Literature Review

Development of a mortality prediction model for incarcerated adults to identify palliative care needsJournal of General Internal Medicine; by W. James Deardorff, Alexandra K. Lee, Kaiwei Lu, Bocheng Jing, W. John Boscardin, Michele DiTomas, John Dunlap, Brie A. Williams, Sei J. Lee, Alexander K. Smith; 12/25The United States prison population has seen a rapid rise in the number of older adults, with roughly 14% of male prisoners and 9% of female prisoners aged 55 years or older in 2020.  Incarcerated adults experience accelerated aging, leading to reduced life expectancy and higher rates of chronic medical conditions, functional impairments, and mental health conditions compared with non-incarcerated persons. For individuals with advanced age, multimorbidity, and/or serious illness, advance care planning discussions, palliative care, and hospice services are crucial for improving quality of life and ensuring medical care that is consistent with an individual’s values and goals. As the number of incarcerated adults with limited life expectancy increases, there is a clear need for a systematic way to identify individuals who may most benefit from these services. Our 2-year mortality prediction model for adults within the California prison system performed well on measures of discrimination, calibration, and classification. The model can be used to flag individuals at higher risk for mortality for consideration of advance care planning interventions, palliative care and hospice referrals, and compassionate release.

Saturday newsletters focus on headlines and research - enjoy!

Solomon Center’s groundbreaking palliative care law and policy initiative drives nationwide reforms Yale Law School; Press Release; 1/15/26 The Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy at Yale Law School has established the country’s first comprehensive interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to palliative medical care, law, and policy — a pathbreaking effort that is already shaping reforms for patients of all ages. ... The work is supported by a first-of-its kind open-access research platform for palliative care policy across the states, developed by the Center, and in collaboration with partners at Yale School of Medicine, Yale School of Public Health, Yale School of Nursing, and Mount Sinai’s nationally renowned Center to Advance Palliative Care.

US health expenditures rapidly accelerating Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/14/26 ... Rising health care utilization is the most significant driver of the spending increases, according to CMS. One key factor is that utilization is bouncing back from declines that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Micah Hartman, a statistician in the National Health Statistics Group with the Office of the Actuary at CMS. Population growth was also a factor. ... By payer type, private health insurance saw the largest rate of spending growth at 8.8%, followed by Medicare at 7.8% and Medicaid at 6.6%. Out-of-pocket spending rose by 5.9%. ... Hospice care saves Medicare roughly $3.5 billion for patients in their last year of life, according to a joint report from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and NORC at the University of Chicago.

Tri-Cities Chaplaincy Hospice House Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, Kennewick, WA; Press Release; 1/15/26 Tri-Cities Chaplaincy has completed a remodel of its Hospice House in Kennewick. The 15,000-square-foot facility provides hospice inpatient care, including symptom management, respite for family caregivers and routine care ... The remodel addressed cosmetic and functional updates to all 10 patient rooms, including added technology for point-of-care charting. Several new spaces were added, including a fireside room, waiting area, larger collaborative nurses station and an interfaith chapel. ... A primary goal of the remodel also was to establish a homelike environment with a less clinical feel while still providing quality end-of-life care.

Heart to Heart Hospice expands service in Oklahoma Cision PR Newswire, Plano, TX; Press Release; 1/13/26 Heart to Heart Hospice, one of the country's largest private providers of hospice care, has expanded its presence in Oklahoma with the recent acquisition of an agency in Oklahoma City. Heart to Heart Hospice of Oklahoma City is now open and serving patients and families across Central Oklahoma. ... his is Heart to Heart's second location in Oklahoma following its expansion into Southeastern Oklahoma with the opening of its Durant site in 2024.

I'm still working in the medical field at 83. My husband doesn't need me at home staring at him all day — I want to be productive. Business Insider; as told to Noah Sheidlower by Barbara Ford; 1/15/26 This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Barbara Ford, an 83-year-old registered nurse and patient advocate for a healthcare company. Ford's husband worked into his 80s until some health issues led him to retire. Editor's Note: For more, visit a compilation of Noah Sheidlower's similar interviews, "Read Business Insider's stories and watch our video after nearly 200 interviews with workers over 80." Also, pair this with today's post, "Retirement for Beth Dorsk: Her day is her own."

Gift of Life sets national record for most organs transplanted in U.S. history Gift of Life Donor Program, Philadelphia, PA; by Gift of Life Donor Program; 1/15/26 In 2025, Gift of Life Donor Program achieved a new national record coordinating the most life-saving organs transplanted of any organ procurement organization (OPO) in U.S. history and the most organ donor heroes in the organization's history. ... In 2025, Gift of Life:

Granite VNA Season of Remembrance campaign raises over $53K The Laconia Daily Sun, Concord, NH; Press Release; 1/12/26 Granite VNA, New Hampshire’s largest not-for-profit home health and hospice agency, raised more than $53,000 during its annual Season of Remembrance campaign in support of hospice services. ... Nearly 400 businesses and individuals supported the campaign, which began in October. ... Fifty-five people who donated $250 or more received a unique hand-blown glass ornament created by Granite VNA home care physical therapy assistant Jeff Lamy.  ... Season of Remembrance also invites community members to honor loved ones who have passed by adding their names to an online honor roll. This year, 1,170 people from 95 towns across New Hampshire were remembered.

Life is not a matter of holding good cares, but of playing a poor hand well. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

The gift of adventure: Lenovo donates virtual reality equipment to Carolina Caring patients Carolina Caring, Newton, NC; Press Release; 1/14/26 Just over one year ago, Carolina Caring, the nonprofit serious illness care provider serving Western North Carolina and the Mecklenburg region, announced an exciting investment in virtual reality devices that delivered once-in-a-lifetime VR experiences to hospice and palliative patients. Today, thanks to the generosity of Lenovo and Carolina Caring Foundation, the organization has more than doubled its capacity to bring this immersive experience to patients across its service area. In total, Lenovo donated 8 ThinkReality VRX headsets—at a value of $9600—to Carolina Caring Foundation to be distributed for patient use. 

Interim HealthCare Inc. acquires its second-largest franchise Morningstar - Business Wire; Press Release; 1/13/26 Interim HealthCare Inc., the nation’s leading network of home health care and staffing services that span the care continuum, has acquired its second-largest franchisee and one of the longest-tenured franchise operations in the Interim HealthCare network. Effective January 1, 2026, Interim’s corporate operations expanded to include the Upstate and Midlands of South Carolina, along with a hospice location in Atlanta. Local franchise leadership will now report into Interim HealthCare’s headquarters.