Palliative care could reduce societal health care costs by $103 billion within the next 20 years, the nonprofit economic research group Florida TaxWatch said in a report. The group recommended that policymakers take action to expand palliative care utilization in the state. Palliative care in general can reduce health care costs by more than $4,000 […]
Category: Operations
A study of more than 13,000 veterans in Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) found that patients receiving hospice care concurrent with chemotherapy or radiation therapy were less likely to use aggressive treatments or be admitted to intensive care compared to similar patients who were not enrolled in hospice, significantly reducing medical costs. Unlike organizations reimbursed […]
Obtaining necessary pain medications for terminally ill patients is becoming more complicated for hospice and palliative care providers. The advocacy group Healthcare Professionals for Patients in Pain (HP3) raised the alarm on potential misapplication of opioid prescription guidelines throughout the health care continuum in an open letter to policymakers. Pain management is a cornerstone of […]
From Medicare advantage, a rapidly changing health care landscape, and burgeoning demand for care in a time of severe staffing shortages, William Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice has been a front-line advocate on the most pressing issues staring down hospice providers in today’s marketplace. Prior to his keynote address […]
The Hospice and Home Care Foundation of North Carolina (HHCF) has launched a pilot program to develop a comprehensive and systematic on-boarding system for recently graduated and newly hired registered nurses who are working in hospice or home health for the first time. Through the program, HHCF helps to reduce the impact of ongoing staff […]
The George M. Leader Family Corp, a Pennsylvania-based retirement community operator, has added Lifesong Hospice and Palliative Care to its portfolio. Lifesong will provide hospice care to residents of the parent company’s senior living facilities throughout central Pennsylvania, including Country Meadows Retirement Communities, Providence Place, and the nonprofit Ecumenical Retirement Community in Harrisburg. “The decision […]
A coalition of health care, government, and community stakeholders has banded together to help minorities in New Jersey access hospice and palliative care, as well as advance care planning. The Goals of Care Coalition of New Jersey has begun a new educational program to help the public, and minorities in particular, understand the health care […]
Walla Walla Community Hospice (WWCH) is expanding its service area after a local hospital ended its hospice care program. The Walla Walla, Wash.-based hospice, which currently serves its home county as well as Columbia County in Washington and parts of Umatilla County in Oregon, will now provide care to Pendleton, Ore., and its surrounding communities. […]
West Palm Beach-based MorseLife Health System has launched a new hospice service—Palm Beach Hospice and Palliative Care—designed to address the end-of-life care needs of Jewish patients and their families. Though the new hospice and palliative care service is open to patients of all religions, the program specializes in providing services that take into account Jewish […]
Ohio-based Community Health Professionals (CHP) Home Care and Hospice announced that its Van Wert Area Inpatient Hospice Center will no longer accept referrals effective Apr. 1, citing high costs of maintaining the facility, as well as a goal of strengthening its in-home hospice care programs. “We have been blessed for the past decade to be […]