Literature Review

Healthcare doesn’t need forward deployed engineers. It needs forward deployed operators. HIT Consultant; by Frederik Mueller; 9/22/26 The forward deployed engineer model, embraced across enterprise technology, is built on a seductive assumption: that the gap between a technology’s potential and its adoption is primarily a technical gap. A missing integration. A misconfigured workflow. A feature not yet built. Fix the code, and the organization will follow. In most industries, that assumption is partially right. In healthcare, it is almost entirely wrong. In part, healthcare organizations contribute to the problem because most evaluate technology vendors the same flawed way. They audit the roadmap, assess the integrations, and negotiate the contract. They rarely ask enough how the vendor will be embedded in their operations after go-live, and what discipline that ongoing partnership requires. 

Beyond the book: How stories help shape future physicians University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV); by Doug Criss; 9/22/26 Katie Houk builds a medical humanities collection that gives students at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine space to reflect, create, and better understand the people they will care for. ... “Medical humanities is the integration of the humanistic fields into medical training,” Houk says. A large part of the work involves narrative medicine: reading and discussing fictional or true stories to build empathy for patients, connect physicians with one another, and encourage reflection on the physician-patient relationship and the profession itself.

Hospice of Humboldt expands in-home palliative care with $250K match Archynewsy; by D. Natalie Singh; 9/23/26Hospice of Humboldt has launched a $500,000 campaign to expand its Home-Based Palliative Care program, bolstered by a $250,000 matching gift from the owners of Premier Financial Group, according to reports from the Lost Coast Outpost. The program, which delivers medical care, symptom management, and care coordination directly to patients’ homes, currently serves 70 patients and families but sits at full capacity with a six- to eight-week waitlist.

Moratorium morphs hospice affiliation landscape Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 9/22/26 A national temporary ban on new Medicare enrollment could have long-term impacts on hospice affiliations among nonprofit providers. Fraudsters have bilked billions of Medicare dollars posing as new legitimate providers. The program integrity issues moved the moratoria forward and caused a trickle effect on mergers, acquisitions, affiliations and organic growth in the hospice space. This is according to Mark Kulik, senior managing director at merger and acquisition advisory firm The Braff Group. The moratoria could result in an uptick of nonprofit affiliations, particularly in states with certificate of need (CON) policies, Kulik indicated.

Homecare Homebase announces 2026 Customer Award Winners and Home Care Aide Scholarship recipients PR Newswire, Dallas, TX; by Homecare Homebase; 9/22/26 Homecare HomebaseSM (HCHB) today announced the winners of its 2026 Customer Awards and the recipients of its Home Care Aide Scholarships. The annual programs recognize organizations and individuals demonstrating excellence across clinical quality, operational performance, industry leadership, innovation, and professional development. This year's honorees reflect the breadth of work underway across home-based care to strengthen patient outcomes, improve performance, and support the professionals who deliver care in homes and communities nationwide.

URI nursing students get direct experience in hospice, palliative care The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI; by Patrick Luce; 9/22/26 The first group of University of Rhode Island College of Nursing students have begun clinical rotations in hospice and palliative care, as the college officially begins a formal academic-practice partnership with HopeHealth aimed at advancing clinical education, training, and professional opportunities in the field. Eight undergraduate students began advance practice experience at the Providence-based nonprofit hospice and palliative care center Sept. 10 under the faculty supervision of Assistant Professor Daina Worcester. ... The goal is to foster professional growth, improve patient care, and strengthen the academic-clinical partnership between the college and healthcare facilities around the region.

Establishing an AI policy: a comprehensive white paper for life sciences teamsSakara Digital; by Amie Harpe; 9/21/26Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly evolved from a niche technology to a foundational element of business operations across all sectors. ... This white paper provides a comprehensive, narrative-driven guide for business and compliance leaders ...  Special attention is given to the unique regulatory, ethical, and operational considerations in life sciences and healthcare, with tangible guidance for governance, validation, training, monitoring, and audit strategies.

CMS expands the ACCESS Model: new tracks for heart failure, COPD, substance use disorders, tobacco cessation, and extended MSK support Foley Hoag; 9/21/26 Key Takeaways:

CMS continues to evaluate impact of moratorium, agency tells Alliance McKnights Home Care; by Liza Berger; 9/14/26 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services continues to evaluate the impact of the home health and hospice moratorium, it told the National Alliance for Care at Home Monday [9/14]. “CMS continues to evaluate the impact of the moratoriums, including their effects on patient access to care and on the fiscal integrity of the federal healthcare programs,” the agency said in a statement to the Alliance. ... While CMS officials told members of the Alliance in July they would provide 60 days notice, the statement said it “is under no obligation to provide 60 days’ advance notice of its intentions regarding the moratoriums, and no such notice should be assumed or expected.”

Support children through grief with faith and honesty Patheos; by M.T. Mom; 9/22/26 Grief is messy for adults. Involving kids raises the stakes. How do we support children through grief while we’re grieving alongside them? ...

Prior authorization under CMS-0057-F: how payers are rebuilding utilization management for compressed timeline The National Law Review, Tampa, FL; Press Release; 9/20/26 Prior authorization has moved to the center of healthcare payer operations. With the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalizing the Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule (CMS-0057-F), health plans, managed care organizations, and third-party administrators face shorter decision windows and new transparency obligations at the same time review volumes continue to climb. For many organizations, the response has been a careful review of their prior authorization medical review services and the operational systems that support them.

Chinese woman in her 70s wakes up in coffin before dying for good 2 days laterSouth China Morning Post; by Zoey Zhang; 9/21/26 A woman in her 70s in northern China briefly exhibited signs of life after being placed in a coffin, but ultimately died two days later. The woman, from Hebei province, had been suffering from cerebral thrombosis for decades and was also battling cancer, according to reports from mainland sources. After doctors concluded that her cancer was no longer treatable, her family brought her home for end-of-life care. On September 8, relatives found no apparent signs of life and placed her in a refrigerated coffin to preserve her body while awaiting the return of family members from out of town for a final farewell. However, the following evening, her daughter-in-law heard faint “humming” sounds coming from inside the coffin. ...