Literature Review

Hope in oncology: Where art and science collide Medscape; by Sharon Worcester, MA; 6/12/24 Carlos, a 21-year-old, laid in a hospital bed, barely clinging to life. Following a stem cell transplant for leukemia, Carlos had developed a life-threatening case of graft-vs-host disease. But Carlos' mother had faith. "I have hope things will get better," she said, via interpreter, to Richard Leiter, MD, a palliative care doctor in training at that time. "I hope they will," Leiter told her. "I should have stopped there," said Leiter, recounting an early-career lesson on hope during the ASCO Voices session at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2024 annual meeting. "But in my eagerness to show my attending and myself that I could handle this conversation, I kept going, mistakenly." ... Carlos' mother looked Leiter in the eye. "You want him to die," she said. ...Editor's Note: Click on the title's link to continue reading this insightful reflection and discussion about the importance of "hope." Engage your oncology/palliative/hospice chaplains (hopefully CPE trained and Board Certified) with your medical team members to explore this core belief in "hope." Alert: AI referrals for palliative and hospice care are increasing exponentially. Clinicians must be sensitive to the human dimensions and dynamics of "hope" (which shift and change), and not be driven just by technological data.

Bluegrass Care Navigators hosts Pikeville Radio DayWKYT News, Lexington, KY; by Buddy Forbes; 6/11/24Bluegrass Care Navigators hosted its annual Pikeville Radio Day Tuesday, raising money and increasing awareness about its programs. The event, which partnered with Q95 FM (WQHY) in Prestonsburg, shared stories of hospice patients, outreach programs, and more. “We are raising awareness for patients and their families about what we do here at Bluegrass Care Navigators,” said Associate Director of Philanthropy Dawson Barnett. “And then also we’re raising money to support the programs that we offer, that are not funded any other way other than their support.”

Acting now to sustain and improve America’s healthcare system: Advice from innovative physicians and health system leadersSheppardMullin Healthcare Law Blog; by Kathleen O'Neill, John Golembesky, Jeralin Cardoso, Chi Huynh & Carolyn Young; 6/6/24 At [the recent] America’s Physician Groups Spring conference in San Diego, California, we listened as physicians and health system leaders described the ways in which they are responding to short and long term challenges to the sustainability of America’s healthcare system in its current form. It now stands at a critical juncture, facing challenges such as provider shortages and burnout, increasing concerns around access and cost for pharmaceutical products and other supplies, the increasing burden of managing chronic diseases, rising demand for services across the spectrum from an aging population, and balancing the transition to value-based care models in a predominantly fee-for-service environment. ... Here, we outline the key areas of focus described by leaders at the conference: ... 

Red River Valley expands services for dual-eligible populationsHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/11/24North Dakota-based Hospice of the Red River Valley is focused on expanding its home- and community-based services among dual-eligible Medicare and Medicaid populations in need of greater support. Serious and terminally ill patients in lower socioeconomic and underserved regions face several competing challenges in accessing health care, according to Tracee Capron, executive director at Hospice of the Red River Valley. Developing a sustainable care delivery model that better addresses unmet needs among patients and their families requires significant investment, Capron said. 

Key factors for establishing and sustaining a successful palliative radiation oncology program: a survey of the Society for Palliative Radiation Oncology Annals of Palliative Medicine; by Deborah C Marshall, Kavita Dharmarajan, Randy Wei, Yolanda D Tseng, Jessica Schuster, Joshua A Jones, Candice Johnstone, Tracy Balboni, Simon S Lo, Jared R Robbins [Palliative Radiation Oncology Programs] PROPS are not widespread, exist mainly within academic centers, are outpatient, have access to palliative care specialists by referral, and have specialized clinical processes for palliative radiation patients. Lack of committed resources was the single most important perceived barrier for initiating or maintaining a PROP. Best practice guidelines, educational resources, access to palliative care specialists and standardized pathways are most important for those who wish to develop a PROP. These insights can inform discussions and help align resources to develop, grow, and maintain a successful PROP.

Palliative care considerations in frail older adults Annals of Palliative Medicine; by Andrew E Russell, Rachel Denny, Pearl G Lee, Marcos L Montagnini; 6/6/24, online ahead of print...This paper aims to guide clinicians in providing patientcentered care for older adults with frailty in the outpatient setting. Through a comprehensive literature review, we describe the leading models of frailty, frailty screening tools used in the clinical setting, and the assessment and management of palliative care needs in frail patients. We also describe emerging models of care focusing on palliative care for older adults with frailty and discuss issues related to access to palliative care for this population.

Thursday is the bridge between the hard work of the week and the sweet reward of the weekend. - Anonymous

Country club concert raises more than $7,500 for nonprofit mission Avow Press Release; 6/7/24 On April 28, 2024, Vineyards Country Club members gathered for a performance by Deb and the Dynamics, raising more than $7,500 to support Avow’s mission. The concert was held on the club’s green, where members relaxed on lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy tunes from the seven-piece rock and soul band, who electrified the atmosphere for the evening. “Our members and staff love Avow and all they do for the community,” says Vineyards Country Club Senior Director of Activities & Member Experience Julie Inman. “We couldn't imagine a more deserving organization to support.” This concert was not just about entertainment but also about positively impacting the patients and families touched by Avow’s services.

Hospice patient reunites with music student in Mesa after 40 years Mesa Independent; by Lin Sue Flood; 6/7/24When Hospice of the Valley music therapist Tammy Reiver first met patient Nancy Scullion and her husband Mike, it was clear the visit was going to be special. ... Tammy realized she was sitting face to face with her junior high music teacher. ... Nancy owns several instruments, including a keyboard, guitar and violin. The weekly music therapy sessions motivated Nancy to play one of them again. With her husband’s help, she took out her violin. ... “Finding those old instruments in the back of the closet and playing them allowed Nancy to reconnect to an old version of herself…suddenly, she became energized and vibrant!” Allison said. “Music fills a soul and brings it to life!” ... Tammy will never forget this experience. “This is life coming full circle with those who served, and who we now serve in return. ... I am honored and blessed beyond measure.”

Addus to buy Gentiva’s personal care assets for $350 million Home Health Care News; by Andrew Donlan; 6/10/24 Addus HomeCare Corp. is set to acquire Gentiva’s personal care assets for about $350 million.Those assets amount to over 16,000 home care patients per day, in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Addus – which just left the state of New York – will fund the acquisition through its existing revolving credit facility. “We believe this acquisition is a great strategic fit for Addus, and we are excited about the opportunity to expand our personal care market coverage in seven states, including Texas and Missouri, which are new markets for Addus,” Addus CEO Dirk Allison said. ... Addus currently provides home care, home health care and hospice services to over 49,000 consumers through 214 locations spanning 22 states.

3,000+ nurses at 6 Providence facilities to strikeBecker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 6/10/24 Members of the Oregon Nurses Association are set to begin a three-day strike June 18 at six Providence facilities, in what the union deems the largest nurses' strike in the state's history. The union represents more than 3,000 nurses at the following facilities, according to an ONA news release:

White House enlists Microsoft, Google for rural hospital cyberdefense Becker's Health IT; by Naomi Diaz; 6/10/24 The Biden-Harris administration has secured commitments from Microsoft and Google to offer free and low-cost resources to rural hospitals nationwide to help them boost their cyber defenses. As part of the effort, Microsoft will be extending its nonprofit program to provide grants and up to a 75% discount on security products for independent critical access hospitals and rural emergency hospitals, according to a June 10 news release from the White House. Additionally, larger rural hospitals using eligible Microsoft solutions will also receive the most advanced security suite at no additional cost for one year. ... Meanwhile, Google committed to offering endpoint security advice to rural hospitals and non-profit organizations at no cost, alongside funding support for software migration.