Literature Review

Walgreens settles Illinois Medicaid fraud lawsuit for $5M Modern Healthcare; by Katherine Davis; 3/25/25 Walgreens Boots Alliance will pay $5 million to settle allegations that it violated U.S. and Illinois false claims statutes by improperly billing Medicaid and Medicare. The settlement, disclosed in court filings [3/24], marks the end of the dispute, which began 11 years ago when two whistleblowers claimed Walgreens’ practices violated statutes. ... The settlement, disclosed in court filings yesterday, marks the end of the dispute, which began 11 years ago when two whistleblowers claimed Walgreens’ practices violated statutes. ... The settlement funds will be divided among the U.S. government, the state of Illinois and the whistleblowers, according to court filings. All parties also filed a joint stipulation of dismissal yesterday. Walgreens declined to comment. [Continue reading; access to the full article may be limited to subscription ...]

St. Croix Hospice opens 10 new locations in first quarter 2025 The LaGrange Daily News, Oakdale, MN; PR Newswire; 4/1/25 St. Croix Hospice continued its growth in the first quarter of 2025 with the opening of 10 additional branches across five states. The new locations include:

The blind side of leadership: Toxic positivity in workplace culture Forbes; by Tracy Lawrence; 3/26/25 A surprising number of leaders are unaware of toxic positivity, even as they unwittingly cultivate it. It’s understandable, but toxic positivity isn't just a cultural nuisance – it's a serious strategic liability. When organizations prioritize "feeling good" over honest communication, they lose the ability to address emerging problems, identify market shifts, and leverage their teams' full capabilities. In my experience coaching executives across industries, I've observed that the most successful organizations aren't those with the fewest problems – they're the ones where issues can be safely identified and addressed before they become crises. [Continue reading ...]

Dad diary: A smashed snake and our first real talk about death Indy Parenting; by Tyler Hayden; 3/28/25 The other day, just after the rain, my three-year-old and I were making our regular walk up the street to get the mail when he suddenly stopped and looked at the ground. There on the asphalt was a young gopher snake, crushed and bloody, its insides on the outside. “What’s that?” he asked. Here we go, I thought. Our first real conversation about death. I’d always imagined ― or hoped ― his first encounter with the other side of life would be a belly-up goldfish or a bird lying still in grass. Or even our 16-year-old cat. Something like that. But here it was, in an especially gory and disorienting form, staring us in the face. ... NPR recently interviewed a hospice social worker named Rosemarie Truglio, who specializes in talking with children about the death. She compared the gradual process of helping them understand it to how a kid eats an apple, ... [Continue reading ...] 

Managing oncology nurse burnout through peer support, emotional intelligence Oncology Nursing News; by Pattie Jackel, MN, RN, AOCN; 3/28/25 Debriefing after patient loss, supporting patients at the end of life, and finding outlets outside of work can help oncology nurses avoid burnout. ... Pattie Jakel, MN, RN, AOCN, spoke with Oncology Nursing News® about burnout in oncology nursing and ways to avoid it while providing palliative care to patients. ... You have to have a strong network and support. And my husband is…an architect, so medicine is not his thing, and in the beginning, he’d be like, “Pattie, I can only hear one sad story a week because I can’t hear all your sad stories.” ... "Working in acute care, I saw some horrific death and dying that occurred for our patients. We would definitely debrief afterwards, bring the group together 5 minutes. Sometimes we did longer ones." [Continue reading ...]

April Fools' Day: How it began and some of the most legendary pranks NBC-4 Los Angeles, CA; by NBC local staff; 3/27/25 Here's everything you should know about April Fools' Day, including how it started and some of the most infamous pranks in history. April 1st is the day when pranks, hoaxes, and good-natured trickery take center stage. While it’s not an official holiday, April Fools’ Day is celebrated across the world, with individuals and even major brands joining in on the fun. But where did this tradition of playful deception come from, and what are some of the most iconic pranks ever pulled? [Continue reading ...]

Port St. Lucie Police honor 10-year-old with badge for his birthday celebration TCPalm, Port St. Lucie, FL; by Eric Hasert; 3/29/25 William Rivero enjoys a 10th birthday with family, friends, and Port St. Lucie Police at his parent’s home on S.E. Nancy Lane on Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Port St. Lucie. William Rivero has muscular dystrophy and is under hospice care, and wanted to be a police officer, so the Port St. Lucie Police got him a small uniform, along with a badge, and swearing in with Chief Leo Niemczyk.

What to know about palliative and hospice care Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ); by Liz Seegert; 3/28/25 ... [Palliative care] is fundamental to health and human dignity and is a basic human right, according to the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard.  When reporting on serious illnesses, journalists can help demystify palliative care and encourage more people in need to take advantage of it by clearly explaining the differences, and benefits, and incorporating anecdotes to further illustrate how these types of care make a difference in the lives of patients and their families. [Continue reading ...] Editor's note: Share this article--written for health care journalists--with your communications and marketing leadership, with your community newspapers' journalists, and your employee/volunteer educators. Too often, new hospice/palliative care employees at all levels of roles and responsibilities begin their roles without clear knowledge, comprehension, and application of distinctions between standard healthcare, palliative care, and hospice care.  

It is human nature to think wisely and act foolishly. ~ Anatole France

MaineHealth Memorial Hospital leverages telehealth in unexpected ways MaineHealth, North Conway, ME; Press Release; 3/312/25 When a patient presenting with stroke symptoms arrives at MaineHealth Memorial Hospital's emergency department, time is of the essence. It could take hours to arrange for medical transport and get that patient to a tertiary care center like MaineHealth Maine Medical Center to see a stroke neurologist. Using telehealth, these patients can receive this specialized care if it is necessary in less than 30 minutes. While telehealth is often associated with remote home visits, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital also uses it to enhance on-site care. Using remote consult technology, MaineHealth specialists can offer local care teams expert advice at the bedside or in the exam room. [Continue reading ...]

Paint and sip event held to honor watercolorist Paul St. Denis The Gazette, Medina, OH; by Sara Crawford; 3/292/25 Easels, paint palettes and paintbrushes lined the activity room tables at the Echelon of Medina on Thursday as family, friends and staff members gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of watercolorist Paul St. Denis. St. Denis received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Cleveland Institute of Art and a Master of Arts from Kent State University. He then taught at the Cleveland Institute of Art for 27 years while also teaching at other schools. Now, St. Denis lives in the Spencer House Memory Care Neighborhood at the Echelon of Medina, where he also is cared for by Turas Hospice. Jessica Hine, Echelon’s activity director and Turas’ volunteer coordinator, said Turas Hospice held Thursday’s event with its sole focus on St. Denis and his watercoloring career. “Turas Hospice wants to stand out as a hospice company and do more special things for the hospice patients,” Hine said.  [Continue reading ...]

How Illinois plans to fine tune end-of-life, palliative care Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 3/27/25 The State of Illinois legislature is advancing bills that would provide additional support for patients nearing the end of life. The Illinois General Assembly’s House of Representatives has advanced four bills related to hospice and palliative care that were recently cleared by a legislative committee. They pertain to issues like medication delivery, advance care planning and end-of-life care for incarcerated individuals, among others. Rep. Nicolle Grasse, a Democrat, sponsored each of the bills, which have garnered bipartisan support. [Continue reading ...]