Literature Review

Hog Town donates $6,000 to United Hospice Service Aspire Rural Health System, ; 10/8/25 Following the 20th annual Hog Town Run, members of Hog Town Inc. presented United Hospice Service (UHS) of Aspire Rural Health System with a generous donation of $6,000. Held on August 9, the event drew participation from motorcyclists across Michigan who gathered in support of a worthy cause. This year, 155 registered bikes joined the run, helping to continue a tradition of giving that has spanned nearly two decades. With this year’s contribution, Hog Town Inc. has donated more than $224,500 to the hospice program since the event’s inception. ... UHS is a non-profit hospice serving Sanilac, Lapeer, Huron, Tuscola, and St. Clair counties [Michigan].

[Global] Top designs revealed in buildner’s Fourth Annual Hospice – Home for the Terminally Ill competition ArchDaily; 10/13/25 Buildner has announced the results of its fourth annual Hospice - Home for the Terminally Ill international architecture ideas competition. This global call for ideas continues to explore how architecture can support end-of-life care with empathy, dignity, and contextual sensitivity. The competition invited architects and designers to move beyond clinical requirements and envision spaces that offer emotional warmth, social connection, and a profound sense of place. ... An international jury reviewed the submissions for their design clarity, emotional resonance, and architectural depth. 

Ex-employee sued bankrupt SLO County hospice group 3 times. Here's whyMSN San Luis Obispo County, CA; 10/13/25 A former employee of Wilshire Health and Community Services filed three lawsuits against the organization in the past two years, accusing the now-bankrupt nonprofit of violating numerous labor laws including using unfair pay practices, gender-based discrimination and wrongful and retaliatory termination.

‘Lack of urgency’ a top cause of hospice admissions delays, industry consultants say McKnight Home Care; by Adam Healy; 10/9/25 Hospices’ delays in admitting patients can bog down operations and stifle growth. To avoid holdups, providers should act with urgency and prioritize outside-the-box thinking, industry consultants at Transcend Strategy Group recommended. ... Transcend Strategy Group recently released a new insights guide titled “Driving Sales and Admissions Success in Hospice Care.” The guide reveals hospice providers’ top reasons for admissions delays, the problems caused by these delays, and the strategies providers can use to clear bottlenecks. The insights guide noted that admissions delays are problematic for both providers and their clients. ... Hospices should get creative to solve admissions problems, Transcend’s experts agreed. Rather than look for a tool or technology to help speed up operations, look internally to identify practices that prevent care from being delivered, they said.

Seasons Hospice hosts commemoration as it closes hospice house, forges ahead with in-home care KTTC, Rochester, MN; by Caitlin Alexander; 10/10/25 Local nonprofit organization Seasons Hospice hosted a somber but significant moment on Friday as it commemorated its hospice house. After more than 25 years, Seasons Hospice is closing the doors of the hospice house, as it now shifts its focus to serving patients and families with in-home hospice care. “I had a hard time at first accepting that and getting beyond it, but I did,” one of the founders, Sarah Oehlke, said. “I’m very grateful that you have sustained our quality-of-care standards for all of the years.” “We have together provided comfort, dignity and compassion to countless families during life’s most poignant moments,” Board President Dawn Beck said. ... Seasons Hospice previously spoke about a declining census at the hospice house, especially in recent years, noting the shift toward people wishing to spend their final days in their homes with loved ones.Editor's Note: This Seasons Hospice is in Rochester, Minnesota; not to be confused with other hospice organizations throughout the nation with "seasons" in its name. They gave their hospice house both a "good life" and "a good death." We draw attention to the shift they described "toward people wishing to spend their final days in their homes with loved ones," and will continue to be on the lookout for similar trends. To quote from an ancient poet, "To everything there is a season ..." We wish Seasons Hospice well through its continued transitions.

Aveanna ‘not a buyer of hospices’ due to high multiples Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/10/25 Aveanna Healthcare Holdings (Nasdaq: AVAH) is hungry for acquisitions, but hospice transactions are likely not on the menu. Aveanna’s expanding hospice and home health business has largely included a focus on organic growth and tuck-ins across its existing geographic markets. Acquisitions could make up a larger portion of its strategy on the near horizon, according to CEO Jeff Shaner. The company has been less active on the M&A front in recent years, taking a cautious approach to growth, he previously indicated. However, the company is not in the market for hospices due to high valuations in the space compared to other health care sectors like home health or private duty services.

Care that never gives up - in honour of World Hospice & Palliative Care Day 2025 The Morung Express; by Dr. Victoria Seb, MBBS, PDGDM, FIPM; 10/10/25 Quoting the Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, himself : ‘To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always’, these timeless words echo deeply the realm of palliative care, reminding us that the heart of healthcare lies not only in curing disease but in easing suffering and preserving dignity. The World Hospice & Palliative Care Day 2025 theme “Achieving the Promise: Universal Access to Palliative Care” calls to action for communities, healthcare systems and policy makers to ensure that palliative care is not a privilege but a universal right – accessible to every person, everywhere. ... In an era marked by medical advancement and increased life expectancy, the demand for holistic, compassionate care at the end of life has never been greater. Yet, despite its proven benefits, access to palliative care remains limited worldwide. The need for palliative care is urgent and growing, especially as populations age and chronic diseases become more prevalent. 

The 5 leadership skills that AI will never replace (and how you can harness them) Fast Company; by Alexis Zahner; 10/3/25 Artificial Intelligence is here to stay. It’s reshaping industries, expediting innovation, and shifting how we work at unprecedented speed. For many leaders and employees alike, that reality sparks an uneasy question: if AI can do my work, where does that leave me? The answer lies not in competing with AI, but in doubling down on what makes us distinctly, and irreplaceably, human. ... Here are five leadership skills that AI will never replace, and how you can harness them to stay future-ready:

Palliative care remains underused among young adults with advanced cancer in U.S. American Cancer Society, Chicago, IL; 10/10/25 Although palliative care use has increased over time among young adults with advanced cancers in the United States, new research led by the American Cancer Society (ACS) found that utilization still remains very low. Palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life for individuals with serious or life-limiting illnesses. ... Researchers, led by Kewei (Sylvia) Shi, MPH, at the American Cancer Society, used the National Cancer Database to identify patients aged 18-39 who were newly diagnosed with stage-IV cancers. ... The study included a total of 76,666 patients. The percentage receiving any palliative care increased from 2.0% in 2010 to 4.8% in 2023.

Emergency Department care coordination program for assisted living residents with dementia-A qualitative studyJAMA Network Open; by Grace F. Wittenberg, Peter T. Serina, Nichole E. Stetten, Ann Reddy, Ellen McCreedy; 8/25Care transitions to the emergency department (ED) from assisted living centers (ALCs) for residents may include incomplete or inaccurate information during transfer. These transitions can be especially difficult for vulnerable populations, including persons living with dementia (PLWD). In this qualitative study of a care coordination intervention, CCMs [complex care managers] advocated for their patients remotely by filling information gaps, particularly for PLWD and patients in hospice, and perceived that the intervention was associated with improved patient care. CCMs also identified key areas for improvement, such as to increase ED staff awareness of the program and to expand program hours.

Honoring the lives and legacies of hospice leaders - September 2025