Literature Review

Improving end-of-life care: Making hospice and home support accessible Cure; by Maureen Canavan and Dr. Kerin Adelson; 10/22/25 Maureen Canavan and Dr. Kerin Adelson, healthcare executive, chief quality and value officer, and professor of Breast Medical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, sat down with us to discuss critical issues in end-of-life care. In this interview, they explore the urgent need for policy and system-level changes to improve access to hospice and supportive home care, highlighting how current reimbursement structures often fail to meet the needs of patients and families at the end of life. Canavan is an epidemiologist at Yale Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy, and Effectiveness Research Center (COPPER) and affiliated faculty at Yale Institute for Global Health.

Local organization offers guidance for grieving during the holidaysKKCO11 Grand Junction, CO; by Bella Demosthenous; 10/24/25HopeWest provides resources and advice for those struggling with loss during the festive season. HopeWest, a local organization that specializes in helping people grieve, shares advice on how to navigate the holidays while battling grief. “My encouragement is to show self-compassion for yourself first and foremost. It’s not an easy thing to do outside of grief,” said Jodi Molina Lopez, HopeWest youth counselor.

WHO strengthens palliative care across the eastern Mediterranean to improve quality of life fundsforNGOs; Press Release; 10/29/25 The Seventy-second session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean marked a historic step forward for health systems in the Region, as Member States endorsed resolution EM/RC72/R.4 on palliative care. The decision represents a transformative commitment to support individuals living with life-limiting illnesses, chronic conditions, and frailty, ensuring that care extends beyond treatment to dignity and compassion. ... [While] 2.4 million people in the Region need palliative care each year, less than 1% currently receive it. ... The resolution calls for countries to integrate palliative care into national health strategies, guarantee access to essential medicines such as oral opioids, and incorporate palliative care education into health professional training.

Granite VNA President and CEO Beth Slepian will retire June 2026 The Laconia Daily Sun, Concord, NH; Press Release; 10/28/25 New Hampshire home health and hospice agency Granite VNA recently announces President and CEO Beth Slepian will retire, effective June 12, 2026. Granite VNA has initiated a nationwide search for a president and CEO to succeed Slepian. Slepian joined Granite VNA in 2013 and was named president and CEO in 2015. ... While navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency, which was then known as Concord Regional VNA, completed a merger with Central NH VNA & Hospice and the formation of Granite VNA.

10 smart questions to ask before hiring an IT services company DesignRush; by Sergio Oliveira; 10/28/25 A first-hand guide for CEOs on how to vet IT vendors, avoid scope traps, and ensure accountability beyond the pitch. ... Every IT partner looks capable during a pitch — that’s their job. The challenge is separating an agency's confidence from day-to-day reality. I’ve learned that asking the right questions early is the only way to find out how potential agencies will handle change, protect uptime, and keep you in control of your own data. 

Headwaters Hospice and Palliative Care appoints James Bisom as new CEO CityBuzz; Press Release; 10/29/25Headwaters Hospice and Palliative Care [in Helena, Montana] has announced the appointment of James Bisom, MHA, as its new Chief Executive Officer. With over 14 years of healthcare leadership experience, Bisom assumes leadership of the veteran-owned healthcare provider with a clear mission to advance quality of life, dignity, and comfort for patients and families throughout Montana. ... Throughout his career, he has championed strategic initiatives that improved patient safety, expanded access to specialized services, and enhanced overall care delivery.

EverHeart Hospice to be featured on all access with Andy Garcia Mercer County Outlook, Greenville, OH; 10/27/25 EverHeart Hospice is set to be featured in an upcoming national documentary distributed to public television on “All Access with Andy Garcia.” The segment will provide vital education on the topics of hospice and palliative care, highlighting the compassionate, specialized support EverHeart Hospice provides to its patients and families. ... The feature will be distributed nationally, reaching major markets in all fifty states, with an anticipated availability in early 2026 for circulation. The national emphasis on distribution will help demystify end-of-life care and promote a greater understanding of the benefits of both hospice and palliative services to viewing audiences.

AHA responds to OSTP request on AI policies for health care American Hospital Association; by Ashley Thompson, AHA Senior Vice President, Public Policy Analysis and Development; 10/27/25 ... On behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, our clinician partners — including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers — and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups, the American Hospital Association (AHA) appreciates the opportunity to provide comment on the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) request for information (RFI) regarding regulatory reform on artificial intelligence (AI). ... [Our] members have urged that policy frameworks strike the appropriate balance of flexibility to enable innovation while ensuring patient safety. The AHA offers four categories of recommendations to maximize the potential for AI to improve care, accelerate innovation and support the health care workforce.

Concierge medicine, explainedBecker's Clinical Leadership; by Paige Twenter; 10/24/25Health systems are increasingly offering concierge medicine, a market predicted to be worth over $13 billion by 2030... What exactly is concierge medicine, though? Concierge medicine is a direct primary care service model in which a healthcare provider offers their services for a fixed periodic fee, often through a membership or retainer fee. The costs and covered services vary widely, and many are out-of-pocket. Some aspects are still billed to insurance, though, including labs and imaging. In 2014, the average concierge medicine service charged $1,500 to $1,700 per year. By 2025, the median service rose to cost between $2,000 and $5,000 per year, according to concierge practice PartnerMD. Another estimate said annual fees range between $1,000 and $20,000.Publisher's note: How might the provision of concierge medicine impact the delivery of hospice care?

New ACP paper provides ethical guidance amid controversies and changing practices in organ transplantation American College of Physicians (ACP), Philadelphia, PA; Press Release; 10/28/25 The American College of Physicians today issued a position paper on ethical considerations surrounding organ transplantation, saying the needs of the donor patient and family must be prioritized and the process should be trustworthy and transparent. “Ethical Issues in Organ Transplantation: A position paper from the American College of Physicians” was published in Annals of Internal Medicine.  It clarifies the duties and roles of care teams of prospective donor-patients, recipient-patients, and organ procurement teams, reaffirming that end-of-life decision making for prospective donor-patients must center on their best interests independent of organ donation potential. ... “This guidance is relevant to all involved in organ transplantation and particularly to internal medicine physicians who advise their patients about advance care planning and organ donation, caring for them prior to organ transplantation,” said Jason M. Goldman, MD, MACP, President, ACP. 

What’s next for the healthcare CEO role?Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 10/24/25Hospital and health system CEOs face mounting pressures and a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape — one that requires them to think critically about their leadership today, but also about how their role will need to evolve in the years ahead. Leaders must navigate various responsibilities — from confronting health disparities and engaging more deeply with their communities and employees, to adopting AI and addressing financial challenges. Becker’s asked [hospital] CEOs to share how they see the role evolving over the next two to five years — and how they are preparing themselves and their organizations for that shift.

Where the line is: The ethical limits of physician investingMedscape; by Donavyn Coffey;10/24/25So where is the legal and ethical line? Medscape Medical News spoke with physicians, entrepreneurs, and financial experts to explore how doctors can grow their wealth without putting their patients or their credibility at risk. [The article discusses:]