Literature Review

NHPCO speaks out on 2025 Proposed Medicare Hospice Rates Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/28/24 The proposed 2.6% payment increase for hospices is insufficient in today’s economic climate, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) indicated in comments on the 2025 proposed payment rule. ... [Read more for multiple issues addressed.] ... For 2025, the hospice industry group also asked CMS to reconsider the proposed payment rate based on more recent data. ... “It is important to note that hospices, unlike certain other provider types, are at the mercy of these rate updates with no means to address inaccuracies in the market basket forecast. This results in payment rates that are not accurately aligned with the costs faced by hospice providers,” NHPCO indicated. 

Hospice of the Red River Valley awarded $2 million grantNewsDakota; by Steve Urness; 5/25/24The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Medical Services Division, has awarded a substantial grant of up to $2 million to Hospice of the Red River Valley. This grant is designated for the expansion of home and community-based services to Medicaid members residing in under served regions of North Dakota.

Three ways to communicate with Gen-Z—and why it’s importantForbes; by Clarissa Windham-Bradstock; 5/28/24"It’s not what you said, it’s how you said it!" ... Gen-Z (born 1996-2015) is leading the charge on this one, according to a new Gallup survey. ... They want to hear full transparency. ... How to Speak Gen-Z: ...

Data paramount in hospice-payer, referral partner negotiationsHospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/23/24As hospice and palliative care providers move further into value-based care, data is becoming paramount to building payer and referral partner relationships. In this climate, hospices that can demonstrate their value — and their ability to financially and operationally weather changes in an evolving reimbursement landscape — will have a leg up on competitors. Key data points include performance on the Hospice Item Set, the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) surveys and other quality measures.

Heart to Heart Hospice of San Antonio opens new hospice housePress release; by Kimberly Dellinger; 5/23/24Heart to Heart Hospice plans to expand inpatient services with the opening of the only freestanding Hospice House in the San Antonio area. Heart to Heart Hospice, a leader in hospice services since 2003, is currently building a Hospice House as an extension of its service offerings to patients and families in the San Antonio community, opening Summer of 2024.

Hosparus Health opens new multimillion dollar St. Matthews grief centerLouisville Business Journal; by Zak Owens; 5/23/24Hosparus Heallth unveils $4 million grief center on its St. Matthews campus.Note: May require subscription to access entire article.

Legacy society honors ardent supporters of Blue Ridge HospiceThe Winchester Star; by Brian Brehm; 5/21/24 Blue Ridge Hospice holds its cofounder in such high esteem, it has created a legacy society and named it in her honor. The new Helen Zebarth Legacy Society aims to honor Zebarth’s vision, inspire philanthropy and ensure the continuity of compassionate end-of-life care for generations to come, according to a media release from Blue Ridge Hospice in Winchester. Blue Ridge Hospice was formed after Zebarth visited England while her husband, Roger, was stationed in Europe on a military assignment in the 1970s. When the Zebarths returned to the United States in the late 1970s, Helen Zebarth, a former nurse at Winchester Memorial Hospital, got in touch with the hospital’s CEO, George Caley, and told him they needed to start a local hospice. Editor's Note: May we learn from Blue Ridge Hospice. On this day of remembering, we thank those whose vision and perseverance for "hospice care" carved out new paths for better living, dying, moments of death, and bereavement. Who were those pioneers for your hospice? How do you remember their legacies?

Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice rebrands to ‘Andwell Health Partners’ Home Health Care News; by Andrew Donlan; 5/21/24 The Maine-based Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice is rebranding to “better reflect its evolutions and future,” and will be operating under the name Andwell Health Partners moving forward. ... Andwell – formerly Androscoggin – is a nonprofit operator that employs more than 500 workers across all 16 counties in Maine. The company ... has expanded past just home health care over the years to provide hospice, palliative, behavioral health and pediatric care services to patients. Its president and CEO, Ken Albert, has served on the board of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) ... including as chairperson of the board. ... The word Andwell is “an amalgamation of the organization’s history, mission and services,” the company said. Specifically, the “And” makes reference to Androscoggin, the “Well” emphasizes the focus on health and wellbeing and “Dwell” evokes its home-based care focus.

Resurgia Health Solutions and Ennoble Care's Georgia Housecalls Practice finalize combination to strengthen healthcare access in Georgia KSN.com News - Cision PR Newswire; by PR Newswire; 5/20/24 Resurgia Health Solutions and Ennoble Care have united to strengthen healthcare access in Georgia. ... Under the regional leadership of Kevin Charles and Dr. Mark Bradshaw, Ennoble's Georgia home-based primary care practice will be integrated into Resurgia's regional operations and Ennoble's national operations. Renee Brack, FNP, will work closely with Mr. Charles and Dr. Bradshaw in Georgia, as the operational leader of palliative and hospice care in Georgia, ensuring continuity. ... "We are thrilled to combine our strong programs to expand home-based primary and palliative care access in Georgia." said Molly Viscardi, PhD, RN, Chief Operating Officer of Ennoble Care. 

Montgomery Hospice & Prince George’s Hospice hires new Chief Executive OfficerPress release; 5/21/24Montgomery Hospice & Prince George’s Hospice is pleased to announce the selection of Karen Brubaker Miller, MSW, as the organization’s next Chief Executive Officer. Brubaker Miller’s tenure will start on July 1, succeeding Ann Mitchell, MPH, who was at the organization for the past 26 years. A licensed clinical social worker, Mrs. Brubaker Miller is a business and strategic minded leader with over 25 years of leadership experience working in the non-profit and for-profit hospice industry.

98-year-old Marine veteran in hospice care finally receives his high school diploma[MD] WJLA; by Jay Korff; 5/18/24A nearly 100-year-old Marine veteran in hospice Friday was hand-delivered the high school diploma he never received. 98-year-old Richard Remp was unable to get his diploma back in the 1940s because he dropped out at age 17 to serve in World War II, then Korea, and then Vietnam. But he savored the remarkable moment Friday.

Connecticut hospices obtain carveout from sweeping safety billMcKnight's Home Care; by Adam Healy; 5/15/24Grassroots advocacy paid off for Connecticut’s hospice providers. Last week, they successfully obtained a carveout from Senate Bill 1, which requires home-based healthcare providers to run background checks on all potential clients. “It was basically a total victory,” Barbara Pearce, chief executive officer of The Connecticut Hospice and the main proponent calling for a carveout, told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “You’re never going to defeat Senate Bill One, because they said - in naming it - it’s their top priority. We just tried to take hospice off, and we did.” ... The bill would have unintentionally limited patients’ access to hospice care, Pearce said. By the time a background check could be conducted on a client, it may be too late to provide effective care for the patient. Furthermore, current staffing challenges hospices face would make compliance even harder, she noted.

Addus CEO: Hospice Headwinds Starting to AbateHospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/16/24Addus Homecare Corp. (NASDAQ: ADUS) is seeing constrictions on growth start to ease in its hospice business. Many of those headwinds were associated with lingering effects of the pandemic. Like many hospice providers, Addus has faced COVID-19 challenges that include reduced patient volumes and shorter length of stays. Now, the company’s hospice rebound is starting to accelerate, CEO Dirk Allison said during the Bank of America Securities Health Care Conference.