Literature Review

New CEOs Tapped at Adory, Montgomery, Prince George HospicesHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 5/23/24[Several leadership changes discussed in this article, including:]

Experts urge Legislature to pass bill preventing for-profit and private equity hospice in New YorkSpectrum News 1; by Susan Arbetter; 5/21/24The FBI has issued public warnings about hospice fraud in four states — Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California. The bureau is alerting consumers to a wide-spread scam in which patients are enrolled in hospice without their knowledge by recruiters who “sell” hospice care to people who aren’t actually eligible. ...  One reason fraudsters have yet to gain a foothold in New York is that new hospices here go through a “Certificate of Need” process (CON) which reviews applications, provides for public comment and ensures that hospice operators don’t have a history of fraud or abuse. But according to Jeanne Chirico, president and CEO of the Hospice & Palliative Care Association of NYS (HPCANYS), and Kara Travis, president and CEO of Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care, and a trustee of HPCANYS, there’s more that New York can do to protect consumers. They are urging lawmakers to pass a bill carried by state Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Amy Paulin that would prohibit the establishment of new for-profit hospices in the state (A6032 - Paulin / S6460 – Krueger).

Stoneridge Hospice expands services with launch of palliative care branch in Scottsdale, ArizonaKNWA Fox24; by EIN Presswire; 5/26/24Stoneridge Hospice ... is proud to announce the establishment of its newest branch offering palliative care services in Scottsdale, Arizona. ... This new agency will offer a range of palliative care services, including pain and symptom management, emotional and spiritual support, coordination of care, and assistance with advanced care planning.

Hospice CAHPS scores updated 5/22/24CMS CAHPS® website; multiple updates posted 5/22/24 CMS has posted numerous CAHPS® Hospice Survey updates. Click on the title's link to access the CMS site. Click on "Care Compare Reporting Updates" or the following 5/22/24 updates:

Hospice CAHPS scores updated 5/22/24CMS CAHPS® website; multiple updates posted 5/22/24 CMS has posted numerous CAHPS® Hospice Survey updates. Click on the title's link to access the CMS site. Click on "Care Compare Reporting Updates" or the following 5/22/24 updates:

Health equity: Insights on the CMS Framework and Leadership in HealthcareCHAP Podcast; by CHAP and Marisette Hassan; 5/23/24As a nurse, witnessing the pervasive disparities in healthcare access was a profound wake-up call. Our conversation with Marisette Hassan takes us on a journey through the challenges and aspirations of achieving health equity, a mission that has never been more critical than in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. When systems fail to serve everyone equally, the consequences are dire, and our discussion underlines the urgency of this issue. With Marisette's insights on the CMS health equity framework, we unpack the layers of this complex issue, from the importance of data collection to the necessity of culturally tailored services.

Vitas’ acquisition pipeline likely growing Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/15/24 Vitas Healthcare, a subsidiary of Chemed Corp. is gearing up for potential acquisitions. ... VITAS is targeting its home state of Florida and other Certificate of Need (CON) states for potential deals, Michael Witzeman, vice president, CFO and controller at Chemed said during the Bank of America Securities Health Care Conference. “We certainly think that there’s a pipeline growing, and we have the resources on our balance sheet with cash and no debt to be able to really be a player in any of these,” Witzeman said. “We would like to be in states that have CON restrictions much more than an unrestricted state, but we certainly have the interesting inability when things come available to be able to jump on them.” ...

The human side of AI: Insights on balancing automation and empathy Innovation & Tech Today; by Enrico Palmerino; 5/20/24 ... As AI automates more tasks with clinical precision, empathy is a critical human element we cannot overlook. That intangible ability to understand and share the feelings of another isn’t just a soft skill — it’s an essential catalyst for trust, loyalty, and genuine connection. Consider the healthcare industry, where empathy is (quite literally) often a matter of life and death. Can an AI-powered diagnostic system truly grasp a patient’s fear and vulnerability when facing a serious illness? ... Finding the delicate balance between leveraging AI automation and preserving human empathy is the new challenge before us. It’s a duality that will shape how businesses operate and how we interact with technology. ... Let the machines optimize processes while we optimize the ability to connect and inspire. In this harmonious future, AI is a tool that elevates us — not replaces us.Editor's Note: Is AI a hot topic among your leaders and interdisciplinary clinicians? Often, "empathy" and "communication" are cited as key cautions and conflicts. See the previous article, "Nurses don't trust employers to safely implement AI tools, survey shows."

Psychological trauma can worsen symptom burden at end-of-life Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 5/15/24 Recent research has found that traumatic experiences can lead to increased pain and symptom burden at the end of life, along with a greater likelihood of emotional suffering and isolation. Collective trauma experiences have been associated with higher instances of pain and dyspnea among more than half of seniors nationwide, a recent study found, published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Traumatized seniors are also more likely to experience loneliness, dissatisfaction with their life and depression. ... Hospices need a greater understanding of both the depth of these patients’ suffering and the scope of their unique needs to improve trauma-informed care delivery, [Dr. Ashwin] Kotwal said, assistant professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco’s (UCSF) Division of Geriatrics.

A Review of "Heartwood: The Art of Living with the End in Mind" by Barbara Becker CU Anschutz; by Darcy Campbell, AGNP-D, ACHPN; 5/14/24 This year, one of our [small group] readings was the book, Heartwood; The Art of Living with the End in Mind, by interfaith pastor Barbara Becker. The book is composed of small vignettes from her life that explore death and dying. Many of her experiences as a hospice volunteer are captured as well. Her book was to be about death, but she learned that in writing about death she really explored what it means to live. Heartwood is the inner core of a tree. While dead it does not decay as it is supported by the outer living rings of the tree. Becker, describes Heartwood as the ideal metaphor for our life, “where life and death cannot exist separately from each other.” ... Working in palliative care, we too are forced to look at our own mortality.

Breaking down walls: The other care models marking their territory in home-based careHome Health News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 5/17/24Traditional home-based care companies aren’t the only ones serving seniors, while helping shift care away from brick-and-mortar settings. Adult day, PACE and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) without walls are a few of the care models working to meet the needs of seniors that want to age in place. In many ways, these care models are natural allies to home-based care providers.

Emerging leaders in hospice and palliative care AAHPM - American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; webpage source for various press releeases of individuals; 5/24AAHPM developed the Emerging Leaders in Hospice and Palliative Care program to recognize the exceptional work accomplished by the next generation of leaders and bring increased exposure to the specialty of hospice and palliative medicine. In 2014, the first class of Emerging Leaders was named. AAHPM seeks to recognize accomplished early career professionals and the next generation of hospice and palliative care leaders. This award recognizes new Emerging Leaders in recognition of their career accomplishments, involvement in the Academy, mentoring of residents and students, and participation in charitable work. [Click on the title's link for the list of 36 honorees.]Editor's Note: Do you work with or know any of these honorees? If so, please share this with them and your colleagues, along with congratulations from Hospice & Palliative Care Today! (Invite them to register for free--no strings attached--to our daily newsletter.)