Hospice nurses are wrestling with work-life balance, heavy caseloads and other difficulties amid widespread staffing shortages.
The dearth of prospective hospice employees is well known and has existed for years. In addition to impacting provider businesses, this trend also affects nurses on the ground. This often comes in the form of a bigger workload, more travel time and the emotional toll of working with the dying, according to Skelly Wingard, CEO of By the Bay Health.
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The hospice industry argues that the current payment system allows for providers to create individual care plans that meet patients’ specific needs
Hospice provides care for people with terminal illnesses who have a prognosis of six months or less to live.
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Mark Vantrease regularly sees his Vietnam War buddies over breakfast, attends his grandchildren’s Little League games, and, when he’s up to it, tends to his lush front-yard garden, which is dotted with shells retrieved from his abalone-diving days.
Time is precious for him. Last year, doctors told the 76-year-old former truck driver that a combination of heart failure, lung disease and liver damage had left him with only six months to live. “That was about 11 months ago,” Vantrease said in a May interview, smiling at having, for the moment, cheated death.
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Palliative care teams can help patients transition to hospice care in a more seamless, timely way that can bring increased quality of life and peace of mind. The foundation for that transition, however, is often set long before.
Demonstrating compassion and a commitment to honoring patients goals and wishes is key for these teams as they prepare themselves and families for hospice conversations, according to Dr. Diane Meier, founder, director emerita and strategic medical advisor of the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC).
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A Marin university and a Bay Area hospice organization with ties to UCSF Health have jointly announced the first recipients of a scholarship program aimed at strengthening home-based nursing care in the region.
Dominican University of California and By the Bay Health have awarded $25,000 scholarships each to Madison Alban and Jenna Louise Shea. Both students are working toward their Bachelor of Science in nursing degree at Dominican University, located in San Rafael.
To qualify for the Pat Kendall Memorial Nursing Scholarship, candidates must have an interest in pursuing a career in home-based care in the Bay Area and demonstrate financial need.
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Business and clinical integration is a watchword that will help define the future of health care, including for hospice providers, according to leaders in the space.
These kinds of integration span both the internal and external spaces. Providers can better ensure that the various pieces and departments within their organizations are working in a coordinated way, as well as fostering seamless interactions and transitions of care among their partners.
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California-based By the Bay Health is making long-term investments to mitigate the hospice workforce crisis.
The nonprofit has developed a high school internship program to introduce students to hospice care and associated careers, in collaboration with Marin County Office of Education in its home state. To date, the program has been implemented in one institution, San Marin High School, with plans to expand into more.
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Even with a bevy of care services in its arsenal, By the Bay Health hasn’t taken its eye off home health.
By the Bay Health CEO Skelly Wingard aims to improve the quality and accessibility of the company’s home health care line by enhancing the company’s clinical informatics and collaborating across service lines and managed care. These initiatives emerge amid regulatory uncertainty, as proposed Medicare home health rate cuts have raised alarms across the industry. Wingard warned that such cuts could force many providers out of business.
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By the Bay Health has launched a new career program that aims to build up the next generation of home-based health care professionals amid widespread workforce shortages.
The California-based health system unveiled its educational initiative, Pathways to Care Careers, in December 2024 as part of its 50th anniversary commemoration. The program is a collaboration with local schools and community organizations.
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KALW You Call radio show
On this edition of Your Call, we discuss the essential role of hospice care for people who are approaching the end of their life. Hospice provides comprehensive support and holistic in-home care, yet many patients and caregivers are not prepared for or informed about these services until they experience them firsthand.
Hospice experts and palliative care physicians Dr. Claritza Rios and Dr. Monisha Pujari discuss the benefits of hospice for patients and their caregivers and share insights into navigating end-of-life care.
Marin high school students interested in health care will soon get the opportunity to get a head start on those career opportunities.
A pilot course is being offered this spring for San Marin High School students to introduce them to various careers in this important field.
It is a coordinated initiative led by the Marin County Office of Education, the Novato Unified School District and By the Bay Health, the Marin-headquartered hospice program.
