DAddressing demographic disparities in hospice utilization can ensure more patients receive quality care at the end-of-life as well as open untapped markets to hospice providers. Nearly 87% of Medicare decedents in 2016 were caucasian, according to the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). Comparatively, slightly more than 8% were African-American; 2.1% were Hispanic, and […]
Atlanta-based Precious Hospice is expanding to CEO Henry Mason’s hometown of Chicago, where the company will provide in-home hospice and palliative care as well as 12-bed inpatient beds via contracts with local facilities. The company expects an initial daily census of 25 patients in Chicago, according to Mason. The hospice’s Atlanta location cares for approximately […]
Hospice providers are not taking advantage of the Medicare Service Intensity Add-On (SIA) program, despite the program’s potential to drive quality improvement and increase revenues. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced SIA in 2016 to allow hospices to bill an additional payment on an hourly basis for registered nurse and social […]
As hospices stare down widespread staff shortages across all disciplines, many are looking to the millennial generation to fill those gaps, adapting recruitment and retention strategies to potential employees who came of age in a very different cultural environment than their baby boomer or Generation X colleagues. Hospices are already struggling to fill their ranks.The […]
Global private equity firm Advent International, has agreed to acquire Dallas-based post-acute and hospice provider AccentCare Inc., for an undisclosed amount. The transaction is Advent’s first acquisition in the hospice and home health space, company representatives told Hospice News. Advent will purchase the company from Oak Hill Partners, a private equity company based in New […]
Health care organizations, including hospices, are the top target for cyber-criminals eager to obtain protected health information, insurance information, and patient identifiers. As technology is increasingly pervasive in hospice care, providers are seeking stronger methods to protect themselves and their patients, cyber security experts told Hospice News. A number of hospices have experienced serious data […]
Select Medical Corp. (NYSE: SEM) has entered the hospice and home health market through Select at Home, a new joint venture with Alternate Solutions Health Network (ASHN) designed to extend the care continuum after patients are discharged from Select Medical’s specialty hospitals. Pennsylvania-based Select Medical is a national provider of inpatient medical rehabilitation, long term […]
National and regional hospice chains seem unfazed by proposed Medicare payment rebasing for fiscal year 2020—confident that the updates will not adversely affect their businesses—though smaller organizations may take a more significant hit. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in late April released its annual proposed rule that outlines the agency’s regulatory […]
As more hospices diversify their services to include palliative care, 71% of adults in the United States are unaware that the service exists, a recent Journal of Palliative Medicine (JPM) study found. Similar to hospice, palliative care provides non-curative treatment to improve comfort and quality of life for patients. Unlike hospice, providers offer palliative care […]
Even hospitals are concerned about the rising costs of inpatient care, as well as the ability of frail patients to transport themselves to health appointments. To better address patient needs, North Dakota-based CHI-St. Alexius Health System is expanding its palliative care program to include outpatient and home-based services. The hospital’s inpatient palliative care team emerged […]