Literature Review

Hawai'i Pacific University alumni join forces to build a pioneering palliative care team for student excellence Special to The 'Ohana - HPU's Daily News, Honolulu, HI; 6/3/25 A group of HPU alumni from the nursing, social work, public health and business administration programs ... will be working towards steering a newly established palliative care team at HPU to assist nursing students, social workers and public health students to play an important role in understanding palliative care, hospice and communication with family and survivors. The team will play a role in setting up clinical placements in the community at St. Francis Palliative Care Units and Hospice, to give our nursing students invaluable hands-on experience in providing compassionate care for patients with serious and life-limiting illnesses. HPU Assistant Professor Joy Bliss, Ph.D., will also be designing simulations for “effective listening and communication skills,” to enhance student’s performance and skills in grief and this specialty of nursing. ... This initiative is not only an opportunity to strengthen the clinical training of nursing students, but also an essential step forward in improving the availability and quality of palliative care in Hawaiʻi. 

HHS faces $31B cuts in proposed FY ’26 budget: 6 notes Becker's Hospital Review; by Madeline Ashley; 6/2/25 President Donald Trump’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget slashes funding for the National Institutes of Health by $18 billion to $27.5 billion as part of a sweeping overhaul to realign federal healthcare spending.  The NIH received $46.4 billion in program level funding in 2024 and just over $46 billion in 2025, according to the budget proposal. [Continue reading for this article's lists of (1) consolidated institutes and centers; and (2) "six things to know."]

Medicaid increase, program changes detailed in CMS Budget Proposal InsideHealthPolicy; by Dorothy Mills-Gregg; 5/30/25 Medicaid would see a nearly $57.5 billion increase under the Trump administration’s proposed 2026 budget, though federal Medicaid matching funds for state administrative expenses would be reduced by $1.2 billion compared to this year’s estimate, according to the CMS budget justification document for fiscal 2026 released Friday (May 30).

TCN/HPC Today: Storm clouds on the horizon for reimbursement - Top news stories, May 2025 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner, 6/4/25 What happens when artificial intelligence meets end-of-life care?  How do we reconcile private equity's profit motives with hospice's mission-driven ethos?  These questions took center stage in this month's roundup of hospice news with host Chris Comeaux and guest Cordt Kassner. The May edition of TCNtalks' top news stories reveals a healthcare sector at a fascinating crossroads.  AI has emerged as both a tantalizing promise and a practical challenge for hospice providers.  ... In this episode of TCN Talks, hosts Chris Comeaux and Cord Kassner reflect on Memorial Day and discuss significant news stories from May, including the complexities of thanking veterans for their service, the role of artificial intelligence in hospice care, and the importance of honest conversations about racism in healthcare.Editor's note: This monthly podcast combines quantitative data and qualitative discussion from articles gleaned from the 400+ posts we provide each month. Do you seek to make sense of it all? Tune in and learn. We welcome your feedback via our newsletter's Contact page. 

Nevada lawmakers pass slate of healthcare bills aimed at fraud, access and transparency ABC 13 KTNV, Las Vegas, NV; by Abel Garcia; 6/3/25 Nevada lawmakers have passed a series of healthcare bills that could impact they way you and your family receive care in Southern Nevada. ... 

[United Kingdom] Group treks Great Wall of China to raise £85k BBC News; by Emma Petrie; 5/31/25 A group of people who trekked along the Great Wall of China have raised more than £85,000 in support of a hospice. The team took on the challenge to fundraise for Dove House Hospice, which is a charity that provides respite and end-of-life care for people in Hull and East Yorkshire. The hospice warned they were facing a funding shortfall in April due to rising costs. ... Twenty people signed up for the site's latest fundraising challenge and set off for China 17 May, walking a 31-mile (50km) route along the Great Wall. Upon her return, Ms. [Ruth] Scott said: "It's not an easy walk, incredibly steep in places, ... The views are just unbelievable. You can't comprehend."

The Roaring ‘20s: Hospice of the Valley hosts senior prom Arcadia News, Phoenix, AZ; by Mallory Gleich; 6/1/25 At the Dementia Care and Education Campus in Arcadia, the spirit of the Roaring ’20s came to life as Hospice of the Valleyhosted its second annual senior prom. With pearls, feathers, vintage flair, and a whole lot of heart, this unforgettable evening was more than just a dance, it was a joyful celebration of life, connection, and music. Around 80 guests – a mix of Adult Day Club members, assisted living residents, spouses, family members, staff, and volunteers – attended the soiree. From the start, the event buzzed with anticipation and excitement. For many, this was a chance to relive a moment they had missed, or rewrite one that had fallen short in their youth. 

The best leaders are spacious leaders. Here’s what that meansFastCompany; by Tracy Brower; 6/2/25A helpful concept is spacious leadership—a management approach in which you create space for others to participate, make choices, and be their best. With spacious leadership, you also ensure space for yourself to enhance your own effectiveness and satisfaction on the job. [Article discusses:]

Hospices facing a US caregiving ‘crisis’ Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/2/25 Family caregivers in the United States are being challenged by a swelling aging population inneed of greater support and stronger policy infrastructures. Much room for improvement exists at both state and federal levels when it comes to recognizing the important roles that family caregivers play, according to Steven Lee, co-founder and CEO of ianacare, a Boston-based patient and caregiver resource company. More innovative care models and disease-specific reimbursement options have widened pathways for hospice providers to improve family caregiver support, Lee said in a recent Hospice News Elevate podcast. But these fall short of addressing the diverse scope of practical, emotional and financial needs, he stated. Editor's note: This article has an excellent map of US states with caregiver categories for "Well-Supported," "Safe for Now," "High Risk," and "Critical" (courtesy of Otsuka America Pharmaceutical). Additionally, our sponsor Hospice Analytics provides the National Hospice Locator, for caregivers/families to find hospices that serve in each US county, and sorted by their quality scores. And, our sponsor Composing Life equips hospice organizations with caregiver/family video libraries that span the continuum of serious illness, hospice, and grief care. 

2 West Covina women arrested for alleged $4.8 million hospice care fraud CBS News KCAL, Los Angeles, CA; by Julie Sharp; 6/3/25 The U.S. Department of Justice announced that two West Covina women were arrested Tuesday for an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare of $4.8 million with false hospice care claims. One of the women who was arrested is the owner and operator of two West Covina hospices, Golden Meadows Hospice Inc., and D'Alexandria Hospice Inc., which billed Medicare for hospice services for patients who were allegedly not terminally ill.  Between Sept. 2018 and Oct. 2022, owner and operator Normita Sierra, 71, and her alleged accomplice, Rowena Elegado, 55, collected more than $3.8 million from Medicare on false claims, the DOJ said.

The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it. ~ John Ruskin

10 Signs death is near for dementia patients The Healthy; by Dr. Patricia Varacollo, DO; 6/2/25 For families and caregivers, recognizing the final stages of dementia can be difficult, but understanding the signs can help ensure comfort and dignity in a loved one's last days. Dr. Koncilja highlights these key indicators that may suggest the end of life is near:

Groundbreaking ceremony for new hospice house in Derby CBS WCAX-3, Burlington/Derby, VT; by Hailey Morgan; 5/31/25 ... Marion Dehnke lost her husband Clint Stevens to cancer back in 2013. She says during that time, she was his caregiver, and he had to stay in a nursing home in a tiny room, with one other person. She said it made things very disruptive, and she didn’t get to spend the time she wanted with him, and she doesn’t want that for someone else. ... Community leaders, and members with the Newport Church of God invested in a solution called the Living Waters Hospice House. It is a two bedroom home dedicated to those in need in their final days. The project is worth a million dollars, and is funded entirely by donations. ... Construction for the home, started this past week, the groundbreaking ceremony was held on the church lawn Saturday.