Literature Review

Part payer, part provider: VNS Health embraces the futureHome Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 2/18/25As one of the biggest home-based care organizations in New York, VNS Health is leaning into its size and capabilities. ... “Our real challenge is, how do we leverage the large number of programs and services we already offer to ensure a seamless journey through the most difficult times in a person’s life,” VNS Health CEO and President Dan Savitt told Home Health Care News. ... "Being both a payer and provider allows us an opportunity to work with people in our community throughout their health care journey." ... "We use analytics to identify home care patients with late stage conditions who can benefit from enrollment in our advanced illness management program. Then we use analytics to determine when it may be appropriate to consider moving this patient population into hospice care." 

ViVE 2025: Improving clinical workflows amid workforce shortages HealthTech; by Teta Alim; 2/18/25 As the U.S. braces for a dearth of physicians and nurses, healthcare organizations are transforming processes to attract and retain talent. By 2034, experts have projected, there will be a shortage of between 17,800 to 48,000 primary care physicians. For full-time registered nurses, 2030 projections are even steeper. Healthcare organizations are well aware of these forecasts and have been testing and deploying solutions to improve employee satisfaction and retention and attract new talent. At ViVE 2025 in Nashville, Tenn., industry leaders discussed how improvements supported by artificial intelligence (AI) are offering promising results for streamlining workflows. [Click on the title's link to read this discussion.]

20 high-performing healthcare website designs that get results Just Digital; by Just Digital Team; 2/17/25 As healthcare becomes more digital, a well-crafted healthcare website design is essential for serving patients, sharing information, and building trust. It’s often the first point of contact, making usability, clarity, and accessibility non-negotiable. ... The majority of visitors to healthcare websites are searching for information. As a result, these healthcare website designs must be appealing to the eye, user-friendly, and simple to navigate. Our team at Just Digital compiled a list of some of the best healthcare website design inspirations online. [Click on the title's link for website examples and descriptions of design elements "that get results."]

What's keeping CFOs up at night? Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Alan Condon; 2/14/25 As health system CFOs chart their course for 2025, they face an increasingly complex financial landscape marked by mounting labor costs, tightening margins, shifting payer dynamics and an evolving regulatory environment. ... [Several] CFOs recently joined the “Becker's CFO and Revenue Cycle Podcast” to discuss the trends they're watching most closely — and the strategies they're deploying to stay ahead. [Key items include the following: labor shortages (key theme); major investments in ambulatory care facilities; AI to support operations and service; physician partnerships; shift from fee for service to value-based care; clinical labor; malpractice litigation; growth of Medicare Advantage programs; staffing shortages; inflation; reimbursements; providing care to undersinsured patients; Medicaid supplemental funding programs; "disruptors' by private equity and "other nontraditional players"; uncertainty of federal and state regulation changes.]

BrightStar, Compassus, Empath harness clinical, data and product power Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 2/10/25 Clinical power, data power and product power offer three ways of examining some of the top priorities for home-based care companies in 2025. Compassus, BrightStar Care and Empath Health all have a range of initiatives and achievements that are relevant to these areas, which leaders with the three organizations delved into during a panel discussion at the recent Home Care 100 conference. ...

It’s inoperable cancer. Should AI make call about what happens next? The Harvard Gazette - Harvard University; by Alvin Powell; 2/10/25AI is already being used in clinics to help analyze imaging data, such as X-rays and scans. But the recent arrival of sophisticated large-language AI models on the scene is forcing consideration of broadening the use of the technology into other areas of patient care. In this edited conversation with the Gazette, Rebecca Weintraub Brendel, director of Harvard Medical School’s Center for Bioethics, looks at end-of-life options and the importance of remembering that just because we can, doesn’t always mean we should. When we talk about artificial intelligence and end-of-life decision-making, what are the important questions at play? ...

What you need to know about the HOPE Tool HomeCare; by Jennifer Kennedy and Kimberly Skehan; 2/10/25 The Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) assessment tool is scheduled to be implemented Oct. 1, 2025, meaning the clock is ticking for hospice providers to complete internal preparations. Providers can collect and submit hospice item set (HIS) data until Sept. 30, 2025, after which only HOPE data will be accepted for all patients admitted or discharged on or after Oct. 1, 2025. The HOPE tool is a standardized interdisciplinary assessment that aims to meet these goals from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): [click here for goals] ... CMS said it is important for providers to ensure their documentation software vendor maintains CoP content while building their HOPE content. The HOPE tool will replace the HIS content, but the core of the HIS data items will be captured in the HOPE tool. Additionally, CMS posted a change table that compares the HIS and HOPE data elements.

'We’re seeing these struggles.' Rainbow works to support end-of-life caregivers Daily Jefferson County Union, Jefferson, WI; by Hannah Brock; 2/10/25 Rainbow Community Care is facing a growing need in Dodge and Jefferson counties: the overwhelming burden placed on caregivers, both family members and healthcare workers, as they navigate end-of-life care. “There’s this need in the community to support caregivers, where whoever they are,” said Carol Brown, president and CEO of Rainbow Community Care. The backbone of the healthcare system isn’t just hospitals or insurance plans—it’s the unpaid, often invisible labor of family caregivers. ... The newest initiative, the respite care program, is being designed to give caregivers much-needed breaks. Many family caregivers go months—or even years—without a full night’s rest, a doctor’s visit for themselves, or even an afternoon off, according to Rainbow Community Care. To help address this, Rainbow Community Care secured the necessary funding for the program. 

A broader end-of-life-view: The need for hospice and palliative care extends beyond the elderly, as the patient population at Transitions LifeCare suggestsTriangle Business Journal, Raleigh, NC; by Connie Gentry; 2/7/25 Although the likelihood of developing cancer is highest for anyone over age 65, the American Cancer Society’s annual report on cancer statistics, released last month, noted increasing incidents of many cancer types among younger adults and women. ... But positive outcomes were also reported: The cancer mortality rate in the U.S. declined by 34 percent from 1991 to 2022 and, since 1970, cancer mortality in children 14 years and younger has declined by 70 percent and among adolescents ages 15 to 19 years it has dropped by 63 percent. ... Although the majority of their hospice patients are over the age of 75, Transitions LifeCare is seeing an increase in younger patients. Last year, roughly 9 percent of their hospice patients were under age 65, almost evenly divided between women and men.

After 'code issue,' veterans no longer receive free care at UP hospice site MyUpNow.com, Houghton, MI; by Thomas Fournier; 2/5/25 For a veteran staying at hospice care facility, it's important family can visit, especially in rural areas. But what happens when their facility no longer qualifies as a hospice facility for the Veteran's Health Administration (VHA)? Omega House Executive Director Mike Lutz said he received a call from the local Veteran's Affairs (VA) office in Iron Mountain late December 2024 informing him that they would "no longer be servicing veterans at Omega House." ... Veterans who would usually receive a reimbursement through the VA for their hospice care would no longer be able to find that at Omega House, leaving them to get their care 100 miles away or more. 

Top news stories of the month January 2025 Teleios Collaborative Network; Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner; 2/5/25 In this episode of TCN Talks, Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner, PhD, publisher of Hospice & Palliative Care Today and CEO and Founder of Hospice Analytics, begin a new format for the “Top News Stories of the Month.” ... Chris and Cordt explore key trends in Hospice news, challenges in reimbursement, competition, workforce issues, and the impact of technology on the field.  They also touch on demographic trends, regulatory issues, and predictions for the future of Hospice Care. Their dialogue highlights the challenge of filtering vast information and the excellent service provided to Hospice and Palliative Care leaders.  This podcast and Hospice & Palliative Care Today are for the leaders in the Hospice and Palliative Care field.

4 critical mistakes to avoid during your workday project Becker's Hospital Review; In collaboration with Healthcare IT Leaders; 2/3/25 The success of a Workday implementation doesn’t just hinge on technology but on people. According to recent research, up to 80% of digital transformation initiatives fail. ... For organizations looking to avoid these pitfalls, here are four critical staffing mistakes to avoid as outlined in our Workday Resource Planning & Staffing Guide:

Too much, too fast: Constant change creating corporate burnout Global Finance; by Bill HInchberger; 2/4/25 Change fatigue can strain employees and organizations, and it is getting worse. To reduce the harm, companies are turning to more thoughtful, gradual strategies. ... Hardly a fad pushed by human resources, the phenomenon known as “change fatigue” can affect the bottom line through workforce churn, reduced ability of workers to adapt to further change, and lower productivity. ... Whether adopting new technologies or reacting to external change, many if not most companies appear to be in a constant state of flux. Over 75% of corporations revamp their business model every two to five years, according to a study by WalkMe, a San Franciso-based software-as-a-service firm... Major initiatives tend to favor faster speed and larger scope. Yet there are signs that more gradual solutions might be more effective and less traumatic.