Literature Review

Executive Personnel Changes - 8/7/26

Why you should care about the shakeup at NIH: Sean Morrison, Ken Covinsky, Stacy FischerGeriPal podcast; by Alex Smith, Eric Widera, Sean Morrison, Ken Covinsky, Stacy Fischer; 6/18/26Emergency Podcast! Our guests Sean Morrison, Ken Covinsky, and Stacy Fischer believe that you should care deeply about the proposed shakeup at the National Institutes of Health. Major proposed rules changes at the Office of Management and Budget, would affect a huge range of government grants, from Headstart to Transportation to the National Science Foundation, as well as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the subject of today’s podcast.

VITAS Healthcare enhances mobile app to simplify hospice referrals and improve access to carePR Newswire, Miramar FL; by VITAS Healthcare; 8/5/26VITAS Healthcare announced the launch of its enhanced mobile app, a digital platform designed to streamline hospice referrals and expand access to trusted hospice care resources for healthcare professionals, patients and families across the country. The VITAS Healthcare mobile app brings hospice referrals, eligibility tools and expert-developed education into one secure, mobile-friendly experience. By making it easier to submit referrals and access hospice guidance anytime, anywhere, the app helps support timely, informed decision-making in moments that matter most.

Elder mistreatment prevention and solutions: Carrie Rubenstein, Julia Hiner, & Tony RosenGeriPal podcast; by Alex Smith, Eric Widera, Carrie Rubenstein, Julia Hiner, Tony Rosen; 6/4/26Today we revisit a topic we last discussed in a 2020 podcast with Laura Mosqueda: elder mistreatment. Our guests today are geriatricians Carrie Rubenstein and Julia Hiner, and Tony Rosen, an emergency medicine doctor. They talk about where we are now, in 2026, with elder mistreatment...

CMS offers guidance on expanding PACE program to rural areas McKnights Home Care; by Marissa Fernandez; 5/3/26 The National PACE Association praised recent guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which offered up mobile health clinics and using funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program as two main ways to expand the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly to rural areas. ... Mobile health clinics were identified as acceptable alternative care settings as long as they meet applicable local, state and federal health care facility regulations and documentation clearly labels it a mobile unit. CMS also offered guidance to states on using RHT funding for PACE organizations.

Concordia Hospice of Washington Donnell House closes Observer-Reporter, Washington, PA; by Karen Mansfield; 8/3/26 For nearly 25 years, Concordia Hospice of Washington Donnell House has helped patients and their families through life’s hardest moments. Now, the hospice facility in Washington has closed its doors. “Concordia Hospice of Washington can confirm that inpatient hospice services are no longer being provided at the Donnell House,” the company said in a statement. “This change reflects a continuing decline in the need for inpatient hospice care as more patients and families choose to receive hospice services in the comfort of home, supported by advances in community-based care.” The hospice team continues to provide in-home care and support to patients and families throughout the region, according to a spokesman.

Safeguarding palliative and serious illness care in America The Lancet Regional Health - Americas; by William E. Rosa, Gina Piscitello, Diane E. Meier, Arif H. Kamal, Jean S. Kutner, Abby R. Rosenberg, Allison Silvers, Stacie Sinclair, Robert M. Arnold; August 2026If a society's greatness is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable, we live in discouraging times for the more than 13 million adults and 700,000 children with serious illnesses in the United States of America (U.S.). ... In this personal view, we describe three threats to specialty palliative care in the U.S., namely healthcare financing changes, increased privatization of services, and low prioritization of palliative care research in myriad contexts, including pharmaceutical and clinical trial research and development. We subsequently provide guidance for multi-sector actors to address these threats and mitigate harms while optimizing palliative care for U.S. populations.

[Sweden] Expressing wish to die not a desire to hasten death but an opportunity for dialogue: studyMcKnights Long-Term Care News; by Foster Stubbs; 8/4/26An advanced healthcare at patients’ homes (AHCPH) patient’s expression of a wish to die should be understood by nurses as an opportunity for dialogue and assessment rather than as a straightforward indication of a desire to hasten death, according to a study published in Global Qualitative Nursing Research. ... One overarching theme was identified over the course of the study, “Alleviating suffering by Engaging With the Patient’s Lifeworld.” 

Beyond the headlines: the hospice story we aren’t telling enough National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI); podcast hosted by Tom Koutsoumpas and Carole Fisher with Karen Rubel, Tim Meadows, Viki Jingle, and Brad Luna; 7/31/26Hospice is making headlines — but there’s a much bigger story to tell. In this episode, hospice leaders Karen Rubel, Tim Meadows and Viki Jingle join Tom and Carole to discuss how organizations can respond to today’s hospice fraud-focused environment by leading with messaging on quality, transparency, and trust. Communications expert Brad Luna then shares practical strategies for developing messages that resonate, engaging local media, and telling the stories that showcase the real impact of hospice care in communities across America.

Embracing the four M's—a path to person-centered, reliable hospice and palliative care | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Margherita Labson and Kelly McCutcheon Adams; 8/5/26 What if the key to delivering more compassionate, reliable hospice care isn't another regulation—but a simpler way of thinking? In Part One of this compelling conversation, host Chris Comeaux welcomes Kelly McCutcheon Adams, Senior Director at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), and Margherita Labson, President and CEO of MCLabson Consultation & Education Services, to explore the transformative power of the 4 M's Framework.  Originally developed through the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative, the 4 M's—What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility—provide an evidence-based roadmap for delivering highly individualized, person-centered care while improving reliability across healthcare settings. 

Great leadership in 2026 comes down to 4 human behaviors: technology may be changing how work gets done, but the fundamentals of leading people have not changed.Inc.; by Marcel Schwantes; 8/4/26For years, I’ve asked CEOs, executives, coaches, researchers, and managers a simple question: “What makes someone a great leader?” The answers rarely begin with strategy, technical expertise, or operational efficiency. They begin with trust.Great leaders know how to listen. They understand what people need to perform at their best. They use technology (now AI) without allowing it to weaken human connection. And they create workplaces where people feel both supported and accountable.These qualities have traditionally been called “soft skills.” In 2026, that description feels outdated. ... These are operating skills. ...

Hospice of Western Ky. hosts largest Camp Erin for grieving youthThe Messenger, Owensboro, KY; by The Messenger Staff; 8/4/26Hospice of Western Kentucky recently welcomed 55 children to its largest Camp Erin to date, providing a free overnight camp experience for young people grieving the loss of a loved one, according to a release. The camp was held July 31 through Aug. 2 at Gasper River Catholic Youth Camp and Retreat Center in Bowling Green. This marked the fifth year Hospice of Western Kentucky has hosted Camp Erin for children ages 6 to 17. Camp Erin is offered at no cost to families through support from Eluna, Hospice of Western Kentucky and the New York Life Foundation, the release stated.