Literature Review

20 most socially responsible hospitals, per Lown Institute Becker's Hospital Review; by Mackenzie Bean; 6/25/24 Duke Regional Hospital in Durham, N.C., is the most socially responsible acute care hospital in the U.S., according to a June 25 ranking from Lown Institute. The nonpartisan healthcare think tank assessed more than 2,700 acute care hospitals and 800 critical access hospitals nationwide across 54 metrics related to health equity, value of care and patient outcomes. ... The 20 most socially responsible acute care hospitals in the U.S., per Lown Institute:

Hospice charity’s online community ‘at huge risk’ after Meta ban ThirdSector, United Kingdom; by Emily Harle; 4/26/24The charity says it has been unable to fully access to its Facebook and Instagram accounts after the admin was banned for posting a hospice advert.  Lewis-Manning Hospice Care has lost access to its Meta Business Manager account, saying the unexpected ban has left it unable to access analytics, fundraising tools and at risk of losing its entire online community. The charity, which offers palliative care for people with life-limiting illnesses and their families across east Dorset, has been left unable to fully manage its Facebook and Instagram accounts for more than a year after an admin was banned by Meta. Olivia Girling, head of marketing and communications at Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, told Third Sector the ban was imposed on the charity’s former marketing manager’s advertising account, after she posted a fundraising advert. Girling said Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, told the charity the ad had “violated community guidelines,” but she insisted it was a “generic hospice marketing post.” When pressed for its reasoning behind the ban, Meta would not give any further explanation, she said.Editor's Note: Click on the title's link for this important information, conflicted outcomes, and horrific bans from being able to manage one's own hospice Facebook and Instagram accounts.

'We may not ever be fully staffed': Health system C-suites plan for the future Becker's Hospital Review - Leadership & Management; by Laura Dyrda; 6/24/24 After the pandemic, most healthcare leaders experienced a "great resignation" as workers left for other service industries and ever since health systems have been dealing with a lack of skilled labor to backfill the vacancies. "As we have realized we may not ever be fully staffed to the degree we were pre-COVID, we now must augment our existing workforce with technology that extends their capabilities," said Mark Moseley, MD, president of USF Tampa General Physicians and executive vice president of Tampa General Hospital. "This is a two-part challenge. First, we need to deploy technology thoughtfully with sound blocking and tackling, which is expensive in both time and capital. Second, we must train our workforce to use these new technologies to aid them in their daily responsibilities in a manner that does not diminish the ethos of why many of us went into healthcare: the interactions with patients and members of the healthcare team." Physicians and nurses can fall on a wide spectrum of excitement or distaste for incorporating technology into their practice. Some may find it impersonal and challenging to understand while others see it as a tool boosting their capacity. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

BrightSpring Health Services announces definitive agreement to acquire Haven Hospice, expanding its hospice services into the CON state of FloridaBrightSpring press release; 6/24/24BrightSpring Health Services (NASDAQ: BTSG), a leading provider of home and community-based health services for complex populations, today announced a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of North Central Florida Hospice, Inc. and Haven Medical Group, LLC (collectively “Haven Hospice”), a Florida-based company holding a Certificate of Need (CON) for comprehensive hospice care services in 18 counties in north central Florida. ... BrightSpring’s acquisition of Haven will allow the Company to provide advance care planning, palliative, and hospice services throughout Florida Agency for Health Care Administration service areas 3A, 4A, and 4B. Total consideration for the acquisition is $60 million, with $15 million in cash at close, $30 million in Company equity at close, and an additional $15 million in a seller note payable four years after closing. The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2024.

Celebrating palliative and end of life care at King's on Dame Cicely Saunders' birthdayKing's College London press release; 6/22/24On Dame Cicely Saunders' birthday [June 22, 1918], we are taking time to celebrate the work being done at Cicely Saunders Institute in the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care. Dame Cicely Saunders OM DBE (1918-2005) (Nursing, 1944; Medicine, 1957) revolutionised palliative care for the dying by pioneering the modern hospice movement, as well as establishing the Institute of Palliative Care at King's. This lives on in the Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation.Publisher's Note: Honoring our heros...

It’s your funeral! How to plan ahead for the best party you’ll never attend The Guardian; by Doosie Morris; 6/14/24 Years before the indomitable Joan Rivers died in 2014 she immortalised hopes for her own farewell in her memoir. ... The rise in so-called “death positivity”, along with the mortal reality check wreaked on us by the pandemic, has helped to reframe death as a part of life for many of us. Taboos around discussing death are breaking down and planning your own funeral is increasingly considered as responsible as writing a will. ... While the latest Australian Funeral Industry report found less than one in five Australians have actually planned their own funeral, a definite vibe shift is occurring and 90% of people say they want to. ... “When people say ‘I don’t want a funeral’ I remind them it’s not actually for them,” Griffith says. “You might think you’re doing your loved ones a favour, but you are actually denying everyone who needs somewhere to put their grief.” ... 

Dangerous heat puts tens of millions in the US on alert; paired with NIH & OSHA resources for you to protect patients and employeesAssociated Press article, paired with information and resources from NIH and OSHA; 6/18/24

Bluegrass Care Navigators and Hosparus Health announce landmark affiliation agreement Hosparus Health Press Release; 6/17/24 Today marks a significant milestone as Bluegrass Care Navigators and Hosparus Health announced that their respective boards of directors have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to begin working toward a formal affiliation between the two organizations. The affiliation is rooted in the organizations’ shared mission of providing compassionate, high-quality care to those facing serious illness and end-of-life. It aims to enhance service delivery, improve operational efficiencies, and bolster long-term sustainability — all while preserving the unique identities and local operations of both organizations. David Cook, Hosparus Health President and CEO, said, “This formal affiliation is designed to strengthen and improve resiliency for our organizations. Rest assured, we will continue to honor and maintain the distinct identities and local presence that our communities have come to cherish. This affiliation is a testament to our shared commitment to working together and enhancing care for our communities.” “Both Bluegrass Care Navigators and Hosparus Health share a joint mission: to provide exceptional, compassionate, high-quality care to those facing frailty, serious illness and end-of-life,” added Liz Fowler, President and CEO of Bluegrass Care Navigators. “Our long histories of service, innovation, and excellence make this affiliation a natural and exciting next step.” [Click on the title's link to read more.] 

When your parents die: Becoming an adult orphan The Montecito Journal; by Deann Zampelli; 6/18/24 Shortly after I got married, my 64-year-old mother lost her battle with breast cancer. Seven years later my father joined her. The loss isn’t any less painful just because you are a grown-up. ... Many don’t realize that grief isn’t linear. We don’t go through a neat little phase, checking off each stage as we complete it. The famous (and somewhat debunked) five stages of grief introduced by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in the 1960s (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance) were from a study she did on the emotional states of patients who were dying. It was their stages she was referencing, not ours. ... I came to a frightening realization. ...  It suddenly dawned on me that my siblings and I were next in line to kick it. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]Editor's Note: While serving in your hospice leadership roles, you experience the ongoing aging, changes and likely even deaths of your own family members, friends, and mentors. Do you, your hospice communications, and/or your grief services rely on the outdated "Stages of Grief" model? These "stages" opened the door in the 1960's for talking about death and dying, but became extremely misused and overpopularized for persons surviving the loss. Learn, update your knowledge, information, and clinical bereavement practices with extensive bereavement/loss/grief research, clinical best practices, and more. For expert information, resources, and bereavement professionals, examine www.adec.org, the Association for Death Education and Counseling. 

Revenue pressures driving home care consolidation, private equity’s growing influence, provider group saysMcKnight's Home Care; by Adam Healy; 6/11/24Pressures such as insufficient government reimbursement and rising Medicare Advantage penetration are contributing to consolidation in home care and hospice, LeadingAge told regulators last week in response to a February request for information surrounding healthcare market competition. “Sustainable fee-for-service rates that cover the continually rising costs of delivering care are of critical importance,” LeadingAge said. “Outside revenue pressures such as lower reimbursement rates from managed care plans, reduced units of service through accountable and managed care organizations, and an increasing need to be an organization of a certain size in order to contract with managed care organizations and accountable care organizations are also factors that drive consideration of consolidation options.” One particular concern, LeadingAge noted, is the growing investment in healthcare by private equity firms. Private equity firms have driven a significant share of home care and hospice consolidation in recent years. PE firms had a hand in 35 home health deals, 15 personal care deals and 13 hospice deals last year, according to a recent report. And studies have shown that patients receiving care from PE-owned providers may experience worse health outcomes than patients at nonprofit agencies.

Spousal caregivers need emotional support before losses, not just after, study findsMcKnight's Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 6/9/24A recent study suggests that healthcare professionals and policymakers should expand their focus on supporting the emotional well-being of individuals whose spouses have dementia, especially in the years leading up to their partners’ deaths. The clinical investigation, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, indicates that these caregivers experience heightened levels of psychological distress compared to those whose partners have normal cognitive function. ... After the partner’s death, the levels of loneliness and depression were similar across all groups, regardless of the deceased partner’s cognitive status. This suggests that the period before the loss is particularly challenging for those caring for a spouse with dementia. Furthermore, about two-thirds (64%) of these spouses reported lower life satisfaction compared to nearly three-quarters (74%) of those with cognitively healthy partners. However, the study found no significant difference in social isolation levels among the groups.

June is Adult Protection Awareness MonthKREX Grand Junction (CO); by Jessica Livingstone; 6/8/24June is Adult Protection Awareness Month, and Mesa County kicked this month off by tying purple ribbons around their campus to show their support for the victims. WesternSlopeNow talked to HopeWest about the resources they have to protect the community. If you’d like to know more information about HopeWest’s resources, you can call or click here.Publisher's Note: How is your hospice participating in Adult Protection Awareness Month?