ORGANIZATIONAL EFFORTS NEEDED TO MITIGATE BURNOUT ON HOSPICE CARE TEAMS A pre-pandemic study published by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health examines workplace perceptions among interdisciplinary hospice care workers. The study employed focus groups and a semi-structured interview to evaluate nurses, managers, social workers, chaplains, hospice aides, support staff, and physicians. […]
Texas Register TITLE 22. EXAMINING BOARDS PART 9. TEXAS MEDICAL BOARD CHAPTER 174. TELEMEDICINE SUBCHAPTER A. TELEMEDICINE 22 TAC §174.5—The Texas Medical Board (Board) adopts, on an emergency basis, amendments to 22 TAC §174.5, effective September 3, 2020, at 12:01 a.m. In light of the impending expiration of emergency rule §174.5, the Board adopts, on an […]
COMPASSION & CHOICES ADDRESSES RACIAL DISPARITIES IN END-OF-LIFE CARE It is important to consider the role race plays in end-of-life care and decisions. Particularly in this moment, in which we are experiencing a global pandemic and racial upheaval in our country, we must acknowledge the race-based disparities in our healthcare system. “Hispanics and people […]
Texas Register TITLE 40. SOCIAL SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE PART 1. DEPARTMENT OF AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES CHAPTER 49. CONTRACTING FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES–As required by Texas Government Code, §531.0202(b), the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) was abolished effective September 1, 2017, after all of its functions were transferred to the Health and Human Services Commission […]
INTERVENTION IMPROVES COMMUNICATION SCORES ON HOSPICE PROVIDER TEAM For the first time, Medicare is providing results of consumer surveys of hospice care quality through Hospice Compare. These surveys, called Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers & Systems (CAHPS), are sent to hospice patients’ primary caregiver after death. A study published by Journal of Hospice & […]
Texas Register NOTE: Hospice providers are considered essential services in this rule. TITLE 40. SOCIAL SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE PART 1. DEPARTMENT OF AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES CHAPTER 9. INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY SERVICES–MEDICAID STATE OPERATING AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES SUBCHAPTER D. HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES (HCS) PROGRAM AND COMMUNITY FIRST CHOICE (CFC) 40 TAC §9.199, §9.299—The Executive Commissioner of the […]
PROPUBLICA EXAMINES HOSPITAL’S DISMISSAL PRACTICES DURING COVID-19 Sarah Johnson was 86 years old when admitted to Ochsner hospital in New Orleans with COVID-19. Less than 24 hours later, she was dismissed to her home to receive hospice care. ProPublica’s article, “Sent Home to Die,” explores Johnson’s end-of-life journey, as well as the practices at […]
Federal Register DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR Parts 410, 413, 414, 422, 423, 482, 483, 485, 488 and 493 Medicare and Medicaid Programs, Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 […]
RACIAL DISPARITIES CONTINUE IN HOSPICE CARE Even as hospice utilization continues to increase, “racial disparities in the use of hospice care and the intensity of end-of-life treatment remain,” reports a JAMA article. The study, focused on better understanding of differences in the hospice experiences of Black and White patients, finds that Black patients are “significantly […]