Literature Review

Chapters Health System launches new Chapters Health West DivisionCision PRWeb; by Chapters Health System; 10/30/24 Chapters Health System, in collaboration with four highly respected not-for-profit organizations — Hospice East Bay (Pleasant Hill, CA), Hospice of Santa Cruz County (Santa Cruz, CA), Nathan Adelson Hospice (Las Vegas, NV) and Willamette Vital Health (Salem, OR) — is proud to announce the creation and official launch of Chapters Health West. This landmark partnership signifies the beginning of a new era in not-for-profit hospice care across the Western United States, blending innovation with a commitment to compassionate, community-based care. "We are building a future where we can do more, innovate more and serve more," said Andrew Molosky, MBA, CHPCA, president and chief executive officer for Chapters Health. "By aligning our strengths, we will continue to deliver exceptional care while expanding our capacity to meet the growing needs of those navigating serious illness and grief in our communities." 

With some fun for Halloween--also known as The Day of the Dead (el Día de los Muertos)--we offer today's "Headlines" to "treat" your day.

Top 10 Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) tool eSecurity Planet; by Claire dela Luna; 10/28/24 In today’s global economy, even small businesses operate across multiple regions and markets, each with its own regulatory landscape. Without effective GRC tools, organizations can quickly fall out of compliance, exposing themselves to security risks and operational disruptions. GRC software solutions enable businesses to manage these risks by automating policies, tracking controls, and providing real-time compliance monitoring across international borders. .. Here’s a guide to help you make the best choice.

How today’s hospice fraud could warp tomorrow’s reimbursement outlook Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 10/28/24 This is the second of a two-part Hospice News series that explores how fraud, waste and abuse in the hospice space could create headwinds for the industry at large. Fraudsters misspend millions of Medicare dollars annually, though the actual hospice-specific amounts are difficult to determine, regulators previously told Hospice News. Industry stakeholders have questioned whether the malfeasance will stymie the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) ability to justify future reimbursement rate increases, which many hospice providers already consider insufficient to support the full range of their interdisciplinary services in today’s economic climate.

Less activity, more sitting linked with higher death risks: study McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Kristen Fischer; 10/28/24 Low physical activity is associated with a higher risk of dying from all causes as well as from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and kidney disease. In addition, the combination of reduced activity and longer sitting time every day is linked with a higher risk of death from any cause, a new study finds. Staying active and reducing sitting time may lower the risks, authors of the report wrote. The report was published Oct. 26 in BMC Geriatrics.Editor's note: Calling all leaders who have desk-bound employees, and who sit too long (yourselves) ... What creative ways do you encourage healthy work habits, movement, and more? Do you provide ergonomic sit/stand desks? Healthy chairs? More? Read this and remember that as we will age, today's habits impact tomorrow's health.

Cigna considers Humana acquisition – What it means for the stocks MarketBeat; by Jea Yu; 10/29/24 There has been speculation of a massive merger in the medical sector between two massive health insurers. Specifically, the rumor is The Cigna Group NYSE: CI is interested in acquiring Humana Inc. NYSE: HUM. The conjecture caused both stocks to react, as Cigna stock fell 10% as the rumored surfaced on Oct. 18, 2024, and Humana stock remained relatively flat. Based on the reactions, the market doesn't see this as a favorable merger, and for good reason. While there are many potential synergies in a merger, assuming it passes the regulatory antitrust sniff test (which is a big "if"), there is also a major sticking point that sinks any possibility of it coming to fruition called Medicare Advantage (MA). 

Palliative care in the ED reduces costs, improves patient outcomes Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/28/24 The presence of an embedded palliative care practitioner in the emergency department can significantly improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. A pilot program at the Michigan-based Corewell Health system in which a palliative physician was embedded in the ED effectively reduced inpatient mortality, readmissions, intensive care unit utilization and the total cost of care, while also boosting staff satisfaction, Lisa VanderWel, senior director for Corewell Health Hospice and Palliative Care, said during a presentation at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Annual Leadership Conference in Denver. ... “When you do really good palliative care, what happens?” she said during the presentation. “You have those [goals-of-care] conversations in a more timely manner. You have an earlier conversion to hospice. You avoid all the stress and crisis that’s involved if you wait until the last minute.”

The ‘perfect way to die’ in North Dakota CBS KX News, Bismarck, ND; by Brendan Rodenberg; 10/27/24 Death is not something people tend to look forward to at the end of their lives, but it is important to discuss nonetheless — and while many have ideas of how they would like to pass away, these vary immensely across America. This begs the question: How would North Dakotans like to spend their last moments?  ... [An insurance poll that surveyed 3,000 people from across the nation indicated]  that the perfect death for a North Dakotan would be to pass while hiking White Butte, the state’s highest point. ... The survey also delved deeply into other aspects of one’s last moments, including those surrounding them and what occurs after the moment of death. Below is a list of the most prevalent takeaways from this part of the study.

Is compassion a strategic or soft leadership style? HRZone; by Victoria Brookbank; 10/28/24 Compassionate leadership is an emerging management style that offers strategic benefits to numerous businesses. But is it truly worthwhile? ... More recent approaches to leadership – placing compassion at the forefront of expected management skills – have also been making inroads in complementing workplace culture shifts. But they’ve not been universally accepted. Some have labelled new leadership approaches as “soft” or even a “woke”, seeing such changes as an inconvenience to getting on with the rigorous demands of driving business success. But more and more studies are proving that both are possible. Compassionate leadership is turning out not to be just a feel-good, optional practice. It’s becoming a strategic imperative – significantly enhancing organisational performance, psychological safety, employee engagement and wellbeing, as well as overall business outcomes. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Hurricane Helene: NC recovery update after one monthHospice & Palliative Care Today; Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner; 10/29/24This is an ongoing series of interviews with Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of Teleios Collaborative Network, who lives and works in Western North Carolina – the area most impacted by Hurricane Helene. Chris framed today’s discussion as the good, the bad, and the ugly:

Delivering palliative care by telehealth meets the needs of people with cancer National Institutes of Health (NIH) - National Cancer Institute; by Linda Wang; 10/28/24 The use of telehealth in cancer care surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when, for a period of time, in-person medical care was limited and many visits to the doctor went virtual. Despite some recent pullbacks in telehealth flexibilities, many experts believe that telehealth will continue to have a role in cancer care. But how well does telehealth perform when it comes to delivering palliative care for people with cancer, which can rely on a deeper level of connection between patients and providers than may be possible with a virtual visit? A study of 1,250 people with advanced lung cancer has now provided some insights into that question. The study found that virtual and in-person palliative care were similarly effective in improving patients’ quality of life and other important measures of well-being, according to findings published September 11 in JAMA. It also found benefits for caregivers. The results show that “we can successfully deliver … high-quality [palliative] care in person and virtually,” said Joseph A. Greer, Ph.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital, who led the study. 

Job lock and parents of children with cystic fibrosis JAMA Network; by Lenore S. Azaroff, MD, ScD; Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH; Danny McCormick, MD, MPH; David U. Himmelstein, MD2; David Bor, MD; Samuel Dickman, MD; Adam Gaffney, MD, MPH; 10/28/24 US health care coverage is typically tied to employment, sometimes causing job lock, which deters people from changing employment because they need to maintain coverage. Few studies have assessed job lock due to children’s need for health care. Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) have substantial care needs, including costly medications, tests, and quarterly visits with interprofessional teams. Mortality from CF is higher in the US than Canada, where medical care is typically free, suggesting that financial protection may affect outcomes. We assessed whether parental job lock and other financial and employment factors are associated with access to care for children with CF.

I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. ~ L.M. Montgomery