Literature Review



Cybersecurity executive arrested after hospital data breach

04/25/25 at 03:15 AM

Cybersecurity executive arrested after hospital data breach Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 4/17/25 A cybersecurity executive has been arrested in connection with a data breach at an Oklahoma City hospital, KOCO reported. Authorities charged Oklahoma cybersecurity company CEO Jeffrey Bowie with installing malware at SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital, according to the April 16 story. Court documents allege security cameras caught him roaming inside the hospital and stopping at a computer, where he installed “malware designed to take a screenshot every 20 minutes and forward the image out to an external IP address.”

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Ardent Health's first CDIO, a nurse, on the value of 'human-centric' technology

04/25/25 at 03:00 AM

Ardent Health's first CDIO, a nurse, on the value of 'human-centric' technology Healthcare IT News; by Bill Siwicki; 4/23/25 Anika Gardenhire, RN, chief digital and information officer at the 30-hospital health system, is working to improve the provider and patient experience with ambient listening, augmented intelligence and more. Nashville-based Ardent Health includes 30 hospitals and more than 280 sites of care in six states, including Idaho, Kansas, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. ... 

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Best Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Leadership Programs | 2025

04/25/25 at 03:00 AM

Best Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Leadership Programs | 2025 allnurses.com; by allnurses Editorial Team / Admin; 4/22/25 ... This guide highlights the top MSN Leadership programs for 2025, with key insights into coursework, clinicals, costs, and career potential. ... The following schools have been selected based on allnurses' methodology of surveying our readers to understand what they value most, with the addition of graduation rates, student-faculty ratio, price, mode, duration, and admission rates of hundreds of the most prominent nursing schools in the United States.

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By the Bay forges educational partnerships to grow hospice, home-based care workforce

04/25/25 at 03:00 AM

By the Bay forges educational partnerships to grow hospice, home-based care workforce Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 4/23/25 By the Bay Health has launched a new career program that aims to build up the next generation of home-based health care professionals amid widespread workforce shortages. The California-based health system unveiled its educational initiative, Pathways to Care Careers, in December 2024 as part of its 50th anniversary commemoration. The program is a collaboration with local schools and community organizations. By the Bay Health recently began a $1 million fundraising campaign to support the expansion of the career initiative. A main goal is to reach an increasingly diverse range of health care workers further upstream in their educational journeys, said Robertina Szolarova, chief administrative officer at By the Bay Health and program lead for its Pathways to Care Careers initiative.

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Executive Personnel Changes - 4/25/25

04/25/25 at 03:00 AM

Executive Personnel Changes - 4/25/25

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26 rural hospitals band together as national trend emerges

04/25/25 at 03:00 AM

26 rural hospitals band together as national trend emerges Becker's Hospital Review; by Alan Condon; 4/18/25 Twenty-six rural hospitals across Ohio and West Virginia have partnered to form the Ohio High Value Network — a clinically integrated network aimed at strengthening care delivery, improving outcomes and reducing costs for patients. The collaborative includes 25 Ohio hospitals and care sites in more than 115 cities and towns across 37 counties, along with one hospital in West Virginia. Together, they serve a population of more than 2.5 million patients. The network is structured as a CIN and is designed to support both clinical and operational collaboration across its members. Its formation reflects a growing national trend of rural hospitals banding together to preserve independence, drive value-based care and weather increasing financial and regulatory pressures. “We believe that strong collaboration is the best way to sustain high-quality care in our communities,” Myron Lewis, OHVN board chair and CEO of Blanchard Valley Health System in Findlay, Ohio ...

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Research study participation: Have you been an unpaid caregiver to a hospice patient?

04/25/25 at 03:00 AM

Research study participation: Have you been an unpaid caregiver to a hospice patient?

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Family of Bears great Steve McMichael reports he entered hospice

04/25/25 at 03:00 AM

Family of Bears great Steve McMichael reports he entered hospice Chicago Bears, Chicago, IL; by Gene Chamberlain; 4/23/25 Former Bears great and Hall of Famer entering later stages of battle against Lou Gehrig's Disease. ears Hall of Fame defensive tackle great Steve McMichael has entered hospice care. According to his family, McMichael was removed from a ventilator to a hospice care facility on Wednesday afternoon [4/23]. McMichael has been battling four years against Lou Gehrig's Disease, or ALS. ... McMichael was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last August and former teammates were with him at home celebrating when the ceremony was held.

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Social Media Watch 4/25/25

04/25/25 at 03:00 AM

Social Media Watch 4/25/25

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Meet Herbie: Your organization's million-dollar constraint with Dr. Lisa Lang

04/25/25 at 03:00 AM

Meet Herbie: Your organization's million-dollar constraint with Dr. Lisa Lang Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux with Dr. Lisa Lang; 4/23/25 Ever wonder why your organization keeps hitting the same wall despite constant improvement efforts?  Dr. Lisa Lang, a world-renowned expert in the Theory of Constraints, reveals why most leaders waste resources by focusing on the wrong problems. Dr. Lisa Lang and Chris Comeaux examine the application of the Theory of Constraints (TOC) in various industries, with a particular focus on healthcare and manufacturing.  They discuss the unique challenges faced by healthcare leaders, including regulatory pressures and staffing shortages, and how TOC can provide a structured approach to problem-solving and how to create breakthrough solutions for your organization. 

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HHS cuts funding for NIH-based Women's Health Initiative threatening decades-long study

04/25/25 at 03:00 AM

HHS cuts funding for NIH-based Women's Health Initiative threatening decades-long study The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC); by Giuliana Grossi; 4/23/25 HHS is defunding the regional research centers that have been conducting a long-term national health study focusing on preventive strategies for women's health since 1991, the largest study investigating women’s health in US history. The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) regional centers will close by September 2025, at the end of the fiscal year, according to an announcement from the NIH-based initiative. Investigators at the WHI were informed by HHS earlier this week, although formal written notice from HHS is still pending.  

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Turning grief into art: Ringling College student brings legacy to life for hospice patients

04/25/25 at 03:00 AM

Turning grief into art: Ringling College student brings legacy to life for hospice patients SRQ Media, Sarasota, FL; 4/23/25 At just 19 years old, Ringling College of Art and Design student Leo Motherway is using his talent to help others preserve the stories that matter most. Through the Lazarus Engaged Learning Assistantship, this second-year Illustration major discovered legacy books—deeply personal keepsakes that capture the lives of hospice patients through words and art. Inspired by the loss of his grandmother and father, he's now a passionate volunteer with Empath Tidewell Hospice, illustrating legacy books and organizing creative campus events to engage fellow students. His latest endeavor, Colorful Conversations, is a 20-page illustrated book designed to spark memory and connection for dementia patients through conversation prompts. For Leo, this work is more than volunteering—it’s a way to honor the past, uplift the present, and ensure no story goes untold.

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Today's Encouragement: I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: ...

04/25/25 at 03:00 AM

I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve. ~ Albert Schweitzer

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CMS releases HOPE Guidance Manual (V. 1.01) and Tables

04/25/25 at 03:00 AM

CMS releases HOPE Guidance Manual (V. 1.01) and TablesCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); by CMS; 4/22/25On April 22, 2025, CMS released the HOPE Guidance Manual (V. 1.01) and connected tables. Providers can use v1.01 for HOPE planning, as this is considered final before HOPE implementation. Also note that earlier this month, the final HOPE data specs have also been released, helping software developers to finalize their HOPE software for testing in the coming months.

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Accountable Care Organizations join forces to protect critical Medicare programs

04/25/25 at 02:00 AM

Accountable Care Organizations join forces to protect critical Medicare programs Home Health Care News; by Audrie Martin; 4/23/25 A group of accountable care organizations (ACOs) have joined forces to advocate for the expansion of high-needs care models that improve outcomes and reduce costs for Medicare’s most vulnerable patients. The newly-formed Complex Care Alliance has taken a stand, urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to extend crucial Medicare initiatives beyond their slated 2026 expiration. On Tuesday [4/22], home-based primary care provider HarmonyCares announced its partnership with the Complex Care Alliance, expressing its support for the High-Needs ACO model, which helps provide care for Medicare’s sickest patients.

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Providence's push to hand off hospice, home care in Oregon to Tennessee firm gets closer look

04/24/25 at 03:45 AM

Providence's push to hand off hospice, home care in Oregon to Tennessee firm gets closer look The Lund Report - Independent health news for Oregon and SW Washington; by Jake Thomas; 4/22/25 Providence Health, Oregon’s biggest provider of home health and hospice services, wants to put a private equity-backed company in charge of those operations. But the plan could negatively affect the care of thousands of Oregonians, according to a new state report. The program that reviews large health care mergers and other deals has launched a six-month review of Providence’s proposed transaction with Tennessee-based Compassus and issued an initial report that analyzed the potential effects. Compassus is partly owned by private equity firm TowerBrook Capital Partners, L.P. ... Under the new 180-day review, the state will conduct a more in-depth evaluation of the deal and its potential effects on costs, care quality, access and workplace conditions. That’s in keeping with the 2021 law creating the program, which is considered the nation’s toughest.

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Hospice Choices: VITAS Healthcare expands in Austin, Texas

04/24/25 at 03:30 AM

Hospice Choices: VITAS Healthcare expands in Austin, Texas Globe Newswire - Small Business World Journal; Press Release; 4/23/25... VITAS Healthcare has expanded its reach in the Austin area by opening a new administrative office in Pflugerville. With the addition of this North Austin location, VITAS now serves the entire metro area and surrounding counties, bringing greater access to compassionate, expert end-of-life care for patients and their families. ... Grand opening celebrations for the Kyle and Pflugerville offices are scheduled for late June.

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CMS to withdraw federal Medicaid match for workforce, social needs, and infrastructure: What states, health care providers and community organizations need to know

04/24/25 at 03:00 AM

CMS to withdraw federal Medicaid match for workforce, social needs, and infrastructure: What states, health care providers and community organizations need to know Mondaq; by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton; 4/22/25 In a move signaling a major shift in federal priorities, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS") recently announced it will limit federal funding for state Medicaid initiatives that support services beyond direct medical care. New policy guidance indicates that CMS intends to narrow the scope of the federal-state Medicaid partnership, refocusing matching funds on core healthcare services delivered to Medicaid beneficiaries. ... On April 10, CMS notified states that it will no longer approve new, or renew existing, state proposals for Section 1115(a) Demonstration Project expenditure authority to provide federal matching funds for state expenditures for designated state health programs ("DSHP") and designated state investment programs ("DSIP").

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I’m a hospice physician. There’s one thing I dread telling my patients.

04/24/25 at 03:00 AM

I’m a hospice physician. There’s one thing I dread telling my patients. Slate; by Charlotte Grinberg; 4/22/25 Tom was dying, and managing his condition at home was increasingly difficult. ... His wife Sue was in survival mode. A few sleepless nights turned into weeks without rest, during which she was constantly trying to manage Tom’s symptoms and take care of his basic needs. I’m a hospice physician, and it’s at junctures like this that I can offer a life vest that completely changes the end-of-life experience. ... I told Sue that I thought Tom should transfer to our inpatient hospice facility. “You have done everything possible for Tom at home, it’s too much to ask of you or anybody,” I said. “He needs a higher level of care.” ... Getting a devoted spouse to agree to move their dying partner out of the home isn’t always easy. But a few days after Tom arrived at the inpatient hospice facility, Sue cried tears of appreciation describing the daily baths the caretakers there gave him. 

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As the ‘Silver Tsunami’ hits the Flathead Valley, dementia diagnoses are rising while caregivers reach a breaking point

04/24/25 at 03:00 AM

As the ‘Silver Tsunami’ hits the Flathead Valley, dementia diagnoses are rising while caregivers reach a breaking point Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT; by Maggie Dresser; 3/23/25 ... As baby boomers age and Americans live longer than previous generations, the elderly population will continue to grow and overwhelm many local resources, which includes nursing homes and memory care facilities. ... According to 2020 Census data, the national demographic of people ages 65 and over grew nearly five times faster than the total population over the 100-year period stretching from 1920 to 2020, and the population segment has recently reached 55.8 million. But Montana’s senior citizen population is disproportionately higher than many other states, ranking No. 6 overall, with 19.7% of its population considered geriatric, according to 2020 Census data.  Of this population, 9.8% of individuals in Montana suffer from Alzheimer’s.Editor's note: Click here for the national 2024 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures - Special Report: Mapping a Better Future for Dementia Care Navigation.

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While claiming transparency, CMS quietly drops health equity elements of EOM

04/24/25 at 03:00 AM

While claiming transparency, CMS quietly drops health equity elements of EOM American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC); by Mary Caffrey; 4/22/25 Key Takeaways:

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U.S. News Best Leaders

04/24/25 at 03:00 AM

U.S. News Best Leaders U.S. News & World Report News; 4/19/25 Who deserves to be recognized as a U.S. News Best Leader? Tell us what you think. Later this year, U.S. News & World Report will select its 2025 Best Leaders in public service, business, healthcare and education. We want to hear from you. Please nominate up to three leaders who have strongly benefited their communities, organizations or the country at large.

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7-year-old Clayton girl battling stage 4 cancer enters hospice care at her home

04/24/25 at 03:00 AM

7-year-old Clayton girl battling stage 4 cancer enters hospice care at her home CBS-17 News, Raleigh/Clayton, NC; by Matthew Sockol, Maggie Newland, Greg Funderburg; 4/18/25 A seven-year-old girl battling an aggressive cancer has returned to her home in Clayton, her family said Friday. Noelle Franklin was diagnosed with stage four osteosarcoma less than a year ago and received treatment at UNC Children’s Hospital. In a video post on the Noelle Strong Facebook page, her mother Toni said Noelle is entering hospice care at their home. “The staff of UNC went above and beyond,” Toni Franklin said in a statement. “The care Noelle had was more than we could ask for. “Noelle has touched so many people, not just in our community, but in the hospital too,” she continued in her statement. “Seeing how many people came to celebrate Noelle breaking out overwhelmed me with joy. We paraded three different floors, wouldn’t expect anything less for Noelle. “We are home. We are at peace.”

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Walgreens will pay up to $350M in settlement with DOJ to resolve opioid prescription lawsuit

04/24/25 at 03:00 AM

Walgreens will pay up to $350M in settlement with DOJ to resolve opioid prescription lawsuit Fierce Healthcare; by Heather Landi; 4/21/25 Walgreens has agreed to pay $300 million to settle allegations from federal prosecutors that it illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Monday. The DOJ also alleges that the retail pharmacy chain sought payment for many of those "invalid" prescriptions by Medicare and other federal healthcare programs in violation of the False Claims Act. The settlement amount is based on Walgreens’s ability to pay, the DOJ said, but Walgreens will owe the U.S. an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032. 

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Today's Encouragement: Volunteers don't get paid, not because ...

04/24/25 at 03:00 AM

Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless. ~ Sherry Anderson

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