Literature Review

Michael Jordan shares emotional FaceTime moment with former teacher in hospice: "They laughed, reminisced, picked at each other" Basketball Network; by Bjorn Del B. Deade; 5/17/26 Nowadays, Michael Jordan only makes headlines because of the success of his NASCAR Cup Series team ... However, the news cycle recently took a refreshing turn after Jordan’s kind gesture toward one of his former teachers at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. The teacher, Ms. Etta, is currently a patient at Lower Cape Fear LifeCar, which is located in his hometown. And as she recounts her tales about Laney High School, she has repeatedly said she wanted to reconnect with the Chicago Bulls legend. So, Jordan did what he could to make it happen. The non-profit hospice shared its unforgettable interaction on its social media.

 Wisconsin-made film "Winter Hymns" gets more showings on the silver screen WKWO-27 ABC, Madison, WI; by Lucas Kihmm; 5/17/26 A movie that's produced and filmed right here in Wisconsin, Winter Hymns tells the story of a palliative care doctor meeting with a series of dying patients over a one day span. Writer and Director of the film Nathan Deming sat down with 27 News anchor Lucas Kihmm to talk about the movie and says he was inspired by his father, who was a palliative care physician, to make the film. ... It's now getting more exposure to audiences across the state and country after Flix Brewhouse gave Deming the opportunity to show his film in theaters. 

10 of the biggest regrets nurses hear from dying patients SavingAdvice.com; by Amanda Blankenship; 5/15/26 ... Hospice nurse Bronnie Ware famously documented several of the most common regrets she heard from patients nearing death, including working too much and failing to stay close to loved ones. These end-of-life regrets offer important lessons for anyone hoping to live with fewer disappointments and more peace.

Butterfly Garden of Remembrance 2026 YubaNet.com, Nevada County, CA; by Foothills Compassionate Care; 5/15/26 Driving along the freeway between Grass Valley and Nevada City, passengers might notice three large butterfly statues in the nearby distance. The statues mark the annual Butterfly Garden of Remembrance, hosted by Foothills Compassionate Care [formerly known as Hospice of the Foothills]. ... In a community where neighbors care deeply for one another, few traditions capture that spirit more beautifully.  For more than 25 years, the Butterfly Garden has offered a sacred space for grief, healing and remembrance.

Proposing a framework to license autonomous clinical AI: as autonomous clinical AI continues to evolve, we need uniform regulatory standards, says LDI Fellow Penn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; by Alon Bergman, PhD; 5/15/26 Late last month, Utah’s Medical Licensing Board called for the immediate suspension of the state’s pilot program with the AI company Doctronic. The program lets a chatbot evaluate patients and recommend prescription renewals for nearly 200 chronic condition drugs, with the state planning to phase out physician review of each case. The board said that it only learned about the pilot after it had launched. Its warning was blunt: proceeding without proper clinical oversight “potentially places Utah citizens at risk.” ... Utah is one of at least 47 states now considering more than 250 bills governing clinical AI, producing a patchwork of rules on bias audits, payment policy, and patient consent.Editor's Note: See related article by the same author Alon Bergman, AI doctors should be licensed. Here’s a framework to do that: Utah's pilot program with Doctronic shows that federal action is necessary. 

French Senate rejects assisted suicide bill again Crux; by Fionn Shiner; 5/14/26 On Tuesday [May 12th], the French Senate rejected for the second time the assisted suicide bill under debate, with the leader of the conservative party calling for a referendum on the issue to avoid it being approved without the Senate’s approval. The National Assembly – France’s lower house – had already approved the bill twice, but the Senate, made up of more conservative and centrist politicians, rejected a key provision of the bill which sought to establish a right to assisted suicide. 

Compassus-Providence JV to move forward in Oregon Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/18/26 The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has cleared the way for a Compassus-Providence Health System joint venture to operate in the state. The home-based care provider Compassus has established a joint venture with the health system Providence in 2024 and expanded it last year. However, in Oregon the state agency must review all such transactions. ... The conditions are intended to ensure the proposed transaction serves the public interest by expanding access to home health and hospice services in medically underserved communities, according to OHA.

Hospitality exec brings hotel playbook to senior living, hits 97% occupancy Pacific Business News, Hawaii; by Cathy Cruz-George; 5/14/26 Mark Tsuda had three decades of hospitality experience when he joined the opening team of Ilima at Leihano, a luxury senior living community in Kapolei, in 2016. He previously was a regional executive for Aston Hotels & Resorts, ... Ilima at Leihano - which provides independent living, assisted living and memory care - has held an occupancy rate of between 95% and 97% over the past six years, supported by 92 employees who balance hotel-style services with healthcare needs and recreation. ... If a resident is in hospice, they can stay with us. Hospice is outsourced to local providers like Malama Ola and Island Hospice, ...

Hospice of Scotland County Golf Tournament celebrates 40 years The Laurinburg Exchange, Laurinburg, NC; by Travis Petty, Jr.; 5/7/26 The 40th Annual Hospice of Scotland County Golf Tournament once again made an impact on Laurinburg through its annual support and fundraising at the Scotch Meadows Country Club, sponsored by Eaton Golf Pride. The two-day event took place from May 5-6 with the mission of creating and operating a patient-centered, integrated system to provide safe, high-quality, compassionate and sustainable health care, and raised over $180,000—a $14,842 increase from last year.

Ohio nurses help hospice patients navigate end-of-life decisions Public News Service; by Nadia Ramlagan; 5/15/26 On the heels of National Nurses Week, hospice nurses are raising awareness about access to compassionate end-of-life care and medical decisions in the Black community. ... Ottamissiah "Missy" Moore, a longtime hospice nurse and member of the African American Leadership Council for Compassion & Choices, said her personal experience relying on hospice care showed her how important it can be for families. ... A recent study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association found around 34% of Black study participants died while using hospice services compared to more than 46% of their white counterparts. Moore added the disparity echoes other racial inequities in health care, such as nonwhite people being less likely to receive pain medications and higher rates of maternal mortality. 

‘Boots & Bling’ raises over $115K for care in Calvert County Hospice of the Chesapeake, Pasadena, MD; Press Release; 5/14/26 Donning denim, cowboy boots and plenty of sparkle, the Calvert County community came together to raise more than $115,000 for Hospice of the Chesapeake at “Boots & Bling, A Culinary Experience”. The event was held May 9 ... Around 180 guests enjoyed international and Chesapeake Bay cuisine while learning about the mission of the nonprofit organization. Funds from this year’s event will support programs that teach, support, and guide Calvert County people experiencing serious illness and their families.

JD Supra: CMS Nationwide Moratoria for new hospice and home health enrollments JD Supra; by Andrew Brenton, Zaina Niles, Bryan Nowicki, Adam Royal, Husch Blackwell LLP; 5/14/26 ... The Husch Blackwell Hospice & Palliative Care team is continuing to evaluate the full implications, scope, and effect of the moratoria, but here are a few key takeaways for providers:

CMS leader explains hospice fraud, Medicare risks, and the future of healthcare | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Kim Brandt; 5/13/26 In this compelling first installment, CMS Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Administrator Kim Brandt joins Chris Comeaux for a candid conversation about the growing hospice fraud crisis, the financial future of Medicare, and the urgent transformation happening across American healthcare. Drawing from her leadership role at CMS and firsthand experiences with hospice care in her own family, Brandt shares why hospice remains a critical pillar of compassionate care — while also exposing the alarming abuse threatening the integrity of the system.