Literature Review
Today's Encouragment - Victor Frankl
10/23/25 at 03:00 AMWhen a person can’t find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure. ~Viktor Frankl
Survey update during government shutdown - REVISED Guidance, 10/21/2025
10/23/25 at 03:00 AMSurvey update during government shutdown - REVISED Guidance, 10/21/2025CHAP blog; 10/21/25CMS posted and update to the memo, Contingency Plans – State Survey & Certification Activities in the Event of Federal Government Shutdown (QSO- 26-01-ALL-Revised) on 10/21/2025 that provides updates to state survey activity during the ongoing federal government shutdown. The revised guidance appears in red text. CMS has instructed CHAP that our survey activity is unaffected, and we will conduct our survey accreditation business as usual.
Hospital - and private equity – affiliated specialty physicians negotiate higher prices than independent physicians
10/23/25 at 03:00 AMHospital - and private equity – affiliated specialty physicians negotiate higher prices than independent physiciansHealth Affairs; by Alexander P. Philips, Nandita Radhakrishnan, Christopher M. Whaley, Yashaswini Singh; 10/25Hospital and private equity (PE) consolidation in health care is altering the physician practice landscape, with more than three-quarters of physicians employed by these corporate entities as of 2023. We examined practice affiliation patterns for specialist physicians and those patterns’ association with commercial prices for cardiology and gastroenterology services... Hospital-affiliated specialists negotiated prices that were 16.3 percent higher for cardiology procedures and 20.7 percent higher for gastroenterology procedures compared with specialists in independent practices. PE-affiliated specialists negotiated prices that were 6.0 percent higher for cardiology and 10.0 percent higher for gastroenterology procedures.
Raising the bar in healthcare leadership training
10/23/25 at 03:00 AMRaising the bar in healthcare leadership trainingUConn Today; by Barbara O’Neill; 10/21/25“Clinical leadership training is vital to launching the next generation of our health care workforce,” says Raquel Manley, DMD, faculty and alum of the Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars (UST/AS) Program, located on the UConn Health campus in Farmington. “Effective health care is based upon clear communication, conflict resolution, and teamwork for the health and well-being of our patients and community members. In my experience as an Urban Health/AHEC Scholar, coach, and faculty, I have found that today’s students are often very brilliant academically and in social settings but need coaching and counseling on leadership skills once they enter the workforce.” So why is this the case?
How Optum’s Amedisys deal could shake up the hospice market
10/23/25 at 03:00 AMHow Optum’s Amedisys deal could shake up the hospice marketHospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/21/25The acquisition of the home health and hospice provider Amedisys by the insurance mammoth UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) has far-reaching implications for the hospice community. The UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Optum, in June 2023 inked its agreement to acquire Amedisys in an all-cash transaction of $101 per share, or about $3.3 billion. After leaping a series of regulatory hurdles, including a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit, the deal closed in mid-August... The merger likely makes UnitedHealth Group one of the largest hospice providers in the United States.
The 4 Ms with Dr. Khai Nguyen
10/23/25 at 03:00 AMThe 4 Ms with Dr. Khai NguyenTeleios Collaborative Network - TCNtalks podcast; by Chris Comeaux, Khai Nguyen; 10/22/25In this episode of TCNtalks, host Chris Comeaux welcomes Dr. Khai Nguyen, a geriatrician and age-friendly care champion for care-at-home with CHAP. They discuss the 4Ms framework for age-friendly care, which includes what matters, mentation, medications, and mobility.
Why the infusion market is shifting to at-home care
10/22/25 at 03:10 AMWhy the infusion market is shifting to at-home care Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 10/21/25Key Takeaways
Teaching end-of-life care: Q&A with professor of medicine
10/22/25 at 03:00 AMTeaching end-of-life care: Q&A with professor of medicine Medical Xpress; by Mahima Samraik, Yale University, edited by Sadie Harley; 10/20/25 Every year, thousands of families sit in hospital rooms hearing words no one wants to hear: "We have done everything we can." What happens next, whether doctors stay engaged or step away, can transform one of life's most difficult moments for patients and their families. Unfortunately, for too many patients, the shift from curative care to end-of-life care leaves them feeling stranded. ... "But it doesn't have to be this way," says Matthew Ellman, MD, professor of medicine (general medicine) at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and director of Medical Student Palliative and End-of-Life Care Education. Ellman has spent decades at patients' bedsides and now teaches medical students about death and dying. In his recent essay in Academic Medicine, he draws from his personal experiences as a physician and encourages fellow doctors to embrace difficult conversations around end-of-life care.
Study: Nearly two-thirds of nursing home residents were exposed to med combos linked to potential drug-drug interactions
10/22/25 at 03:00 AMStudy: Nearly two-thirds of nursing home residents were exposed to med combos linked to potential drug-drug interactions McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Foster Stubbs; 10/17/25 About 62% of nursing home residents experienced one or more drug-drug interactions (DDI) between 2018 and 2020, according to an October study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Researchers examined 485,251 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries 66 years or older living in nursing homes with observable Medicare Part D prescription drug data. Data were drawn from Medicare claims linked to Minimum Data Set 3.0 clinical assessments.
Why caring for a parent is hard for doctors
10/22/25 at 03:00 AMWhy caring for a parent is hard for doctors MedPage Today's KevinMD.com; by Barbara Sparacino, MD; 10/19/25 I can sit with patients and families and talk about hospice, dementia, or end-of-life care without hesitation. Years of training as a physician and geriatric psychiatrist have prepared me for those conversations. But when my own parent needed care, all that training suddenly felt useless. Medical knowledge didn’t shield me from fear or guilt. It didn’t stop the second-guessing that came with every decision. It didn’t help me navigate the family disagreements about “what Mom would have wanted.” In that moment, I wasn’t the physician. I was the daughter, and that was far more complicated. Why caring for our parents feels different ...
Wrinkles should merely indicate ...
10/22/25 at 03:00 AMWrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been. ~ Mark Twain
How to talk to your loved ones about end of life wishes
10/22/25 at 03:00 AMHow to talk to your loved ones about end of life wishes Those Nerdy Girls; by Rebecca Raskin-Wish; 10/17/25 It’s important to have discussions about what you want the end of your time on earth to look like and have a healthcare proxy and an advance directive in place. When my sister and I were teenagers, my mom sat us down, and in a potentially more dramatic fashion than the moment called for, she said, “Girls, my death could happen any moment, and we need to talk about it.” ...
The power of music, art, and pet therapy in hospice care
10/22/25 at 03:00 AMThe power of music, art, and pet therapy in hospice care 607NewsNow, Ithaca, NY; by Maddie Cavataio; 10/10/25 Hospice care isn’t only about easing physical pain, it’s also about nurturing the mind and spirit. Creative and alternative therapies like music, art, and pet therapy are helping patients find comfort, connection, and moments of joy during one of life’s most challenging times. Music therapy can have a profound effect on mood, memory, and relaxation. ... Art therapy provides another outlet for self-expression. ... Pet therapy adds yet another dimension of comfort. ... Many patients light up when a friendly animal visits, offering unconditional love and a welcome distraction from medical routines. ... These holistic therapies remind us that hospice care is about living fully, right up to the end.
Lancaster woman sentenced to home detention for role in hospice fraud
10/22/25 at 03:00 AMLancaster woman sentenced to home detention for role in hospice fraud MSN, Lancaster, CA; 10/16/25 A Lancaster woman was ordered Wednesday [10/15] to serve 12 months of home detention and pay a $100,000 fine for her role in a hospice fraud scheme that netted more than $3.2 million from Medicare. Callie Jean Black, 66, was convicted in March at the conclusion of a four-day bench trial in Los Angeles federal court of four counts of soliciting and receiving remunerations for patient referrals, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
GeriPal Live! at NPCRC Foley Retreat: Dio Kavalieratos, Prasanna Ananth, Alexi Wright
10/22/25 at 03:00 AMGeriPal Live! at NPCRC Foley Retreat: Dio Kavalieratos, Prasanna Ananth, Alexi WrightGeriPal podcast; by Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Dio Kavalieratos, Prasanna Ananth, Alexi Wright; 10/16/25Today we join you from beautiful Banff, Alberta, Canada at the National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC) annual Kathleen Foley retreat... On today’s podcast, we invited Dio Kavalieratos, Prasanna Ananth, and Alexi Wright to join us to talk about three articles that spoke to them. Prasanna chose an article by Abby Rosenberg about being fired in palliative care... Dio chose an article about the economic benefits of palliative care internationally, a call to action... Alexi chose an article about cancer care in prison.
An age-old fear grows more common: ‘I’m going to die alone’
10/22/25 at 03:00 AMAn age-old fear grows more common: ‘I’m going to die alone’ Miami Herald; by Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News; 10/17/25 This summer, at dinner with her best friend, Jacki Barden raised an uncomfortable topic: the possibility that she might die alone. “I have no children, no husband, no siblings,” Barden remembered saying. “Who’s going to hold my hand while I die?” ... It’s something that many older adults who live alone — a growing population, more than 16 million strong in 2023 — wonder about. ... More than 15 million people 55 or older don’t have a spouse or biological children; nearly 2 million have no family members at all.
Patients with advanced cancer often receive treatments that conflict with their goals
10/22/25 at 03:00 AMPatients with advanced cancer often receive treatments that conflict with their goals Healio; by Josh Friedman; 10/20/25 Many patients with advanced cancer who prefer treatment that prioritizes quality of life receive therapies focused on preserving it. A retrospective analysis showed nearly 40% of individuals with advanced cancer who preferred treatment that improved their comfort felt clinicians gave them therapies meant to increase longevity.
Should an AI copy of you help decide if you live or die? Doctors share top concerns of AI surrogates aiding life-or-death decisions.
10/22/25 at 03:00 AMShould an AI copy of you help decide if you live or die? Doctors share top concerns of AI surrogates aiding life-or-death decisions. Ars Technica; by Ashley Belanger; 10/20/25 For more than a decade, researchers have wondered whether artificial intelligence could help predict what incapacitated patients might want when doctors must make life-or-death decisions on their behalf. It remains one of the most high-stakes questions in health care AI today. But as AI improves, some experts increasingly see it as inevitable that digital “clones” of patients could one day aid family members, doctors, and ethics boards in making end-of-life decisions that are aligned with a patient’s values and goals.
GeriPal Live! at CAPC: Karen Bullock, Kim Curseen, Matt Gonzales
10/21/25 at 03:00 AMGeriPal Live! at CAPC: Karen Bullock, Kim Curseen, Matt GonzalesGeriPal podcast; by Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Karen Bullock, Kim Curseen, Matt Gonzales; 10/9/25Eric and I had the pleasure of doing a GeriPal Live! Podcast as the closing keynote for the recent Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) National Assembly in Philadelphia PA. For this podcast, we invited 3 guests to each select an article of interest to them, and engage in a discussion about the article, including questions from the CAPC attendees in the audience. Matt Gonzales used AI to select an article by Ravi Parikh on algorithm based nudges to default patients with advanced cancer into a palliative care consult... Kim Curseen selected an article by Harry Han in JPSM that surveyed palliative care fellowships... Karen Bullock selected a letter she first authored in response to Ira Byock’s white paper on a path forward in hospice and palliative care.
How pop culture influences choices around death, dying
10/21/25 at 03:00 AMHow pop culture influences choices around death, dying Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/20/25 The popular media that people consume, including television shows, can influence their end-of-life decision making. This is according to new research from End Well, a nonprofit dedicated to the belief that all people should experience the end of life in a way that matches their values and goals. The study examines whether pop culture storylines that involve death and dying influence viewers’ behavior when it comes to advance care planning.
The results are in: Palliative care professionals share how they’re doing in 2025
10/21/25 at 03:00 AMThe results are in: Palliative care professionals share how they’re doing in 2025CAPC blog; by Rachael Heitner; 10/8/25CAPC’s second annual Palliative Pulse survey offers insight on how palliative care professionals across the country are feeling this year and what they’re focused on—see how they responded... This year, 854 palliative care professionals participated in the Palliative Pulse survey... Top concerns for the coming year:
Health Data Analytics Institute (HDAI) deploys innovative use of LLMs for summarizing and supporting patient preferences at a leading cancer center
10/21/25 at 03:00 AMHealth Data Analytics Institute (HDAI) deploys innovative use of LLMs for summarizing and supporting patient preferences at a leading cancer center Bluegrass Live; by PR Newswire, Boston, MA; 10/20/25 An innovative new protocol called Better Real-time Information on Documentation of Goals of care for Engagement in Serious Illness Communication (BRIDGE-SIC) is being launched today at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. BRIDGE-SIC uses Health Data Analytics Institute (HDAI) large language models (LLMs) to extract and summarize patients' goals of care conversations and their risk stratification tools for patient selection. The AI summaries identify and summarize prior goals of care conversations documented in patients' medical records and share them with inpatient and outpatient clinicians when patients with cancer are admitted to the hospital.
Driving sales and admissions success in hospice care
10/21/25 at 03:00 AMDriving sales and admissions success in hospice careTranscend Strategy Group; 10/13/25Behind every referral, every admission and every family supported by hospice care is a story. It is the story of providers working against the clock, of families making overwhelming choices, and of staff navigating the delicate balance between operational realities and the urgent need for compassionate care. Hospice admissions and sales are not merely about numbers or processes – they represent moments when trust, urgency and compassion converge.