Literature Review

Humana borrows UnitedHealth’s Medicare Advantage playbookModern Healthcare; by Nona Tepper; 8/25/25Humana's stock price is up 16.5% so far this year, a notable contrast to the [11.6%] declines the larger Medicare Advantage sector and industry leader UnitedHealth Group report. Humana's secret to success is its transparency into its focused business, experts say.

Spokane hospice chaplain’s new book challenges comfort clichés at life’s endThe Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA); by Mia Gallegos; 8/25/25“Hospice Chaplain: Interrupted” examines how caring for the dying transforms the caregiver, exploring the profound discomfort and unexpected revelations that emerge when chaplains sit with patients at life’s end. Written by the Rev. Scott Kinder-Pyle, a hospice chaplain and Presbyterian ordained minister in Spokane, the collection of poems following an introductory essay challenges some of the typical mechanisms pursued by those who accompany people within their final moments of life.

Transformative impacts of clinical pharmacists in hospice careMcKnight's Home Care; by Deanna Douglass; 8/20/25Hospice represents a unique niche in the healthcare system, with goals and best practices that differ significantly from those of curative care. One defining characteristic of hospice is the use of medications to manage symptoms rather than improve or restore health. Pharmacists with specialized hospice and palliative care expertise have long played a vital role in enhancing quality of life for patients in their final days. From managing complex symptoms to ensuring cost-effective prescribing, these dedicated professionals are indispensable partners within interdisciplinary care teams and for hospice leadership. [This article discusses:]

Teleios announces fourth annual Care As It Should Be award winnersTeleios press release; by Tina Gentry; 8/21/25Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN) announced the fourth annual recipients of the Care As It Should Be Awards during the August Board of Directors Meeting. The purpose of the Care As It Should Be Awards is to recognize those individuals who make an extraordinary impact on the patients and families who they serve daily. “We know that each of the staff members who are on the front lines provide excellent care to patients, so these awards are to recognize those who take care to the next level – those who go above and beyond to make a patient’s experience the best that it can be during such vulnerable and challenging times,” said Chris Comeaux, President and CEO of TCN. The award recipients are:

How chatbots talk about suicideSTAT Morning Rounds; by Theresa Gaffney; 8/26/25Three major AI chatbots — ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini — generally respond appropriately to questions about suicide when those queries are especially benign or dangerous. But there is still some fine-tuning needed, especially when it comes to questions that lay somewhere in the middle, according to a new RAND study. And if you read the gutting New York Times opinion essay last week titled “What my daughter told ChatGPT before she took her life,” then you know how urgent an issue this is.Publisher's note: An interesting story about AI applications with suicide. It raises questions about AI applications with hospice, palliative care, and other end-of-life care situations. Accessing STAT Morning Rounds may require free subscription; accessing NYT may require paid subscription.

More time, less paperwork: The quiet revolution in primary careModern Healthcare; by Alex Kacik; 8/26/25Concierge and direct primary care practices are gaining traction among physicians, employers and patients increasingly frustrated with traditional care pathways. The growth of these practices, where patients pay membership fees in exchange for increased access to physicians, is a symptom of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement that has not kept pace with inflation, advisers, doctors and policy experts said. Growing care backlogs, coding and documentation tasks that take doctors away from patients and seemingly ever-rising health insurance premiums are also contributing, they said. “A year ago, I would’ve told you these care models were a slowly evolving, quiet phenomenon,” said Dr. Zirui Song, an associate professor of healthcare policy at Harvard Medical School and a primary care provider at Massachusetts General Hospital. “It is now evolving quite rapidly — it is not so quiet anymore.”Publisher's note: Is concierge medicine coming to a hospice or palliative care provider near you...?

Hospice was meant to offer dignity in death — but it fails the most marginalized. We need hospice programs that go to the streets, into shelters, behind barsSTAT; by Christopher M. Smith; 8/26/25I’ve spent more than a decade in hospice care, sitting at the bedsides of people facing the final days of their lives. I’ve held hands in hospital rooms, in tents, in prison cells, and in homes that barely qualify as such. And over time, I’ve come to see that dying in America is not just a medical event — it’s a mirror. It reflects everything we’ve failed to do for the living. Hospice was created to bring dignity to the dying — to manage pain, provide emotional and spiritual support, and ease the final passage for people with terminal illness. But the systems surrounding hospice care are riddled with inequity. The very people most in need of compassion — the unhoused, the incarcerated, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities — are systematically excluded, underserved, or erased. Access to a good death is too often reserved for the privileged, while everyone else is left to navigate a system that wasn’t built for them — or worse, actively works against them... The truth is, hospice care cannot achieve its mission unless it actively addresses the inequities built into the structures around it. We need hospice programs that go to the streets, into shelters, behind bars. We need training rooted in cultural humility, in antiracism, in trauma-informed care. We need to reimagine what it means to offer dignity to someone whose life has been defined by abandonment... Because dying is universal. But justice, even at the end of life, is still not.Publisher's note: STAT also references Dr. Ira Byock's article "The hospice industry needs major reforms. It should start with apologies, 8/22/23".

RN median hourly pay, by stateBecker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 8/19/25Median hourly base pay for registered nurses varies across states, with RNs in California earning the most, according to SullivanCotter’s “2025 Health Care Staff Compensation Survey Report.” The survey, released in July, covers nearly 2.5 million healthcare employees across over 2,660 participating organizations, including more than 800,000 individual RNs, licensed practical nurses and nursing managers. Here is the median per-hour base pay for RNs, by state, according to survey data shared with Becker’s [see article for all states]:

PEOPLE's 100 Companies that Care in 2025 People; by Brendan Le; 8/20/25 In collaboration with Great Place to Work, a global authority on workplace culture, PEOPLE surveyed companies across the U.S. to find the businesses that best demonstrate outstanding respect, care and concern for their employees, communities and the environment. The ninth annual list is based on 1.3 million responses and data from companies representing over 8.4 million employees. 

Lessons from U.S. Army Special Ops on becoming a leaderHarvard Business Review; by Angus Fletcher; 8/19/25In today’s volatile and uncertain world, leadership skills have become more crucial than ever, yet many organizations struggle to train their managers to lead effectively. But experiential learning and failure-based training, as practiced by U.S. Army Special Operations, can transform managers into leaders who excel in high-pressure situations. By focusing on initiative, emotional confidence, imagination, and strategic vision, the Special Ops curriculum offers a unique and effective approach to leadership development that can be adapted to various industries and organizational contexts. This method has shown remarkable success in both military and business settings, making it a valuable resource for companies looking to cultivate strong leaders in times of uncertainty.

How to choose the right assisted living facility for your aging loved one Mediafeed.org; by Rebecca Schier-Akamelu; 8/19/25 When you tour assisted living facilities, you’ll have the opportunity to speak directly with staff members and, when appropriate, even residents. Asking questions about pricing, amenities, caregivers, the types of care provided, and community culture will help you and your loved one compare when it’s time to choose the best facility. Key questions to find the right fit: ...