The incidence of end-stage heart failure is expected to rise throughout the next decade, and hospices are preparing to serve those patients when they become eligible. The number of people who suffer from heart failure is expected to rise by 46% between 2012 and 2023, the American Heart Association (AHA) reported. However, hospice utilization remains […]
Chemed Corp.
VITAS Healthcare, a subsidiary of Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE), has opened its first hospice house in Orange County, California, currently the only such facility in that region. The inpatient facility began accepting referrals on Monday, June 26, and the company expects it to serve more than 300 seriously ill patients annually. “There has been a […]
Amid persistent workforce shortages, sign-on and employee referral bonuses, as well as enhanced benefits, are bearing the most fruit for hospice providers. Though many providers are reporting upward trends when it comes to recruitment and retention, some clinical and administrative vacancies remain pain points. Filling gaps in the hospice workforce has come with hefty financial […]
Though older Asian-American adults may be less likely to discuss pain and symptom management needs with their health care professionals, they may be more receptive to the psychosocial support included in hospice and palliative care, according to recent research from VITAS’ Healthcare. About 63% of Asians indicated that they would want to receive emotional support […]
Investments in their workforce have spurred VITAS Healthcare forward on the road to pre-pandemic financial and clinical performance. Like many providers, VITAS has traversed some rough terrain since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020. A rash of industry-wide headwinds compressed margins and depressed revenue, including spiking supply and labor costs, reduced referrals and length of […]
Recent data may give hospice providers deeper insight around the driving forces of nursing shortages. Hospices may see a mass exodus of registered nurses in coming years, particularly younger, newer and less experienced nurses experiencing pandemic-related burnout, according to an analysis from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Nearly 900,000 of the […]
As health care has changed, so has the role of hospices’ financial leadership. Hospice CFOs have had to retool during the past few years due to the influence of the pandemic, growing technology investments and the need to do more with less amid widespread inflation and labor pressures. These dynamics have forced many CFOs to […]
A majority of people in the United States know the types of end-of-life care they wish to receive, but only 22% have documented their wishes. Significant variations in advance care planning utilization also exist among racial and ethnic groups. About 25% of those who have documented their wishes are white. African Americans represented 22%, Hispanics […]
The 2024 proposed hospice rule from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) signals the agency’s earliest response to widespread calls to bolster program integrity within the benefit. In additional to a 2.8% hike in the per diem base rate, the proposal includes new requirements around who can certify patients, health equity initiatives, […]
Hospices are working to strike a harmonious chord between increased demand for inpatient care and the workforce resources to support it. Some hospice providers have seen a rise in demand for inpatient care. While a number have been able to expand to address this need, others have had to shutter their inpatient programs due to […]
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