Interdisciplinary strategies for establishing a trusting relation as a pre-requisite for existential conversations in palliative care: a grounded theory study 
BMC Palliative Care - Part of Springer Nature, Open Acces; by Annica Lagerin, Christina Melin-Johansson, Bodil Holmberg, Tove Godskesen, Elin Hjorth, Lena Junehag, Carina Lundh Hagelin, Anneli Ozanne, Johan Sundelöf & Camilla Udo; 2/19/25
... This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) experiences of existential conversations with patients with PC needs and their next-of-kin by generating a theoretical model. ... To emphasize the importance of ethical competence for quality patient care, particularly in PC, a combination of care ethics, clinical proficiency, relational skills and effective communication is essential. ... The potential obstacles we identified that require attention include the need for managers ... to support HCPs by allowing time for reflection, developing new routines, and providing education focused on existential conversations in PC. However, the main contribution of this study is the description of the interdisciplinary strategies HCPs used to establish meaningful, existential conversations by maintaining presence, as this paved the way for trusting conversations with patients and next-of-kin. 
Editor's note: Pair this with today's article, "Why being trustworthy is a leadership hack that drives success."

Empowering employees to drive CX [Customer eXperience] innovation: A comprehensive path to success
Customerland; by Ricardo Saltz Gulko; 2/24/25 
... While it is widely recognized that employees play a crucial role in shaping customer experience (CX), their impact on innovation is often less clear. However, employees are the bedrock of innovation within any organization. They bring diverse perspectives, skills, and creativity that fuel the development of new products, services, and processes. This article delves into the significant ways employees influence innovation, providing a comprehensive analysis supported by ten key points. ...

1. Diverse Perspectives Foster Creativity: ...
2. Employee Engagement Drives Innovation: ...
3. Collaboration Enhances Idea Generation: ...
4. Continuous Learning Cultivates Innovative Thinking: ...
5. Employee Autonomy Encourages Experimentation:...
6. Leadership Support Amplifies Innovation: ...
7. Open Communication Channels Facilitate Idea Sharing: ...
8. Recognition and Reward Systems Motivate Innovation: ...
9. Resilience and Adaptability in Employees Promote Sustained Innovation: ...
10. Customer-Centric Mindset Among Employees Enhances Innovation: ...

[Click on the title's link for the full article.]

Why being trustworthy is a leadership hack that drives success 
Inc.; by Yufie Ren; 2/20/25 
Leaders who cultivate trust can significantly reduce employee churn and improve organizational performance. ... In an era of rapid change, when teams look to leaders for stability and direction, trust is the invisible currency that fuels organizational success. ... Fortunately for managers – and workers – there’s a lot of research into how to be a more trustworthy leader. Here are a few insights:

• Empower your team ...
• Be fair and transparent ...
• Promote collaboration ...
• Measure and manage trust. Implementing regular surveys or feedback sessions can help assess and manage trust levels within an organization. Consider integrating trust metrics into performance evaluations to emphasize their importance.
  

Editor's note: Pair this with today's article, "Interdisciplinary strategies for establishing a trusting relation as a pre-requisite for existential conversations in palliative care: a grounded theory study."

Leading early conversations about ICD [implantable cardioverter defibrillator] use in end-of-life cancer care  
Cancer Network; by Megan Mullins, PhD, MPH; 2/21/25 
Earlier and more frequent talks about disabling ICDs with patients receiving end-of-life care and their families may help avoid excessive pain. ... Regarding implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) in those with fatal cancers, it is critical that patients know what having a device means and how it impacts end-of-life care, according to Megan Mullins, PhD, MPH. CancerNetwork® spoke with Mullins, assistant professor in the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, about how ICD deactivation prior to end-of-life care could impact clinical practice in patients with advanced cancers. ... She emphasized that device deactivation would allow the body to undergo the natural dying process without unnecessary painful shocks associated with the use of the device.

5 tips to determine how tech can support your physicians 
American Medical Association (AMA); by Georgia Garvey; 2/25/25 
... Margaret Lozovatsky, MD, vice president of digital health innovations at the AMA, recently shared five important considerations—among them establishing a governance model and agreeing on shared priorities—in designing technology to support clinical practice. Dr. Lozovatsky’s presentation was part of a two-day AMA training event to help physicians eliminate unnecessary work and free up more time to focus on what matters most—patient care. ...

• Understand the current state ...
• Establish guiding principles ...
• Create a governance model ...
• Find ways to communicate ...
• Be flexible, and stick with it ...

DOJ launches probe into UnitedHealth’s Medicare billing practices after investigative reports 
MSN; by Taylor Herzlich; 3/22/25 
The Department of Justice has reportedly launched an investigation into UnitedHealth Group’s Medicare billing practices as scrutiny over the health insurance industry intensifies — sending the company’s stock plummeting.The probe is analyzing the company’s practice of frequently logging diagnoses that trigger larger payments to its Medicare Advantage plans, according to The Wall Street Journal. UnitedHealth shares plunged nearly 9% Friday. A series of Wall Street Journal reports last year found that Medicare paid UnitedHealth billions of dollars for questionable diagnoses.

Relaxing licensing, training requirements during pandemic didn’t improve nursing home staffing: study 
McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Zee Johnson; 2/24/25 
A new study of more than 15,000 nursing homes found no link between relaxed certified nurse aide training and licensing protocols during the pandemic and improved staffing levels. During COVID-19, 19 states loosened their training requirements (the “treatment” group), and 31 states did not (“control” group). However, both recorded nearly the same CNA hours per resident per day, according to the study by researchers at the University of Iowa. ... During the pandemic, direct caregivers were at extreme risk for contracting the deadly virus, which killed more than 200,000 nursing home residents and workers. But more often than not, they were left without basic benefits such as paid sick leave, Mehboob said. 

CIO hiring on the rise: How to land a top tech exec role in 2025 
CIO; by David Weldon; 2/25/25 
Job opportunities are picking up for CIOs and other IT leaders in 2025, but so are expectations, with AI, change acceleration, and business transformation at the top of most companies’ wish lists. Early returns on 2025 hiring for IT leaders suggest a robust market. For some recruitment firms, job growth for tech executive positions is at great heights.

Keeping cool when debate turns hot: Inaugural global Ethics Center conference features scholarship, presentations on fostering civil, productive dialogue 
The Harvard Gazette; by Christy DeSmith; 2/24/25 
Americans today are wrestling with how to turn down the heat when discussing politically and morally charged topics. Students, professors, and education professionals from around the globe assembled at Harvard this month to chart their way to more productive discussions — and better relations. The inaugural Challenging Barriers to Civil Discourse conference, hosted by the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics, featured scholarship on fostering open, honest exchanges across deep divides. ... [Dr. Julia] Kolak told of mediating clashes that arose ... when the family of a critically ill patient ... resisted end-of-life care. She works to unearth the principles guiding all parties, without elevating those with medical expertise. “When we treat others as capable of dialogue,” she offered, “it really changes the affective grip of conflict. ... [Jeffrey Dunn] raised the critical question: “What is the long-term goal of this work?” ...

Daughter indicted for killing mother with morphine in Evans 
The Augusta Press, Augusta, GA; by Greg Rickabaugh; 2/25/25
The daughter of a woman who died in an Evans assisted living home from a fatal dose of morphine has been indicted for malice murder. Rachel Elaine Waters, 41, is expected to surrender this week on murder charges in the death of 74-year-old Marsha Sprayberry Foster, according to Columbia County authorities.An indictment says that Waters administered a lethal dose of morphine on July 12, 2023, while her mother was at the Marshall Pines assisted living on North Belair Road. The cause of death was determined in an autopsy, showing that excessive use of the unprescribed morphine was the reason for her death. Foster had Alzheimer’s disease, and the morphine was reportedly left behind by hospice workers and used by the daughter without authorization.

How boomers are personalizing their last chapter 
Broadview; by Larry Krotz; 2/19/25 
From death doulas to digital legacies, this generation is flipping the script on end-of-life traditions. ... I confess that I don’t generally think much about dying, though many in my generation do. Baby boomers, that great bulge in the population whose concerns for so long have dominated the culture, have moved from preoccupations with creative retirement or the adequacies of the health-care system to a fascination with death. Witness the immense popularity last year of the Royal Ontario Museum’s multisensory exhibit Death: Life’s Greatest Mystery or the growth of death cafés ... For my contemporaries, death has become the next item on the to-do list. What it will look like. How to prepare for it. How to make it your own. ...

Candice Bergen’s caregiving journey and how estate planning can help 
FindLaw; by Catherine Hodder, Esq.; 2/20/25 
Candice Bergen is a movie and television star and comedienne best known for her role as Murphy Brown. ... Bergen’s husband of over 20 years, Marshall Rose, recently passed after battling Parkinson’s disease. Her first husband, director Louis Malle, died from lymphoma. In Bergen’s memoir “A Fine Romance,” she describes the struggle of caregiving for someone who is critically ill. She writes, “It really costs you to take care of someone who is critically ill day after day.” Many caregivers can relate. According to the NIH, 50 million people care for a disabled, older adult, or chronically ill family member or friend. ... However, there are estate planning tools available that can help caregivers manage the health and support of their critically ill loved ones. ... 

ONA Leadership Column: The next level 
State Nurses Associations - Oklahoma Nurses Association; by Dean Prentice, DHA, MA, BSN; 2/24/25 
What is it going to take to raise the leadership ability of your staff to the next level? One of the many roles you play for your staff is encouraging their professional development. ... The future of nursing will require a well-rounded skill set that goes beyond traditional clinical training. Emotional intelligence, cultural competence, data-driven decision-making, ethical leadership, and resilience are all critical to meeting the challenges of tomorrow’s healthcare landscape. By developing these skills, nurses will not only improve patient outcomes but will also contribute to the evolution of the nursing profession, ensuring it remains relevant, compassionate, and effective in an increasingly complex world. 

[Korea] 9 in 10 Koreans support ending life-prolonging treatment: study 
The Korea Times; by Kim Hyun-bin; 2/24/25 
More than nine out of ten Koreans think that they would opt to forgo life-prolonging treatment if they were terminally ill, a new study has found, highlighting shifting attitudes toward end-of-life care in the country. According to a report released by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs on Sunday, 91.9 percent of respondents expressed they would choose to discontinue life-sustaining treatment if they were diagnosed with a terminal illness or were nearing the end of life, based on a survey conducted last April and May on 1,021 men and women. 8.1 percent stated they would prefer to continue such treatment.

If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair. ~ Shirley Chisholm
Honoring Black History Month 2025