The need for social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the adverse impacts of isolation on hospice patients’ quality of life. Protecting the seriously ill at highest risk of COVID-19’s impacts has come at the cost of human touch and hands-on care so integral to hospice patients in their final life stages. Hospice and […]
California Hospice Network (CHN), a coalition of nonprofit hospices in that state, is restructuring its leadership and operations and working hard to prepare for the entry of hospice into value-based payment programs in 2021, such as Medicare Advantage. Three California-based hospices — the Elizabeth Hospice in San Diego, Mission Hospice & Home Care in San […]
The hospice and palliative care workforce has been shrinking in recent years due to staff retirement, burnout and limited opportunities for specialty training. Designing a career path with opportunities for advancement can boost recruitment, improve retention and reduce turnover. “Currently, the specialty workforce is just too small to meet demand,” said Brynn Bowman, chief strategy […]
West Virginia-based Mountain Hospice is starting an assisted living subsidiary. The nonprofit’s first facility is expected to open in November, with plans to add more locations in future years. Hospices in general expect to see substantial growth in the assisted living setting during 2020, followed by the skilled nursing setting. About 36% of more than […]
Hospices, other providers, payers, as well as state and federal agencies are increasingly recognizing the importance of advance care planning to ensure goal-concordant care and reduce health care costs. Barriers in existing public policy are limiting the growth of these services, along with increased strains brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, according to some stakeholders. […]
Oklahoma-based INTEGRIS Health system is expanding its palliative care services in its acute care facilities as well as in the home and community. This continues a trend in which a rising number of hospitals and health systems are expanding their services into patient homes, particularly when it comes to palliative care. The company, which operates […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed gaps in hospice and serious illness care that impact providers and patients alike, illustrating the need for change in care models to expand and address various social determinants of health. Some stakeholders in the hospice and palliative care space have called for updated public policies to close these gaps and […]
Tennessee-based Alleo Health System, the parent company of Hospice of Chattanooga and Palliative Care Services, has developed a hospice and palliative care program customized for cardiac disease patients, dubbed the Heart Touch Journey Program. Among the program’s goals is reducing hospitalizations and readmissions among patients suffering from diseases of the heart and allow them to […]
Birmingham, Ala-based hospice pharmacy service DeliverCareRx has expanded its footprint with a new facility in southern New Jersey. The location will make pharmacy deliveries and provide other services throughout New Jersey, the Philadelphia metropolitan area and other regions in the Northeastern United States. The move is part of the company’s overall growth strategy to expand […]
A lack of sufficient family caregiver support can have a negative impact on whether or not a patient receives hospice care. New research shows that patients who are faced with end-of-life decisions may be less likely to choose hospice unless they have a network of friends or family who can serve as home caregivers. The […]