Literature Review

Norwell hospice honors Weymouth nurse, 99, with a Nightingale pin. "I felt so proud!" The Patriot Ledger, by Sue Scheible; 1/23/24Retired nurse Betty Beecher of Weymouth, nearing 100, describes receiving a Nightingale pin from the NVNA and Hospice, where she now is a patient.

Don’t stop dreamin’ turns nursing home residents’ dreams into realityiAdvanceSeniorCare, by Paige Cerulli; 1/22/24The nonprofit now works to fulfill dreams for residents of all Quality Life Services homes, as well as for patients of Three Rivers Hospice. “There is one employee at all ten locations, including Three Rivers Hospice, that represents Don’t Stop Dream’ as a Dream Ambassador,” explains [Paula] Elder. “They are responsible for learning about our residents and patients’ needs and dreams, and submitting them for request. Most dreams are typically granted to our residents and patients after research is completed to ensure their safety, travel arrangements (if necessary), and staffing is available.”

Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people. – Steve Jobs

New research challenges the commonly held view that opioids are the most powerful pain relieversSciTechDaily, by University of Sydney; 1/21/24A University of Sydney-led study challenges the prevailing view of opioids as the most effective pain relievers for cancer, revealing significant evidence gaps and suggesting NSAIDs as a potential alternative. This research advocates for more informed choices in cancer pain management, emphasizing patient empowerment and the consideration of non-opioid options.

Netsmart, NorthStar and Hospice of Michigan unite to advance innovative technology and establish industry standards for post-acute careBusiness Wire; 1/23/24Netsmart, a leading healthcare technology provider, has announced a strategic collaboration with NorthStar Care Community (NorthStar) and its esteemed member, Hospice of Michigan (HOM), to support the mission of continually improving end-of-life care. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the standard of post-acute care, leveraging the powerful combination of innovative technology and best practices to advance value-based care delivery.

Virginia legislators seek to become 12th jurisdiction to legalize medical aid in dying Courthouse News Service, by Joe Dodson; 1/22/24Virginia state Senator Jennifer Boysko held back tears and read a letter written by her friend U.S. Representative Jennifer Wexton, who suffers from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), in support of medically assisted death. 

The Long Decline: Health care access grows difficult in shrinking rural communitiesAlabama Reflector, by Alanda Rocha; 1/18/24The lack of health care providers in rural Alabama is stark. Most of Alabama’s rural counties have significantly more people per primary care physician than urban counties. Butler County ... has just one primary care physician per 4,900 residents ... As rural Alabama continues a decades-long population collapse, residents who remain — many of them older people — face increasing barriers to health care, a trend seen around the nation.

Race, ethnicity, and cancer type influence which patients access hospice careOncology Nurse Advisor, by Jennifer Larson; 1/19/24... [A] researcher from a comprehensive cancer center in North Carolina conducted a clinical literature review to investigate research outcomes of hospice use in the United States. ... A total of 17 quantitative studies, published between 2017 and 2023, was included in this review. Notable differences by cancer type were found. ... The analysis also showed disparities in hospice use by race and ethnicity.

Number of Georgians dropped from Medicaid nears 500,000 The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, by Ariel Hart; 1/22/24Georgia has dropped at least 488,000 from Medicaid, the government health insurance for the poor, as part of a federally mandated project to ensure those covered by the program qualify to remain on it.

To tackle financial distress, hospitals, health systems are turning to mergersKFF Health News; 1/19/24Modern Healthcare looks into the phenomenon of rising health care mergers and acquisitions being driven by financial pressures on health providers in the aftermath of the pandemic. Separately, Stateline explains how private equity-backed hospitals can see cutbacks and closures.

Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown sends signed jersey to fan in hospice who dyed his hair blueNFL, by Erin Walsh; 1/20/24Larry Benjamin, a Detroit Lions fan receiving hospice care who dyed his hair blue for the team's playoff run, received a very special gift from star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown this weekend. St. Brown sent Benjamin, a lifelong Lions fan, an autographed jersey after hearing about his gesture of support for the team. Editor's Note: Follow-up to the story we posted on 

Inside a $300M push to save failing hospitalsModern Healthcare, by Kara Hartnett; 1/19/24When Madera Community Hospital declared bankruptcy and suddenly closed its doors a year ago, an agricultural community of 68,000 Californians lost its sole source of emergency and specialty care.