Literature Review

New York Department of Health previews proposed PACE regulations Lexology; by Greenberg Traurig, LLP; 7/16/24 In December 2022, New York Gov. Hochul signed legislation establishing a new streamlined licensure process for the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) under Article 29-EE of the New York Public Health Law. The Department of Health (DOH) previewed the Commissioner of Health’s proposed implementing regulations at a June 2024 meeting of the Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC). The proposed regulations will be subject to the procedures of the State Administrative Procedure Act, which requires that they be published in the State Register and that the public be given a comment period. [Click on the title's link for details.]

5 takeaways from CEO and CFO compensation report Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 7/17/24 Compensation Advisory Partners' July 12 report highlighted compensation trends for CFOs and CEOs in 2023, based on data from 132 companies, including those in the healthcare sector, with a median revenue of $14.6 billion. Here are the key takeaways:

The Hospice of Davidson County hold annual 'Ride for Angels' event NBC WXII-12, Davidson County, NC; by Kara Peters; 7/21/24 The Hospice of Davidson County held its 17th annual 'Ride for Angels' event today. The purpose of the event is to raise money to help the community have access to quality end-of life care. The 75 mile ride led by the Davidson County Sherriff's Office started and ended at Denton Farm park. "I had a son that was in a near drowning accident and at the end of his life, the hospice team had to come out and minister to him." attendee Lahoma Workman said. "Just helped us through the hardest time that a family could go through. They were there for us and it was just an awesome experience." ... This year alone, the Hospice of Davidson County has given over $350,000 worth of charity care to families that couldn't afford to access their services.

Exhausted by prior auth, many patients abandon care: AMA survey AMA News Wire - American Medical Association; by Tanya Albert Henry; 7/18/24 Among America’s physicians, more than nine in 10 surveyed say that prior authorization has a negative impact on patient clinical outcomes. Most telling is that 78% of physicians reported that prior authorization often or sometimes results in their patients abandoning a recommended course of treatment, according to the results of the AMA’s annual nationwide prior authorization survey (PDF) of 1,000 practicing physicians. In addition to patients forgoing care, physicians also see the burdensome insurance company practice known as prior authorization leading to care delays and serious adverse events. [Click on the title's link for more specific stats.]

How well does Medicare cover end-of-life care? It depends on what type Medical Xpress; by Mark Harden, CU Anschutz Medical Campus; 7/19/24 Not all versions of Medicare are created equal—and when it comes to end-of-life care, some versions may serve a patient's needs better than others. That's the focus of newly published research by Lauren Hersch Nicholas, Ph.D., MPP, a University of Colorado Department of Medicine and CU Cancer Center health economist, and her colleagues. The researchers analyzed the experiences of more than a million people receiving Medicare-funded services in the last six months of their lives. ... Their paper was published July 19 in JAMA Health Forum. What Nicholas and her colleagues found is that the kind of Medicare a patient is enrolled in can make a difference in whether that patient gets certain treatments, and whether the patient dies in a hospital or in hospice care.

‘Bad apples in a barrel’: How fraudsters in home health care impact the entire space Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 7/19/24 The home health industry has its very own boogeyman--the bad actor. However, there's a difference between providers that had made errors in claims ... [Subscription required to continue reading]

Tips to secure hospice volunteers through engagement, education Home Health Line; by Mary Kent Wolff; 7/18/24 Many hospice providers are struggling to find volunteers and maintain Medicare compliance after the pandemic. Providers that strengthen training programs and consider participant and patient needs and interests could see an increase in long-term volunteers. [Additional subscription may be required.]

Celebrating growth: NPHI welcomes new members to its mission-driven family NPHI, Washington, DC; 7/15/24 The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the national voice for not-for-profit hospice and palliative care providers, is thrilled to announce the addition of several not-for-profit hospice organizations to its ever-growing community. Over the past year, the organization has experienced remarkable growth, underscoring its collective commitment and mission to providing the highest quality end-of-life care. ... [These include:] Byt The Bay Health; Blue Ridge Hospice; Center For Hospice Care; Community Nursing Services; Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice; Hospice Austin; Hospice of Northwest Ohio; Hospice & Palliative Care Association of New York State (HPCANYS); Hudson Valley Hospice; Hudson Valley Hospice; Kaua'i Hospice; Midland Care Connection; Navian Hawaii (formerly Hospice Hawaii); Sutter Care at Home; Tillery Compassionate Care. Notable Mentions: Tom Koutsoumpas, CEO of NPHI and Carole Fisher, President of NPHI

Innovative program for veterans aims to combat dementia and feelings of social isolation and loneliness by distributing animatronic pets nationwide Cision PRWeb; by Capital Caring Health; 7/18/24 Capital Caring Health, part of the nation's largest not-for-profit advanced illness care and hospice provider—Chapters Health System, and Ageless Innovation, the makers of the award-winning Joy for All™ Companion Pets, are distributing companion pets to Veterans with dementia, and those suffering from feelings of social isolation and loneliness as part of their innovative "Pets for Vets" program. ... To date, Capital Caring Health's "Pets for Vets" program has distributed more than 3,000 robotic companion pets – which provide joy, companionship, emotional support, and more to Veterans, will expand to deliver 1,000+ companion pets to Veterans living in Long-Term Care Centers across the nation.

Hospice El Paso celebrates new center for care with ribbon cutting ceremony ABC KVIA TV-7, El Paso, TX; by Valeria Medina; 7/18/24 Hospice El Paso has announced its new Center for Compassionate Care (CCC). Hospice El Paso celebrated the new center with a ribbon cutting ceremony held July 18th. Hospice El Paso says the new center is state-of-the-art and includes pain and anxiety management care. The facility offers 24-hour short-term hospitalized care for the needs of their patients. The CCC is also opening a pediatric unit that will be utilized to care for terminally-ill children and their families.

Hospice care provider embroiled in federal health care fraud allegationsMarketBeat; by Due.com; 7/18/24A hospice care provider has been at the center of allegations that it may have defrauded federal health care programs. According to court documents, Kindred at Home was accused of knowingly defrauding the U.S. government. The umbrella organization operated out of Atlanta and had multiple splinter branches, including Avalon, Kindred, SouthernCare, and SouthernCare New Beacon. Kindred at Home has now agreed to quash the allegations. The federal watchdogs’ grilling resulted in a financial penalty and closed nine separate lawsuits. ... Kindred has agreed to pay $19.428 million to resolve allegations. The federal government will receive $18,956,151.32, the State of Tennessee will receive $448,800 and the State of Ohio will receive $23,618.68. Editor's Note: This Kindred news story is flooding news circuits, due to the scope and significance of its impact. While we reported this on 7/19/24, we will provide occasional variations, keeping it in your awareness. 

Data-backed talent management: How 1 health system is streamlining operations + reducing costsBecker's Hospital Review; by Becker's in collaboration with AMN Healthcare; 7/17/24Healthcare talent acquisition and management face persistent challenges in today's labor market. How organizations confront these barriers, however, can serve as a key differentiator and lever for improvements in costs and recruits. Springfield, Ill.-based Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), a multi-institutional healthcare system that cares for patients across 15 communities in Illinois and Wisconsin, partnered with AMN Healthcare and successfully implemented a new contingent labor strategy to stabilize rates and improve the quality of candidates. Here are four underpinnings that form the foundation of HSHS' and AMN Healthcare's partnership:

More people are dying at home. Is that a good thing? The Wall Street Journal; by Suniat Puri; 7/11/24 New research classifies the rise in home deaths as progress, but we need to look closely at what these death look like. In photos taken a year before we met, my patient smiled widely, flashing a peace sign, her feet planted in the damp sand of a local beach. “Mom was a firecracker,” her daughter told me. My patient, who now slurred her sentences, was dying of cirrhosis. Her jaundiced skin was golden, the corners of her pale lips crusted with dried blood. She wanted to die at home, according to her daughter, who had been estranged but re-entered her mother’s life to care for her. I was still in my training in palliative medicine and, like my patient’s daughter, I believed that a “good death” took place at home, surrounded by family. I shared her view that a hospital death was a failure, painful and undignified. I was glad to help her leave behind uncomfortable tubes and noisy machines for a death I presumed would be more peaceful. [Subscription may be required to continue reading.]