Hospice News and Research

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Study shows how streamlined patient pathways may improve efficiency of healthcare delivery

The Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation (the Alliance) today released research detailing the care pathways patients receive for three distinct episode types: post-acute, pre-acute and non-post-acute.

23 May 2012

Palliative care interventions may boost overall survival of cancer patients

Recent studies have shown that palliative care interventions aimed at addressing patients' emotional, spiritual and social needs have a significant impact on cancer patients' quality of life and may even improve cancer patients' overall survival. Despite this, most cancer patients being cared for in their communities do not have access to these services.

19 May 2012

AACN to honor Detroit nurse with Flame of Excellence Award

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) will present the Flame of Excellence Award to Margaret L. "Meg" Campbell, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, a nationally known expert in hospital-based palliative care and end-of-life issues.

19 May 2012

EvergreenHealth announces recipients of 2012 Nursing Excellence awards

In celebration of National Nurses Week, EvergreenHealth recently recognized the exceptional care its nursing teams across the organization provide to enrich the health and well-being of each life they touch with the organization's annual Nursing Excellence awards. The organization awarded a group of exemplary caregivers during its nursing awards ceremony on May 8, 2012.

16 May 2012

NHPCO to develop and launch ‘Reaffirming Hospice Campaign’

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has contracted with Hill + Knowlton Strategies to develop and launch a "Reaffirming Hospice Campaign." This national campaign will reinforce the vital importance and quality of hospice to policy makers, healthcare professionals, and baby boomers.

4 May 2012

Kindred Healthcare first quarter consolidated revenues increase 33% to $1.6 billion

Kindred Healthcare, Inc. today announced its operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012. The Company's consolidated financial statements include the operating results of RehabCare Group, Inc. since the closing of the acquisition on June 1, 2011.

2 May 2012

State roundup: Mass. may vote on assisted suicide; Colo. to try medical homes

Heather Clish has become a leading advocate for affording terminally ill patients in Massachusetts the same choice her father had. Clish and other supporters are pushing a ballot initiative to legalize the practice they call Death with Dignity, more commonly known as physician-assisted suicide.

30 Apr 2012

ACP offers recommendations to ensure Medicare beneficiaries

A dozen recommendations to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have access to high-quality, coordinated care were provided today by the American College of Physicians (ACP). The new policy paper, Reforming Medicare in the Age of Deficit Reduction, was released at Internal Medicine 2012, ACP's annual scientific meeting.

21 Apr 2012

Study looks at quality measures provided by nursing homes

While nursing homes are the place where an estimated 30 percent of Americans die, there currently exists no way to compare which institutions do a better job at managing end of life care. A new study appearing this week in the Journal of Palliative Medicine is starting a discussion over the need to create end of life quality measures in order to both inform consumers and provide nursing homes with incentive to improve care.

17 Apr 2012

States roundup: Aetna goes ahead with small biz coverage hike; 1.2M Texas kids without insurance; Legal immigrants join Mass. health plan

Despite criticism from the state insurance commissioner and several statewide consumer groups, Aetna said Thursday it's going ahead with a recent hike in health care premiums for small businesses. Aetna's new increases, which average 8 percent annually and took effect April 1, were deemed "unreasonable" this week by state Department of Insurance Commissioner David Jones.

10 Apr 2012

Nine physician organizations identify specific tests or procedures that may be unnecessary

Nine leading physician specialty societies have identified specific tests or procedures that they say are commonly used but not always necessary in their respective fields. Patient advocates are calling the move a significant step toward improving the quality and safety of health care.

4 Apr 2012

Ensign subsidiary acquires Zion's Way Home Health and Hospice

The Ensign Group, Inc., announced today that an Ensign subsidiary has acquired Zion's Way Home Health and Hospice, a well-regarded home health and hospice agency based in St. George, Utah, with branch offices in the cities of Kanab, Utah and Page, Arizona. The acquisition was effective as of April 1, 2012.

3 Apr 2012

Capital Caring to honor ML Strategies' Senior VP with Distinguished Advocacy Partner Award

Tom Koutsoumpas, Senior Vice President of ML Strategies, is being honored by Capital Caring for his efforts to improve hospice services in Washington, D.C. Mr. Koutsoumpas will be presented with the Distinguished Advocacy Partner Award at the fifth annual "Hospice Comes to Washington" event on Wednesday, March 28, 2012.

29 Mar 2012

Many children with life limiting conditions have been underestimated

The number of children with conditions such as muscular dystrophy, neurodegenerative disorders or severe cerebral palsy who are surviving into adulthood has been underestimated, a new study shows.

12 Mar 2012

Immediate Clinic acquires Doctors Express

The Ensign Group, Inc., the parent company of the Ensign group of skilled nursing, rehabilitative care services, hospice care, assisted living and urgent care companies, today announced that its urgent care joint venture, Immediate Clinic LLC, has acquired Doctors Express, a national urgent care franchise system.

5 Mar 2012

Dutch mobile euthanasia units stir controversy

Controversy has been stirred by a system of mobile euthanasia units that will travel around the country to respond to the wishes of sick people who wish to end their lives in the Netherlands.

4 Mar 2012

Ten physicians indicted in alleged $250 million fraud scheme

As has been the trend in some recent health care fraud cases, the physicians were not the ringmasters. Instead, the indictments allege that they were fronts for others -; primarily immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

2 Mar 2012

State roundup: Helping hand for safety-net clinics; Conn. tries medical homes; Kansas disabled waiting for space

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the largest private insurer in the Washington [DC] region, plans to announce Tuesday that it will give $8.5 million to a dozen safety-net clinics to help them use a coordinated primary-care approach to treat their most vulnerable patients, executives said. ... One of the recipients is the Arlington Free Clinic, which provides free health care to about 1,600 low-income, uninsured residents.

28 Feb 2012

State legislatures contemplate controlling costs, health IT, prescribing authority

The proposed premium hikes for hundreds of thousands of California consumers with individual coverage would outpace the cost of overall medical care, which has risen just 3.6 percent in the last year.

24 Feb 2012

State roundup: Calif. HMO report cards, Ore. family planning bills challenged, Texas managed care

Gov. Corbett's new budget proposal would cost the city $42 million in mostly mental health and addiction treatment funding, but city officials say the impact will be worsened by ensuing needs for emergency shelter, child welfare, and other services. … The city Health Department faces an additional $7 million in state cuts. That would reduce the number of beds in the city nursing home and cost hospice beds for AIDS victims, officials said.

23 Feb 2012