[UPDATED] New Hospices Cropping Up in Fraud Hotbeds Amid Ongoing Program Integrity Push

A new report is casting doubt on the heightened regulatory efforts seeking to curb fraud, waste and abuse from hospice agencies in select states. The questionable success of those oversight efforts is best reflected in the fraud hotbed of California, which continues to see a swarm of new hospices emerging and receiving federal funding, despite […]

PeaceHealth Hospice Nurses Move Forward with Strike

Hospice and home health nurses at PeaceHealth’s Sacred Heart Home Care Services have announced an impending strike following failed attempts to reach wage agreements in negotiations with the organization. Home care and hospice nurses at PeaceHealth have given notice that the strike will launch on Feb. 1 and end on Feb. 14. Roughly 90 of […]

Keys to Effective Palliative Care Training Models

Palliative care clinical education avenues have expanded in recent years, but providers say the well may not be filling up quickly enough to meet demand. Communication and peer support elements are among the key training elements for palliative workforce sustainability and growth. Recruiting and retaining palliative care professionals can be a difficult feat for organizations, […]

Researchers Link Social Determinants to Pain Management in End-of-Life Care

Recent research shows that social determinants of health programs can help improve pain and symptom management for end-of-life patients in underserved communities. A recent study published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology found disparities in pain management among Black, Asian and Hispanic cancer patient populations, based on variation in the availability of social determinants of […]

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Develops New Pediatric Palliative Care Strategy

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health recently developed a new palliative care team designed to help improve access and quality among underserved pediatric populations. The pediatric palliative team is taking a three-tiered approach to care delivery that includes building collaborative relationships with health care providers across the continuum, according to Dr. Justin Baker, division chief and director […]

Breaking Down Barriers: The Crucial Role of Social Workers in Dispelling Hospice Misconceptions

Social workers have an increasingly important role to play in breaking down barriers among underserved populations, including misconceptions about hospice that can deter or dampen utilization. Social workers can be pivotal to shaping care delivery approaches and community outreach efforts that improve hospice access and understanding, according to Arlen Gaines, licensed clinical social worker and […]

Unity Hospice and Palliative Care Expands General Inpatient Care

Unity Hospice and Palliative Care of Greater Houston has unveiled a five-year general inpatient (GIP) service agreement with the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Health. The hospice will provide GIP care across the health system’s four hospitals. UTMB Health’s service region includes 10 cities in Texas. Among the driving forces behind the service agreement […]

New Dementia-Focused Payment Model Emphasizes Caregiver Support

Without family caregivers, most hospice and palliative care patients would be unable to receive care in the home. Now, some emerging payment models are including caregiver support as a key component. Case in point is the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) model, which the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled in […]

Hospices Call on Congress to Support Rural Hospices, Patients

Hospice providers, industry groups and other stakeholders recently penned a letter urging Congress to improve payment infrastructures that would increase access to end-of-life care among rural populations. The letter highlighted the unique challenges that rural and frontier hospice and palliative care providers face, and how strengthened financial support could lead to sustainable access and better […]