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Hospices Stepping Up Performance on Visits-in-Last-Days-of-Life Measure

Hospice News

The number of registered nurse and social worker visits during a patient’s final week is one of the seven quality measures that CMS uses to evaluate providers. Social worker visits in the last days of life also rose to 9% in 2021, up from 7% in 2020. In 2019, for example, the percentage was 66%.

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Facility-Bound Hospice Patients Less Likely to Get SIA Visits

Hospice News

It allows hospices to bill on an hourly basis for registered nurse and social worker visits during the last seven days of a patient’s life, in addition to the standard per diem reimbursement. More than $200 million SIA payments were distributed in 2021, compared to less than $100 million in 2017, according to the Abt research.

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The Benefits of Palliative, Home-Based Primary Care Integration

Hospice News

A 2017 analysis of Northwestern’s program showed significant cost reductions, reduced hospital readmissions and increases in hospice enrollment and length of stay, Chiang said at the symposium. The program is in the process of hiring its first social worker as a part-time employee.

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Hospices Call on Congress to Support Rural Hospices, Patients

Hospice News

About 845 hospices provided care in rural-based regions in 2021, a drop from 878 organizations in 2017, the MedPAC report found. Things that are unique for rural and frontier providers are trying to find qualified staff, registered nurses, physicians, social workers or spiritual care providers,” Wood said.

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Calls Grow Louder for Greater Federal Support of Rural Hospices

Hospice News

The letter included a push to pass the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA), which if passed would provide incentives to expand training programs for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and chaplains.

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Social Workers as Leaders on Palliative Care Teams: A Podcast with Barbara Jones

GeriPal

In day-to-day practice, It’s hard to imagine providing excellent hospice or palliative care services without access to a team social worker. But are we really taking full advantage of ALL social workers have to offer our field? I don’t know if this person was a social worker or not. Barbara: Yay.

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Global Partners in Care Program Fosters International Collaboration on Palliative Care

Hospice News

Global Partners in Care became an affiliate of CHC in 2017, but the program’s roots were planted in 1999. So, in 2017 Global Partners in Care moved from NHPCO and is now affiliated with the Center for Hospice Care.” Historic run Getting the Global Partners in Care program to this level has been quite the journey for CHC.