Hospice of Southern Maine has opened the doors of its new Home Hospice Center, built in response to growing demand for hospice as well as to support staff, volunteer and community needs. The facility serves as a headquarters for the organization’s home hospice clinical operations, in addition to providing an expanded space for staff training, […]
Bolstering behavioral health programming in seriously ill populations could improve patient outcomes and have lasting impacts on care models and payment structures, according to research in the palliative care field. However, palliative care providers investing in behavioral health integration contend with challenges of specialized workforce shortages and a lack of understanding in psychosocial-specific care needs. […]
Hospice providers have ramped up staff screening procedures as the novel coronavirus swept its way across the nation earlier this year. The pandemic continues to build speed with spikes in cases and death counts. St. Croix Hospice is among the providers boosting their infection control procedures. The hospice recently implemented weekly COVID-19 testing among staff […]
The rising tide of evolving payment models forthcoming in 2021 have hospice providers nationwide bracing for waves of change in end-of-life and serious illness care. As the move towards value-based care takes effect, providers will need to expand referral partnerships and enhance data analysis efforts to improve access to patients and families who could benefit […]
As the business of hospice turns more virtual during the coronavirus pandemic, leaders are increasingly looking ahead at the long-term impacts and sustainability of remote operations. Accountability measures and efficient technology will be key as hospices seek new ways to reshape remote revenue cycle management (RCM). Telecommuting has been on the rise in several industries, […]
Florida-based Hospice of St. Francis has rebranded as St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Center. Revisions to the name and logo were made in light of the organization’s expanded scope of community-based services in an area with a growing need for serious illness and end-of-life care. “After forty-three years of service to the people of Brevard [County] […]
With a new arena of payment options emerging in 2021, hospice providers are honing in on strategies to deliver value-based care amid a sea of risks. A heavier focus on advance care planning could be crucial for hospices making the play to participate in the Medicare Advantage demonstration project and Primary Care First payment models. […]
Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare has expanded its bereavement programming beyond patient families and into the larger community. The Pathways of Hope program was recently introduced to the hospice’s service regions and surrounding areas, extending grief support and additional services to anyone experiencing loss. Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare is an affiliate of Ohio’s Hospice, a regional partnership of […]
Greater communication and deeper integration of psychiatric-palliative care are avenues for hospice providers seeking to remove barriers to access and improve quality of care for patients with mental illness. Research indicates significant disparities in the end-of-life experience for patients with serious persistent mental illnesses (SPMI), with inadequate collaboration among clinicians and lack of psychiatric-specific care […]
Like providers, patients and families are adapting to rising use of telehealth in hospice care during the COVID-19 pandemic, as apparent plans to make temporary regulatory flexibilities permanent start to move forward. If telehealth remains a growing priority among hospices, gauging patient and family satisfaction with those services will be critical, particularly as they prepare […]