Literature Review

Center provides hospice care options The Laker / Lutz News, New Port Richey, FL; Press Release; 10/15/25 Gulfside Healthcare Services celebrated the opening of its newest inpatient care facility Sept. 19 in New Port Richey. Guests not only toured patient rooms and family areas but also applauded the announcement of a gift by Dr. Jay Weil. The new care center will be called the Dr. Jay Weil Center for Hospice Care in honor of his generosity. Gulfside Healthcare Services celebrated the opening of its newest inpatient care facility Sept. 19 in New Port Richey. Guests not only toured patient rooms and family areas but also applauded the announcement of a gift by Dr. Jay Weil. The new care center will be called the Dr. Jay Weil Center for Hospice Care in honor of his generosity.

CommonSpirit Health to acquire Good Samaritan Hospice WTWO/WAWV, Vincennes/Terre Haute, IN; by Brayton Riley; 10/16/25 ... As we have previously reported, Good Samaritan planned on closing its hospice program at the end of 2025. However, leadership began looking at ways that would allow hospice services to continue. During that process, Good Samaritan said CommonSpirit Health was identified as the best organization to assume ownership of the services. ... Rob McLin, CEO of Good Samaritan [said,] “After announcing the planned closure, our goal was to find a qualified organization that could continue this vital service for our community. CommonSpirit Health at Home’s acquisition of our hospice program ensures that care will continue seamlessly, delivered by the same trusted caregivers who have supported patients and families for years.” ... The transition is anticipated to take effect in February of 2026.

If one door closes and another one opens, your house is probably haunted. ~ Unknown

Understanding parts of Medicare: A through N explained U.S. News & World Report / WTOP News; 10/14/25 The alphabet soup of Medicare — multiple parts and plans, starting with A all the way through N — can be bewildering, especially for those who are newly eligible for Medicare. In this guide, we break down each part of Medicare to help you find the best health insurance fit for your needs.

Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care unveils scholarship program for health care, social work studentsHospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/14/25 Chicago-based Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care has launched a new initiative designed to bolster its workforce. The company’s charitable arm, the Oasis Foundation, is now offering the Pathway to Purpose Scholarship, which includes $2,500 in tuition dollars for students whose lives have been shaped by hospice or palliative care. New clinicians and other interdisciplinary group members who have had past, personal experience with hospice and palliative care can enrich hospice teams, according to Toso Mohammed Haruna, content strategist for Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care. 

Chesapeake Supportive Care and Southern Maryland House Calls partner to expand access to in-home palliative care in Calvert County Southern Maryland News Net, Chesapeake, MD; 10/16/25 Chesapeake Supportive Care (CSC), the palliative care arm of Hospice of the Chesapeake, is excited to announce a new partnership with Southern Maryland House Calls (SMHC), a trusted leader in home-based geriatric care, to enhance access to palliative care services for residents of Calvert County. ... “Southern Maryland House Calls has been an exceptional partner in caring for our shared patients,” Becky Miller, President and CEO of Hospice of the Chesapeake, said. “Together, we’re building on that relationship to help more people access the kind of care that truly improves quality of life.”

Nonprofits can profit from customer experience practices Evolve-Success; by Rick de Yampert; 10/14/25 Becca Gatian is grateful for each of the gifts she receives as executive director of Halifax Health – Hospice.“When we notice a gap in service or someone has a concern, we don’t call it a complaint,” said Gatian. “We see it as a gift, an opportunity to improve.” For Halifax Health – Hospice, a nonprofit that services Volusia, Flagler, Orange and Osceola counties, “We always focus on the patient and family – they are our customers,” Gatian said. “‘Client’ seems like a clinical term. It’s really about meeting the customer where they’re at versus having a product that we sell. When you think about a customer and a great experience, it’s because that organization individualized that experience for that particular patient and family.”

The power of generous leadership with Joe Davis Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); video/podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Joe Davis; 10/15/25What if the fastest path to performance is generosity? Not perks or slogans—real generosity: giving of yourself to help others grow to their full potential. In our latest Anatomy of Leadership, Chris Comeaux sits down with Joe Davis—former BCG North America Chair and author of The Generous Leader—to unpack how collaboration, vulnerability, and disciplined listening can transform teams and create Effective Leadership. They also discuss Joe's journey in leadership and the concept of Generous Leadership. Joe shares personal stories and insights from his career, emphasizing the power of collaboration and the impact of small acts of kindness.

Stories from an accidental Hospice Nurse by Shawn Brast, MSN, RN, CHPN ehospice; by Shawn Brast, Clinical Education Manager at Gilchrist Hospice in Baltimore; 10/9/25 ...  The strangest thing happened: after 30+ years in healthcare, I found my calling as a hospice nurse. Routinely, I am granted special access to some of the most intimate moments in patients’ and families’ lives. With my short experience as a hospice nurse, I have come across some awe-inspiring moments that have provided life lessons that must be shared for the greater good. ... [Shawn describes several hospice stories with his insights.] These types of “Aha!” moments continued since these three experiences, but it was these three experiences that set my direction to answer my calling. In doing so, I am becoming a better person, clinician, educator, researcher, student, husband and father.

The Center to Advance Palliative Care and the National Kidney Foundation make the case for the integration of palliative care into kidney disease management PR Newswire, New York; by The Center to Advance Palliative Care; 10/8/25 Despite facing high rates of distressing symptoms—including fatigue, pruritus, and pain—people living with advanced kidney disease are far less likely than those with cancer to receive appropriate pain and symptom management. And fewer than 10% of older adults receiving dialysis report having had conversations about their goals of care. These are two of the many important statistics highlighted in The Case for Palliative Care in Kidney Care, a new publication from the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) and the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), which emphasizes the critical need to integrate palliative care services into the treatment of patients with advanced kidney disease. 

With palliative care, earlier referrals mean fewer end-of-life emergency department visits ONS Voice; by Anne Snively, MBA, CAE; 10/15/25 Patients with cancer who are referred to palliative care within one month of death have a mean of 1.17 emergency department (ED) visits, compared to a mean of 0.13 visits for patients referred to palliative care 12 months or more before death—a 160% difference. The data are part of a new study published in JAMA Network Open in July 2025. ... Most of ED visits (47.0%) and EOL ED visits (81.4%) occurred within one month of the palliative care consultation, but the researchers found that both kinds of ED visits “gradually decreased as the time from consultation to death extended.” 

The pitfalls that derail home health providers’ new palliative care efforts Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 10/14/25 ... Though home health-operated palliative care is a rarity, companies like Visiting Nurse Health System, Contessa Health and Compassus have managed to successfully incorporate these services into their broader care delivery model. When structuring an effective palliative care services program, there are some common pitfalls home health providers should avoid. “One of the biggest ones is positioning palliative care as early hospice,” Nikki Davis, senior vice president of palliative care programs at Contessa, said at Home Health Care News’ FUTURE conference. “And just make sure that there’s also clear eligibility and referral pathways, so that when you’re partnering with your home health and hospice teams, you have those processes in place, so that it’s very clear who’s eligible for palliative care.”