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The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization's (NHPCO) annual report, Facts and figures: hospice care in America, shows the number of patients served remains fairly constant at 1.58 million in 2010 (a slight rise from 1.56 million served in 2009). Yet a statistic of concern to hospice and palliative care professionals is the drop in median and average length of service.
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A Massachusetts appeals court has overturned a ruling by Norfolk probate judge Christina L. Harms who ordered that a 32-year-old mentally ill woman, known as "Mary Moe," have an abortion against her will even if it meant she had to be coaxed, bribed, or even enticed into a hospital. Additionally, Harms ordered that the Moe be sterilized.
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According to the results of a study1 in Psychiatry Research, spirituality and religiousness might contribute to improved quality of life (QOL) in patients who have been diagnosed with residual schizophrenia.
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Recently ripped from the headlines is the heartbreaking story of a 3-year-old girl in dire need of a kidney transplant. Additionally, she was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called Wolf-Hirschhorn, which is characterized by a distinctive facial appearance, delayed growth and development, diminished intellectual disability, and epileptic-like seizures.
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As part of its efforts to reduce readmissions, WellStar Health System, based in suburban Atlanta, is meeting with post-acute providers to collaborate on ways to make transitions between levels of care smoother. It is piloting a program in which a transition coach works with heart failure patients in the hospital and follows them for four weeks following discharge.
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One of the ways busy EDs are attempting to manage long wait times is by enabling patients who don't need immediate care to make an appointment to be seen in the ED one or two hours in advance.
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When St. Anthony's Hospital and Pinellas Point Nursing and Rehabilitation, both located in St. Petersburg, FL, collaborated on a project to reduce heart failure readmissions, the team determined that many readmissions were for sepsis. They embarked on a project that eliminated sepsis as a reason for readmission in just six months.
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Since the Presbyterian Healthcare Services in Albuquerque, NM, started its emergency department navigation program, targeting patients who seek treatment for minor ailments, 11,600 patients have been navigated to other levels of care. Only about 5% of them have returned to the emergency department with non-emergent conditions or illnesses.
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In this month's issue of Case Management Insider, we will continue our discussion on case management roles, functions, and models, with more information on today's best practice models. We will explore the advantages of each model and minimum staffing ratios for each.
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With increasing scrutiny on medical necessity and cuts in reimbursement, along with a growing emphasis on care coordination and transitions in care, case management's position as a major player in the hospital should be assured. But that's not always the case.
