Literature Review

Hospice use among Medicare beneficiaries with Parkinson Disease and Dementia with Lewy bodiesJAMA Network Open; Meredith Bock, MD; Siqi Gan, MPH; Melissa Aldridge, PhD; Krista L. Harrison, PhD; Kristine Yaffe, MD; Alexander K. Smith, MD; John Boscardin, PhD; Lauren J. Hunt, PhD; 3/25Lewy body disease (LBD)—an umbrella term that includes Parkinson disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB)—describes progressive, incurable neurodegenerative disorders. Parkinson disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer disease (AD) and is the fastest growing neurologic disorder in the world.In this cohort study of ... Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in hospice between 2010 and 2020, hospice enrollees with both PD and DLB were less likely to be disenrolled due to extended prognosis than those with AD. Enrollees with PD—but not DLB–were more likely to have longer lengths of stay and revoke hospice. The findings of this study suggest a higher likelihood of revocation of hospice care in PD, raise important questions about their unmet needs in hospice, and highlight the need to disaggregate dementia subtypes for policy analysis. 

The analysis of hospice trends in the United States in 2020 among Medicare beneficiariesAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; Noor Chughtai, BS; Cortland Brown, MS; Jordan Shelestak, MS; Jared Nichols, DO; 3/25 While hospice care has many benefits, there is variability among the service throughout the United States. Public hospice care data from data.cms.gov were analyzed to explore these trends. Findings indicate that Medicare beneficiaries in the South and West regions of the U.S. experience longer hospice stays, and in contrast, those in the Northeast and Midwest (including Alaska) reflected reduction from this average. Notably, states with shorter hospice durations showed a higher proportion of neoplastic disorders as the primary diagnosis, while those with longer stays showed an inverse relationship with greater prevalence of circulatory system disorders and lower incidence of neoplastic diagnoses. Additionally, the analysis reveals a consistent decline in average hospice length with increasing age among patients aged 80-85 across all U.S. regions, as expected.

A best friend is like a four leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have. ~ Irish ProverbEditor's note: Celebrating best friends everywhere who see us through life's joys and challenges. Bonus: Click here for "Why Four-Leaf Clovers Are Considered Lucky: Facts and Myths"

Executive Personnel Changes - 3/14/25

Daughter asks US Marine to honor her dying war hero dad. She broke down when she answered the door next dayScoop Up Worthy; by Abhishek Bhatia; 3/13/25 The Korean War veteran's daughter, who was seen standing beside him in the footage, wanted her dad to be remembered as a national hero in his final moments. At the daughter's request, Tim visited her dad and thanked him for his service to the country. "Marine on deck. Good afternoon, Sir. Sergeant Chambers, reporting his order. You ever run across that horse in Korea that was running artillery rounds in evacuating wounded?" he asked the veteran, referring to Sergeant Reckless, a famous horse that served with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War.  ...

Malpractice lawsuits are rising — here’s how physicians can protect themselves Becker's ASC Review; by Patsy Newitt; 3/11/25 Medical malpractice insurance is essential for protecting physicians from financial and legal risks, particularly amid the rise in malpractice lawsuits, according to a March 5 article on Physicians Thrive’s website.  In 2023, malpractice verdicts hit a record high. There were 57 medical malpractice verdicts of $10 million or more, with more than half of those verdicts hitting $25 million.  Here are nine things to know from the Physician’s Thrive article. 

Cornerstone VNA expands service area to meet growing community needs Cornerstone VNA Home * Health * Hospice; Press Release; 3/11/25 We’re pleased to announce our expanded service area, now reaching Epping, Exeter, Newfields, and Tuftonboro in New Hampshire, as well as Ogunquit, Shapleigh, and Wells in Maine. This expansion comes in response to requests from local hospitals and physicians seeking high-quality home health and hospice services for their patients in these communities. Cornerstone VNA now proudly serves nearly 50 towns in New Hampshire and Maine. “We are proud to provide expert care and a full range of services, from birth through end of life,” shares Jennifer Ufkin, RN, MSN, BC-NC, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cornerstone VNA.

Northern Light Palliative Care helps patients live their best lives The Piscataquis Observer - The Voice of Rural Maine; by Stuart Maine; 3/13/25 People who have received a chronic, life-altering or life-limiting diagnosis can live their best life with the help of Northern Light Palliative Care, and there have been recent changes in the delivery of palliative care.  ... Northern Light Health Palliative Care Service Line Medical Director Dr. Vanessa Little, DO, FAAHPM [described,] ... “We’ve had nurse practitioners who visited people in the home exclusively and now we’re moving to expand the program to a clinic setting and the in-home model is going to be changing a bit." ... Patients can still receive home care “but we’re trying to have palliative care be available to more people,” she said. “We are going to be relying on technology to get the providers, nurse practitioners, and physicians in homes via technology and then have people in person through Northern Light Homecare & Hospice with nursing, critical therapy, and occupational therapy just as we always have.”

Visiting nurses discontinue services in 21 Southern Vermont townsBennington Banner, Brattleboro, VT; by Bob Audette; 3/12/25 Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Vermont and New Hampshire, located in White River Junction, will relinquish its designation as the home health agency and discontinue all home health and hospice services in most of Windham County and some of Bennington County, effective April 15. While many people learned about the discontinuance at Town Meeting Day, when line item donations to the organization were deleted, the organization has been planning this move since 2023. "This is all because of work force," said Johanna Belliveau, president and chief executive officer. In 2023, the Visiting Nurses requested the de-designation due to increases in expenses related to paying traveling nurses to service many of the towns in Windham County, she said. Since that request was made, Bayada has been providing home health care and hospice services to Windham County. 

Walgreens sells to private equity firm Sycamore Partners Healthcare Brew - Pharma; by Nicole Ortiz; 3/11/25 Since December, rumors have floated around that Walgreens was going to be acquired by private equity (PE) firm Sycamore Partners. And while analysts told Healthcare Brew at the time that it was unlikely to happen, the tides appear to have turned in the PE company’s favor. On March 6, Walgreens Boots Alliance announced in a press release that it had signed a definitive purchase agreement with Sycamore for up to $23.7 billion. However, when Walgreens’s debts and assets to be potentially divested are taken out, the total sale price is actually closer to around $10 billion, per the ll Street Journal, turning the retailer into a private entity after nearly a century as a public company.

HomeCare & Hospice celebrates successful bouquet sale fundraiser Olena Times Herald, Allegany, NY; by Olean Times Herald staff; 3/11/25The HomeCare & Hospice Foundation is thrilled to announce the overwhelming success of its annual bouquet sale fundraiser, with community members across the region showing their generosity and support. This year’s event saw an impressive 1,150 18-stem bouquets and 276 nine-stem bouquets sold, helping to raise vital funds for hospice services. Sales were strong in both Genesee and Wyoming counties in the northern region and Allegany and Cattaraugus counties to the south. The north accounted for 670 18-stem and 60 nine-stem bouquets, while the south region contributed 480 18-stem and 216 nine-stem bouquets. ... Although this fundraiser supports the foundation, the exposure gained through the hospice bouquet sales far exceeds the funds raised. Editor's note: This bouquet fundraiser paired with Valentine's Day, providing meaningful, affordable, timely gifts for anyone (i.e., not just red roses).

OIG Nursing Facility Compliance Program Guidance: Renewed focus on fraud and abuse McDermott Will & Emery, Chicago, IL; by Gregory E. Fosheim, Monica Wallace, Dexter Golinghorst, and Brigit Dunne; 3/11/25 The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (OIG’s) release of Nursing Facility Industry Segment-Specific Compliance Program Guidance (ICPG) for the first time since 2008 reemphasizes the importance of billing and coding and fraud and abuse compliance for nursing facilities and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). This On the Subject is the second in a two-part series summarizing highlights of the Nursing Facility ICPG. This installment focuses on OIG’s recommendation that nursing facilities comply with existing billing rules and analyze referral source arrangements for compliance with fraud and abuse laws. [Click on the title's link for this significant information.]