National Symposium: Come for the Sunshine, Stay for the Program

Jennifer Moore Ballentine, MA, executive director, discusses the theme chosen for the 2022 National Symposium and offers a glimpse of what attendees can expect, from plenary speakers to exhibit opportunities and more.

What Does the Hospice Carve-In Demo Mean for Hospices and Their Business Model?

Hospice innovation points to a world where hospice care is a “carve-in” to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, rather than carved out as a separate benefit provided by Medicare-certified hospices, as it is currently.

Palliative Pain Management Must Include Mitigation of Opioid Misuse

For hospice and palliative care clinicians, pain management is an essential responsibility in managing the symptoms of serious illnesses. But the unabated tragedy of prescription opioid misuse and overdoses requires close attention. Incorporating mitigating approaches into palliative care training is critical.

Hospital at Home and Palliative Care: How Should They Work Together?

Interest in the hospital at home concept has gained momentum as health systems, the Veterans Administration, and managed care organizations are testing the approach for treating seriously ill adults in a more familiar and comfortable setting.

POLST Comes of Age, Moves Toward Greater Standardization

In recent years, Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) has become almost a routine part of the health care system, and it continues to spread and become standardized as more states work to ensure portability, across settings and state lines, through electronic registries.

Can Policy Help to Expand Advance Care Planning?

As the world re-emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, health care advocates work to remove barriers to advance care planning, expand completions of advance directives, and ensure interoperability for advance directives in electronic health records (EHRs).

Gender Questions Challenge Hospice and Palliative Professionals to Come Down on the Side of Inclusivity

Hospice and palliative care nurses play an important role in understanding the care needs of LGBT patients, honoring their journey, and promoting awareness and inclusivity within the inter-disciplinary team.

Respect for Direct Care Workers in Hospice Care

For hospices and home health agencies, home health aides are vital members of the care team. But in other models of home and community-based care, their roles may be less clear. Offering them meaningful career development opportunities can go a long way in helping to address disparities in palliative care.

Community Health Workers Offer Access to Underserved Groups

Before COVID hit, Resolution Care Network – a telemedicine palliative care service in Eureka, Calif. – employed community health workers (CHWs) as an extension of its interdisciplinary palliative care team. They were the agency’s feet on the ground, its eyes and ears in the field, said CEO Michael Fratkin, MD.

Ensuring Equitable Access to Needed Care for the Seriously Ill through the Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM)

More than a year into the pandemic, we now have data on the disproportionate devastation wrought upon racial and ethnic minority groups across our country.

Physician Assistants Pursue Larger Roles in Hospice and Palliative Care

The role of PAs in hospice and palliative care has been advancing over the past several years and is poised to keep growing, a great step in expanding access to palliative care to people who need it.

Crucial Need to Expand Palliative Care in Rural Communities

Interest in palliative care appears to have grown during the pandemic, but one sector still lags: rural communities. The challenges in rural care delivery are significant, but so is the need, experts say.