and are the sickest — and have the worst healthcare on the whole — compared with nine other developed countries, a new report shows. “The United States is failing one of its principal obligations as a nation: to protect the health and welfare of its people,” Joseph Betancourt, MD, president of the Commonwealth Fund, said in a HealthDay article. ... Despite its deficiencies, the US spends the most on healthcare, the report noted. Australia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom had the highest rankings, data showed. The other countries included in the report were Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, Canada, France, and Switzerland.