Avoidable mortality rises in US, bucking global decline 
Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Mackenzie Bean; 3/26/25 
Avoidable mortality has increased in the U.S. for more than a decade, contrasting decreases seen in many other high-income countries, according to a study published March 24 in JAMA Internal Medicine. For the study, researchers at the Brown University School of Public Health analyzed mortality data from the CDC and World Health Organization for people 74 and younger between 2009 and 2021, spanning all 50 states and 40 high-income countries. Avoidable mortality includes deaths that could have been prevented through effective public health measures or timely, high-quality healthcare. The study found avoidable mortality rose in all 50 states, with a national average increase of 32.5 deaths per 100,000 people — driven largely by preventable causes. [Continue reading ...]

CMS will not resume implementation of Hospice SFP in 2025 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 3/25/25 
A federal court has ordered a stay on litigation intended to block the hospice Special Focus Program (SFP) after the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) pledged that it would not resume implementation during 2025. The crux of a lawsuit filed by hospice organizations against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the criteria that the agency uses to select hospices for the new Special Focus Program (SFP). [Continue reading ...]

Medicare and 24-hour in-home hospice care​: Is it covered?
Healthline; Medically reviewed by Shilpa Amin, MD, CAQ, FAAFP and written by Mandy French; 3/25/25
... Medicare offers hospice coverage for beneficiaries. However, there are certain eligibilities and guidelines that they must meet. ...

• Does Medicare cover 24-hour in-home hospice care? ...
• Medicare hospice coverage ...
• How Long will Medicare Pay for Hospice Care? ...
• Eligibility for Medicare hospice coverage ...

Editor's note: We observe that some hospice marketing is misleading, such as ways that President Jimmy Carter's extraordinary long hospice care was misused with descriptions that reflect standard home health care without any descriptions of end-of-life needs, care, ongoing evaluations, and more. How can you strengthen the integrity of your community education, communications, and marketing? Though imperfect (and is anything perfect?), our USA Medicare system deserves accurate communications and applications with those we serve. In contrast, pair this with today's post from a non-Medicare country, [Austria] Influence of prior knowledge and experience on willingness to pay for home hospice services: a contingent valuation study.

Daughter embraces mom’s hospice journey 
City Sun Times, Phoenix, AZ; by Lin Sue Flood; 3/25/25 
As a nurse, Robin Benton is used to caring for people who are ill. But it’s different when your mother is the one who is sick. Her mom, Charlotte Brewer, a former nurse herself, has multiple myeloma, a rare type of blood cancer. In March 2024, the 80-year-old Valley resident decided to stop curative treatments in favor of comfort care with Hospice of the Valley, where she worked for over 10 years, before retiring in 2007. ... Charlotte’s Hospice of the Valley nurse, Kelly Langston, admires the way the family is living this stage of life with great intention, creating new ways to deepen their love for each other. “They came up with an idea for a hug shirt,” shared Kelly. “Everyone in the family painted their arms then took turns hugging each other — stamping an imprint of encircled arms on the shirts. It’s a way to feel each other’s hugs even when they aren’t together.” [Continue reading ...]

Palliative care clinic offers supportive care for patients with end-stage heart failure 
Yale School of Medicine; by Rachel Martin; 3/25/25 
... Michael Beasley, MD, [Yale] assistant professor of medicine (cardiovascular medicine), and Nora Segar, MD, [Yale] assistant clinical professor (general internal medicine) and director of palliative medicine at the Saint Raphael Campus of Yale New Haven Hospital, recently established a new outpatient clinic to provide dedicated palliative care for people with end-stage heart failure. ... “For many patients with advanced heart failure, hospice care does not meet their needs until very late in their course,” said Segar, an early champion of the clinic. “Instead, by providing early palliative care outside of the hospital, when it’s not a time of crisis, we can help patients accept and cope with their prognosis, manage their symptoms, and continue making plans for the future.” New patients receive longer appointments, which allows the team to hear their stories and start building relationships with them. [Continue reading ...]
Editor's note: For all palliative and hospice leaders, we highlight this last statement: "New patients receive longer appointments, which allows the team to hear their stories and start building relationships with them."

‘Show up and share’: How one UCLA ICU helps patients and staff live with dying 
Los Angeles Times; by Corinne Purtill; 3/20/25 

• Community is a nurse-led initiative in UCLA’s cardiothoracic intensive care unit that supports patients, their families and unit staff during the dying process.
• It gives nursing staff tools to care for a patient through the moment of death, to lobby for patients’ end-of-life preferences and to process their own grief after a loss.
• Nurses report feeling more connected to patients and to one another

Extraordinary things happen in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. [Continue reading ...]

Hidden battles: Keeping cancer secret 
Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Medical School; by Maureen Salamon; post is dated 4/1/25, retrieved from the internet 3/25/25 
Some people choose to conceal their diagnosis and treatment. Here's why — and reasons that approach can sometimes backfire. ... [In addition to privacy motives, Cristina Pozo-Kaderman, a senior psychologist at Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute] says cancer patients may also wish to:

• avoid sympathy or being treated differently
• bypass burdening or alarming others
• protect their job
• feel in control of an uncertain situation
• avoid fielding intrusive questions
• sidestep judgment if their cancer is linked to lifestyle choices.

... Secrecy disadvantages: Despite someone's desire for privacy, cancer often shows itself in ways that are hard to hide — whether that's hair loss, excessive weight loss or gain, or extreme fatigue. If people don't know the truth, they may make incorrect assumptions about what's happening. ...  It's helpful to have what Pozo-Kaderman calls "pocket phrases" ready to shut down any unwanted inquiries. You can say:

• I'm having a cancer-free day.
• I'll share more information another time, but not today.
• Thanks for asking. I'm doing okay — but how are you?

[Continue reading this right-on-target, insightful article ...]

The HOPE Assessment Tool Series: Compliance saves money
CHAP press release; by Jennifer Kennedy; 3/25
This blog discusses compliance with HOPE record submission and acceptance and tips for avoiding costly penalties. [Continue reading ...]

[Austria] Influence of prior knowledge and experience on willingness to pay for home hospice services: a contingent valuation study 
International Journal of Health Economics and Management; Caroline Steigenberger, Andrea M Leiter, Uwe Siebert, Claudia Schusterschitz, Magdalena Flatscher-Thoeni; 3/25/25 
Home hospice services contribute to dying in dignity by addressing medical and social needs at the end of life. ... We aim to quantify the benefits of home hospice services to society using society's monetary valuation and examine the influence of prior knowledge and experience on willingness to pay for home hospice services. A nationwide cross-sectional contingent valuation study was conducted in Austria. ... The two-part regression analysis showed a statistically significant positive impact on the probability of having a positive willingness to pay by prior knowledge of home hospice services, prior donations, and the wish of not dying alone. [Continue reading ...]
Editor's note: Pair this research from Austria with today's USA post, "Medicare and 24-hour in-home hospice care: Is it covered?" Too often, we take for granted our Hospice Medicare payment system. Some choose to misuse it in ways that lead to fraud. This research reinforces openess to hospice services per "prior knowledge of home hospice services, prior donations, and the wish of not dying alone."

Ohio hospital closes
Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 3/21/25 
East Ohio Regional Hospital, a 140-bed healthcare facility in Martins Ferry, has closed, local media outlets reported. Signs posted at EORH entrances March 20 said “Hospital closed! Please go to the nearest hospital Trinity, Reynolds or Wheeling!” according to the outlets, including The Intelligencer and NBC and Fox affiliate WTOV. ... Also in March, EORH announced the closures of the pharmacy and long-term care and skilled nursing facility, as well as the layoff of “ancillary services” to strengthen efforts to prioritize payroll disbursement. 

What solo parent travel abroad taught me about leadership 
Entrepreneur; by Robert Hoffman; 3/20/25 
As a solo parent and CEO, balancing family and work responsibilities often feels like navigating uncharted waters. But over the past few years, traveling the world with my daughter has taught me invaluable lessons that have shaped both my personal life and professional leadership. Parenting on the go in unfamiliar settings demands adaptability, cultural intelligence and strategic thinking — qualities that directly translate to leading in today's unpredictable global business environment. ...

1. Think like a local, act like a leader ...
2. Manage risks with precision ...
3. Find value in simplicity ...
4. Lead with empathy, not authority ...

Y.C. Ho/Helen and Michael Chiang Foundation Fellowship Grant Program now open 
American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM); Press Release; 3/25/25 
We are pleased to announce that the Y.C. Ho/Helen and Michael Chiang Foundation has awarded AAHPM a grant to support fellowship training programs for the 2026-2027 academic year. [This grant] is available to partially support a fellowship training program that operates an adult accredited program offering a pediatric focused hospice and palliative medicine fellowship training program or pediatric hospice and palliative medicine fellowship training program accredited through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) preparing physicians to practice as a pediatric hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) subspecialist following training. This funding initiative is open to accredited hospice and palliative care fellowship training programs, not to individual applicants. Funding will go to support part of the salary and benefits of a single fellow. The application cycle is open now through Wednesday, April 23 at 5pm CT. Details on funding priorities, eligibility criteria, and the application are available on the AAHPM website. [From the AAHPM site:] One award of $45,000 will be presented for the 2026-2027 academic year with the opportunity to renew for one additional year following an evaluation. [Continue reading ...]

5 must-watch TED Talks that will make you a better leader right now 
Inc; by Peter Economy; 3/21/25
Back in 1978, historian and leadership guru James MacGregor Burns said, “Leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth.” While that assessment of leadership may have once been true, I think it’s no longer the case. Today, leadership is a well-understood phenomenon. There are a variety of ways to take your leadership to the next level. Here are five extremely popular—and powerful—TED Talks that will help you do just that. [TED Talk videos are embedded in this article.]

1. Simon Sinek: ‘How Great Leaders Inspire Action ...
2. Luvvie Ajayi Jones: ‘Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable’ ...
3. Dan Pink: ‘The Puzzle of Motivation' ...
4. Brené Brown: ‘The Power of Vulnerability’ ...
5. Ken Robinson: ‘Do Schools Kill Creativity?’

[England] Mother, 79, excited to skydive for hospice 
BBC; by Susie Rack; 3/22/25 
A 79-year-old woman planning a skydive to raise funds for a hospice charity that is caring for her friend said she was not "scared at all." Adventure-seeker Shirley Warnes, from Rugby, Warwickshire, who said she loved rock climbing and helicopter rides, described the jump for Myton Hospice as a "bucket-list challenge." ... She has already raised more than £600 for the charity, which supports people with life-limiting illnesses across Coventry and Warwickshire, to thank them for providing respite care for her friend Gordon, who has motor neurone disease.

Where all think alike, no one thinks very much. ~ Walter Lippman