Florida Hospice and Palliative Care Association celebrates leaders of compassion at 2025 Annual Awards of Excellence
FHPCA press release; 6/9/25
At its 2025 Annual Forum held in Orlando, the Florida Hospice and Palliative Care Association (FHPCA) proudly recognized extraordinary individuals and teams who have set the standard for excellence in hospice and palliative care across the state. The Annual Awards of Excellence... highlight the leaders, caregivers, collaborators, and changemakers who embody the heart of the hospice mission. [Congratulations to these Honorees:]

• Kristal Goodwin, Haven Hospice – Barbara Janosko Excellence in Leadership Award
• Theresa Fesler, Treasure Coast Hospice & St. Francis Reflections Hospice – Catalyst Award
• Sara Parsons, VITAS Healthcare – Hospice Heart Award
• Cindy Moon, Avow Hospice – Hospice Heart Award
• Betsy Miller, Foundation of Community Hospice & Palliative Care – The Hospice Story Award
• Alexis Kidd, Foundation of Community Hospice & Palliative Care – Rising Leaders Award
• Amber Givens, Avow Hospice – Rising Leaders Award
• Chiefland Care Team, Haven Hospice – Synergy Award
• Hospice of Health First – Excellence in Program Innovation – Community Outreach Award

A special tribute given to a special nurse 
Scottsdale Progress, Scottsdale, AZ; by Lin Sue Flood; 6/7/25 
One of the original founders of Hospice of the Valley back in 1977 recently received an extraordinary visit from the Arizona Nurse Honor Guard, an organization that honors fellow nurses who have dedicated their lives to the profession. “I am just flattered and overwhelmed,” said Mary Audrey Mellor, who turns 92 in July. “Hospice of the Valley has always had my heart because it’s so compassionate and caring and loving.” Friends and family gathered together at her home at Vi at Silverstone in Scottsdale as she received a Florence Nightingale coin symbolizing comfort, gentleness, courage and an unwavering devotion to duty. Nurse Honor Guard volunteer Cindy Loucel then presented her with a second gift. “We have a quilt to cover you with our love and gratitude and to recognize all those patients you covered in kindness,” she said. “May it bring you comfort, as you gave so many others comfort.”

Spotlight on medicine: Jack Black makes a splash at Sunday by the Sea 
Easy Reader & Peninsula; by Tony La Bruno; 6/6/25 
On April 27, the stunning backdrop of Lunada Bay set the stage for the 34th annual Sunday by the Sea fundraiser, in support of the Providence TrinityCare Hospice Foundation. The day was filled with entertainment, including a Tiger Squadron flyover and a special appearance by long-time supporter Jack Black. More than 600 enthusiastic attendees gathered to savor offerings from 38 culinary participants stretching from El Segundo to San Pedro, as well as wineries and breweries from Paso Robles to Torrance. Together, they raised nearly $300,000 to benefit vital adult and pediatric hospice and palliative care programs, ensuring compassionate support for every patient and family served.

Summerlin Hospice and Palliative Care transforms hospice care in Las Vegas with comprehensive in-home services 
East Coastsentinel; Press Release; 6/8/25 
The healthcare industry is experiencing significant advancements as Summerlin Hospice and Palliative Care announces the expansion of comprehensive services that redefine compassionate end-of-life care throughout Nevada. ... The in-home care model provides comprehensive medical oversight, including pain management, regular health assessments, and specialized medical testing, all administered by trained healthcare professionals. This approach to hospice allows families to remain together while receiving the highest quality medical attention and emotional support throughout the care process.

Implementing palliative care in nursing homes: A podcast with Connie Cole, Kathleen Unroe, and Cari Levy 
GeriPal; podcast by Connie Cole, Kathleen Unroe and Cari Levy; 6/5/25 
Consider this: the majority of the 1.4 million adults residing in U.S. nursing homes grapple with serious illnesses, and roughly half experience dementia. Many also suffer from distressing symptoms like pain. In addition, about 25% of all deaths in the United States occur within these facilities. Despite these substantial needs, specialized palliative care beyond hospice is rare in nursing homes. Furthermore, only about half of nursing home residents nearing the end of life receive hospice care. So, how can we improve palliative care for individuals in nursing homes? [This] podcast explores this crucial question with three leading experts: Connie Cole, Kathleen Unroe, and Cari Levy. 

SCI Waymart meets needs of aging incarcerated population by training inmates in hospice care 
PBS WVIA News, NPR, Pittston, PA; by Lydia McFarlane; 6/8/25 
Nurses and their inmate aides care for hospice patients. Some are bedridden, needing help with eating, changing and using the bathroom. The patients have recently signed do-not-resuscitate (DNR) forms. Some have just a few more months to live. The medium security prison's hospice unit looks like a nursing home. SCI Waymart is one of two prisons, along w ith SCI Laurel Highlands, in the Commonwealth that has a personal care unit. Waymart receives medical transfers from institutions across the state, making its population older than most of Pennsylvania’s state prisons. The average age of a Waymart inmate is 45.5, according to SCI Waymart’s superintendent, Mark Wahl. About 36% of inmates are over the age of 50, and 10% are over 65 out of a total of 1,122 as of April of this year, he said. Wahl said SCI Waymart averages one death per month.

Understanding hospice care: Eligibility, cost and purpose 
Emmanuel Hospice; 6/5/25 
How do you want to live? It may be surprising to learn that’s the first question Emmanuel Hospice asks every new patient. Isn’t hospice about dying? While hospice is often associated with death, Melissa Wedberg will tell you it’s more about living, especially at Emmanuel Hospice, where she serves as vice president of community relations. With more than a decade in the hospice industry, Wedberg has spent years dispelling this and many other myths. Despite having roots in the U.S. dating back to the 70s, there remains a lot of mystery about hospice. Common questions Wedberg hears include: What is hospice and who’s eligible? How does hospice work? How is hospice paid for? 
Editor's note: This simple question jumps to the core of person-centered care, "How do you want to live?"

Fostering a team-based approach to elevate neuro-oncology care 
CancerNetwork; by Sylvia Kurz, MD, PhD; 6/9/25 
Sylvia Kurz, MD, PhD, spoke with CancerNetwork® about the importance of collaborating with multiple disciplines to elevate the level of care and meet the needs of patients with brain tumors.

Surviving grief: A guide for older Coloradans, or anyone, experiencing loss 
CPR News; by Nell London; 6/8/25 
... “Grief really is a universal experience,” said Jenn Flaum, executive director of the HeartLight Center, a Colorado nonprofit that provides grief support and education. Grief afflicts people at every age, but the longer you live, the more likely you will find yourself facing this powerful emotion. Indeed, many older people can feel under siege. ... Here are takeaways ... :

• Grief turns your world upside down, even when the loss was expected. That’s normal. ...
• “Crying at the spaghetti in the grocery store moments:” Grief comes in waves. ...
• Some first steps for the grieving. ...
• Grieve in your own way. ...
• Ask for help ...
• Grief can impact your physical health, so tell your doctor ...
• Support groups and grief counselors can be very helpful ...

Therapy dog offers comfort, brings calm for family and patients at the Center for Hospice 
wn.com, South Bend Tribune, South Bend, IN; 6/8/25 
Teddy brings comfort and smiles at the Center for Hospice Care in Mishawaka. His full name is Theodore H. Bode. However, he answers to the shorter version of the name. He bounds down a hallway and stops to greet a nurse or a family member. Those big brown eyes will win you over immediately. In the hospice rooms in the Ernestine M. Raclin House, the dog knows to follow commands and not run in recklessly. Teddy is a mini Australian Labradoodle and he has been the hospice therapy dog for about 18 months. He is two years old and has been on staff for slightly more than a year.
Editor's note: When looking for pet therapy volunteers, ensure that the dog has been certified through a reputable organization. Their certification process needs to include training, evaluation of both the pet and the handler/owner, proof of current vaccinations, proof of insurance (carried by the certifying organization), and ongoing requirements for maintaining the pet's viability. For example, examine www.kywags.org (serving healthcare, schools, and other community needs in the Louisville, KY region). 

7 strategies to reduce workplace incivility, bullying in hospitals 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 6/6/25 
Workplace incivility and bullying have persisted in healthcare since their uptick during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, so do the challenges teams face, according to Brian Reed, vice president and chief human resources officer for Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health’s east region. ... Here are seven strategies to reduce workplace incivility among healthcare teams:

1. Address the behavior directly and give feedback. ...
2. Set expectations early. ...
3. Focus on values. ...
4. Prioritize consistent accountability. ...
5. Limit exposure to negative behaviors. ...
6. Use a standardized huddle process. ...
7. Implement communication and resolutions programs. ...

92-year-old veteran takes to the skies on flight down memory lane 
TCPalm, part of the USA TODAY Network; by Mary Ann Ketcham, Treasure Coast Hospice; 6/8/25 
At 92 years old, Korean War Air Force veteran and Treasure Coast Hospice patient Joseph Vespo recently took to the skies in a Cessna 172 airplane for a flight down memory lane. An ear-to-ear smile lit up his face as the aircraft taxied down the runway and took off from the Treasure Coast International Airport in Fort Pierce. During his time in the Air Force, Vespo monitored aircraft systems from the cockpit. ... For 40 years, he owned and flew Bonanza planes but had been unable to fly in recent years. ... "This fantastic opportunity to fly again came about because we get to know our patients and their families," said Treasure Coast Hospice Community Outreach Representative Jenny Fee. ... The Treasure Coast Hospice Veteran Care Fund and local pilot Jim Howard of Clearflight Aviation helped make his dream a reality.

The two kinds of people in the world--and why it matters for leadership 
Fast Company; by Robert E. Siegel; 6/3/25 
Hard-nosed leadership and compassionate leadership aren’t opposites. The best leaders embrace both. One provocative assertion I often make when teaching is that there are two kinds of people in the world: those who have hearts and those who don’t. ... I then share that many leaders look at changing technology and changing markets and realize that a lot of jobs in their companies will inevitably be eliminated within the next few years, and it’s not hard to predict which jobs will go away. The question is how the executives react to this realization. ... For the purposes of Systems Leadership, it doesn’t matter which type of person you are in my (admittedly reductive) shorthand. You need to invest in your people whether you have a heart or not, for at least three major reasons.

1. It's cheaper and easier to retrain than replace ...
2. Investing in people boosts morale and discretionary effort ...
3. Institutional knowledge is an invaluable asset ... 

Palliative care advocacy at the World Health Assembly 2025 
ehospice; by Stephen Connor, Executive Director WHPCA; 6/5/25 
Once again, palliative care advocates ensured that the voice of palliative care was heard at the premier event for global health, the World Health Assembly (WHA). The WHA is the governing body of the WHO where resolutions are passed that direct the Global Programme of Work for WHO. ... This year there were resolutions and actions involving non-communicable disease, cervical cancer, lung health, the pandemic response, mental health and social connection, the healthcare workforce, women’s health, universal health coverage, health emergencies, and so forth. WHO’s funding has been significantly reduced due to withdrawal of the US from WHO and global health funding generally. However, during the meeting other countries are stepping up to support WHO. 

I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention. ~ Diane Sawyer