Literature Review

Jefferson CEO lays out Lehigh Valley integration plan Modern Healthcare, by Alex Kacik; 4/9/24 Jefferson Health and Lehigh Valley Health Network will soon take the next steps toward the formation of a $15 billion nonprofit health system. Philadelphia-based Jefferson and Lehigh in December signed a non-binding letter of intent under which Jefferson would merge with Lehigh. The organizations plan to sign a definitive agreement this month, Jefferson CEO Dr. Joseph Cacchione said. 

FTC continues to challenge $320M Novant, CHS deal Becker's Hospital Review; by Naomi Diaz; 3/29/24The Federal Trade Commission filed court documents on March 25 seeking a preliminary injunction to bar Winston-Salem, NC-based Novant Health from its $320 million acquisition of two North Carolina hospitals from Franklin, TN-based Community Health Systems. According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, the FTC alleged that Novant Health's proposed acquisition ... would "irreversibly consolidate the market for hospital services in the Eastern Lake Norman Area in the northern suburbs of Charlotte."

Good Sam Center of Caring opens half of new home this week WFIR News Talk Radio and WDBJ 7 TV, Roanoke, VA; by Gene Marrano (text) and Aaron Housch (tv); 4/1/24Perhaps today or sometime in the next few days half of the new Good Sam Hospice Center for Caring on Cove Road northwest will be open for business; a wing dedicated to office staff and volunteers. An update from WFIR’s Gene Marrano: [audio]. See video tour of Center for caring here.

Hospital charity care falls short of nonprofit tax breaks: Lown Modern Healthcare, by Caroline Hudson; 3/26/24The vast majority of nonprofit hospitals aren't providing a level of community support equal to the value of what they are receiving in tax breaks, according to a study published Tuesday. ... Using 2021 Internal Revenue Service data, Lown found about 80% of nonprofit hospitals, or more than 1,900 out of 2,425 hospitals, received more in tax break benefits than the support provided to communities.

Bon Secours Mercy Health posts $123.9M operating loss; new CFO to begin July 1 Becker's Hospital CFO Report, by Alan Condon; 3/26/24 Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health reported a $123.9 million operating loss (-1% margin) in 2023, improving on the $323.5 million operating loss (-2.9% margin) in 2022, according to financial documents published March 25. ... Agency costs declined from $504.1 million in 2022 to $256.2 million in 2023. ... Debbie Bloomfield, PhD, will retire as CFO at the end of 2024 after more than three decades with the health system. She will begin transitioning from her CFO role on July 1 and shift to financial leadership oversight of the system's subsidiaries. Travis Crum, senior vice president of finance, will take over as CFO on July 1. 

7 Nonprofit hospices form Integrity Care Partners palliative care ventureHospice News, by Jim Parker; 3/22/24A group of seven nonprofit hospices has launched a palliative care organization branded as Integrity Care Partners. The founding organizations are each members of the Texas Nonprofit Hospice Alliance, a regional collaborative of which Integrity Care Partners is an extension. The partnerships’ seven initial members include Community Healthcare of Texas, Hospice Austin, Home Hospice of Grayson County, the Hospice of East Texas, Hospice of El Paso, Hospice in the Pines and Hospice of Wichita Falls.Notable mentions: Kirsti Krejs, Texas Nonprofit Hospice Alliance; Viki Jingle, Community Healthcare of Texas.

Hospice group pushes for clarity in N.Y. state budget as some warm to for-profit care Spectrum News 1; by Susan Arbetter; 3/19/24 New York state has the lowest utilization of hospice in the country, which can be attributed to several factors, including low health literacy rates. But the state’s recent progress in support of end-of-life care may be threatened by something even more insidious: corporate greed. To investigate that issue nationally, a joint request for information was issued by the federal Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Trade Commission into private equity-backed health care and its impact on quality. Yet despite dire warnings, New York state is slowly opening the door to for-profit, private equity-backed hospice care. 

Hospice of the Valley offering services in TucsonTucson.com, by Debbie Shumway, Executive Director of Hospice of the Valley; 3/4/24We are honored to share that Hospice of the Valley is now serving patients and families in Tucson. Our nonprofit agency was founded by a group of volunteers in 1977 and our mission has never wavered: Bringing comfort, dignity and compassionate care to our community.

Aspirus Health completes St. Luke's Duluth acquisitionModern Healthcare, by Alex Kacik; 3/1/24Aspirus Health finalized its acquisition of St. Luke's Duluth, forming a 19-hospital system spanning northeastern Minnesota, northern and central Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. ... As part of the transaction, Aspirus will invest at least $300 million over eight years in St. Luke’s and will expand its health plan to St. Luke’s service area within two years. In addition, Aspirus will honor all physician, labor and union contracts, the system said in a news release Friday. Editor's Note: Both Aspirus Health and St. Luke's Duluth provide hospice care.

Why not-for-profit health systems need positive margins: Deloitte Becker's Hospital CFO, by Andrew Cass; 2/28/24Health system margins are the "lifeblood of a healthy, patient-centered, innovative health care system and community," according to a report from consulting firm Deloitte.  "Claims that profits are not important in fact undermine the ability to fund the mission, serve the community, and deliver better, equitable care," Deloitte said in the report. ... "[Systems] should consider a holistic approach that integrates margin drivers to create a balanced transformation portfolio, according to the report. Timing and sequencing are important within each driver and "a full understanding of the dollar impact and priority of each is necessary for margin improvement to be successful."

NorthStar Care Community partners with Centrica Care Navigators affiliate, creating one of the largest not-for-profit providers in the United StatesHospice of Michigan; retrieved 2/19/24Centrica’s community-leading presence in southwest Michigan will be a strong complement to the capabilities that Hospice of Michigan and Arbor Hospice bring to the state. By joining the NorthStar Care Community, they can ensure that a strong not-for-profit provider is an option in southwest Michigan for those needing serious illness care for years to come.

Care Guide Partners PACE Center secures $500,000 grantThe News-Enterprise; 2/14/24Care Guide Partners, an affiliate of Hosparus Health, recently was awarded a $500,000 lead grant from the Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana. This contribution supports the launch of the Care Guide Partners PACE Center, at 109 Buffalo Creek Drive in Elizabethtown. Scheduled to open next quarter, the PACE Center will increase accessibility to comprehensive health care services for seniors in and around the region, a news release from the organization said.

Essentia Health-Fosston Home Care and Hospice team recognized for excellenceEssentia Health Newsroom, by Caitlin Pallai; 2/14/24The Essentia Health-Fosston Home Care and Hospice Team has been recognized for providing exceptional patient experiences. The team was named a 2023 Human Experience Guardian of Excellence Award winner by Press Ganey, which works with more than 41,000 health care facilities — including Essentia — to solicit patient feedback and create meaningful change. To receive a Guardian of Excellence Award, a team must rank in the top 5% of health care providers on patient surveys conducted by Press Ganey.