The incidence of end-stage heart failure is expected to rise throughout the next decade, and hospices are preparing to serve those patients when they become eligible. The number of people who suffer from heart failure is expected to rise by 46% between 2012 and 2023, the American Heart Association (AHA) reported. However, hospice utilization remains […]
Home-based care veteran Rob Radics took the helm as CEO of Fortis Home Health & Hospice in May, and in the early days of his tenure is laser-focused on hospice growth. Radics’ 25-year career includes his founding of the hospice and home health company, Five Points Healthcare, which he led for nine years before selling […]
Wide variation exists in the ways palliative care is delivered, but Penn Medicine is launching an extensive research project to determine best practices in the hospital setting. A central question in the controlled randomized trial is whether patients would benefit more from expanded access to specialty palliative care versus care from generalists who receive a […]
Pre-operative palliative care consultations for patients undergoing major cancer surgery are unwarranted, new evidence suggests. A recent randomized controlled trial did not support routine integration of specialty palliative care in those cases. Researchers found that the physical and functional quality of life at 90 days was essentially the same for patients who received those consults […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is conducting a small pilot program for post-payment reviews of hospice stays that exceed 90 days. The agency has contracted with Noridian Healthcare Solutions, LLC as its Supplemental Medical Review Contractor (SMRC). Noridian will perform the reviews and submit findings to CMS. “CMS internal data has […]
When it comes to hospice M&A, both buyers and sellers must have their eyes out for warning signs that could kill a potential deal. Consolidation remains widespread in the hospice space, though transaction volume has slipped in 2023 compared to prior years. During Q1 of this year, about 14 hospice, home care and home health […]
Paul Mastrapa becomes CEO of Interim HealthCare Jennifer Sheets is out as CEO of Interim HealthCare and Caring Brands International. Paul Mastrapa, former CEO of Help at Home, will succeed her. The Florida-based company is a home-based care franchise that provides home health care, hospice care, palliative care, pediatric care and personal care to about […]
The U.S Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is implementing a “period of enhanced oversight” for new hospices in California, Nevada, Arizona and Texas. A key component of the enhanced oversight includes a medical review of claims before a Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) will pay them. These actions follow reports of potentially unethical or […]
Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) have reintroduced the Palliative Care and Hospice Education Training Act (PCHETA), designed to bolster the field’s shrinking workforce with federal support. If enacted, PCHETA would support hospice and palliative care training programs for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and chaplains. The bill would also expand continuing […]
Virginia-based Blue Ridge Hospice has expanded into Loudoun County in its home state with a de novo office. In addition to clinical care, the new location will provide grief and bereavement support groups, volunteer training, educational workshops and events as part of Blue Ridge Hospice’s community Grief and Loss Support Services program. The hospice has […]
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