Literature Review
VITAS CEO Joel Wherley: 4 core values of hospice care
02/22/26 at 03:10 AMVITAS CEO Joel Wherley: 4 core values of hospice care Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 2/6/26 A mission-driven approach that prioritizes patient and employee well-being is crucial to success as a hospice business, according to Joel Wherley, president and CEO of VITAS Healthcare. ... Hospice News sat down with Wherley at the Home Care 100 conference in Scottsdale, Arizona to discuss his outlook for hospice in 2026, what the community can expect for VITAS in 2026 and what keeps him up at night as a health care leader. ...
Aveanna CEO: Hospice multiples still too high
02/22/26 at 03:05 AMAveanna CEO: Hospice multiples still too high Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 2/13/26 As Aveanna Healthcare Holdings considers potential acquisitions, hospices are not on the menu due to their high price tags. Hospice multiples skyrocketed during the boom M&A years of 2019 through 2022, reaching as high a 26x, sometimes more. As transactions slowed down between 2023 and 2025, one contributing factor was a disconnect between sellers’ and buyers’ expectations regarding valuations. Now hospice deals are picking up steam. The fourth quarter of 2025 saw the industry’s highest deal volume since 2021, and one reason is that sellers’ and buyers’ expectations are becoming more aligned. However, this trend hasn’t yet gone far enough, according to Aveanna CEO Jeff Shaner. “[Hospice multiples] are all north of 10x. ..."
Integrity
02/22/26 at 03:00 AMIntegrity can be neither lost nor concealed nor faked nor quenched not artificially come by nor outlived, nor, I believe, in the long run, denied. ~Eudora Welty
Executive Personnel Changes - 2/13/26
02/22/26 at 03:00 AMExecutive Personnel Changes - 2/13/26
Sunday newsletters
02/22/26 at 03:00 AMSunday newsletters focus on headlines and top read stories of the last week (in order) - enjoy!
Cancer support camps and the measurement of quality of life among children of parents with cancer
02/21/26 at 03:40 AMCancer support camps and the measurement of quality of life among children of parents with cancerSupportive Care in Cancer; by Mia K. Price, Marcelo M. Sleiman Jr., Muriel R. Statman, Duye Liu, Rachel Adams, Matthew G. Biel, Alexandra L. Baldwin, Joseph M. Stilwell, Kenneth P. Tercyak; 1/26Children of parents with cancer face elevated risks of anxiety, depression, and impaired social-emotional functioning. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the Kids’ Experience of Summer Enrichment Measure (KESEM), a parent-report tool assessing psychosocial well-being among children attending a cancer support camp due to a parent’s cancer [and] ... the majority of parents (78%) strongly agreed that camp was favorably impactful and would recommend it to others.
An exploratory analysis of advance care planning typologies in a sample of midlife and older adult sexual minority men
02/21/26 at 03:35 AMGOComm: A team-based communication intervention to improve clinicians' skills and distress tolerance in family meetings
02/21/26 at 03:30 AMGOComm: A team-based communication intervention to improve clinicians' skills and distress tolerance in family meetingsJournal of Hospital Medicine; by Kimberly Bloom-Feshbach, Evgenia Litrivis, Elizabeth Brondolo, Alexandra Spinelli, Thomas Bozzo, Melissa Patterson, Robert Crupi, Cynthia X Pan; 1/26Medical training often omits systematic approaches to prognostication and goals of care (GOC) communication, leading to end-of-life (EOL) hospital care misaligned with patients' values, lower clinician self-efficacy, and greater clinician distress. We developed and implemented GOComm, a 4-h serious illness communication training program across eight campuses of a large health system. Clinicians had statistically significant gains in GOC knowledge, self-efficacy, and distress tolerance. GOComm had high clinician acceptability: 96.2% indicated they would recommend GOComm to a colleague, and 83.2% credited it with changing how they will manage patients.
Mediating effects of depressive and heart failure symptoms in their associations with quality of life in patients with heart failure
02/21/26 at 03:25 AMConnected care for older adults: A pilot intervention engaging community health workers to advance age-friendly care in rural Oregon
02/21/26 at 03:20 AMConnected care for older adults: A pilot intervention engaging community health workers to advance age-friendly care in rural OregonJournal of the American Geriatrics Society; by Bryanna De Lima, Lindsay Miller, Elizabeth Foster, Jodi Ready, Elizabeth Eckstrom; 1/26Aging in a rural setting presents unique challenges including limited access to in-home care, lack of social support, language and cultural barriers, and the lack of transportation. We conducted a pilot study embedding community health workers (CHWs) into rural primary care teams to assist with implementation of the 4Ms of the Age-Friendly Health System: What Matters, Mentation, Medication, and Mobility. The program made a positive difference for 95% of responding patients (n = 120) and 100% of responding providers (n = 19) were "very satisfied" with the program. Clinicians cited the CHWs' ability to support resource connections, address social isolation and social needs, provide regular check-ins, and help to get patients and families engaged in care as positive components of the model.
Too late to help? Disparities in palliative and hospice care among veterans with pancreatic cancer—A 10-year retrospective study at a VA medical center
02/21/26 at 03:15 AMToo late to help? Disparities in palliative and hospice care among veterans with pancreatic cancer—A 10-year retrospective study at a VA medical centerJournal of Clinical Oncology; by Jonathan Blackmon, Mirza Mashaal Khan, Rahul Reddy Tirumalareddy, Zohair Siddiqui, Saurin Chokshi, Alva Bowen Weir III; 1/26Pancreatic cancer is characterized by high symptom burden, rapid progression, and poor prognosis. ASCO [American Society of Clinical Oncology] guidelines recommend palliative care consultation at diagnosis or within 8–12 weeks. Despite guideline recommendations, many patients with pancreatic cancer did not receive timely palliative or hospice care. Delays were more pronounced among rural and Black patients, highlighting persistent disparities in access. These findings support the implementation of a quality improvement initiative at the Memphis VA to standardize early palliative care referrals for high-risk populations.
[UK] Parental experiences of perinatal loss, with a focus on hospice provision: A thematic analysis
02/21/26 at 03:10 AM[UK] Parental experiences of perinatal loss, with a focus on hospice provision: A thematic analysisPalliative & Supportive Care; Rhiannon Latham, Katrina Williams, Keeley Guest, Fauzia Paize, Robyn Lotto; 1/26Perinatal palliative care (PPC) offers holistic support to families of babies with life-limiting conditions, addressing emotional, psychological, and practical needs alongside ensuring dignity for the baby. Five key themes were identified [in this study]: the significance of language used by healthcare professionals when discussing the baby's condition; the importance of timely introduction to hospice care; recognition that grief is a personal and evolving process; the role of shared experiences in building relationships; and the importance of creating lasting memories. Findings highlight the importance of improving healthcare professionals' communication skills and integrating multidisciplinary palliative care services early in the care pathway. Parents expressed gratitude for the hospice support, particularly the opportunity to spend quality time with their baby and make lasting memories.
Acupuncture and acupressure for cancer symptom management: An opinion statement based on preliminary evidence mapping
02/21/26 at 03:05 AMAcupuncture and acupressure for cancer symptom management: An opinion statement based on preliminary evidence mappingCurrent Treatment Options in Oncology; by Nada Lukkahatai, Jingyu Zhang, Chitchanok Benjasirisan, Sutthida Phongphanngam, Aomei Shen, Phakjira Jaiman, Jennifer Kawi, Thomas J. Smith, Leorey N. Saligan; 1/26 Symptom management remains a critical priority in oncology, particularly as many survivors continue to experience fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, neuropathy, and psychological distress despite advances in treatment. Conventional pharmacologic options often provide only partial relief and may be limited by side effects. Acupuncture and acupressure have emerged as promising non-pharmacologic approaches, but the supporting evidence is drawn from a broad and heterogeneous literature. In this opinion paper, we provide a preliminary overview of the current review-level evidence to highlight general trends and evolving areas of promise, while emphasizing the need for further sham-controlled studies to clarify effectiveness and guide integration of acupuncture and acupressure into supportive oncology.
[Japan] Effectiveness of music therapy combining life review and songwriting in patients with terminal cancer: A pilot study based on a mixed methods investigation
02/21/26 at 03:05 AM[Japan] Effectiveness of music therapy combining life review and songwriting in patients with terminal cancer: A pilot study based on a mixed methods investigationBMC Palliative Care; by Nanami Nakaya, Ami Yamasato, Mayu Kondo, Shigeki Okino, Makoto Tokuhara, Banri Tsuda, Tetsuji Iida, Osamu Matsui, Koji Hino, Kenji Yamamoto; 1/26Spiritual well-being is a key protective factor against psychological distress in individuals receiving terminal cancer care, and several approaches have been proposed to enhance this aspect of care. In this study, we developed and evaluated the effectiveness of a novel intervention combining life review (a method known to improve spiritual well-being) with songwriting, a form of music therapy. Qualitative analysis of participants’ feedback yielded 77 codes, which were integrated into four major categories: (1) Positive feelings toward researchers or the music, (2) Recalling the past and realizing it was a good life, (3) Hope for the future, and (4) Sharing with others. The intervention significantly improved spiritual well-being, depression, and anxiety in individuals with terminal cancer.
Every day, someone realizes a dream. I believe dreams ...
02/21/26 at 03:00 AMEvery day, someone realizes a dream. I believe dreams help light our darkness and give us the push we need to move across the rink of life. ~ Kristi Ymaguchi, Olympic Women's Gold Medal Ice Skating, 1992
Effect of antipsychotic medication use and type on mortality and cardiovascular risks in nursing home patients with dementia
02/21/26 at 03:00 AMEffect of antipsychotic medication use and type on mortality and cardiovascular risks in nursing home patients with dementiaAlzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring; by Hamid R. Okhravi, Fang Fang, Melissa P. Hunter, Brynn E. Sheehan; 1/26Antipsychotic medication (APM) use in nursing home (NH) patients with dementia is common but carries risks. APM use in NH dementia patients is linked to higher death risk. First‐generation APMs showed higher mortality risk than second‐generation APMs. Overall, APM use is associated with increased stroke risk. No association was found between APM use and MI risk overall.
Saturday newsletters
02/21/26 at 03:00 AMSaturday newsletters focus on headlines and research - enjoy!
Research study participation, 2/21/26
02/21/26 at 02:00 AMResearch study participation, 2/21/26
You miss 100% of the shots ...
02/20/26 at 03:00 AMYou miss 100% of the shots you don't take. ~ Wayne Gretzky
Valentine’s week at Connecticut Hospice
02/20/26 at 03:00 AMValentine’s week at Connecticut Hospice The Connecticut Hospice; email and webpage; 2/18/26 Valentine’s Week at Connecticut Hospice was filled with meaningful moments and gentle reflections of the love that surrounds our patients and families every day. We began the week with a touching donation of hand-painted rocks from our dedicated volunteer, Maureen. ...The week of Valentine’s Day holds special meaning for her, as it marks the anniversary of her father’s passing. These small but powerful tokens were placed at our front desk for visitors to choose from before or after spending time with their loved ones. [Continue reading and see photos of more meaningful gifts through the week.]
Cindy Mensik on hospice care: When to shift focus?
02/20/26 at 03:00 AMCindy Mensik on hospice care: When to shift focus? Investors Hangout; by Lucas Young; 2/17/26 Families in Texas City, TX, are facing a critical decision as loved ones enter the later stages of life. A recent article featuring insights from hospice care expert Cindy Mensik outlines when it’s time to pivot from aggressive treatment methods to hospice care. The reality is stark: this shift isn’t about surrendering; it’s about prioritizing comfort and quality of life during challenging times.
South Bay family mistakenly told 92-year-old relative had died at healthcare facility
02/20/26 at 03:00 AMSouth Bay family mistakenly told 92-year-old relative had died at healthcare facilityFox-2 KTVU, Los Gatos, CA; by KTVU Staff; 2/18/26
14th Annual healthcare fraud & abuse review 2025
02/20/26 at 03:00 AM14th Annual healthcare fraud & abuse review 2025 JD Supra; by Theresa Androff, Cody Anthony, Denise Barnes, Michael Bassham, Angela Bergman, Justin Brown, Nathan Brown, J. Taylor Chenery, Hannah Choate, Matthew Curley, John Eason, Charlotte Elam, Emily Ann Farmer, Lindsey Brown Fetzer, Emily Fountain, Lauren Gaffney, Scott Gallisdorfer, Anna Grizzle, Becca Guthrie, Stephanie Higdon, Brian Irving, Stewart Kameen, Travis Lloyd, Andrés Martinez, Garrah Carter-Mason, William Mathias, Jennifer Michael, Jack Nelson, Benjamin Peterson, Brianna Powell, Lisa Rivera, Brian Roark, Molly Ruberg, Taylor Sample, Reagan Schmidt, Ben Schrader, Danielle Sloane, Hannah Webber; 2/17/26 Bass, Berry & Sims is pleased to bring you our 14th annual Healthcare Fraud & Abuse Review in which we cover significant civil and criminal enforcement issues for healthcare providers. Please see full publication below for more information. ...