Literature Review

UnitedHealth urges shareholders to back CEO’s $60M pay package Becker's Payer Issues; by Rylee Wilson; 5/20/25 UnitedHealth Group is asking shareholders to support a $60 million stock option award for its new CEO. In a May 20 letter to shareholders, Christopher Zaetta, UnitedHealth’s chief legal officer, urged shareholders to approve the company’s executive compensation. Institutional Shareholder Services, a proxy advisory firm, has advised shareholders to vote no on UnitedHealth’s “say-on-pay” proposal. The company appointed Stephen Hemsley, who led the company from 2006 to 2017, as CEO in May. Mr. Hemsley will receive a $1 million annual salary, but will not receive any annual cash incentives. Instead, he will receive a $60 million stock option after three years as CEO. ISS recommended shareholders vote no because nearly all of Mr. Hemsley’s compensation will be in stock option awards, and fluctuations in stock price could lead to a “windfall” for the CEO. 

White coats, heavy hearts: What to expect as a med student after your first patient death Medscape; by David Brzostowicki; 5/21/25 The first death of a patient represents a profound emotional turning point that reverberates throughout one’s career as a physician. In that critical moment, the shield of clinical detachment gives way to inevitable self-reflection. Daryl Eber, MD, recalls a jarring case of an intubated patient who extubated himself and quickly died after coding. The incident occurred in 2005 while Eber was doing rounds as a medical student at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center (renamed UF Health Jacksonville) in Jacksonville, Florida. Although the patient was not in his direct care, the swiftness with which death took the man has lingered with Eber for two decades. 

What caregivers should know about end-of-life rallies  AARP; by Jamie Ducharme; 5/19/25People with advanced illnesses sometimes experience unpredictable bursts of energy or clarity. Here’s how caregivers should handle these episodes. Roughly a decade after her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Liz Donnarumma got her back — but only for an instant. It happened one evening in 2021, more than a year after Donnarumma first realized her mother, Theresa, didn’t recognize her. Theresa took Donnarumma’s face in her hands, called her by her nickname and thanked her. “When she put her hands on my face and I looked into her eyes, she was totally there. It was my mother,” Donnarumma says. “It was like a second, just one second, and it was gone.” Donnarumma’s mother had an episode of “paradoxical lucidity” — that is, an unexpected burst of mental clarity, despite her advanced condition. While these moments are as unexplained as they are unexpected, experts say they are more common than many people realize. ...

Q&A: Addressing palliative care in dialysis settings Physician's Weekly; interview with Jane O. Schell, MD; 5/20/25 Jane O. Schell, MD, discusses factors that impact use of palliative care in dialysis settings for patients in the United States, as well as potential solutions. 

Navigating the Future: HOPE, Wage Index, and CMS Quality Measures Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN; podcast by Chris Comeaux with Annette Kiser and Judi Lund Person; 5/21/25 What happens when ancient philosophical questions about "the good life" collide with modern healthcare regulations?  In this compelling episode of TCNtalks, host Chris Comeaux welcomes Hospice leaders Annette Kiser, Chief Compliance Officer with Teleios, and Judi Lund Person, Principal, Lund Person & Associates LLC,  for a deep dive into the regulatory crossroads facing hospice providers. In this episode,  we discuss the FY 2026 Proposed Rule, which focused on implementing the HOPE initiative, and two RFIs (Requests for Information) that were part of it. 

How 24 rural hospitals look to improve value-based care Modern Healthcare; by Alex Kacik; 5/15/25 Two dozen critical access hospitals in Montana have created a clinically integrated network, following similar rural provider-led coalitions in other states. The Yellowstone High Value Network, announced Thursday, looks to improve independent rural hospitals’ care models while also lowering their costs. The network, which resembles coalitions launched in Ohio, Minnesota and North Dakota through rural hospital advisory firm Cibolo Health, is designed to give hospitals the combined patient volume and technology infrastructure to expand alternative payment models that are tailored to the rural communities where they operate.

Good grief: Personal stories show hope still exists after loss ABC KTRK-13; by Brittaney Willmore; 5/19/25 Stories are at the heart of the memorial garden at Bo's Place. The building, with its red brick entryway, tall trees, basketball court, and patio, was intentionally designed on the outside to look almost like two arms, reaching out and welcoming in those who find themselves there as guests, but leave feeling like it's home. Carmichael Khan is familiar with the garden, which isn't made up of plants in this particular case, but of rocks that serve a very distinct purpose. Resting in the palm of his hand is his daughter's rock, which says, "Just bee." "That's why you see bees there. You just want to become. You also want to sit with your grief and just be," Khan explains. Rocks represent, but don't replace late loved ones, and painting them with personality just one of the many ways meant to help grieving children, adults, and families at Bo's Place cope with one of the most difficult parts of life -- death. 

The government should invest now in healthcare cybersecurity, says HSCC Healthcare IT News / HIMSS Media; by Andrea Fox; 5/20/25 Financially-constrained hospitals and health systems need federal funding and support to augment their cybersecurity workforces, according to a Health Sector Coordinating Council report to HHS. Funding shortfalls and workforce shortage leave small, rural and resource-constrained healthcare providers especially vulnerable to ransomware attacks that disrupt care delivery. That's a reality that cannot be ignored, according to a new report, prepared for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, by the Health Sector Coordinating Council's Cybersecurity Working Group. 

The skills CEOs are building in 2025Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 5/20/25 Hospital and health system CEOs are building new leadership skills — many of which were not viewed as a priority earlier in their careers. While health systems continue to focus on workforce-wide skills development, such as leadership skills for succession planning, today’s executives are zeroing in on new capabilities to meet evolving demands. Becker’s connected with four hospital and health system CEOs to learn which skills they are actively working on in 2025. 

Podcast: Innovations and insights in the palliative care space Holland & Knight; podcast by Daniel Patten and Spencer Freeman; 5/20/25 In this episode of "Counsel That Cares," Daniel Patten, a partner in Holland & Knight's Healthcare Regulatory & Enforcement Practice, and Spencer Freeman, chief strategy officer at Gentiva, discuss the challenges and opportunities that come with delivering integrated palliative care services, highlighting the lack of a defined Medicare benefit for palliative care compared to more established models such as hospice. Mr. Freeman shares insights on building care models that serve high-risk patient populations through coordinated interdisciplinary teams and data-driven approaches, emphasizing the importance of collaboration with risk-based primary care providers. Mr. Patten adds a legal perspective on the evolving landscape of value-based care contracts, artificial intelligence (AI) integration and regulatory compliance. Together, they explore how innovative programs can improve patient outcomes, reduce acute care utilization and facilitate payer relationships, offering a comprehensive view of the future of palliative care within value-based healthcare delivery.

You might live to be 100. Are you ready? The Guardian; by Andrew J. Scott; 5/15/25 Ethel Caterham, at the age of 115 years, is said to be the oldest person alive. She offers the sage life advice to “say yes to every opportunity because you never know what it will lead to. Have a positive mental attitude and have everything in moderation.” When she was born in 1909, the average life expectancy of a British female was 52 years – becoming a centenarian was a remote prospect. ... Today, according to the United Nations, centenarians are the fastest growing age group. By 1950, there were an estimated 14,000 whilst today there are nearly 750,000, projected to reach nearly 4 million by 2054. ...  Today, there is too large a gap between average lifespan and healthspan. The number of years we are likely to live has increased more than the number of years we are likely to remain healthy. Reducing this gap is critical for seizing the advantages of longer lives.

Santa Maria woman sentenced to 10+ years for stealing from elderly clients NBC KSBY-6, California's Central Coast; by KSBY Staff; 5/20/25 A former Santa Barbara County investment advisor was sentenced Monday to just over 10 years in federal prison for stealing millions of dollars from elderly clients of her investment advisory business in the Santa Maria area. Julie Darrah, 52, of Santa Maria, ran an investment advisory business called Vivid Financial Management Inc. (VFM). ... Prosecutors say she stole approximately $2.25 million from her clients between November 2016 and July 2023. ... In December 2024, a U.S. District judge found her liable to pay back her clients $2,416,511. Department of Justice (DOJ) officials say Darrah abused the trust her victims placed in her, accusing the defendant of manipulating her elderly clients into believing she would take care of them in their older years, like a daughter. Darrah would then use this trust to persuade her victims to sign documents giving her the ability to transfer funds from their bank accounts into other accounts, including her own. Some of her victims were reportedly left in desperate circumstances, without the money to pay for needed end-of-life care. ... Anyone who thinks they may be a victim of financial fraud can contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11.

You have made the right choice Boston University School of Public Health; by Jillian McKoy; 5/18/25 Public health faces enormous challenges ahead, and as of May 17, the field officially gained 461 additional practitioners who will dedicate their professional lives to eliminating health inequities, fighting for justice, and advancing health for all. On Saturday afternoon, the School of Public Health community, families, and friends gathered at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center to celebrate the achievements of the newest generation of public health leaders at the 2025 SPH Convocation.  Dean Ad Interim Michael Stein opened the event by acknowledging that the class of 2025 is “entering a very different world than the one that existed when they began this program of studies. “They are graduating at a time of unprecedented challenge and opportunity, but I personally witnessed the strength, resilience, and purpose that defines this class.”