Literature Review

Kobacker program moves to Ohio’s Hospice in landmark partnership preserving future of quality nonprofit end-of-life care US National Times, Columbus, OH; Press Release; 1/7/26 The Kobacker family today announced that Kobacker House, central Ohio’s pioneering inpatient hospice facility founded in 1989, will move and continue its mission under Ohio’s Hospice, the state’s largest nonprofit hospice provider. As part of the announcement, the family published a guiding charter, The Kobacker Way, which details fundamental principles for quality nonprofit hospice care. The full document is available at www.TheKobackerWay.org. 

Superior Health Holdings expands Louisiana hospice footprint with acquisition of Hope Healthcare & Hospice (Bayou Country) Business Wire; Press Release; 1/7/26 Superior Health Holdings (“Superior”) ... announced the acquisition of the Bayou Country hospice operations of Hope Healthcare and Hospice BC, LLC ("Hope Hospice"), a community-based hospice provider headquartered in Houma, Louisiana. This acquisition expands Superior’s integrated care capabilities and deepens its presence in Southern Louisiana. Hope Hospice serves a broad area throughout the Bayou Region and offers all Medicare-defined levels of hospice care, including routine home care, general inpatient care, continuous home care, and respite services. The organization delivers care in patients’ homes as well as in assisted living communities, nursing facilities, memory care centers, and partner hospitals. 

New hospice room at Crestview Manor helps homeless veterans Crestview Bulletin, Crestview, FL; by Tony Judnich; 12/31/25 [On December 26,] a 60-year-old man who was a homeless military veteran became the first resident of the "Peoples Health Services Heroes Hospice Room" at the Creview Manor assisted-living facility. [The rest of the article is behind a paywall.]

Scaling home-based care coordination depends on technology, addressing social determinants of health Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 12/30/25 The home-based care industry is uniquely equipped to improve care coordination and enhance care for patients. To expand the role that care coordination plays in the U.S., both post-acute providers and the health care system overall must expand their use of technology and address social determinants of health, according to Ruth Raskas, president and chief operating officer at LiveWell Partners.

Winter landscapes remind us that beauty is in the details.

Healthcare technology: Smart tech, wearable devices, and robotics – 2026 health IT predictions Healthcare IT Today; by Grayson Miller; 1/6/26 As we wrap up another year and get ready for 2026 to begin, it is once again time for everyone’s favorite annual tradition of Health IT Predictions! We reached out to our incredible Healthcare IT Today Community to get their insights on what will happen in the coming year, and boy, did they deliver. We, in fact, got so many responses to our prompt this year that we have had to narrow them down to just the best and most interesting. Check out the community’s predictions down below and be sure to follow along as we share more 2026 Health IT Predictions!

Reconnecting at the end: The healing power of nature in hospice and palliative care ehospice; by Dr. Owen Wiseman; 1/5/26 ... Humans are wired to feel better in nature. We feel calmer when we see the colour green or hear water flowing from a stream nearby. ... Evidence shows that simply viewing nature can reduce pain, anxiety, and stress. In one of the most-cited studies, patients recovering from surgery who had window views of nature used 21% fewer pain medications and shortened hospital stays. ... I’ve had a front-row seat to the power of nature in palliative care, both professionally and personally. ...Small Ways to Bring Nature In - Not every hospice or palliative care space has access to large gardens or forests. That said, nature can still find a way in:

Physicians’ end-of-life choices: a surprising study Medpage Today's KevinMD.com; by M. Bennet Broner, PhD; 1/3/26 In July, I wrote about the importance of end-of-life planning (EOL). Shortly after, I read a study that examined physicians’ EOL plans with advanced cancer and Alzheimer’s disease (stage unspecified). The study encompassed nations with different forms of aid in dying, from the U.S., where a terminal coma is the only option most states allow, to Belgium, where physician-assisted dying (PAD) and euthanasia are available. Although the term suicide has been used for PAD, it is incorrect, as no one who chooses these options desires to die; they just want a choice in how and when they do so. ... One would assume, as the researchers did, that physicians would utilize all available medical technology. However, they found that end-of-life choices were nuanced decisions. ...

Dying with dignity - personal perspective: The sacred ending we don’t talk about enough. Psychology Today; by Cynthia Chen-Joea DO, MPH, FAAFP, DABOM; 12/24/25 In the U.S., we spend enormous amounts of energy keeping people alive, curing, fixing, and prolonging life at all costs. What we rarely talk about is how people die. And more importantly, how poorly our system supports them when the end is clearly approaching. ... [Background story about her dad's Parkinson's and eventual death] ... Then came our request for hospice. After an evaluation, we were told he didn’t “qualify” because he had gained some weight and his albumin levels were “too high.” An arbitrary checklist, based on labs values, prevented him from getting into hospice. [Keep reading] So we tried for palliative care instead. I made call after call, only to be bounced between departments, many unclear on the difference between hospice and palliative care, ... Even as a physician, I was stunned by how many barriers we encountered simply trying to do the most humane thing: to advocate for dignity, comfort, and respect at the end of my father’s life.

Encompass Health: Capturing growth in a fragmented post-acute market AInvest; by AI agent Henry Rivers; 1/6/26 The core investment thesis for Encompass Health is built on two powerful, converging forces: a demographic tsunami and a fragmented, consolidating market. ...

Donna Gregory’s extraordinary people: Gwen Whitley reflects on nearly 18 years of service WWAY News, Leland, NC; by Matt Bennett; 12/29/25 Nearly 18 years ago, Gwen Whitley began working at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare, guided by an experience that had changed her life years earlier. ... Whitley said she never viewed leadership as a title, but as a responsibility to patients, families and staff. During her time as CEO, Whitley oversaw several major developments. She points to two accomplishments she is most proud of: the creation of the LifeCare Memory Partners program ... and the organization earning a Five-Star Rating from Medicare in August. ... As she prepares for retirement, Whitley said she plans to remain involved as a volunteer and through the organization’s foundation.

New year, a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story. Ultimately, we write it. The choice is ours. ~ Alex Morritt

Ethics of AI in health and biomedical researchThe Hastings Center for Bioethics; 2025The Hastings Center conducts research and produces public engagement activities on the ethics of artificial intelligence in health and biomedical research. Our publications include articles and essays on the rapidly evolving issues raised by AI in health and research. Our scholars publish articles on their research findings and are quoted in the media.Publisher's Note: This series of articles was featured in The Hasting's Center's year in review.