Literature Review

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. ~Albert Einstein

A pregnant brain-dead woman in Georgia was kept on life support. Experts say it raises ethical, legal questionsABC News; by Mary Kekatos; 6/19/25Adriana Smith, a brain-dead woman in Georgia, was kept on life support until her fetus was viable. Experts say it raises ethical and legal questions. Adriana Smith, a 31-year-old Georgia nurse and mother, was just eight weeks pregnant when she was declared brain dead in February after suffering a medical condition. However, the family claims the hospital told them legally she had to be kept on life support to allow the fetus to grow. The family claims doctors told them they were not legally allowed to consider other options, according to local Atlanta station 11Alive. Last week, Smith's baby was born by emergency Caesarean section, weighing under 2 pounds and needing care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), reported 11Alive.Publisher's note: This situation raises numerous ethical end-of-life questions - highlighting the importance of hospices having or connecting with local ethics experts.

Mālama Ola earns top national honor for veteran hospice careMaui News; 6/18/25Mālama Ola Health Services, based on Oʻahu, has become the first hospice and palliative care organization in the state of Hawai‘i to earn Level 5 status from We Honor Veterans, the highest recognition awarded by the national program for veteran-centered end-of-life care. The designation places Mālama Ola among just 233 organizations—about 7% of over 3,300 participating nationwide—that have achieved Level 5. Only 41 of those also provide both hospice and palliative care services.

There’s a workplace leadership crisis. Here’s how to solve itForbes; by William Arruda; 6/22/25We’re living in a very different world. Just since Covid, many of the norms of business have evolved, making the workplace almost unrecognizable. AI is taking over (or at least it feels that way). There are more different generations working side-by-side, each with their own needs, expectations, and styles. Hybrid and remote work are making life more manageable for some, while at the same time reducing the sense of connection and belonging that many of us get from work. And we haven’t even touched on the geopolitical events that are impacting virtually every industry and role. All of these changes are having a major impact on leadership. [Key points include:]

100-year-old hospice patients wish to meet baby cow comes true(SC) WCBD News 2 - YouTube; 6/20/25[Heartwarming 45 second video - nice work Crescent Hospice Care!]

New data and insights from the National Alliance for Care at Home: Alarming delays and declining access to Medicare home health contribute to worse outcomesNational Alliance for Care at Home press release; 6/23/25Medicare beneficiaries are waiting longer — and too often going without — the home health care they were referred after a hospital stay. This growing gap in access harms vulnerable seniors, is associated with highermortality, leads to more preventable ER visits and hospital readmissions, and increases Medicare costs.Publisher's note: Access may require membership login.

How you sit and rise predicts longevityMedscape, by Jake Remaly; 6/18/25You might want to sit down for this — then stand up as smoothly as you can. The ease with which a person can sit on the floor and rise to their feet, using as little support as possible, may help predict how long they will live. Adults who aced the so-called sitting-rising test were far less likely to die of natural or cardiovascular causes over about 12 years of follow-up than those who scored the lowest, according to a study published online on June 18 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

NIH grant funding losses, by stateBecker's Hospital Review; by Mackenzie Bean; 6/19/25National Institutes of Health grant terminations have hit some states dramatically harder than others, with just three accounting for more than two-thirds of all rescinded funding this year, according to a June 17 report from Grant Watch... Massachusetts, New York and North Carolina absorbed more than 68% of these cuts, driven by significant funding losses at prominent research institutions such as Boston-based Harvard Medical School and Columbia University Health Sciences in New York City... Below is a state-by-state breakdown of NIH grant funding losses, offering a snapshot of where grant terminations are being felt the most.

Three great forces rule the world: stupidity, fear and greed. ~Albert Einstein[Publisher's note: This reminds me of Aldous Huxley's finding in The Perennial Philosophy - that human behavior can be reduced to two motivations - love or fear...]

When the caregiver is gone: The hidden crisis in aging servicesMcKnight's Senior Living; by Derek Dunham; 6/23/25Families need to think beyond a single caregiver. A network of support — whether made up of family, friends, professional caregivers or senior living communities — is essential. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Addressing financial toxicity for patients and families facing serious illnessCAPC position statement; 6/23/25The U.S. is reaching a point of crisis in health care affordability. People living with serious illness in the U.S. are not only navigating complex medical conditions—they’re also facing overwhelming financial hardship. A new position statement from CAPC highlights that the prevalence of financial distress for patients and caregivers can climb as high as 53%, depending on diagnosis. The consequences of financial toxicity are staggering, manifesting in medical debt, low credit scores, and bankruptcy. Financial toxicity can also lead to delayed treatment, skipped medications, or other cost-related coping mechanisms that worsen health outcomes and increasing costs for hospitals and payers alike. CAPC’s new position statement outlines eight recommendations that can ease hardship for patients and caregivers, while improving financial stability for hospitals.Guest Editor's Note, Ira Byock: The importance of CAPC’s new position statement cannot be overstated. This report highlights one of the most difficult problems seriously ill patients and families encounter and goes further to provide tangible ways to diminish the impacts of financial toxicity to patients and the healthcare system. Key actions include routine financial screening and availability of trained financial navigators. The value of this statement extends well beyond palliative care; it should be considered must reading for leaders of hospitals, cancer centers, heart failure programs, and dementia treatment centers.

[Premier's tonight!] NPHI proud to announce its partnership on the upcoming documentary for PBS, Caregiving, from Executive Producer Bradley Cooper National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), Washington, DC; 5/19/25 The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) is proud to announce its partnership on the upcoming PBS documentary Caregiving, a powerful new film executive produced by Academy Award-nominated actor, director, and producer Bradley Cooper. Created in collaboration with Cooper’s production company, Lea Pictures, as well as WETA Washington, D.C., and Ark Media, Caregiving will shine a national spotlight on the often unseen yet essential work of caregivers across the country. NPHI is honored to serve as a national partner on this important project. Narrated by Uzo Aduba (The Residence, Orange Is the New Black) and directed by Chris Durrance, Caregiving intertwines deeply personal stories of caregivers with the untold history of the American care system. The documentary examines how caregivers—often family members, friends, and frontline professionals—navigate the immense challenges and unseen achievements of their roles.