Literature Review

Hospice of the Valley GUIDE program supports caregivers The Arizona Republic - AZBigMedia.com; by Lin Sue Flood; 12/10/25 James, a lifelong athlete with 82 marathons under his belt, is facing his toughest challenge now: a type of dementia called primary progressive aphasia. But he’s not alone. He has his wife of 34 years, Reesa, by his side, and the support of a Hospice of the Valley dementia educator, who helps the couple navigate challenges like communication as the disease progresses. ...

[United Kingdom] North West leads the way with UK’s first academy for hospice and palliative care workers The Carer, United Kingdom; by Adult Social Care, Care Staff, Health and Social Care; 1/2/26 The UK’s first academy for hospice and palliative care workers has been established in the North West. Born from the Lancashire and South Cumbria Hospices Together (LSCHT) partnership, the Hospice and Palliative Care Academy brings together the Universities of Lancashire and Cumbria with 10 regional hospices to create a central hub for people who want to explore learning and career opportunities across palliative and end-of-life care. The Academy aims to develop a future-ready workforce capable of meeting the current and emerging needs of hospice and palliative care. Hospices in Lancashire and Cumbria provided palliative and end of life care to over 15,000 people in 2024-25 and employs 1,300 clinical and non-clinical staff. 

CAPC fireside chat: Leading through change and uncertainty in palliative careAmerican Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) and Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC); to be presented by Brynn Bowan, MPA, Rikki Hopper, FNPT-C, MBA, Kristina Newport, MD, FAAHPM, and R. Sean Morrison, MD; retrieved 1/2/26, to be presented 1/14/25, 3:00-4:00 ESTPeriods of organizational or environmental change can test even the most experienced leaders. ... In this fireside chat, national leaders from CAPC, AAHPM, HPNA, and the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai will reflect on how palliative care leaders can stay grounded and effective during times of uncertainty—maintaining clarity, confidence, and compassion while advancing the field. Attendees will explore strategies to sustain team morale and well-being, foster collaboration across disciplines, and keep equity, quality, and patient-centered care at the heart of their work. The discussion will also highlight emerging opportunities for innovation, research, and shared leadership as palliative care continues to evolve within a changing health care landscape. [Registration is free.]

Hospice of Michigan receives $10,000 grant for pediatric hospice care Ludington Daily News, Manistee, MI; 12/20/25Hospice of Michigan has received a $10,000 grant from the Manistee County Community Foundation to support its Jo Elyn Nyman Anchors Programs for Children, which provide specialized pediatric hospice care for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families. The grant will help fund medical, emotional, social and spiritual support services delivered through the not-for-profit’s pediatric hospice programs. Hospice of Michigan is the only statewide hospice provider offering specialized pediatric hospice care services in northeast Michigan.

Holistic hospice provider expands to Pinellas County Catalyst; by Mark Parker; 12/24/25 A national end-of-life care company with unique offerings, including pet visits, personal pampering and Memory Bears made from a patient’s clothing, has expanded to Pinellas County. VITAS Healthcare is a nearly 50-year-old mobile hospice provider that takes a holistic approach to providing support during a sensitive time in someone’s life. A new administrative office at 12425 28th St. N. in St. Petersburg serves as a home base for interdisciplinary care teams. Kathleen Coronado, vice president of operations, said VITAS plans to eventually open a local inpatient center “for patients who need a higher level of care.” However, the company’s primary goal is to provide comfort wherever patients call home.

CMS weighs advance care planning quality measure for nursing homesMcKnight's Long-Term Care News; by Kimberly Marselas;12/16/25Nursing homes could soon be measured on their ability to capture advance care planning documents for their patients, according to a federal publication. On Monday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released its 2025 list of measures under consideration. Among 24 new or updated metrics pitched for a range of Medicare programs, just one would directly affect skilled nursing: Advance Care Planning.

Harvey Max Chochinov, MD PhD - selected publicationsHospice & Palliative Care Today compilation; Cordt Kassner; 9/17/25Publisher's note: This week I attended a brilliant webinar by Dr. Chochinov, "Dignity, personhood and intensive caring: New insights into patient suffering", part of the McGill University "Lessons in living from the dying" lecture series. To highlight a few of his books and 200+ articles:

Hands Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA); by R. Jordan Williams, MD, MPH; 8/13/25Lend me your handCallused or calaminedWrinkled or plump,Nails bittenNails extendedSplintered and pittedNails neatly or never cropped.Lend me your handStrong or weakCold or warmingSwollen and swanned;Gnarled in knots ...Editor's Note: Continue reading this powerful poem. Reflecting on its meanings, JAMA paired "Hands" with this description of the poem in "Poetry and the Medicine of Touch" by Rafael Campo, MD, MA: "In this deeply felt poem, the hand becomes a potent metaphor for our shared humanity ... Aspiring clinicians are still taught to assess, to palpate, to diagnose through touch. Yet, as “Hands” reminds us, patients’ hands hold far more than clinical signs—they reflect stories, histories, fears, and hopes. ..."

Contemporary patterns of end-of-life care among Medicare beneficiaries with advanced cancer JAMA Network - JAMA Health Forum; by Youngmin Kwon, PhD; Xin Hu, PhD, MPSH; Kewei Sylvia Shi, MPH; Jingxuan Zhao, MPH, PhD; Changchuan Jiang, MD, MPH; Qinjin Fan, MS, PhD; Xuesong Han, PhD; Zhiyuan Zheng, PhD; Joan L. Warren, PhD; K. Robin Yabroff, PhD, MBA; 2/21/25Conclusions: In a contemporary cohort of older Medicare decedents originally diagnosed with advanced breast, prostate, pancreatic, or lung cancer, we found that many patients continue to receive potentially aggressive interventions at EOL at the expense of supportive care services. To make meaningful improvements in the quality of EOL care, a multifaceted approach that addresses patient, physician, and system-level factors associated with persistent patterns of potentially aggressive care will be required. Editor's note: Though published just one week ago--February 21--this journal article is already being used extensively, as demonstrated in our posts on 2/24 and 2/25.

Sunday newsletters focus on headlines and top read stories of the last week (in order) - enjoy!   Also, remember our Job Board to find staff for the new year!

In their own words: Creating connections through narrative medicineJournal of Patient Experience; by Sneha Mantri, Lissa Kapust, Jillian Goober, David K Simon; 11/25People with Parkinson's disease (PwP) often report feeling unheard or hurried through clinical visits, without the opportunity to share their unique illness story. Simultaneously, clinicians report increasing dissatisfaction with efficiency pressures that disincentivize active listening and patient-centered communication. This research brief outlines a guided short-form journaling activity, the 55-word story, for PwP to share their stories in a format that can be received by busy clinicians. By the end of each cohort, nearly all (31/35 participants, 88.6%) reported an improved relationship with their neurologist, communication skills, clarity about goals and values, and/or increased community with other PwP. An online guided journaling activity was feasible, enjoyable, and successful at improving the well-being of PwP. This model can be used at other institutions or with other chronic illnesses.

323.3: What happens after the gift? Insights from organ procurement organizations on strengthening aftercare in the United StatesTransplantation; by Levan, Macey; Akhtar, Jasmine; Sidoti, Carolyn; Kaplow, Katya; Klitenic, Samantha; Flower, Tessa; Yusef, Bola; Vanterpool, Karen; Parent, Brendan; Koons, Brittany; 12/25Each of the 55 U.S. organ procurement organizations (OPOs) is responsible for obtaining authorization for donation and supporting donor families through the donation process. While federal regulations mandate certain responsibilities related to authorization and coordination, there is no regulatory requirement that OPOs provide services to families after donation. Nonetheless, most OPOs have developed “aftercare” programs, which historically have focused on honoring loved ones, commemorating donation, and offering limited grief-related support. Facilitators of meaningful aftercare included peer connection efforts, standardized data processes, and tailoring services to diverse family needs. However, the structure, scope, and intensity of these programs vary widely, and there has been little national attention to standardizing or modernizing aftercare efforts. Common barriers to effective aftercare included limited access to mental health resources, low survey response rates, insufficient staffing or funding, and fragmentation between initial and long-term support teams.