Jan. 27, 2025, International Holocaust Remembrance Day [click here for link 1]--paired with--A little-known story about a Jewish refugee and Cicely Saunders [click here for link 2]
Compilation by Joy Berger, editor; for 1/27/25
Do you know? Today's modern hospice movement was born out of the terminal illness of a Polish, Jewish ghetto refugee and his lasting influence on the young Cicely Saunders. Upon his death in 1948, he left money for her to create a new place for peaceful dying. She opened St. Christopher's Hospice in 1967.

• International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, January 27th, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau
  
  
• David Tasma, Warsaw ghetto Jewish refugee, turning point patient and first financial donor for Cicely Saunders
• During the Second World War, in spite of parental disapproval, Saunders trained at the Nightingale School of Nursing at London’s St. Thomas’ Hospital, now part of King’s Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care. She then became a hospital almoner – the equivalent of a social worker today – and met a Polish man who changed the course of her life. Patient David Tasma was a Jewish refugee from the Warsaw ghetto, and was dying of cancer. Towards the end of his life, he and Saunders discussed the creation of a home-like environment, offering hope and comfort to dying patients. When David passed away, he left a sum of money to Saunders, to help make their vision a reality. [Editor's note: £500; equivalent to $6,550 today.]
  
  

• Even as a novice social worker, Cicely began to understand that patients like David needed more than purely medical interventions. She would visit David regularly and they’d talk about the kind of place that might be better for someone like him to die. A place more suitable than the busy, noisy hospital ward he was on. It was in the course of those conversations that the idea of hospice came about in this modern sense ...  [The photo below is from St. Christopher's Hospice, London, England.]
  
  

  

   

• Today's Encouragement, by Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel, Auschwitz survivor and Nobel Peace Prize 

The number 1 mistake people make when trying to live a meaningful life with zero regrets, from a hospice doctor 
NBC 7 San Diego, CA; by Dr. Jordan Grumet; 1/24/25
... As a hospice doctor, I spend a lot of time with people facing the end of their lives. I've seen firsthand why this belief can lead to anxiety in up to 91% of people at some point in their lives. My response is always the same: You don't find purpose — you create it. It's not about stumbling upon a fully formed sense of purpose. Instead, it's about identifying the inklings in your life that light you up. I call them "purpose anchors" — and they're clues you can use to build a meaningful life with few or no regrets.  ...

1. Turn regret into action ...
2. Rediiscover the joys of childhood ...
3. Focus on what lights you up ...
4. Try the 'spaghetti method' ...

Identifying your purpose anchors is just the first step. The real work comes in building a life of purpose around them. ... But that's the beauty of creating purpose: It's a dynamic, ongoing process. ...
Editor's note: Dr. Jordan Grumet's new book, The Purpose Code, describes, "There are two different types of purpose. One will lead to anxiety and disillusionment; the other will lead to connection and lasting legacy."

Stillwater Hospice CFO: A winning recipe for improving rural hospice care 
Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 1/23/25 
Montana-headquartered Stillwater Hospice has found a successful rhythm to strategic rural-based growth and sustainability. The strategy hinges on building culture, staffing resources and a reputation for quality, according to CFO and Co-founder Chris Graham. Launched in 2017, the hospice company serves predominantly rural-based populations in Montana, northern Wyoming and South Dakota. ... What are the most significant concerns among rural-based hospice providers currently? How have the challenges of rural care delivery evolved in recent years? "Staffing is very hard. You’ve got to find staff who are willing and like to travel because they have a lot of windshield time. It’s also the logistics of remote care. We have patients that live 75 miles or more outside of a town, then once you get there it’s another 20 miles on a dirt road that could be covered in snow and ice. ..." [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Visiting Nurses Foundation awarded $132,000 in grant funding to Assured Hospice for comfort therapies in 2024 
The Chronical, Centralia, WA; by The Chronicle; 1/22/25 
The Visiting Nurses Foundation awarded $132,000 in grant funding to Assured Hospice in 2024 to deliver essential comfort therapies to end-of-life patients across Washington state, the foundation announced Wednesday. "Since the partnership began in 2002 with a $600 grant, the program has expanded significantly, reaching hundreds of patients and their families each year," the Visiting Nurses Foundation said in a news release. Comfort therapies — including acupuncture, massage, music therapy, guided imagery and animal-assisted therapy — are proven to reduce pain, foster relaxation and enhance overall quality of life, the news release stated.

AHHC joins other state hospice advocates in legal challenge to Special Focus Program 
The Association for Home and Hospice Care of North Carolina (AHHCNC); Press Release; 1/23/25
The Association for Home and Hospice Care of North Carolina (AHHCNC) has joined a multi-state coalition of hospices and hospice associations in challenging the federal government's implementation of the Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP), deeming it unlawful and arbitrary. The challengers are seeking a preliminary injunction to halt the SFP, citing patient safety concerns, misrepresentation of compliance records, and jeopardized access to high-quality end-of-life care. Congress directed CMS to establish the SFP to enhance enforcement for noncompliance hospices, but the Final Rule includes unrelated measures, heavily relying on survey data and other information not related to hospices’ compliance with Medicare requirements. Tim Rogers, President and CEO of AHHCNC, states:  "The approach CMS uses disadvantages well-established hospices and ignores Congress’s intent." [Click on the title's link to continue reading.] 

Orban and Shirley Haas’ legacy gift continues to transform Dickinson County 
Abilene-RC.com, Abilene, KS; by Elizabeth Weese; 1/23/25 
When Orban and Shirley Haas passed away, they left behind more than memories — they left a profound and enduring legacy for their community through the Community Foundation of Dickinson County. Their visionary generosity has become a testament to the power of keeping local money local. Since their legacy gift was entrusted to the Foundation, more than $300,000 has been granted to the organizations they cared about most: Dickinson County Home Health & Hospice and the Abilene Public Library. These funds have not only supported these vital organizations but have allowed them to expand their operations and services, creating a ripple effect of positive impact across Abilene and Dickinson County.

Teleios announces addition of Hospice of Davidson County 
Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); by Tina Gentry; 1/24/25 
Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN) announced the addition of Hospice of Davidson County as an associate member. Established in 1985, Hospice of Davidson County is an accredited end-of-life healthcare provider in North Carolina serving residents with hospice care in the greater Davidson County community, from Lexington, Thomasville, Welcome, Midway, Arcadia, and other surrounding counties, including Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, and Rowan. 
Notable mentions: Laura Owen, Hospice of Davidson County CEO and Chris Comeaux, Teleios Collaborative Network President/CEO

Abigail E. Keller Foundation's Teddy bear drive brings Valentine's cheer to young patients 
CBS Austin, TX; by We Are Austin; 1/23/25 
Valentine's Day is getting a little sweeter for children spending the holiday in the hospital, thanks to the Abigail E. Keller Foundation's annual teddy bear drive. Now in its sixth year, the initiative aims to spread love and comfort through cuddly companions. Melissa Keller, co-founder and president of the foundation, said the drive [describes,] "Abby passed away in February of 2019, ... Abby was full of life and joy, and she brought so much life and joy to everyone that she met. We decided on that first anniversary, we were going to collect teddy bears and take them to the hospital. And we did." ... Keller says "We support medically fragile children and their families throughout their journey and at end of life, we, support our foundation, supports them in, a couple of ways. We we help them through financial assistance. We do care baskets for families going into hospice. We do birthday boxes for children in hospice."

Operator of home health care company sentenced to 12 years in prison for multimillion dollar health care fraud scheme
DOJ press release; 1/23/25
[Massachusetts] Faith Newton, 56, was sentenced... to 12 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Newton was also ordered to pay a fine of $250,000 and restitution in the amount of $99,734,517. In July 2024, Newton was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of health care fraud and three counts of money laundering. The jury found the defendant not guilty on one count of money laundering conspiracy... “Ms. Newton used the home health care agency she operated to perpetrate a massive, years-long fraud scheme that siphoned over $100 million from a program designed to support our most vulnerable residents."

Lamont proposes legislation to rein in private equity in health care 
CT Mirror; by Katy Golvala; 1/23/25 
Connecticut officials gathered at the state Capitol Thursday to announce a proposal backed by Gov. Ned Lamont enhancing state oversight of major mergers, acquisitions and asset transfers in the health care sector. The proposal aims to “modernize” state regulation of health care deals. It would broaden the scope of transactions that require Attorney General review, establish a review process for both the Office of Health Strategy and the Attorney General’s Office and allow the Attorney General to impose conditions to prevent harm to the state’s health care system.

How innovation is changing [hospital] length of stay
HealthLeaders; by Eric Wicklund; 1/23/25 
Allina Health is using technology and new ideas to reduce the time a patient spends in the hospital. They're seeing improved outcomes, reduced costs and more capacity to treat patients who need to be hospitalized.  One of the key metrics in clinical care is patient length of stay (LOS), traditionally defined as the time between a patient's admittance and discharge from a hospital. ... New technologies like AI and concepts like remote patient monitoring (RPM) and Hospital at Home are helping healthcare executives gain a better understanding of LOS, and in turn they're reducing costs and improving care management.
Editor's note: How do these hospital technologies interesect with and impact your referrals for palliative and hospice referrals? For discharges to home health or senior facilities that receive care from your agency?

Healthcare under siege: Defending hospitals from ransomware threats 
Cylera; by Maureen Sahualla; 1/22/25 
Hospitals today are very concerned about ransomware attacks - and rightly so. A recent research report from Comparitech, Ransomware Roundup: 2024 End-of-Year Report (published on January 9th, 2025) found:

• 181 confirmed (and counting) ransomware attacks in the healthcare sector in 2024.
• 25.6 million healthcare records were affected.
• The average ransom demand in the healthcare sector was $5.7 million.
• The average ransom paid was $900,000.
• There were also a further 42 confirmed attacks on healthcare organizations that do not provide direct care, involving 115,640,362 compromised records and an average ransom demand of $16.3 million.

The report also notes that many confirmed reports come through months - and in some cases, years - after the attack, so 2024 figures will continue to rise in the coming months.

Red Cross urging blood donations amid severe weather, wildfires 
ABC News 27 WKOW, Madison, WI; by Chad Thompson; 1/22/25 
The American Red Cross is encouraging donors to give blood or platelets as winter storms and California wildfires have impacted blood supply. Donors of all blood types – particularly type O negative blood donors and those giving platelets – are needed to help save lives this month, according to a press release. "As dangerous snow and ice continue to sweep across the country, and wildfires in Southern California continue to burn and impact air quality, Red Cross blood drive cancellations have grown into the hundreds," the release stated. Red Cross said those events have resulted in more than 12,000 uncollected blood and platelet donations in January. More winter storms are forecast for this week could further strain the blood supply.
Editor's note: Does your agency partner with your local Red Cross? The hospice I served regularly used our Community Room for Red Cross blood donations, a couple of times each year. These interactive experiences fostered great morale and humanity across all roles--side-by-side--giving "life" in a practical, affordable, meaningful way. Also, pair this with core Emergency Disaster Planning information/education for your employees, volunteers, and community.

[United Kingdom] Christmas tree collection raises £45,000 for Jersey Hospice Care 
Soleil Radio; by Jersery News; 1/20/25 
Jersey Hospice Care's annual Christmas Tree Collection has raised more than £45,000 for the local charity. Every year in early January, volunteers give their time to collect Christmas trees from all around the island in exchange for a small charity donation. 2000 trees were collected in the 2025 new year period, which were taken to the green waste team at La Collette and converted into soil improver for Jersey farms and gardeners. The £45,000 raised in the annual tree collection and recycling project will cover a month's worth of care in the hospice's in-patient unit.

The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference. ~ Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel, Holocaust survivor from Auschwitz's labor camp and the Buchenwald death march, American author, Nobel Peace Prize, first chairman of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council