Literature Review

There is always, always, always something to be thankful for. ~ Unknown.Bonus: "What is another word for thankful?"

Empathy is the strongest form of leadership: Kyle Godhard Cleveland.com; by guest columnist Kyle Godhard, VP of Human Resources at Hospice of the Western Reserve; 11/16/25 ... In hospice care, that compassion runs especially deep. Staff walk alongside patients and families in their final days, often carrying emotional weight long after each goodbye.  In such a setting, leadership must offer more than direction; it must offer empathy. At Hospice of the Western Reserve, we believe compassionate leadership is not only kind, but also strategic. And it may be the most important investment any healthcare organization can make. ... Compassionate leadership doesn’t replace high expectations. It strengthens them. It builds teams that trust one another, stay committed and show up fully for patients and families. 

Telehealth survives again: What the most recent flexibility extension means for providers JD Supra; by Conor Duffy and Danielle Tangorre; 11/17/25 On November 12, 2025, President Trump signed H.R. 5371 the “Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs and Extensions Act, 2026” (the Act). The Act ended the federal government shutdown by providing necessary funding; it also extends key Medicare telehealth flexibilities to January 30, 2026. ... This represents another short-term extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities that will again need to be revisited in January 2026. ... Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities Extended by the Act [include]:

AI-assisted decision-making for end-stage organ failure: Opportunities and ethical concerns Artificial Organs; by John W Haller, Olga D Brazhnik, Kathleen N Fenton; 11/17/25 ... This paper discusses current applications of AI in healthcare, emphasizing the complex decision-making necessary for patients with organ failure. It outlines how AI can support risk stratification, patient selection, and outcome prediction, particularly in transplantation practices that increasingly rely on robust data to inform care pathways. ... There is a need for standardized, high-quality data, rigorous validation, and transparent algorithms to mitigate biases that could exacerbate disparities in care. Ethical considerations demand attention to equitable access, patient privacy, and the preservation of the human element in patient-clinician relationships. 

[United Kingdom] 'I lie awake wondering how we fund our hospice' BBC News, Manchester, England; by Paul Burnell; 11/18/25 The boss of a large hospice has told how its financial problems are giving her sleepless nights. Rachel McMillan, chief executive of Moya Cole Hospice in Manchester, said it needed £20,000 daily to run it. "It keeps me awake at night - every day it is always a challenge." "The funding model is archaic, it's not fit for purpose," Ms. McMillan said. "We have to raise £20,000 every single day of the year just to keep the doors open."Editor's Note: I trust that you--our readers--can relate. And yet, our US Medicare payments provide much more financial support than UK counterparts. Still, Moya Cole Hospice--in the midst of tough financial decisions--continues to focus on quality care, as demonstrated in their ongoing top quality scores of "Outstanding" for the pattient and family care they provide.

Heartland Hospice changes name to Gentiva Hospice Jacksonville Daily Record, Jacksonville, FL; by Monty Zickuhr; 11/17/25 Heartland Hospice in Jacksonville announced Nov. 17 it has changed its name to Gentiva Hospice. ... Heartland was acquired from ProMedica by Gentiva in 2023. Gentiva says it is a hospice, palliative and home health provider with more than 525 locations in 38 states. It is part of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, a private investment firm with about $82 billion in assets under management. 

Four California residents sentenced to prison in connection with $16m Hospice fraud and money laundering scheme Office of Public Affairs - U.S. Department of Justice; Press Release; 11/18/25 Four California residents were sentenced to prison for their roles in defrauding Medicare of nearly $16 million through sham hospice companies and laundering the fraudulent proceeds.

Santa Barbara turns holiday tables into life-saving conversations CBS-12, ABC-3, Fox-11, Santa Barbara, CA; by Patrician Martellotti I. Keyt; 11/17/25 ... Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics and Hospice of Santa Barbara are teaming up to prompt residents to start advance care planning — the process of deciding and documenting what kind of medical care they want if they become unable to speak for themselves. The campaign offers free bilingual appointments with witnessing and notary services, helping residents complete their healthcare directives with ease and confidence. Organizers say the holidays provide a natural setting for these conversations because families are already coming together.

I don’t pay good wages because I have a lot of money; I have a lot of money because I pay good wages. ~ Robert Bosch

Q&A: Prognostic preferences ‘a swinging pendulum’ for older adults with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD)Healio; by Lucas Laboy and Annie Liu, DO, MPH, MS; 11/17/25 Older adults with end-stage kidney disease and their care partners expressed dynamic prognostic preferences over time, according to study findings published in Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Serious conversations with patients with ESKD can be difficult for nephrologists, according to Annie Liu, DO, MPH, MS, associate physician at Mass General Brigham, and colleagues. ... Key themes included:

Sage advice on aging and dying from a Colorado geriatrician CPR News; by Andrea Dukakis; 11/17/25 Geriatricians – doctors trained to treat older adults – are a scarce commodity across the country and in Colorado. The state has about a million residents aged 65 and older and, according to the most recent data available, only 110 geriatricians. ... Here are five things we learned about aging from Dr. Erika Altneu, a geriatrician in Salida:

Applied transformation in healthcare: From digital dreams to operational reality | Viewpoint Chief Healthcare Executive - Opinion; by Clay Holderman; 11/17/25 Healthcare’s digital transformation journey has entered a new, more demanding phase. No longer is it enough to simply adopt technology. Health systems are now expected to show tangible results: stronger margins, better patient access, and improved outcomes are under greater pressure than ever before. ... Here are three key insights from our analysis, and what healthcare leaders can do to make progress real.

Hospital-at-home programs gripped by uncertainty Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 11/17/25 ... Stopgap legislation signed into law last week continues the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver until the end of January. The short extension is creating more confusion and uncertainty for health systems hoping to start or scale hospital-at-home, said Dr. Stephen Dorner, chief of clinical operations and medical affairs at Mass General Brigham’s Healthcare at Home program. Guest Editor’s Note, by Judi Lund-Person: Health systems who had Hospital-at-Home programs are rethinking their plans to reopen their programs, largely due to the very short waiver extension until January 30,  2026. According to Modern Healthcare, a bill has been introduced, titled the “Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act.” The waiver for Hospital-at- Home would be extended for five years, through the end of 2030.