How current wildfires are impacting air quality, what does and doesn't work in end-of-life care, and more.

What does (and doesn't) work in end-of-life care, according to physicians (Monday, June 5)

With a focus group of physicians, Advisory Board explored the challenges and benefits of end-of-life care, including Medicare's under-utilized hospice benefit. The answers may surprise you.

4 ways to take breaks (the right way) (Tuesday, June 6)

Taking breaks improves well-being and performance, but very few workers are making the most of these moments. Writing for the Harvard Business Review, Zhanna Lyubykh and Duygu Biricik Gulseren explain how to take better breaks and offer four tips to help leaders encourage staff to take them — the right way.

The race for home-based care assets: Optum bids for Amedisys (Wednesday, June 7)

On Monday, UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Optum announced that it submitted an all-cash offer to purchase home health company Amedisys for roughly $3.3 billion. Advisory Board's Miriam Sznycer-Taub and Blake Zissman dive into what's driving the race for home health assets — and what they'll be watching as things heat up.

Current wildfires: 'As damaging as smoking 22 cigarettes a day' (Thursday, June 8)

Smoke coming from wildfires in Canada has led to air quality problems throughout the Eastern and Northern United States, with officials recommending people stay inside. Here's what health experts say you can do to protect yourself from wildfire smoke.

2 ways remote work may be undermining your health (Friday, June 9)

Since the pandemic, many people are now skipping the office commute and working from home (WFH) — but being fully remote can also come with potential downsides. Writing in the New York Times, Jordan Metzl, a sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery, explains how WFH can negatively impact both your mental and physical health.