Literature Review



Hospice groups: 2.4% proposed pay raise threatens care delivery

04/06/26 at 01:00 AM

Hospice groups: 2.4% proposed pay raise threatens care delivery Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/3/26 Two of the nation’s largest hospice trade organizations decried a proposed 2.4% hospice base rate increase as inadequate in today’s financial climate. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday issued its proposed payment rule for hospices in 2027 containing a 2.4% payment increase. If finalized, this would result in a $785 million payment boost from Fiscal Year 2026. The amount of the proposed pay raise puts the sustainability of hospice care in jeopardy, according to Linda Couch, senior vice president for policy at LeadingAge.

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Beyond the checklist: MARly app introduces caregiver OS to detect early changes in condition and organize care at home

04/05/26 at 03:55 AM

Beyond the checklist: MARly app introduces caregiver OS to detect early changes in condition and organize care at homesimPAL Solutions press release; 3/24/26MARly is a healthspan companion app designed to support patients, caregivers, and care teams in delivering safer, more coordinated care at home. Its Caregiver OS features are designed to make care at home more practical, organized, and sustainable for caregivers and families. New care coordination function transforms everyday caregiving by providing real-time insight—supporting caregivers while helping care teams stay ahead of avoidable health crises. simPAL Solutions has announced an early access release of Caregiver OS (Caregiver Operating System), a new care coordination function within its MARly App designed to help caregivers organize care at home while capturing early signs of health change that often go unseen between clinical visits. [For additional information, visit www.marly.health.]

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Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care achieves highest quality score in organization’s history

04/05/26 at 03:50 AM

Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care achieves highest quality score in organization’s history Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care, Colorado Springs, CO; Press Release; 3/27/26 Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care has earned its highest quality ranking ever — a score of 94 out of 100 — on the National Hospice Locator, a nationwide directory that evaluates hospice providers using publicly available quality data. The National Hospice Locator compiles information from Medicare data files, public websites, and direct surveys of hospice providers. Using multiple weighted quality metrics, the platform evaluates thousands of hospice programs across the United States and allows users to compare providers based on quality rankings. With a national average score of approximately 67, a score of 94 places Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care well above the national benchmark and among the highest-rated hospice organizations in Colorado.Editor's Note: What are your organization's publicly reported quality scores? Explore more at the National Hospice Locator. [Disclosure, NHL sponsors this newsletter.]

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Billing of Medicare’s G2211 longitudinal care code among traditional Medicare beneficiaries

04/05/26 at 03:45 AM

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Decision-making approaches used to limit potentially nonbeneficial life-prolonging interventions

04/05/26 at 03:40 AM

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Power outages can quickly become emergencies for families with home medical devices

04/05/26 at 03:35 AM

Power outages can quickly become emergencies for families with home medical devices Hawai'i Public Radio; by Savannah Harriman-Pote; 3/25/26 ... Power outages from this month's storms have sent ripples through the health care system. ... Access to power is crucial for people who rely on certain medical devices like oxygen machines. Faye Mitchell, executive director of North Hawaiʻi Hospice, said these at-home machines allow her patients to receive care in the comfort of their homes. Without electricity to operate them, some of her more vulnerable patients need to go to a hospital. North Hawaiʻi Hospice provides palliative in-home care to about 25 patients spread out across northwest Hawaiʻi Island. One of their patients is a young boy who requires a medical device to breathe properly. "This is a child that's so fragile that when he can't breathe properly, they have to fly to Oʻahu," Mitchell said. "So it's really not a matter of inconvenience. It's really a serious issue." Mitchell said they care for patients as best as they can during power outages. North Hawaiʻi Hospice has a trained safety officer who reviews emergency plans with families, and patients who require oxygen are given extra oxygen tanks if weather conditions might cause the power to go out.Editor's Note: What emergency disaster risks are prevalent for your service areas? Floods, hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, extreme heat, ice, something else? Today, get to know (and bookmark) USA Today's National Power Outage Map Tracker, updated every 15 minutes. For the future, be as ready as possible, using these and other resources.

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Most companies use AI but lack training to help employees work with it effectively

04/05/26 at 03:30 AM

Most companies use AI but lack training to help employees work with it effectively Complete AI Training; 4/1/26 72% of U.S. companies now use AI, but 55% lack the training to deploy it well. The gap between adoption and capability has become the defining challenge for 2025 strategy. ... Gusto research found that when employees lack approved AI tools, more than half find alternatives and use them anyway. This creates security risks, fragmented efforts, and frustration for leadership.

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Special Report - Untapped potential: The power of peer support programs in prisons

04/05/26 at 03:25 AM

Special Report - Untapped potential: The power of peer support programs in prisons John Howard Association of Illinois; project led by Kate Eves; March 2026 issue At the time this report was drafted, there were more than 70 Peer Support Programs (PSP) in U.S. carceral facilities identified in operation with a focus on improving health outcomes for incarcerated people with more new programs regularly coming to our attention, in addition to international programs. This project focused on 15 programs across 12 jurisdictions addressing a range of health and well-being areas including mental health, substance abuse and palliative care. [Use Ctrl+F and type "hospice" to find this report's 28 references to hospice.]

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New L+M hospice unit seeks to provide peace, comfort for patients and families

04/05/26 at 03:20 AM

New L+M hospice unit seeks to provide peace, comfort for patients and families The Day, New London, CT; by John Penney; 3/27/26 Down a long sixth-floor corridor that passes through Lawrence + Memorial Hospital’s oncology unit are three rooms that for its patients are the last they’ll ever enter. Those recently refurbished patient rooms, along with a renovated family room, comprise the hospital’s new dedicated hospice space where those at the end of their lives — along with their loved ones — are made comfortable by a team of nurses and other caregivers. ... The creation of the new unit began in the fall and included transforming an office into a family room located just steps from the patient spaces.

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Palladium acquires DME Express from WayPoint

04/05/26 at 03:15 AM

Palladium acquires DME Express from WayPoint Private Equity Professional; by John McNulty; 3/26/26 Palladium Equity Partners has agreed to acquire a majority equity interest in DME Express, a provider of durable medical equipment, from WayPoint Capital Partners. ... Palladium’s investment in DME is its second in the hospice industry and the second platform investment for its sixth fund, which has not yet announced a final close and is reportedly targeting $1.5 billion in capital. 

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Documented California hospice fraud prompts broad ranging inquiry from national oversight and accountability organization

04/05/26 at 03:10 AM

Documented California hospice fraud prompts broad ranging inquiry from national oversight and accountability organization Empower Oversight - Whistleblowers & Research, Washington, DC; 3/26/26 Empower Oversight today pressed for comprehensive records from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) related to hospice fraud and oversight failures across California — with a particular focus on Los Angeles County. The records request targets widespread regulatory failures in the county. The letter request spans five broad categories asking for:

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Free webinars: Pediatric concurrent hospice care miniseries, guidance for clinicians: A compassionate, coordinated, and compliant approach

04/05/26 at 03:05 AM

Free webinars: Pediatric concurrent hospice care miniseries, guidance for clinicians: A compassionate, coordinated, and compliant approach National Alliance for Care at Home; Press Release; 3/23/26 This Virtual Training will provide a practical, relevant, and comprehensive overview of Pediatric Concurrent Hospice Care as an approach that allows children and adolescents to receive ongoing disease-directed therapies alongside hospice services. Participants will learn the foundations of Concurrent Hospice Care under Section 2302 of the Affordable Care Act including eligibility criteria, planning and coordination requirements, and interdisciplinary collaborative strategies.

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CMS Hospice Wage Index Panel: Key insights for access, staffing, and care delivery

04/05/26 at 03:00 AM

CMS Hospice Wage Index Panel: Key insights for access, staffing, and care delivery Abt Global | Centers for Medicare & Medicaid; by Michael Plotzke, T.J. Christian, Matt Knowles, and Anne St. George; meeting held on 9/10/25, report published 11/24/25The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released both a summary and technical report from its September 2025 Technical Expert Panel on the hospice wage index—offering a closer look at how geographic wage adjustments may evolve. Beyond methodology, the reports carry meaningful clinical and operational implications. Refinements to the wage index influence how resources are distributed across regions, shaping workforce capacity, interdisciplinary team stability, and ultimately patient access to timely, high-quality hospice care. For leaders, these findings underscore the connection between payment policy and bedside realities—particularly in rural and underserved areas where recruitment, retention, and care continuity remain fragile.

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So live in the light...

04/05/26 at 03:00 AM

So live in the light of resurrection and renewal of this world, and of yourself, in a glorius, never-ending, joyful dance of grace. ~Tim Keller

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Sunday newsletters

04/05/26 at 03:00 AM

Sunday newsletters focus on headlines and top read stories of the last week (in order) - enjoy!

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Limits of correctional health reporting: Findings from a nationwide jail mortality survey (2019-2024)

04/04/26 at 03:40 AM

Limits of correctional health reporting: Findings from a nationwide jail mortality survey (2019-2024)Journal of Correctional Health Care; by Liz Harris, William Dennis; 3/26This article presents findings from a national survey of 287 counties across 43 states assessing jail mortality between 2019 and 2024 in an attempt to compare private health care provider outcomes with county providers. The findings demonstrated that currently available information cannot serve as a reliable measure of health care quality in correctional settings due to sociocultural reporting constraints. Institutional and cultural deterrents to objective reporting have led to incomplete records, misclassified causes of death, and failures to maintain legally mandated death reports. There is a clear need for health benchmarking and clear definitions for reporting in correctional health care to enable valid comparisons between health care provider models. The paper draws attention to a recently established correctional health care-specific patient safety organization as a potential solution to enable correctional health care providers to better understand the drivers of health care outcomes in correctional facilities.

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Innovation in health equity research among priority populations

04/04/26 at 03:35 AM

Innovation in health equity research among priority populationsNursing Outlook; by Lenette M. Jones, Tam H. Nguyen, Forgive Avorgbedor, Crystal Chapman Lambert, Jean Edward, Michelle L. Litchman, Kimberly Souffront, Maya N. Clark-Cutaia, Dawn M. Aycock; 3/26All people deserve adequate health care and representation in research to ensure that their assessments, treatments, and services are effective. Historically, priority populations have endured the greatest inequities and disparities in healthcare access, quality, and outcomes. Priority populations include, but are not limited to, racial/ethnic minorities, women, older adults, rural residents, persons living in poverty, and persons with disabilities. A core mission of the Betty Irene Moore (BIM) Fellowship Program, started in 2020, was to develop nurses as catalysts in resolving healthcare deficiencies through bold leadership and innovation. The authors describe priority populations of interest among BIM fellows and how their fellowship-funded projects are tailored and targeted to advance health equity.

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Auricular acupuncture for symptom management in inpatient palliative care

04/04/26 at 03:30 AM

Auricular acupuncture for symptom management in inpatient palliative careJournal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing; by Anup Bhushan, Dan Mazanec, Jessica Bullington, Justin Marsden, Jingwen Zhang, Kacie Bhushan, Patrick Coyne; 4/26Palliative care teams treat patients with intractable pain and debilitating symptoms on a daily basis [and] nurses play a significant role in the assessment and intervention of patients with chronic pain and ... symptoms ... Complementary therapy with acupuncture has proven to be helpful, but to date, there is little research examining the efficacy of auricular acupuncture in treating the acute-on-chronic symptoms associated with life-limiting illness in hospitalized patients. This ...  study of 101 participants examined auricular acupuncture’s impact on pain and symptom management, as well as pre- and post-intervention opioid utilization ... This study demonstrated statistical improvement in pain, nausea, dyspnea, and anxiety scores. Nurses and other providers trained in auricular acupuncture can provide a nonpharmacological intervention that improves pain and related symptoms for patients with serious illness.

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Use of the neuropsychiatric inventory questionnaire to assess antipsychotic prescribing practices in patients with dementia: A quality improvement project

04/04/26 at 03:25 AM

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Palliative and pulmonary perspectives on growing collaborations in interstitial lung disease

04/04/26 at 03:20 AM

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Between crisis and comfort: Emergency Medical Services recognition and management of hospice patients: A cohort study

04/04/26 at 03:15 AM

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Family caregiver perspectives on advance care planning discussions for residents with dementia led by trained nursing home staff: Insights from the APPROACHES project

04/04/26 at 03:10 AM

Family caregiver perspectives on advance care planning discussions for residents with dementia led by trained nursing home staff: Insights from the APPROACHES project The Journal of the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association; JAMDA; by Susan E. Hickman, PhD, Hillary D. Lum, MD, PhD, Kathleen T. Unroe, MD, MHA, MS; 3/6/26  Advance care planning (ACP) is essential in supporting family caregivers of nursing home residents with dementia, but nursing home (NH) staff often lack training to engage in proactive ACP discussions. An embedded pragmatic clinical trial was conducted to test a structured ACP training for NH staff called the ACP Specialist Program. This study explores family caregivers’ experiences related to discussions with the ACP Specialist, as well as needs and challenges in making ACP decisions for NH residents living with dementia.

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[Telangana, India] Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction activities on family caregiver burden in patients with dementia-A pilot study

04/04/26 at 03:05 AM

[Telangana, India] Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction activities on family caregiver burden in patients with dementia-A pilot studyHome Healthcare Now; by Jala Sireesha, Jayasree Manukinda, Sudhindra Vooturi, Sai Sirisha, Shanmukhi Somayajula, Sita JayalakshmiProgressive functional decline and behavioral disturbances in people with dementia place sustained emotional and practical demands on family caregivers, often resulting in chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and a high perceived caregiving burden. This pilot study examined the effects of an 8-week online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on psychological burden and well-being among family caregivers of people with dementia. Following the intervention, caregivers demonstrated significant improvements, including reduced perceived burden, lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and improved functional engagement. Given its virtual delivery and low resource requirements, MBSR has the potential to be integrated into routine caregiver support services, particularly for those with limited access to in-person interventions.

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Increasing access to pediatric palliative care in a large hospital system: Trials and triumphs from an APRN initiative

04/04/26 at 03:05 AM

Increasing access to pediatric palliative care in a large hospital system: Trials and triumphs from an APRN initiativeJournal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing; by Faith Kinnear; 4/26 According to the Pediatric Palliative Care Task Force formed in 2020 and hosted by the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care, children with serious illness should have access to palliative care that meets the population’s unique needs. Taking care to assess needs, communicate with leadership teams, develop rapport with key stakeholders, and utilize the support staff already in place allowed for successful implementation of pediatric palliative care services at 2 satellite campuses over a 5-year span. Services included inpatient and outpatient patient care; ongoing family bereavement support; compiling staff resources and providing ongoing staff training in primary pediatric palliative care skills. Each satellite campus now has dedicated pediatric palliative care providers. This article outlines how the satellite palliative care programs were developed, the challenges and successes in the process, and the role of the APRN in program development.

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The human thread: Weaving human-centered leadership in health care into culture transformation

04/04/26 at 03:00 AM

The human thread: Weaving human-centered leadership in health care into culture transformationNurse Leader; by Stephanie Lonzo, Lindsey Colangelo, Kay Kennedy, Lucy Leclerc, Susan Campis; 3/26A large community hospital embraced implementation of Human-Centered Leadership in Health Care by including leaders from every discipline in a hybrid-style leadership development program. After completing the program, the leaders participated in the development of a hospital-wide brand statement which served as a collective WHY for the organization. This statement, which included human-centered principles, provided alignment, connection, and accountability across the organization. Leaders led differently, prioritizing care for self, and leading others in a relational approach. The culture transformation resulted in improved staff engagement, retention, patient experience, and quality outcomes. The senior nurse leaders share their culture transformation experience.

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