Vincent Mor Receives NHPCO Distinguished Researcher Award

Vincent Mor, PhD, MED, professor of Medical Science, Heath Services, Policy & Practice at Brown University was awarded the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s 2013 Distinguished Researcher Award.

 

Many in the U.S. hospice community are familiar with Mor’s work from the mid-1980’s when he headed the National Hospice Study – the initial evaluation of the impact of hospice care under the then new Medicare hospice benefit – on the cost and quality of life outcomes experience by terminal care patients.  He continues to influence policy maker’s decision-making for hospice today.

 

Most recently, Mor and his Brown colleagues have documented large regional variation in hospitalization rates, including end-of-life transitions and the use of hospice and palliative care.

 

He has led contracted government projects related to aging and long term care such as patient outcomes in nursing homes and a national study of residential care facilities. Mor was one of the authors of the Congressionally mandated Minimum Data Set for Nursing Home Resident Assessment.

Mor has been principal investigator of nearly 30 NIH-funded grants as well as awards from the Robert Wood Johnston Foundation, The Commonwealth Fund, and other private foundations.

 

Mor was presented with the Distinguished Researcher Award by NHPCO President and CEO J. Donald Schumacher, PsyD, at the Friday morning conference plenary session where more than 1,000 hospice and palliative care professionals are gathered to explore innovation and excellence in clinical end-of-life care delivery.

“For thirty years, Vincent Mor’s research has focused on the impact of health care services on quality of care and outcomes for frail and chronically ill patients and his many contributions have improved the care many people have received,” said J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO. “One of the most important things we as a professional community can do is to shine a light on individuals who have contributed much to the work we are doing to care for those at life’s end.” 

 

The Distinguished Researcher Award was created by NHPCO to recognize an outstanding body of research that has contributed to the enhancement of hospice and palliative care.

 

Dr. Vincent Mor (R) Receives the Distinguished Researcher Award from NHPCO's Don Schumacher.

 

Dispelling Myths about Pain during Pain Awareness Month

The misconception that pain is a natural part of aging or illness and those who suffer must live with it is a common myth that leaves millions of people in pain every day. There is almost always a reason why a person is experiencing pain and in most cases physical pain can be managed.  

Hospice and palliative care professionals—experts in helping patients and families cope with pain—know from experience that pain can take away peace of mind, comfort, enjoyment, and most of all hope.

September is National Pain Awareness Month and helping people learn the truth about pain and what can be done to manage pain is the focus of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s campaign, LIVE Without Pain.

“When someone is in pain, it can be impossible to think about anything else,” said J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO. “Pain can make it difficult for you to work, sleep, maintain relationships with friends and loved ones and participate in simple activities.”

Physical pain is only one aspect of suffering.  Emotional and psychological suffering is also an important factor that must be considered. 

 “Good pain management improves quality of life and in most cases it is possible to manage pain and that’s why we want to increase public awareness about the issue,” explained Schumacher.

Some advice from professionals who help patients and family caregivers deal with pain:

·         In order for the doctor or other healthcare provider to determine the best way to control pain, they rely on what patients and family caregivers tell them, so communication is important.

·         Pain in older adults, just like pain in any other age group, is the body’s way of saying that something needs attention. Pain is a signal that it is time to talk with a doctor or other caregiver and seek help.

·         Pain associated with a life-limiting illness or at the end of life requires special attention and can best be treated by a palliative care or hospice provider.

LIVE—Without Pain resources are available free-of-charge from NHPCO’s Caring Connections at  www.CaringInfo.org/pain. You can learn about different kinds of pain, caring for someone in pain, talking with your physician, managing medications and more.

Royalties from New Book by Judith Fox to Benefit Hospice

On September 3, a new book was released by the award-winning photographer and author, Judith Fox. One Foot Forward: Stories and Faces of Widows and Widowers explores the poignant stories and portraits of 20 widowed women and men who have grieved and persevered in the face of losing their spouses to sudden death and chronic illness.

Fox is donating 100 percent of her royalties from this book to the National HospiceFoundation.

Fox comes to this topic from deep personal experience. She lost her first husband, Jerry, to an aggressive cancer in 1992, and for the past 15 years has cared for and advocated on behalf of her second husband, Dr. Ed Ackell, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease just three years after they married.

In 1998, after a successful career as a business leader and entrepreneur in both New York and Virginia, Fox returned to an earlier career in photography. Her first book, I Still Do: Loving and Living with Alzheimer’s, focuses on both her and her husband’s experiences with the disease and caregiving.

She explains the impetus for creating One Foot Forward:  “Because I was widowed before, it’s difficult not to think about the pain that I know is ahead of me when Ed dies. Writing One Foot Forward was a way to find some personal comfort as Ed’s life is coming to an end. I wrote the book that would have helped me and I hope will help others.”

“Death is an inevitable—and very difficult—part of life. But if we are fortunate enough to love and to have a significant relationship, one of the individuals in the relationship is eventually going to be widowed. So we might as well learn to talk about death and grief, and understand what it’s like to live through,” said Fox.

Fox selected NHF as the recipient of her royalties because she believes in the hospice and palliative care mission and wants to support work at the national level. She notes further, “Both my parents benefited from hospice care and my husband is currently being helped—as am I—by compassionate people at The Elizabeth Hospice in San Diego.”

“We are overwhelmed at Judith’s generosity and commitment to support the work of the National Hospice Foundation,” noted J. Donald Schumacher, NHF president and CEO.

To learn more about Judith, her new book, One Foot Forward, and her other works, visit www.judithfox.com.

To order her book and support NHF, see One Foot Forward on Amazon.com.

Outcome Resources Helps Bring Advocates to the Intensive

Outcome Resources, a Pharmaceutical Benefit Manager (PBM) exclusively serving hospices, has helped many of NHPCO’s programs over the past five years.

Most recently, they have offered their support to the Foundation of Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa’s “From San Diego to Africa” event as well as the National Hospice Foundation’s Run to Remember and the annual Gala. Their financial support for these events has allowed hospice patients and their families in both Africa and the United States to receive quality hospice care.

Dr. Martin McDonough founded Outcome Resources in 2000 to provide expertise to hospices on pain and symptom management. The firm helps hospices in reducing costs and increasing the quality of patient care. They have served as a very useful resource for NHPCO and our member hospices around the country. As Autumn Spence said in her opening remarks at the HAN Advocacy Intensive, everyone at Outcome Resources has a professional commitment to helping hospices succeed. This dedication shows in the satisfaction of customers nationwide.

This year, thanks to the generosity of Outcome Resources, ten advocates whose hospice programs would otherwise be unable to afford it were able to attend the Hospice Action Network’s Advocacy Intensive. HAN and NHPCO are incredibly grateful for their sponsorship.

The stories these advocates had to tell to their congressmen on the Hill, like all hospice stories, are very important, and if not for Outcome Resources, these stories would have gone unheard.

Penelope Gatlin from Outcome Resources with HAN Scholarship Recipients.

 

CMS Publishes Final Hospice Wage Index Rule - Many Provisions Included.

On Friday, August 2, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) posted the final FY2014 Hospice Wage Index rule.  This rule provides critically important information to providers on the following:

 1. Guidance on how hospices are to report multiple diagnoses on hospice claims
 2.Guidance on the discontinuation of the use of “debility” and “adult failure to thrive” as primary diagnoses
 3.Directives to MACs to begin the “Return to Provider” RTP process on and after October 1, 2014 for claims submitted with “debility” or “adult failure to thrive” as primary diagnoses
 4.Guidance on changes to coding for dementia diagnoses
 5.Guidance on changes in the requirements for hospice quality reporting, including discontinuation of data collection and reporting for the QAPI structural measure and NQF #0209
 6. Implementation of a Hospice Item Set (HIS) with seven National Quality Forum (NQF) endorsed measures, beginning July 1, 2014
 7.Implementation of a Hospice Experience of Care Survey beginning January 1, 2015
 8.Update on hospice payment reform

NHPCO members will find a comprehensive Regulatory Alert posted online.

Sens. Warner & Isakson Introduce Bipartisan Care Planning Act of 2013

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) introduced legislation today designed to give people with serious illness the freedom to make more informed choices about their care, and the power to have those choices honored. The Care Planning Act of 2013 creates a Medicare and Medicaid benefit for patient-centered care planning for people with serious illness. It will reimburse a team of healthcare professionals for providing a voluntary, structured discussion about the patient’s goals, illness, and treatment options. A written plan will reflect the informed choices made by patients in consultation with their health care team, faith leaders, family members and friends. The Care Planning Act also provides resources for public and professional education materials about care planning.

“When faced with a serious illness, you want the freedom to control how you will live. The Care Planning Act will help align the care you receive with the care you want – no more, no less,” Sen. Warner said. “People don't like to talk about sickness or death, and families tend to put off confronting what might happen if individuals become seriously ill or unable to make decisions about their own medical care. This patient-centered approach will help your doctors and your hospital know about the choices that you and your loved ones have made. If a patient prefers to explore every possible treatment option, that choice should be respected. And if an individual prefers a different approach after informed consultations with their health team, their family and others, those choices should be documented and honored, too.”

Read the full release on Senator Warner's website: http://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/bloghome.

Make the Voice of Hospice Heard on Capitol Hill Today

The Hospice Action Network's Advocacy Intensive is in full swing.

Today is the day that more than 320 Congressional offices will meet with Hospice Advocates, hear their stories, and be asked to protect and support hospice! But before Hospice Advocates storm Capitol Hill, they will be energized at a Pep Rally featuring Congressman Tom Reed of New York, Congressman Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and others! You can view the Pep Rally live at 8:45am ET by following this link.

Don’t forget: you can take part in the Advocacy Intensive from home! You can extend the reach of the message of the hospice community, by submitting an email to YOUR Members of Congress. The meetings Members of Congress will have today, combined with your email support of the same message, will together make our voices heard and stories remembered. Click here to send an email now!

Remember: HAN staff will be sharing updates throughout the day on Facebook and Twitter @HospiceAction, hashtag #AdvocacyIntensive! Cheer on your friends and colleagues, see how the day is going!