How Hospices Can Rebrand Post-Merger, Acquisition

Rebranding a hospice company following a merger or acquisition is a more complex process than it may seem at first blush. While consolidation slowed in 2023, many industry observers expect a rebound in 2024, though perhaps not to the record-breaking levels seen in 2021. And although not all acquired companies rebrand, many do in order […]

PeaceHealth Hospice Nurses Move Forward with Strike

Hospice and home health nurses at PeaceHealth’s Sacred Heart Home Care Services have announced an impending strike following failed attempts to reach wage agreements in negotiations with the organization. Home care and hospice nurses at PeaceHealth have given notice that the strike will launch on Feb. 1 and end on Feb. 14. Roughly 90 of […]

Researchers Link Social Determinants to Pain Management in End-of-Life Care

Recent research shows that social determinants of health programs can help improve pain and symptom management for end-of-life patients in underserved communities. A recent study published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology found disparities in pain management among Black, Asian and Hispanic cancer patient populations, based on variation in the availability of social determinants of […]

Inside AccentCare’s New, Centralized Approach to Bereavement Care  

After five years of planning, the post-acute services provider AccentCare recently re-organized its bereavement care services, which are now coordinated from a national center. This centralization was designed to ensure consistency in its grief care operations and to ensure comparable quality across the company’s national footprint, Yelena Zatulovsky, vice-president of patient experience for AccentCare, said […]

Breaking Down Barriers: The Crucial Role of Social Workers in Dispelling Hospice Misconceptions

Social workers have an increasingly important role to play in breaking down barriers among underserved populations, including misconceptions about hospice that can deter or dampen utilization. Social workers can be pivotal to shaping care delivery approaches and community outreach efforts that improve hospice access and understanding, according to Arlen Gaines, licensed clinical social worker and […]

Unity Hospice and Palliative Care Expands General Inpatient Care

Unity Hospice and Palliative Care of Greater Houston has unveiled a five-year general inpatient (GIP) service agreement with the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Health. The hospice will provide GIP care across the health system’s four hospitals. UTMB Health’s service region includes 10 cities in Texas. Among the driving forces behind the service agreement […]

HHS: Hospice, Post-Acute Providers Lag on EMR Interoperability

Hospices and other post-acute health care providers lag behind hospitals and ambulatory settings when it comes to electronic health record (EMR) interoperability. More than 85% of ambulatory practices and 95% of hospitals have adopted and use some form of EMR to document patient care and share data to varying degrees, according to a new report […]

New Dementia-Focused Payment Model Emphasizes Caregiver Support

Without family caregivers, most hospice and palliative care patients would be unable to receive care in the home. Now, some emerging payment models are including caregiver support as a key component. Case in point is the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) model, which the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled in […]

Hospices Call on Congress to Support Rural Hospices, Patients

Hospice providers, industry groups and other stakeholders recently penned a letter urging Congress to improve payment infrastructures that would increase access to end-of-life care among rural populations. The letter highlighted the unique challenges that rural and frontier hospice and palliative care providers face, and how strengthened financial support could lead to sustainable access and better […]

Bereaved Families Face Serious Health, Financial Hardships

Grieving family members often suffer physical symptoms and severe financial burdens following the death of a loved one. More than 70% of respondents to a survey by the bereavement care tech platform Empathy reported at least one mental health symptom for a few weeks after the death of a loved one; 58% indicated that the […]