Literature Review

Steward to lay off more than 1,200 Massachusetts hospital workersModern Healthcare; by Alex Kacik;8/5/24Dallas-based Steward plans to cut 753 workers at Carney Hospital in Dorchester and 490 employees at Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer on Aug. 31, according to two Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filings.

Cancer care deserts are spreadingBecker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 8/2/24Cancer treatment deserts are growing as more rural hospitals close and cut services, CBS News reported Aug. 1. Many hospitals are discontinuing essential services, such as chemotherapy and labor and delivery, due to financial strains and staffing challenges. Between 2014 and 2022, 382 rural hospitals halted chemotherapy services, Charis, a health analytics and consulting firm, found in a report published this spring. Texas had the highest percentage of rural hospitals that eliminated chemotherapy services at 47%. Next came Alabama (46%), Mississippi (45%), Tennessee (44%), and Florida (39%).Publisher's note: Cancer care deserts impact hospice referrals, and raise the question of "hospice deserts".

Steward Health finds buyers for 2 hospitals amid Senate probeModern Healthcare; by Jonathan Randles; 7/22/24Bankrupt Steward Health said it found buyers for two of its hospitals in Arkansas and Louisiana, as the nation’s largest for-profit health system braces for a bipartisan Senate investigation into its financial woes. Steward is selling the Wadley Regional Medical Center in Hope, Arkansas, to Pafford Health Systems Inc. and Glenwood Regional Medical Center in West Monroe, Louisiana, to an affiliate of American Healthcare Systems.

Owner of home health care company convicted of multimillion dollar health care fraud schemeDOJ press release; 7/22/24[Boston] Faith Newton, 56, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of health care fraud, and three counts of money laundering. The jury found the defendant not guilty on one count of money laundering conspiracy... “Newton orchestrated a massive $100 million health care fraud scheme that targeted the Medicaid program, funding her lavish lifestyle at the expense of the American taxpayers,” said Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Today’s guilty verdict underscores the commitment of HHS-OIG and our partners to protecting the integrity of our federal health care system, and it should also serve as a stern warning to criminals who contemplate engaging in similar illegal schemes.”

Wrongful death lawsuit filed after grandmother murdered at senior care facility in Santa Clara PR Newswire, Santa Clara, CA; by Peacock & Bartlett, a.p.c.; 7/29/24 The family of Vera Plares, a 98-year-old woman murdered at the Mission Skilled Nursing & Subacute Center in Santa Clara, CA filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the facility alleging Mission knowingly placed a patient with a violent past in the same room as their cherished grandmother. According to the complaint, Connie Delucca had a history of being violent at Mission and had a history of prior 5150 holds (a mental illness designation that someone poses a danger to themselves or others.) When Mission negligently placed Vera Plares in the same room as Ms. Delucca, little did Vera or her family know of Ms. Delucca's propensity for violence, or that Mission's decision would prove deadly.

Military veterans honored during special ceremony at Sarasota adult day center Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Sarasota, FL; by Noelle Fox; 7/29/24 Twenty military veterans were honored recently at a special pinning event and remembrance ceremony at Town Square Sarasota jointly hosted by the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs and Empath Tidewell Hospice. The veterans honored were all members of Town Square Sarasota, an adult day center, and some of the members honored had fought in the Korean and Vietnam wars. The event was part of the Tidewell Honors Veterans Program. ... Since opening in early 2022, Town Square Sarasota has partnered with Empath Tidewell Hospital to host four special pinning ceremonies honoring its veteran members. Town Square Sarasota also has integrated aspects into its location and programming to recognize and welcome veterans.

Despite past storms’ lessons, LTC residents again left powerless: How a long-term care facility prepares for and handles power outages is one of the first questions potential residents should ask KFF Health News - Rethinking65; by Sandy West; 7/29/24 ... Even after multiple incidents of extreme weather — including a 2021 Texas winter storm that caused widespread blackouts and prompted a U.S. Senate investigation — not much has changed for those living in long-term care facilities when natural disasters strike in Texas or elsewhere. ... [While] nursing homes face such federal oversight, lower-care-level facilities that provide some medical care — known as assisted living — are regulated at the state level, so the rules for emergency preparedness vary widely. ... Editor's Note: While this article is written for the public, its content applies to all hospices that (1) provide hospice facility care, and/or (2) partner with senior care facilities: nursing homes, long-term care, assisted living, senior living communities, and PACE. This can be an important QAPI analysis and gap improvement. 

Empath Health, Trustbridge leaders are setting home health sights high after integration Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 7/26/24 Empath Health is a company in transition. In the spring, it completed an affiliation process with Trustbridge, which formed the largest nonprofit post-acute provider organization in the state of Florida. ... Since completion of the affiliation process, the company has focused on integration, synergistic opportunities and determining how best to deliver care to the communities it serves. One of the people at the helm of this transition is Tarrah Lowry, Empath Health’s chief operating officer and Trustbridge’s interim president. [Click on the title's link to read the recent interview by Home Health Care News' with Tarrah Lowry.]

Advance care questions to ask your loved one Parkview Health; 7/27/24 ... To ease into a conversation about decisions and scenarios, we can start with questions that are easier to answer, like: What does a good day look like? If you got to spend the day with your favorite people doing your favorite things, what would you be doing? With whom? ... From there, we can talk about more specifics related to healthcare decisions, such as: If your heart and breathing stop suddenly, would you want to have CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), which can include pushing on your chest, breathing support, medications, and electrical shocks? ... If you knew that death was likely to happen in a brief period of time, would you want to be in the hospital, in a nursing care facility or at home? ... Editor's Note: The wording, sequencing, and open-ended format of these questions gently open the door for the person to reflect on and describe one's wishes, in contrast to some advance care planning questions that focus on filling out a form. Yes, Advance Directives forms are crucial. However, the forms are a tool for now and for needs ahead. The focus is the person, while building a context of relationship and trust.

Making DEI matter in post-acute care HomeCare; by Jerry Farmer; 7/18/24 In today’s dynamic health care landscape, the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) cannot be overstated. DEI represents policies and procedures that promote the representation and participation of diverse groups of individuals who encompass all ages, races, ethnicities, abilities, disabilities, genders, religions, cultures and sexual orientations. ... Here are some of the key factors our company focused to reach diversity, equity and inclusion milestones: 

Nursing homes ‘can’t escape’ need for increased palliative care access: researchersMcKnights Long-Term Care News; by Josh Henreckson; 7/17/24 Nursing home residents could greatly benefit from expanded access to palliative care, but providers need more access to standardized tools, staff education and relationships with clinicians to make informed decisions about care, specialists say. ... Several key “themes” could be the foundation for a more formalized method of identifying palliative care needs for nursing home patients, researchers found. They included factors such as patients with uncontrolled symptoms and otherwise serious illnesses, as well as patients with indicators of significant decline such as frequent rehospitalizations. 

New York Department of Health previews proposed PACE regulations Lexology; by Greenberg Traurig, LLP; 7/16/24 In December 2022, New York Gov. Hochul signed legislation establishing a new streamlined licensure process for the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) under Article 29-EE of the New York Public Health Law. The Department of Health (DOH) previewed the Commissioner of Health’s proposed implementing regulations at a June 2024 meeting of the Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC). The proposed regulations will be subject to the procedures of the State Administrative Procedure Act, which requires that they be published in the State Register and that the public be given a comment period. [Click on the title's link for details.]