Literature Review

Artificial intelligence-powered predictive tools to improve end-of-life decision-making: mini-review British Medical Journal (BMJ) Supportive & Palliative Care; by Abdullah Alabbasi, Muhanad Alzahrani, Faris Sultan and Mohammed Sayes; 2/18/26 Results: ... Preliminary qualitative work indicates that AI-generated summaries may assist communication among healthcare teams, though concerns persist regarding transparency, bias and over-reliance on algorithms. Conclusions: AI-driven prognostic models show promise in improving risk identification and facilitating earlier engagement with palliative care. Nonetheless, the current evidence base is preliminary. Future research should include prospective trials and strengthened ethical frameworks to ensure that the integration of AI-based prognostic tools into end-of-life decision-making is both safe and equitable. 

Bridge Hospice Pet Adoption Program KCBD-11, Lubbock, TX; by Julie Castaneda; 2/17/26 Bridge Hospice has started a Pet Adoption Program to help hospice patients, who often need loving homes for their well-loved pets during their end-of-life care.

Comparison of patients seen by an embedded social worker and nurse practitioner palliative care model in hospital medicine versus referral-based specialty palliative care and their acute care utilization outcomes Journal of Palliative Medicine; by Laura P Gelfman, Li Zeng, Keisha Bergland, Elizabeth Rizzo, Cheyenne Higgins, Claire Doucette, Krishna Chokshi, Emily Chai; 2/17/26 Background: Hospitalized patients with serious illness often face delayed or limited access to palliative care. Embedded hospital primary palliative care (HPPC), led by social workers and nurse practitioners, may deliver more timely, needs-based support compared with referral-based specialty palliative care (SPC). Conclusions: An embedded SW/NP-led palliative care model in hospital medicine improves access, reduces acute care use, and is sustainable over time. This approach supports timely, culturally sensitive, needs-based palliative care and may be scalable for hospital-based delivery.

Medicare crackdown on hospice affiliations threatening providers Bloomberg Law; by Patric Hooper, Jordan Kearney, and Maydha Vinson; 2/18/26 A new federal enforcement trend is sending shockwaves through California’s hospice sector and beyond. Health care providers are discovering that their Medicare enrollment, and often their entire practice, can be jeopardized simply because of whom they once worked with, not because of anything they personally did. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services calls it affiliation. Under federal regulations, CMS or its contractors can revoke a provider’s Medicare enrollment if the agency determines that an affiliation poses an “undue risk” of fraud, waste, or abuse. 

Letter to the editor: Thank you for your support of Hospice of the Plains Special to Journal-Advocate, Sterling, CO; by Hospice of the Plains; 2/17/26  On behalf of the entire Hospice of the Plains, Inc team, our hearts are full as we reflect on the incredible outpouring of support for this year's Fryin' and Buyin' Hometown Hospice Auction and Benefit. Thanks to the generosity, kindness, and community spirit of so many, this year's event was a remarkable success, raising around $48,500 to support compassionate hospice care right here at home. This auction was so much more than a fundraiser. It was a heartwarming celebration of community, connection, and shared purpose. [The rest of this letter may be limited to a paywall.]

Directors and Boards: Executive session, Episode 37: Lisa Piercey, Venita Fields and Charles Elson Executive Session, The Directors & Boards podcast; with Lisa Piercy, Venita Fields and Charles Elson; 2/17/26 This episode explores composition on health-related boards, the role of the board in capital investment and allocation, and director compensation. ... In this episode of Executive Session, the official podcast of Directors & Boards, we speak with Lisa Piercey, director of National HealthCare Corporation, about the importance of having entrepreneurial clinicians on health-related boards. In our second interview, Venita Fields, director of Superior Group of Companies, examines the board’s role in capital investment and allocation. And in our final discussion, Charles Elson, director of Enhabit Home Health & Hospice and executive editor at large of Directors & Boards, dives into the principles that should guide director compensation.

Behind every flawless performance is a thousand falls on the ice.

Trinity Health announces suspension of hospice services KFYR TV / KMOT TV, Minot, ND; by Kyona Rivera; 2/12/26 Trinity Health in Minot announced Thursday that its Home Health and Outpatient Hospice services are suspended. A statement provided to Your News Leader from Trinity Health indicates the provider is looking at other ways to transition these services. The decision came after careful consideration and a thorough review of current operations, according to the statement. Trinity said the timeline for the change will be announced when plans are finalized. 

[England] Almost one in three people in England die without the basic care they need Medical Xpress; by King's College London, edited by Lisa Lock; 2/16/26 About 170,000 people in England every year spend their final days in pain, distress or without vital support that should be available to everyone at the end of life. These are the findings of the first major study in more than a decade to estimate unmet palliative care needs among people at the end of life. The paper was led by researchers at King's College London and Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, with contributions from the University of Edinburgh and was published in the Journal of Health Services Research & Policy.

How to plan for a ‘good death,’ according to a VCU researcher VCU News, Virginia Commonwealth University; by Madeline Reinsel; 2/16/26 People talk a lot more about death than dying. That’s according to Yifan Lou, Ph.D., a Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work assistant professor who studies how expectations around death and end-of-life care differ across cultures. ... “My job is really trying to understand different populations and then help design a policy and health care system that can support their value of the good death.” Planning for a good death requires patients and families to make decisions around hospice care, pain management, quality of life, financial affairs and long-term care, ideally alongside a social worker.

This American Heart Month, Carolina Caring elevates cardiac care for serious illness Carolina Caring, Newton, NC; Press Release; 2/9/26 February is American Heart Month, a national effort to raise awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. As of 2025, 6.7 million Americans over the age of 20 are living with heart failure (Heart Failure Society of America, 2025). ... In response, Carolina Caring’s Advanced Cardiac Care program provides effective, tailored support to patients with chronic heart conditions. As the first cardiac care program of its kind in North Carolina, Carolina Caring combines nationally recognized standards of care with a home-based hospice approach. 

Mourning a former spouse: Disenfranchised grief AfterTalk; by Dr. Robert Neimeyer; 2/16/26 Dear Dr. Neimeyer, ... Upon hearing that my ex died of cancer last February, I reacted viscerally which surprised my husband. I had to handle some of my ex’s legal affairs as he never remarried. Occasionally since then, I get flooded with memories of him and the good times we shared. It’s almost haunting. I am saddened he is missing the wonderful events in our children’s’ lives. Do people mourn their divorced spouses years after remarriage?  ... CarlaDear Carla, ... [Read Dr. Neimeyer's response]

Physician Associates [PAs] in hospice and palliative medicine: Insights from a national needs assessment American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Ryan Baldeo, MPAS, MSPC, PA-C, FAAHPM; 2/3/26Results: Respondents were primarily female (89.8%) and hospital-based (57.1%), with 73.5% less than or equal to 10 years of experience in the specialty. While 55.1% had specialized training, only 16.3% were specialty certified. Qualitative analysis identified five challenges: regulatory and policy hurdles, workforce disparities compared to other APPs, misconceptions about the PA role, education gaps, and emotional strain.Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest a need for targeted organizational support in advocacy, particularly regarding legislative efforts for hospice inclusive, and professional development to bridge the certification gap.