Literature Review

Baptist Health taps 3 vendors to build a population health system that works Healthcare IT News; by Bill Siwicki; 7/26/24With help from Oracle, Innovaccer and Salesforce, the South Florida provider is scoring big population health wins, including a 7% increase in coding gap closure rate and a 17% increase in annual wellness visit completion rates. Baptist Health South Florida operates a network of 11 hospitals covering four counties. It also includes numerous ambulatory facilities, urgent care centers and emergency departments to provide comprehensive healthcare services across the region. ... "One of our primary issues was the fragmented nature of patient data across multiple provider organizations and electronic health record systems," said Milady Cervera, vice president, population health and physician integrated networks, at Baptist Health South Florida. "This lack of interoperability made it difficult to gain a comprehensive view of our patients' health status, care history and ongoing needs. ..."

UVM Medical Center reaches new contract for nursing employees, 23% wage hike VB Vermont Biz; by The University of Vermont Medical Center; 7/22/24 Nurses employed by University of Vermont Medical Center who are part of the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (VFNHP) voted to ratify a new three-year contract for nursing staff this past weekend. The contract includes a 23% wage increase for nurses over the next three years.

The top 10 geriatric hospitals, per US News Becker's Hospital Review; by Elizabeth Gregerson; 7/16/24 ... U.S. News evaluated 1,489 hospitals for their care of patients ages 75 and older, publishing the results July 16. Here are the top 10 geriatric hospitals, as ranked by the publication:

More people are dying at home. Is that a good thing? The Wall Street Journal; by Suniat Puri; 7/11/24 New research classifies the rise in home deaths as progress, but we need to look closely at what these death look like. In photos taken a year before we met, my patient smiled widely, flashing a peace sign, her feet planted in the damp sand of a local beach. “Mom was a firecracker,” her daughter told me. My patient, who now slurred her sentences, was dying of cirrhosis. Her jaundiced skin was golden, the corners of her pale lips crusted with dried blood. She wanted to die at home, according to her daughter, who had been estranged but re-entered her mother’s life to care for her. I was still in my training in palliative medicine and, like my patient’s daughter, I believed that a “good death” took place at home, surrounded by family. I shared her view that a hospital death was a failure, painful and undignified. I was glad to help her leave behind uncomfortable tubes and noisy machines for a death I presumed would be more peaceful. [Subscription may be required to continue reading.]

How to advocate for an older loved one in the ER or hospital US News & World Report - Health; by Christine Comizio; 7/17/24 Picture your 80-year-old father in the intensive care unit needing dialysis or your 76-year-old mother with severe dementia facing emergency surgery. These scenarios are becoming increasingly common as 1 in 6 adults in the U.S. are now over 65, a number steadily rising with the aging baby boomer generation. And as our population ages, the likelihood of an older family member becoming hospitalized grows. Many of us will inevitably confront the challenges of hospitalization – oftentimes due to a medical emergency when we least expect it. The critical question is: Are you prepared? ... Editor's Note: For hospice and palliative care professionals who have not yet experienced the serious illness needs of an "older loved one in the ER or hospital," know that personally dealing with needs requires different roles, skill sets, presence, actions, and advocacy than those in your professional role. Be true to your relationship and role with the person needing care. This practical article can be a great resource for your organization's employees, volunteers, and community education. 

In response to ‘Garnet lays off 26 people citing cost saving Warwick Advertiser, Letters to the Editor; by Ethel Hemsi; 7/15/24 For the past seven years I have been a volunteer with the Palliative Care team at Garnet Health Hospital. The whole team has been laid off to save costs. The article says it can be replaced by the hospitalist team of internal medicine providers. In my opinion this team can in no way be replaced by other doctors. Palliative care is a very complex and respectable practice in itself with specially trained doctors and nurses. It does much more than manage a patient’s pain. The palliative care providers are focused on helping patients and their families understand the patient’s condition and come together to make important decisions that patients with serious illnesses face. This includes weighing the pros and cons of various medical treatments as they pertain a patient’s quality of life. ... 

Amorem receives $100,000 grant from The Cannon Foundation Ashe Post & Times, Boone, North Carolina; by Staff Reporter; 7/12/24 Amorem received a $100,000 grant from The Cannon Foundation for its Quality. Compassion. Support: A Patient Care Unit for the High Country campaign. The Cannon Foundation has joined Amorem’s vision to provide more quality, more compassion and more support to residents of the High Country with a $100k grant to assist with the purchase of non-medical equipment needed to operate the patient care unit and meet the needs of patients and their families while in Amorem’s care. “Amorem is honored that The Cannon Foundation has joined our vision,” says Director of Development, Ashley Edwards. “Through this partnership, Amorem is empowered to create a homelike environment for our patients who are facing the end of life and their families at the High Country patient care unit.” 

Fewer deaths after serious illness in veterans treated with PARC Care Model U.S. Medicine; by LaTina Emerson; 7/11/24 After a serious illness, veterans who received medical care via the Post-Acute Recovery Center (PARC) model experienced fewer deaths and more days outside of the hospital compared to those not treated with PARC, according to a recent study. ...  Using telehealth, PARC is administered by nurse practitioners to address the complex needs of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors as they transition from hospital to home and improve access to post-ICU care for high-risk veterans, ... Each year, “more than 100,000 veterans transition from ICUs to their home after treatment for life-threatening illnesses, but this transition presents many challenges, including unresolved acute medical issues and the lingering effects of acute organ dysfunction,” according to the study authors. ... 

10 recent healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements Becker's Hospital Review; by Andrew Cass; 7/8/24... Here are 10 healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements and legal developments Becker's reported since June 26:

Study finds new program streamlined hospice transitions from the emergency department Medical Xpress; by Brigham and Women's Hospital; 7/8/24 For patients who are in the final stages of both gradual and sudden terminal illnesses, hospice care can provide safe, comfortable, and dignified care at the end of life. However, many patients, especially those with complex diseases and treatments, may end up in an emergency department (ED) and either die there or die shortly after being admitted into inpatient care at a hospital, despite their goals of care being better aligned with hospice care.

Your brain holds secrets. Scientists want to find them. The New York Times; by Paula Span; 7/6/24 About a month ago, Judith Hansen popped awake in the predawn hours, thinking about her father’s brain. Her father, Morrie Markoff, was an unusual man. At 110, he was thought to be the oldest in the United States. His brain was unusual, too, even after he recovered from a stroke at 99. Now he was nearing death, enrolled in home hospice care. “In the middle of the night, I thought, ‘Dad’s brain is so great,’” said Ms. Hansen, 82, a retired librarian in Seattle. “I went online and looked up ‘brain donation.’” Her search led to a National Institutes of Health web page explaining that its NeuroBioBank, established in 2013, collected post-mortem human brain tissue to advance neurological research. ...

Cooper University Health acquires New Jersey system Becker's Hospital Reivew; by Alan Condon; 7/1/24 Cooper University Health Care on July 1 completed the acquisition of  Cape May, NJ-based Cape Regional Health System. As part of the closing, Cape Regional Medical Center has been renamed Cooper University Hospital Cape Regional. The combined health system comprises two hospitals with more than 900 beds, 130 ambulatory sites and almost 11,000 employees, including over 1,000 physicians. It is projected to have revenue exceeding $2.2 billion a year. The transaction unlocks significant growth opportunities, particularly in the outpatient market, as healthcare continues its shift away from inpatient settings, Camden, N.J.-based Cooper CFO Brian Reilly told Becker's. 

16 hospital M&A moves to know in the 1st half of 2024 Becker's Hospital Review; by Andrew Cass; 6/28/24 From a Tenet selling spree to Risant Health's acquisition of Geisinger, here are 16 hospital merger and acquisition moves to know from the first six months of 2024.