Literature Review

Henry Ford Health to take over 8 Ascension hospitalsModern Healthcare; by Dustin Walsh; 9/4/24A joint venture between Henry Ford Health and Ascension Michigan will launch on Oct. 1, a spokesperson for Henry Ford Health confirmed to Crain’s. Under the no-cash deal, eight Ascension and Genesys hospitals and an addiction treatment center will be rebranded under Henry Ford Health.

Netsmart announces acquisition of HealthPivots to support value-based care transition for healthcare providersPress release; by Natalie Caruso; 9/4/24Netsmart announced it has acquired HealthPivots, an Oregon-based market intelligence company for the post-acute care continuum. The combination of the Netsmart CareFabric® with the HealthPivots DataLab will lead to consolidated, robust data and advanced analytics, providing an industry-leading platform that will help enhance post-acute care providers transition to value-based care.

Healthcare private equity transactions under scrutiny: Midyear review Healthcare Business Today; by Editorial Team; 9/4/24 Highlights

ASCO palliative care expert panel provides recommendations to integrate health equity into guideline development OncLive, Cranbury, NJ; by Kyle Doherty; 9/4/24 The ASCO Palliative Care Expert Panel [American Society of Clinical Oncology], in collaboration with ASCO’s Health Equity and Outcomes Committee, has published recommendations for integrating health equity measures into future guideline updates. Recommendations advocated for partnerships with increased representation from historically marginalized groups and patient and community-based advocates; a reinforcement of implicit bias training for Expert Panel members as a component of guideline preparation; stratified recommendations and/or guidelines for additional groups; and the review and appraisal of future recommendations by the Expert Panel, patient as well as community advocates, and ASCO reviewers for the inclusion of proper health equity measures before publication.

Ensign Group expands with new Colorado and Kansas acquisitions Investing.com, San Juan Capistrano, CA; by AI and reviewed by an editor; 9/3/24 The Ensign Group , Inc. ... has expanded its portfolio with the acquisition of seven skilled nursing facilities in Colorado and one in Kansas, effective September 1, 2024. These facilities, which are now subject to long-term, triple net leases, bring Ensign's total operations to 323 healthcare facilities across fourteen states. The Colorado acquisitions include Desert Willow Health and Rehabilitation Center in Pueblo, Junction Creek Health and Rehabilitation Center in Durango, Pelican Pointe Health and Rehabilitation Center in Windsor, Riverbend Health and Rehabilitation Center in Loveland, Broadview Health and Rehabilitation Center and Westlake Lodge Health and Rehabilitation Center both located in Greeley, and Linden Place Health and Rehabilitation Center in Longmont. In addition, Ensign has acquired Prairie Ridge Health and Rehabilitation in Overland Park, Kansas. These latest acquisitions reflect the company's ongoing strategy to grow its presence in the healthcare sector by acquiring both well-performing and underperforming facilities.

Grief redoubled by a death certificate delayed: A seven-week odyssey in search of a vital record The Provincetown Independent; by Aden Choate; 9/4/24 Richard Pask, 72, came to the select board on Aug. 27 distraught. His wife, Carol Harris, 69, who had ALS, had died at home in hospice care on July 18, he said, and the town had still not issued a death certificate. Without the certificate, Pask could not access his late wife’s pension payments, manage their mutual assets, update annuity contracts, or cancel service accounts in her name. The Social Security Administration, which has continued to issue payments to Harris — a death certificate is required to stop them — had launched an investigation into possible fraud, ...Editor's note: Root causes from this complex case study relate to the family having used a "green burial" which is becoming more common, where permitted. This case study represents a gap in collaboration between typical systems. Hospice personnel who have any 'touch-points" with the death certificate process must know and adhere to federal, state, and local policies and procedures, especially when variables occur (such as green burials). 

Urgency to adopt AI intensifies for health IT leaders Becker's Health IT; by Naomi Diaz; 9/4/24 A Sept. 4 survey from healthcare data platform Arcadia revealed that 96% of healthcare technology leaders view the effective use of AI as crucial for gaining a competitive edge. ... The findings show that while 33% of these decision-makers see AI as essential today, that number rises sharply to 73% who believe it will be indispensable within the next five years. Despite their confidence in AI adoption, 96% of health tech leaders report feeling an increasing urgency to act, driven by pressure from data and analytics teams (82%), IT and tech departments (78%) and executive leadership (73%). However, the survey also highlights a significant challenge: 40% of leaders cite a talent shortage as a major barrier to AI implementation. This has led CIOs to place greater emphasis on skills such as data-driven decision-making (71%), data analysis, machine learning and systems integration (66%), as well as the need for roles focused on training and support for healthcare staff (59%).

“What I wish I knew about hospice”: A Cleveland Clinic palliative care physician’s insights The Healthy; by Dr. Patricia Varacall, DO; 9/3/24 End-of-life care is deeply personal and incredibly complex. An expert MD shares essential insights on hospice: "At its core, is about human connection." … Laura Hoeksema, MD, MPH, FAAHPM, medical director of Cleveland Clinic Hospice and staff physician in the department of palliative and supportive care, explains the importance of hospice: “Death is a part of life just as much as birth is. When time becomes limited, patients need to be able to spend time in a way that’s meaningful to them.” ... Dr. Hoeksema emphasizes that choosing hospice care is exactly that—a choice. The team offers additional support, guiding patients and their families through the last months of life. ... “When a patient has a serious illness, it’s common for their illness to become the primary focus,” reflects Dr. Hoeksema. The constant anticipation of how the disease might progress can create overwhelming anxiety. With hospice, the illness recedes into the background, allowing the emphasis to be on caring for the person as a whole. ... “The most profound healing I’ve witnessed as a physician has been in patients receiving hospice care,” Dr. Hoeksema adds. She recalls seeing families reconcile after years of tension and others coming together after long periods of distance. The joy on a patient’s face when surrounded by loved ones, laughing and reminiscing, is what it’s all about. “Hospice care, at its core, is about human connection.”

Aroostook House of Comfort hosts Remembrance Way Memorial Garden & Pathway dedication The County, Presque Isel, ME; 9/2/24 On Saturday, August 24 the Aroostook Hospice Foundation hosted its annual Remembrance Way Memorial Garden &  Pathway Dedication Ceremony at the Aroostook House of Comfort Gazebo, a touching event that brought together families and friends to honor the memory of their loved ones. This year’s ceremony featured the dedication of 38 new stones, a bench, wind sculptures and one mini garden, each carefully personalized to celebrate the lives they represent. ... The Remembrance Way is more than just a garden — it’s a meaningful tribute and a vital part of the Aroostook House of Comfort’s mission.

A wave of change is coming for healthcare benefits — are hospitals ready? Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Jakob Emerson; 9/3/24Surveys of employers are making one thing clear: Healthcare costs are rising faster than they did before the pandemic, and those costs are being driven by inflation, the increasing use of weight loss medications, and higher overall medical expenses.  ... As financial pressures mount, many employers are exploring or expanding alternative payment and coverage models, a trend that could significantly alter hospital's revenue streams. ...  The average cost of employer-sponsored coverage is expected to jump 9% from 2024 to 2025, according to estimates from Aon published in August. Healthcare costs per employee are projected to surpass $16,000 per employee in 2025, driven by rising employment levels, inflation and rising pharmaceutical costs. In 2024, employers budgeted an average of $14,823 per employee for healthcare costs. These costs have risen by more than 20% over the past five years and by 43% over the past decade.

After successful IT career, Denise DeLeo finds new meaning in teen hobby LNP / LancasterOnline, Lancaster, PA; by Karyl Carmingnani; 9/4/24 For 50 years, the Lancaster New Era ... highlighted the accomplishments and aspirations of local high school students in a weekly feature known as Teen of the Week. This is one of a series of stories in which we catch up with some of those students highlighted 50 years ago, in 1974, to see how their lives met their teenage goals and what they would tell today’s high school students. When Denise Weitzel was featured as a Teen of the Week in 1974, the bright-eyed 18-year-old had spent three months as an exchange student in a speck of a town in Denmark, was an avid seamstress, ... [Denise] DeLeo got her first sewing machine when she was 12, and made a lot of her clothes growing up. ... DeLeo had an illustrious career in IT, becoming vice president for an information company. But tragedy struck when a disgruntled employee at one of her company’s clients returned to the workplace and gunned down nine people, including her boss. DeLeo decided to leave the industry and help raise her granddaughter instead. And get back to what she loves: sewing. DeLeo also makes memory bears for hospice families. She uses clothing from the deceased person to make personalized keepsakes for family members. 

Interventions provided by palliative care social workers: Provide interventions that lessen suffering in patients living with serious illnessUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center email; by Melissa C Palmer; 9/3/24... Reflecting on my own years of experience as a palliative care social worker, the work we do is not as clear-cut as being able to prescribe medication for a symptom or titrate pain medication. The art of the intervention for social work takes time, patience, and congruent presence. To the layperson, it may appear that our interventions are just to talk with people. But that is just a small piece of the beauty and grace that evolves from our work.

Respiratory patients less likely to get palliative care Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 9/3/24 Patients with some respiratory conditions often do not receive outpatient palliative care and have relatively higher rates of intensive care admissions than those with other illnesses. This includes patients with lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a condition called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to a recent study published in the pulmonology journal CHEST. These patients tend to have high symptom burden, diminished quality of life and aggressive health care utilization at the end of life, the study found.