Literature Review

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. ~ Helen Keller

You were born an original. Don't die a copy. ~ John Mason

Why artificial intelligence displacement threatens medical specialties MedPageToday's KevinMD.com; by H. Michael Boulton, MD; 5/3/26 Diagnostic radiology, as a physician-staffed specialty, will not exist in its current form within 20 years. Neither will diagnostic pathology. Neither, in all likelihood, will the outpatient model of endocrinology or general internal medicine as we currently understand it. These are not fringe predictions from technologists who have never set foot in a hospital; they are the logical endpoint of capability curves that are already clearly in motion, ... I know that will make a lot of my colleagues uncomfortable. I get it. But I would argue the real problem is not the prediction; it is that we keep avoiding the conversation.

A guide to visiting a nursing home: tips for meaningful connection U.S. News & World Report | Health; by Claire Wolters and Rachael Hood; 5/6/26 If you have a loved one in a nursing home, frequent visits can help them feel loved and fight loneliness. Here's how to make the most of your visit. ...

Executive Personnel Changes - 5/8/26

Hospice workers stop by to thank Lila Kozel, founder of hospice care in Bismarck KXNET News CBS, Bismarck, ND; by Joel Porter; 5/1/26 Health care workers in North Dakota made a house call on Friday to a special woman’s house. Workers from CHI Health at Home stopped by Lila Kozel’s home to greet her and thank her. Kozel is credited with starting hospice services in Bismarck in the 1980s. Health workers say Kozel started the program after losing a son, which made her want to give comfort to others as her family handled their grief. Now, Lila is living on hospice care, and the workers say if not for Lila, they’re not sure the program would be what it is.

My mother left me a garage full of mysterious ingredients—and so much more Vogue; by John Mok; 5/6/26 Late in the summer of 2024, my mother was moved into hospice after a brief hospitalization. ... I promptly returned home to Los Angeles from New York and steeled myself for her passing. The trip lasted five months. ... Over the years, I had tried to meet her in the kitchen, to learn through her homestyle dishes, to unlock some part of her Chinese heritage, even with her American adaptations. But there was never enough time. During those five months we did get a little more time—one more round of holidays and one more memorable moment, when she passed peacefully passed. ... What my mother left behind was an invitation. Our garage remains an apothecary of TCM, dried herbs, and dried seafood—all stored in repurposed mayonnaise jars and Costco biscotti containers, their labels scribbled over with her Chinese script. ...

NPHI concludes record-setting 2026 Summit “Quality in Action” in Chicago National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), Chicago, IL; Press Release; 5/2/26 The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the national voice for nonprofit hospice and advanced illness care, has concluded its 2026 Summit, Quality in Action, at the Chicago Marriott Marquis — marking the largest gathering in the organization’s history. Over three days, nonprofit hospice and advanced illness care leaders from across the country came together around a shared commitment to Quality in Action. The Summit created space for candid discussion and practical exchange, with a clear focus on how nonprofit hospice and advanced illness providers will continue to lead in delivering high-quality, community-based care for patients and their families.

The financial and social costs of caregiving: 2026 U.S. News survey U.S. News & World Report; by Annika Urban; 5/4/26 For many of the more than 60 million American caregivers, small acts of love to help out a loved one escalate into a major commitment. This 2026 U.S. News survey examines the emotional and financial burden of caregiving and how home health agencies fit into their support network.

Ohio’s Hospice CEO: prepare for value-based care Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/6/26 In time, value-based care will come to hospices, and they must be ready, according to Kent Anderson, CEO of Ohio’s Hospice. In this environment, scale will be key, as will a need to better understand the needs and objectives of referral partners, Anderson told Hospice News. He also leads Metta Health, a revenue cycle management consulting firm. Ohio’s Hospice is a statewide alliance of nonprofit providers established in 2013. The network leverages its member organizations’ collective size in negotiations with vendors, payers and referral sources, collaborates on back-office functions and shares some expenses and infrastructure.

Final arrangements | What happens if I can’t afford a funeral? Fox Carolina, Anderson County, SC; by Amanda Shaw; 5/5/26 ... Two hundred and twelve names are on a memorial wall at the Anderson County cemetery. Each one represents a person who died with no one, or no money, to bury them. This year, Anderson County is on track to add more names than ever before. “Every one of these people on this wall gave something here,” McCown said. “They gave something to our society. They gave something to somebody else.” At the center of the wall is a plaque for the names no one will ever know. McCown said the life stories of those memorialized would surprise people. ... On average, Anderson County handles between 28 and 35 indigent burials a year. This year, they are on track to shatter that record, with 26 indigent cremations already reported.

How do physicians perceive and manage the influence of their personal end-of-life preferences on clinical practice and end-of-life decision-making with patients? An international qualitative study  Health and Medicine Daily | Palliative Care and Social Practice; research portion by Sarah Mroz, Frederick Daenen, and Kenneth Chambaere; 5/5/26 ... Physicians acknowledge the impact of their personal end-of-life preferences on their clinical practice and emphasize the importance of maintaining objectivity and centering decision-making on patient preferences. Physicians adopt strategies to mitigate potential biases. There is a divergence of opinion about whether it is appropriate to share when asked what they would do in the position of their patients. Most believe focusing on patients' values and priorities is essential and others feel sharing is crucial to maintain trust. Physicians struggle with ethical tensions and moral discomfort, particularly when patients' requests conflict with their beliefs. ...

Healthcare leaders break down hospice reform, Medicare & quality care | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Tom Koutsoumpas and Carole Fisher; 5/6/26 In Part One of Healthcare Leaders Break Down Hospice Reform, Medicare & Quality Care, Chris Comeaux sits down with nationally respected healthcare leaders Tom Koutsoumpas, Founder & CEO of NPHI and Carole Fisher, President of NPHI to explore the evolving future of hospice, palliative care, Medicare oversight, and the growing demand for quality-driven, compassionate healthcare leadership. Together, they unpack the growing challenges facing end-of-life care — from fraud and benefit manipulation to the urgent need for quality transparency and authentic patient-centered care.