Literature Review

Evaluating palliative care needs in patients with advanced non-malignant chronic conditions: An umbrella review of needs assessment tools Healthcare; by Chrysovalantis Karagkounis, Stephen Connor, Danai Papadatou, Thalia Bellali; 12/24/25 Patients with advanced non-malignant chronic conditions experience illness burdens and palliative care needs comparable to those of oncology patients, yet palliative care is often introduced late. Identifying individuals with potential palliative care needs is complex, and although multiple tools exist, the most appropriate approach for assessing needs in this population remains unclear. This umbrella review aimed to identify and evaluate tools used to systematically assess palliative care in adults with advanced non-malignant chronic conditions, with a specific focus on their content, structure, and psychometric properties.

Executive Personnel Changes - 1/30/26

VITAS Healthcare to be featured on CNBC's Now We Know! with Steve Guttenberg – airing January 31 1045 TheDan.com, Delray Beach, FL; by Now We Know!; 1/29/26The upcoming episode of Now We Know! with Steve Guttenberg, airing Saturday, January 31 at 11a ET on CNBC, will feature VITAS Healthcare, the nation’s leader in hospice and palliative care dedicated to improving quality of life for seriously ill patients and their families. ... Hosted by actor, author, and businessman, Steve Guttenberg, this unique platform inspires the next generation of knowledge seekers and viewers around the country. 

[Netherlands] Pediatric advance care planning: a mixed-methods evaluation of documentation and sharing in current practice BMC Palliative Care; by Sophie Tooten, Rosella P.M.G. Hermens, Manel Verhoeven, Ellen M. Vierhoven, Fatima Boulakhrif, Jana M. Reintjes, Michel A.A.P. Willemsen, Judith L. Aris-Meijer, Jurrianne C. Fahner, Marijanne Engel, Marijke C. Kars, Inge M.L. Ahout & Esther Deuning-Smit; 1/29/26 Pediatric advance care planning (pACP) aims to align future care and treatment of children with life-limiting conditions (LLCs) with children’s and their families’ values, goals and preferences. Documenting and sharing pACP elements with healthcare professionals (HCPs) is essential for goal-concordant care. This study evaluates how pACP elements are documented in electronic health records of children with LLCs and shared with other HCPs.

Hospice telehealth once again endangered as federal shutdown looms  Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/28/26 The prospect of another government shutdown could result in the expiration of COVID-era telehealth flexibilities. The government experienced a lengthy shutdown in November 2025, which ended with the passing of the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2026. That bill not only funded the government through Jan. 30, but it also extended the telehealth flexibilities to that date. Now, a further extension sits in limbo as congressional lawmakers spar along partisan lines. If a new shutdown occurs, it would likely be partial, according to Logan Hoover, vice president of policy and government relations for the National Alliance for Care at Home.

Integrating psychiatric and hospice services: Legal and clinical considerations for involuntary commitment in multimorbid end-of-life care American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Ilana Marmershteyn, BS, Darian Peters, BS, Victor Milev, BS, Mario Jacomino, MD, MPH, and George Luck, MD, FAAHPM; 1/28/26  Multimorbid patients at the end-of-life face complex medical, psychosocial, and psychiatric challenges. Hospice care aims to address physical, emotional, and spiritual needs; however, psychiatric comorbidities, particularly acute crises, remain under-recognized and inconsistently managed. The intersection of psychiatric intervention, hospice care, and legal frameworks such as involuntary commitment presents significant clinical and ethical challenges.

Another strike sends 31,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers to picket lines AP, U.S. News, Oakland, CA; 1/27/26 An estimated 31,000 registered nurses and other front-line Kaiser Permanente health care workers launched an open-ended strike this week in California and Hawaii to demand better wages and staffing from the health care giant. The picketing that began Monday marked the second major walkout in recent months by employees represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals. A five-day strike in October ended with negotiations resuming, but talks broke down in December. This week the union accused Kaiser of refusing to return to national bargaining discussions.

WHO statement on notification of withdrawal of the United States World Health Organization; 1/24/26 As a founding member of the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States of America has contributed significantly to many of WHO’s greatest achievements, including the eradication of smallpox, and progress against many other public health threats including polio, HIV, Ebola, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety and more. WHO therefore regrets the United States’ notification of withdrawal from WHO – a decision that makes both the United States and the world less safe. The notification of withdrawal raises issues that will be considered by the WHO Executive Board at its regular meeting starting on 2 February and by the World Health Assembly at its annual meeting in May 2026.

False Claims Act 2025 year-end update Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; Press Release; 1/27/26 This update covers recent developments in FCA jurisprudence, summarizes significant enforcement activity, and analyzes the most notable legislative, policy, and caselaw developments from the second half of calendar year 2025, picking up where our mid-year 2025 update left off.

Meant to Be: Denise's journey into hospice nursing The McKenzie, Tennessee Banner; 1/27/26 When Denise lost her husband, Tony, to leukemia at only 39, her world shifted forever. She was 29. ... In her thirties, ... she enrolled in nursing school, determined to rebuild her own story, one chapter at a time. ...Then came a nursing hospice opportunity. ... For Denise, hospice nursing isn't about endings; it's about helping families find peace, honesty, dignity, and hope in the final chapter. She carries the responsibility with deep reverence. "We're the last chapter," she says softly. "And if that chapter ends poorly, a lot of it is on us." ... Denise's journey reminds us that sometimes the hardest heartbreaks lead us to the most meaningful callings. Editor's Note: [Full access to this may require a subscription.] What personal life experiences brought many of your clinicians to end-of-life care? You may be surpised how little you know about them; what brings meaning and purpose for them; how seeing their journeys inspires you in your leadership role.

Sanofi Collective - Foundation S stands behind transformative children's palliative care project in Kenya Global Treehouse Foundation; Press Release; 1/27/26 A significant grant from the Foundation S - the Sanofi Collective will enable a transformative three-year project delivering comprehensive grief and bereavement care to families affected by childhood cancer in Kenya. This is about more than funding: it’s about ensuring families are seen, supported and not left to navigate their most challenging moments alone. Foundation S’s investment is a significant milestone in integrating grief and social-emotional support into healthcare systems - an area too often overlooked, yet essential to the dignity and well-being of children and those who love them.

MedPAC signals need to bolster Medicare physician payments AMA - American Medical Association; by Tanya Albert Henry; 1/27/26 Influential body backs added 0.5% Medicare pay update but backtracks on linking doctor payment to practice-cost inflation. ... The influential Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) voted in January to address inadequate payment for Medicare physician services under current law, once again underscoring a longstanding policy failure that is widely recognized but remains unresolved. MedPAC voted to recommend an additional 0.5% update on top of the updates specified in current law—0.25% and 0.75%—and will forward that recommendation to Congress. 

Very often you are in the right place, at the right time, but you don't know it. ~ Maria Tallchief