New Jersey Study Reveals Statewide Racial Disparities in Hospice Referrals

Race and socioeconomic status continue to deepen disparities in access to end-of-life care across the country. Recent research from Rutgers University-New Brunswick in New Jersey has revealed gaps in hospice referrals and palliative care consultations among underserved patient populations in the state. African-American and Hispanic patients had “significantly lower odds” of receiving a hospice referral […]

Addus Hires Former Encompass Health Executive, Gears Up for Major Growth

Addus HomeCare Corporation (NASDAQ: ADUS) announced Wednesday that it has named a new EVP and chief development officer in Cliff Blessing, who had previously served as the EVP of corporate development for Encompass Health’s (NYSE: EHC) home health and hospice business. The move appears to reflect an aggressive M&A strategy for Addus, which was highlighted […]

Paradigm Founder Retires; Crossroads Names New VP of Business Development

Paradigm Health CEO and founder retires After nearly a decade at the helm of Paradigm Living Concepts LLC (Paradigm Health), President and CEO Jeff Jarecki is stepping into retirement. Michelle Pickering will take the reins of the Indiana-based hospice and palliative care provider. Jarecki founded Indiana-based Paradigm Health in 2013. The company cares for more […]

Staffing Summit Panel: A Discussion with Axxess

This article is brought to you by Axxess. The article is based on an interview that took place during a virtual panel discussion with Christina Andrews, Director of Professional Services at Axxess, Dean Forman, Chief Operating Officer at Chapters Health System, and Sonnie Linebarger, Chief Operating Officer at Bristol Hospice. The panel took place virtually […]

Lincolnland Hospice Gets Green Light to Build New Facility

Illinois-based Lincolnland Hospice of Sarah Bush Lincoln recently received approval from local legislators to renovate a location on a local hospital campus to include an inpatient hospice house. Expected to open early in 2023, construction will begin this spring. The Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center Hospice House will feature eight private patient suites, family quiet […]

Is Bereavement Care Going High Tech?

As hospice and palliative care providers seek ways to engage patients and families further upstream, a small but growing cadre of entrepreneurs has been building solutions for needs that emerge downstream — when families are navigating the aftermath of a loved one’s death. Bereaved families must cope not only with grief, but necessary tasks such […]

Hospices Expand Inpatient Care, But Tread Carefully

Hospice inpatient centers have proliferated since the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rebased payment rates in 2020. While reimbursement increases can foster growth, a convergence of factors complicate providers’ ability to balance a healthy margin with the expanded access to care. The 2020 rebasing instituted a 2.7% payment increase in payments for […]

Pandemic Pushes Death Doula Awareness, Hospices Seek Strengthened Ties

Demand for end-of-life doulas (EOLD) has risen during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the high rates of mortality and increased awareness of their services. In tandem, some hospices have recognized opportunities to collaborate with EOLDs. For one, “death doulas” can help educate patients and families about the benefits of hospice, dispelling some of the misconceptions […]

Hospices Get Creative to Rebuild Volunteer Programs During COVID

Hospices are finding the need to be creative and adaptable as they rebuild volunteer programs that were suspended or diminished during the height of the pandemic. Hospices rely on volunteers to organize educational programs, perform back office work, fundraising and to help patients stave off loneliness and social isolation. But need for social distancing and […]

Early Goals-of-Care Talks Could Improve Hospice Access for Dementia Patients

Terminally ill patients suffering from dementia are more likely to receive life-sustaining treatments when children versus spouses were involved as decision-makers, according to recent research. The difference in end-of-life treatment choices suggests that more work needs to be done to ensure that surrogate decision makers and care teams are aware of patient preferences as early […]