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Hospice Care — An Important Ancillary Service

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Hospice Care — An Important Ancillary Service

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Health care systems are a complex network of providers, institutions, and other resources that deliver health care. However, by offering consistency, familiarity, and a tailored health care approach that focuses on the prevention and management of chronic conditions, primary care physicians (PCPs) are one means of making sense of the health care system. PCPs can help to improve health outcomes while reducing unnecessary visits to more costly health care settings such as urgent care clinics and emergency departments.

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Health care systems are a complex network of providers, institutions, and other resources that deliver health care. However, by offering consistency, familiarity, and a tailored health care approach that focuses on the prevention and management of chronic conditions, primary care physicians (PCPs) are one means of making sense of the health care system. PCPs can help to improve health outcomes while reducing unnecessary visits to more costly health care settings such as urgent care clinics and emergency departments.

PCPs, along with hospials, nurses, and other health care professionals, also rely on a variety of specialized medical services and supplies that are provided by other experts in the health care system. These services and supports, known as ancillary services, complement and support the work of physicians.

Ancillary services generally fall into one of three categories: custodial, diagnostic, and therapeutic. Whereas diagnostic services include labs, genetic testing, imaging, and other testing services, therapeutic services encompass rehabilitation, chiropractic, and occupational and physical therapies. Alternatively, custodial services include such things as assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and hospice that support daily living activities.

Hospice care, also known as palliative therapy or end-of-life care, encompasses an array of services designed to support and elevate the quality of life of those faced with a terminal illness. End-of-life care typically commences with a conversation with the patient, family, and health care providers. In many cases, hospice may begin when someone is expected to live for fewer than six months or their physical or mental health is in rapid decline. Hospice care can also be initiated when a patient decides to end treatments to prolong life and chooses to focus on their comfort instead. Formal approval begins once a hospice physician and a secondary physician certify that a patient falls into an end-of-life stage.

Since hospice care focuses on a patient's quality of life, hospice services tend to focus on symptom management and comfort rather than postponing or hastening death. For example, services may focus on relieving a patient's pain and stress while managing other side effects that may prevent them from enjoying life and their loved ones. This might include medications for pain relief or symptom control, supportive medical equipment such as wheelchairs, and dietary supports.

Other hospice care supports focus on involvement of the family and other loved ones. In addition to recurring informational meetings with family members that provide updates on a patient, hospice providers offer family members a chance to discuss the process of dying and prepare themselves for the passing of a loved one. After death, these supports usually include bereavement care and counselor referrals, a clergy member, or other support groups as needed.

Moreover, hospice services typically offer spiritual supports and care coordination services. These might include discussions of death or help with religious services, along with ongoing work to ensure all health care providers and community entities such as clergy and funeral homes are sharing information.

Ultimately, hospice care seeks to ease the passing of an individual while affirming life up to the moment of death. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, over 1.5 million individuals rely on hospice care to ease their passing each year.

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Hospice Care - An Important Ancillary Service

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Health care systems are a complex network of providers, institutions, and other resources that deliver health care. However, by offering consistency, familiarity, and a tailored health care approach that focuses on the prevention and management of chronic conditions, primary care physicians (PCPs) are one means of making sense of the health care system.

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New Hotel Designed for Young Travelers Opens in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

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New Hotel Designed for Young Travelers Opens in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

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Joseph Cuzzupoli served as the chief executive officer of Summit Services in Massachusetts, a long-term health care provider that employed some 3,500 people. More recently, Joseph Cuzzupoli purchased the new Continuum Hotel in the skiing center of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The 90-room hotel caters to the millennial and Generation Z cohorts and was featured in a 2019 list of new resort accommodations in Forbes magazine.

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Joseph Cuzzupoli served as the chief executive officer of Summit Services in Massachusetts, a long-term health care provider that employed some 3,500 people. More recently, Joseph Cuzzupoli purchased the new Continuum Hotel in the skiing center of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The 90-room hotel caters to the millennial and Generation Z cohorts and was featured in a 2019 list of new resort accommodations in Forbes magazine.

Well situated near the skier's destination Teton Village, the Continuum features airy, casual, king-size rooms and lofts, some with kitchen fixtures and balconies. The pet-friendly hotel also offers amenities such as a fitness room, hot tub, and heated pool, as well as an on-site restaurant. Visitors can enjoy the grandeur of nearby Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, or they can try the three ski slopes: Snow King, Grand Targhee, and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

A short drive away is the town of Jackson, where the town square is famous for its four welcoming arches, each made from hundreds of elk antlers. In addition to galleries, restaurants, and shops, the area features the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, familiar to Western movie fans. Every summer night at 6:15, enactors recreate an old-fashioned shootout.

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New Hotel Designed for Young Travelers Opens in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

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Joseph Cuzzupoli served as the chief executive officer of Summit Services in Massachusetts, a long-term health care provider that employed some 3,500 people. More recently, Joseph Cuzzupoli purchased the new Continuum Hotel in the skiing center of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

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Big Brothers Big Sisters Meets Pandemic Needs with Virtual Programs

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Big Brothers Big Sisters Meets Pandemic Needs with Virtual Programs

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As young people face the pressures of adolescence, caring adults can help reduce risk factors such as anxiety, stress, and social isolation that pose a threat to children’s mental health and overall well-being. Particularly in families that struggle with challenges, such as unemployment or housing and food insecurity, having a mentor to turn to for support and guidance can make the difference between a child overcoming obstacles or being held back by depression or negative social influences.

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As young people face the pressures of adolescence, caring adults can help reduce risk factors such as anxiety, stress, and social isolation that pose a threat to children's mental health and overall well-being. Particularly in families that struggle with challenges, such as unemployment or housing and food insecurity, having a mentor to turn to for support and guidance can make the difference between a child overcoming obstacles or being held back by depression or negative social influences.

Now more than ever, youh mentoring services are critically needed, in large part due to the extended coronavirus pandemic. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, emergency visits for mental health-related issues rose nearly 25 percent for children 11 and under and 31 percent for children ages 12 to 17. In addition, the CDC estimated that pediatric mental health care needs cost the country approximately $247 billion annually.

One of the best ways to help at-risk children and youth is to connect them with available support services. An example of a mentoring program that has evolved to fill this need during the pandemic is Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts (BBBSEM). With a commitment to continuing its support for youth despite the challenges of the pandemic, the organization implemented creative strategies to keep mentors and mentees connected and working on the six core components of the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentorship program (curiosity, character, connection, caring, competency, and confidence).

To respond to the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, BBBSEM moved quickly to adapt its in-person mentoring programs to a virtual environment. The organization's Mentor 2.0 program, designed for high-school-age students, had already launched, giving older children the opportunity to stay connected with their mentors. By the fall of 2020, BBBSEM introduced a new online mentoring platform, the MentorHub App. Developed by clinical scientists at the University of Massachusetts Boston, the virtual tool blends mentoring, education, and health applications in one app. MentorHub also recommends outside apps designed to support the bond between mentees and mentors with shared activities.

BBBSEM mentors and mentees still have the chance to interact outside of the MentorHub App. Those activities may include reading a book together and discussing it over the phone or connecting by Zoom and playing video games together. Some pairs have opted to meet in person, wearing masks and socially distant, to throw a football at a park or take a walk. These fun mentorship experiences, often shared with people from different cultures or backgrounds, help young people feel connected to their community and teach them the value of developing caring, one-on-one relationships.

In conclusion, mentoring programs such as those offered by BBBSEM help children take a break from stressors while enjoying engaging activities on a consistent schedule with a trusted adult. Kids need to know that they matter, are not alone, and have someone to turn to for help. The experience can help children grow their confidence, learn self-regulation skills, and enhance their development by exposing them to new experiences. Adults also benefit from making a meaningful connection and taking on the responsibility of caring for someone who needs a role model in their life. Having a Big Brother or Big Sister show up for them can be what an at-risk child needs to cope with the stresses in their life and develop resilience. Find out more about BBBSEM's programs at EMASSBIGS.org.

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Big Brothers Big Sisters Meets Pandemic Needs with Virtual Programs

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As young people face the pressures of adolescence, caring adults can help reduce risk factors such as anxiety, stress, and social isolation that pose a threat to children's mental health and overall well-being.

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How Giving to Charities Can Facilitate Business Success

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How Giving to Charities Can Facilitate Business Success

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While businesses taking on an active role in philanthropy and giving can have an enormous impact in solving society’s greatest problems, long-term commitment to charitable efforts from a corporate strategy perspective also has an intrinsic benefit to companies in terms of publicity and company image, employee engagement, and revenues.

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While businesses taking on an active role in philanthropy and giving can have an enormous impact in solving society's greatest problems, long-term commitment to charitable efforts from a corporate strategy perspective also has an intrinsic benefit to companies in terms of publicity and company image, employee engagement, and revenues.

Companies can boost employees' engagement, morale, nd productivity by doing charitable activities, particularly if the chosen causes match employees' interests and are meaningful to them. A 2017 Deloitte survey on volunteering revealed that building and encouraging a culture of volunteerism in the workplace may contribute to better morale, a positive workplace environment, and brand perception. Employees feel pride and a sense of contentment when they know that the companies they work for care more about profits.

Doing good makes people feel good. When they feel good at work, they are more likely to evaluate their role and company positively. Furthermore, a 2015 study on happiness and productivity, published in the Journal of Labor Economics, revealed that happiness could increase productivity by 12 percent. Moreover, fostering happiness and productivity in the workplace facilitates both retaining current employees and attracting new ones.

In terms of publicity and company image, charitable events sponsorship is a great way to give back to the community while getting exposure and establishing a positive company reputation. In addition, charitable donations help to build a better community. Whether providing children with safe places to learn and play by improving schools and parks or raising awareness by donating to a good cause, a company's efforts to improve its surroundings will not go unnoticed.

The chosen causes should align with the company's industry, goals, and values. For example, a sporting equipment producer could sponsor local sports teams and tournaments, or a restaurant could determine special occasions to feed people of low income. Doing so will demonstrate to current and future clients that the company cares about the community in which it operates and can help to gain trust and loyalty. A 2013 global study on corporate social responsibility conducted by Cone Communications and Echo Global showed that 91 percent of consumers would switch brands to one that supports a good cause, provided price and quality are similar.

In terms of finances, while this should not be the main reason for giving to charities, by doing so, businesses may be able to receive tax deductions. Generally, tax-deductible donations include cash, inventory, services, and nonprofit or event sponsorships. In addition, by itemizing your tax deductions, companies can also write off volunteering expenses, such as mileage to and from the volunteering location and the cost of materials acquired for volunteering activities.

Depending on the specific business income model, however, giving money to charities could be complicated. Thus, companies must observe the relevant rules and comply with all tax requirements. For example, only donations to nonprofit organizations approved by the IRS qualify. Also, to get the tax deduction, the nonprofit must issue a tax form that the company can use when filing its tax return. An accountant or a tax adviser can help to optimize both the donation and the associated tax deduction.

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How Giving to Charities Can Facilitate Business Success

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While businesses taking on an active role in philanthropy and giving can have an enormous impact in solving society's greatest problems, long-term commitment to charitable efforts from a corporate strategy perspective also has an intrinsic benefit to companies in terms of publicity and company image, employee engagement, and revenues.