National POLST Giving Tuesday, 2024
News
CAPC Training Offers
Learn to Effectively Manage Chronic Pain, and Fulfill DEA Training Requirement
The opioid epidemic is affecting communities across the country, leading to a widespread fear of prescribing. As a result, many patients with serious illness are unable to access safe and appropriate pain management, leading to unnecessary suffering for people with chronic pain. CAPC’s clinical training unit, https://www.google.com/url?q=https://capc.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3D438990d4379c361205e1e1560%26id%3D951a3b0917%26e%3D9d8f583a7d&source=gmail&ust=1728478051252000&usg=AOvVaw3-QhEfc2ejnYfPsqDdS4a_">Chronic Pain Strategies for Patients with Serious Illness, provides a comprehensive approach to managing chronic pain in patients living with serious illness.
For more information and to register for the training, Click Here
PCLC Training
PCLC Training → Enroll Your Team in Customized Training and Mentoring
Palliative Care Leadership Centers™ (PCLC) offer tailored training and year-long mentoring for your team, aimed at fostering program growth, enhancing cost-effectiveness, and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Upon completing the training, Jan Jahner, BSN, and her team expressed their appreciation."The most unique part of the training was the personalized attention our team received. They were able to offer us tailored guidance, and the mentoring helped us sustain our momentum after training." Discover more testimonials about the impact of the PCLC experience.
Contact one of our palliative care centers of excellence to discuss virtual and in-person training options for programs of every setting, stage, and size. Space is limited. You must be a team of two or more to attend.
Locations
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center →
Richmond, VA
Bluegrass Care Navigators →
Lexington, KY
University of Virginia Health System (UVA) →
Charlottesville, VA
Presbyterian Healthcare Services →
Albuquerque, NM
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) →
San Francisco, CA
Northwell Health →
Manhasset, NY
University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Center (UAB) →
Birmingham, AL
U.S. Supreme Court Says Government Can Dismiss Whistleblower Lawsuits
Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq.
Whistleblowers have brought many qui tam law suits against providers based on the False Claims Act. Enforcers love them! Now the U.S. Supreme Court has decided, in United States ex rel. Polansky v. Executive Health Resources [No. 21-1052 (U.S. June 16, 2023)], that the Government may dismiss such suits over the objections of persons or relators who filed them. This case is important to providers because it may make it more difficult for whistleblowers to continue their qui tam lawsuits.
The False Claims Act authorizes private parties, known as relators, to sue on the Government’s behalf. These suits, so-called qui tam actions or whistleblower suits, are brought in the name of the Government. If suits lead to recoveries, relators may receive up to thirty percent of monies recovered.
Elizabeth E Hogue, Esq Article
Elizabeth Hogue, Esq. Articles
Elizabeth E. Hogue is an attorney in private practice with extensive experience in health care. She represents clients all over the country including professional associations, managed care providers, and health care providers including hospitals, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, durable medical equipment companies, and hospices.
Elizabeth's articles
©2024 Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq. All rights reserved.
No portion of this material may be reproduced in any form without the advance written permission of the author.
Maine Legislature honors Down East Hospice Volunteers 40 years of Compassionate Care
Maine Legislature honors Down East Hospice Volunteers 40 years of Compassionate Care
On October 13, Representative Anne Perry and Senator Marianne Moore presented Down East Hospice Volunteers Executive Director Barb Barnett and Board President Paul Strickland with a Legislative Sentiment. This Sentiment is signed by President of the Senate Troy Jackson, Secretary of the Senate Darek Grant, Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau and Clerk of the House Robert Hunt. It was introduced by Representative Perry and cosponsored by Senator Moore.
“Given this fourteenth day of September, 2021 at the State Capitol Augusta, Maine
Court Upholds Vaccine Mandate Again
Court Upholds Vaccine Mandate Again
Legal challenges to vaccine mandates continue. One of the most recent challenges already addressed by the Court is Christy Beckerich, et al v. St. Elizabeth Medical Center, et al [Civil Case No. 21-105-DLB-EBA, (E.D. Ky. Sept. 24, 2021)]. In this case, the Court rejected employees’ request for a Temporary Restraining Order and/or Preliminary Injunction to block vaccine mandates based on its conclusion that private employers can modify employment conditions to require employees to be vaccinated in response to an unprecedented global pandemic. The Plaintiffs in this case are a group of healthcare workers, both past and presently employed by St. Elizabeth Medical Center and Summit Medical Group.
Janet Durgin
Patients’ Right to Freedom of Choice
Patients’ Right to Freedom of Choice of Providers: Complaint by Provider against Hospital Substantiated by State Surveyors
©2021 Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq. All rights reserved.
No portion of this material may be reproduced in any form without the advance written permission of the author.
Providers must have a steady stream of referrals in order to be viable. By the same token, all patients have the right to choose the providers who render care to them.
Several sources affirm the right of patients to choose their providers, including the following:
How to Handle Allegations of Fraud and Abuse from Patients and Their Families
Home care providers of all types; including home health agencies, hospices, private duty agencies and HME companies; that receive any monies from federal or state programs; such as Medicare, Medicaid, Medicaid waiver, or Tricare; must make fraud and abuse compliance a top priority. As patients and their families become more familiar with fraud and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid Programs and in other state and federal health care programs, the number of communications related to this topic from patients and their families is likely to increase. A crucial question for managers is how to handle these allegations.NHPCO Regulatory Alert
CMS Posts Memorandum on Nursing Shortage: CMS states that findings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics continue to forecast a shortage of nurses through 2024 with a job growth rate that is faster than the average. In remote instances, a hospice provider may find that a shortage of nurses creates a temporary impact on its ability to provide nursing services to patients and as a result may create an access to care concern for hospice beneficiaries.
NHPCO/We Honor Veterans Trauma Informed Care Grant
Maine Hospice Council Receives Grant Funding for Trauma-Informed Care for Veterans on Hospice Initiative
Augusta, ME – The Maine Hospice Council and Center for End-of-Life Care (MHC) has received one of 13 grants to work in partnership with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s “We Honor Veterans Program” (NHPCO/WHV) and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The goal is to increase awareness of PTSD, Moral Injury and Suicide and the subsequent impact on end of life and palliative care. This will be accomplished in partnership with community organizations, and our long-time partners at Togus VA Medical Center (TVAMC).
NHPCO Press Release
Great News! The Maine Hospice Council and Center for End-of-Life Care has been awarded grant funding from NHPCO’s We Honor Veterans Program and Department of Veterans Affairs for Trauma-Informed Care for Veterans on Hospice Initiative.
To read full press release, click here!
The Maine Hospice Council is partnering with Maine Veterans Hospital, mental health organizations, and state hospice volunteer programs to create educational trainings to be implemented statewide.
Keep watch for your opportunity to participate in one of these educational trainings!
Hospice Patient’s Rights Related to Neglect
Upon election of hospice the patient should expect the hospice to provide for all services related to the patient’s terminal illness and related conditions, including ensuring the patient’s rights are respected. Failure of the hospice to comply with the Medicare requirement related to patient’s rights has the potential to lead significant consequence, such as patient neglect which may cause harm to the patient.“Neglect in hospice may be difficult to identify and may result from inaction on the part of the hospice or its employees.” Examples of neglect may include:
A Message from Maine Health
Dear MaineHealth patient,
As the world-wide coronavirus outbreak continues to dominate our news each day, we know this may be a source of growing concern for you and your family.
MaineHealth and its family of health care providers across Maine and Carroll County, N.H., stand ready as a resource for the communities we serve. We want to assure you that keeping our patients, families and staff safe and well is our top priority during this time.
To that end, we want to share with you, in question and answer format, some important information about COVID-19 and how we can all work together to minimize its impact in our communities.
NHPCO is Supportive of Policies in Bipartisan Legislation to Enhance Oversight of Hospice Care
November 8, 2019
On November 7, 2019, Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced S. 2807, a bipartisan bill entitled the Hospice Care Improvement Act of 2019, specifically written to address the concerns identified by the HHS Office of Inspector General about hospice survey deficiencies and patient harm. NHPCO supports many of the policies in the bill as it closely tracks NHPCO’s recommended Hospice Program Integrity Initiatives. Thank you to the Legislative, Regulatory, and Quality Committees for their work on vetting and approving many of the program integrity measures that were included in this legislation. NHPCO will continue to engage with the sponsors of the legislation and hope to further refine the legislation to include enhanced access to hospice.
NHPCO REGULATORY ALERT
Summary of CMS Final Rule
Final Rule on Discharge Planning, Interoperability and Patient Preferences
Summary at a Glance
On September 30, CMS published a final rule which:
Executive Order from the Office of the Governor
LDL1313 (Death with Dignity Act)
The Maine Hospice Council has been listed as one consulting entity for the Department of Health and Human Services as part of the major substantive rulemaking process and as part of its broader data collection and analysis of trends and practices.
To read the full Executive Order, please click the link below.
Maine is #1 in Hospice Utilization Growth
Congratulations!
Maine is #1 in Hospice Utilization Growth!
Spotlight on Seniors Interview with MHC's Kandyce Powell
Spotlight on Seniors Interview with Kandyce Powell, ED of the Maine Hospice Council
