Literature Review

Saturday newsletters focus on headlines and research - enjoy!

Missed opportunities to promote flourishing in cancer care: a brief examination of multiple myeloma Supportive Care in Cancer; by Natalie Tuckey, Hannah R. Wardill, Xavier Symons, Melissa Cantley, Kathina Ali, Hayley Beer, Gregory B. Crawford, Angelina Yong & Matthew Iasiello; 7/8/26... We propose that certain elements of flourishing, such as meaning and purpose, deep personal relationships, and cultivating virtue, can be uniquely realized if targeted appropriately toward the end of life. ...  Participants reported personal growth following their diagnosis through acceptance, meaning-making, and connection, yet reported the loneliness of dying with cancer with a desire to have discussions about death with their clinicians in addition to them maintaining treatment. On the contrary, health professionals were hesitant to discuss death with their patients, balancing hope in treatments with preparation for dying. We argue that the hesitation to discuss death thwarts the opportunity to flourish and that existing solutions such as dignity therapy, meaning-centered psychotherapy, early palliative care, and multidisciplinary support can close this gap without diminishing hope in treatments.Editor's Note: For a recent, similar research article about "flourishing," examine "Flourishing within vulnerability: on human fragility and the conditions for a habitable environment."

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. ~ Sam Keen

Reynolds creates Iowa Medicaid fraud task force Insurance Newsnet; by Marissa Payne; 7/9/26 Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an executive order Wednesday [7/8] creating a new task force geared toward eliminating Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse, joining in the federal government's crackdown on potential misuse of public assistance programs. Reynolds signed the order establishing the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force, which the Republican governor's office says will seek to ensure funds are used to support Iowans who qualify for benefits. "Safeguarding federal programs like Medicaid from bad actors requires accountability at every point in the process, from member eligibility verification to provider enrollment and billing," Reynolds said in a statement. 

Harpist brings hospice patients harmonic comfort with music WVIR, Charlottesville, VA; by Jackson Shock; 7/8/26 Thomas Jefferson believed music was the favorite passion of his soul. Hospice of the Piedmont is echoing that sentiment through a series of supportive music programs and workshops. Kate Tamarkin is a certified music practitioner who uses her harp to help hospice patients. “Music is a bridge to extend love, and it’s a way to reach people, it’s a way to connect,” Hospice of the Piedmont Music by the Bedside certified music practitioner Kate Tamarkin said. ... The music is tailored to each patient’s needs and is played during all stages of their journey.

'Labor of love:' Longtime Hospice of Dubuque leader retires Telegraph Herald, Dubuque, IA; by Elizabeth Kelsey; 7/8/26 When Lavonne Noel was hired as financial coordinator for Hospice of Dubuque in 1990, she was simply looking for a part-time job while she raised her young children. Little did the Dubuque resident know that she would spend the next 36 years working for the local nonprofit, including 15 as its executive director. Noel retired recently from Hospice of Dubuque after a career she described as “the greatest privilege of my professional life.” ... Hospice of Dubuque Financial Director Jackie Brehm is currently serving as interim executive director while officials conduct a search for Noel’s permanent replacement. Noel has every confidence Hospice of Dubuque will continue to thrive under new leadership.

Silverado announces leadership transition as Wayne Sanner assumes role of Chief Executive Officer and President FDL Reporter, Irvine, CA; Press Release; 7/9/26 Silverado enters a new chapter as Wayne Sanner assumes leadership, building on founder Loren Shook’s legacy of innovation and compassionate care. ... Effective July 1, 2026, Wayne Sanner assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer and President of Silverado. At the same time, founder Loren Shook transitioned to the role of Chairman of the Board, Executive Chairman, and Founder, where he will continue full time to support the culture and development of Silverado while providing strategic guidance and helping shape Silverado’s future.

The meaning of TIME HSJ Online; by Todd Grimes; 7/8/26 I would argue that when it comes right down to it, all any of us have is TIME. What we choose to do with the TIME we are given is up to each of us as individuals. Some days we might wish for TIME to speed up - yet on others we might wish for TIME to slow down. Most of us have even had moments - here and there - that we wish could stand still. ... It was about 50 months ago - lying in my hospital bed - when I learned of my pancreatic cancer diagnosis. ... TIME has become more a state of being and less about where the hands on a clock might be positioned. ...

What’s broken in American healthcare—and how to fix it | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux with Dr. Don Berwick; 7/8/26What if the greatest challenge facing American healthcare isn’t a lack of innovation—but a system that rewards the wrong incentives? In this compelling new episode of TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership, Chris Comeaux sits down with Dr. Don Berwick—former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), co-founder of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), and one of the most respected voices in healthcare quality—to discuss the forces shaping healthcare today and what leaders can do to change its future.

Qualitative evaluation of an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-approved online hospice and palliative medicine fellowship program Oxford Academic | Academic Medicine - A Journal of the AAMC; by Katherine T Morrison, MD, Regina M Fink, PhD, APRN, CHPN, Kelly Arora, PhD, David Nowels, MD, Melissa C Palmer, JD, LCSW, ACHP-SW, APHSW-C, Tai Lockspeiser, MD, MHPE, Hareklia Brackett, APRN, MS, CNS, ACHPN , Darcy Campbell, AGNP-C, ACHPN, Maurice Scott, MD, Frank Amos Bailey, MD; July 2026 In 2020, the University of Colorado School of Medicine launched the Community Hospice and Palliative Medicine (CHPM) Fellowship, a part-time, innovative, online fellowship for midcareer physicians. The 3- to 4-year specialty training program, which includes completing a master of science in palliative care, was created to address the increasing need for palliative care physicians in communities with underdeveloped hospice and palliative medicine resources. This model enables fellows to remain in their communities and clinical practices while completing training leading to board certification. Guided by the Kirkpatrick Model, this program evaluation examined the fellows’ perceptions of the program’s effectiveness as a training model.

[Germany] Doctor with “lust for murder” convicted in deaths of 15 patients in Germany, sentenced to life in prison Europe Says; 7/8/26 A German palliative care doctor accused of killing 15 patients and described by prosecutors as having “a lust for murder” was convicted Wednesday and sentenced to life in prison. The 41-year-old Berlin doctor, identified only as Johannes M., allegedly killed 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024 using deadly cocktails of sedatives. On at least five occasions, he allegedly set fire to the victims’ apartments to cover up the killings. ... The doctor allegedly “administered an anesthetic and a muscle relaxant to his patients without their knowledge or consent,” the Berlin prosecutor’s office said in a statement. “The latter paralyzed the respiratory muscles, leading to respiratory arrest and death within minutes.”

Hospice of New York revamps hospital-based Hospice IPU, Palliative Program Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/8/26 Hospice of New York has reinvigorated its inpatient unit at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, as well as developed an inpatient palliative care program. The program begins with one nurse practitioner and one social worker. Today it not only includes those disciplines, but also an attending physician and two nurses, according to founding nurse practitioner Simon Ubabov of Hospice of New York. Ubabov manages the palliative care service while the attending physician oversees the hospice inpatient unit. “Palliative care, hospice IPUs increase not just objectively the patient’s experience, not just the monetary remuneration that the facility gets, but more importantly the overall care that these patients get at the end of life,” Ubabov told Hospice News.

CMS’ proposed Palliative Care Benefit: What we know so far CHAP - Community Health Accreditation Partner; free webinar to be presented by Dr. Jennifer Kennedy and Dr. Mary Lynn McPherson; to be presented 7/15/26 CMS recently released the FY 2027 Hospice proposed rule and the CY 2027 Home Health proposed rule, both of which address community-based palliative care. Join CHAP for a review of CMS's proposed changes, including new requests for feedback, clarification on the provision of skilled palliative care services under existing Medicare home health benefits, and planned future guidance on covered palliative care services. We'll also discuss how CMS distinguishes palliative care from hospice care and its role in supporting patients with serious illness who continue to receive life-prolonging treatment.