Literature Review

Widespread firings start at federal health agencies including many in leadership NPR - All Things Considered; by Rob Stein, Sydney Lupkin, Selena Simmons-Duffin, Joseph Shapiro, Carmel Wroth, and Yuki Noguchi; 4/1/25 The Trump administration began sending notices of termination to thousands of staffers at federal health agencies Tuesday [4/1/25], according to interviews with employees and officials at multiple agencies and e-mails reviewed by NPR. The Department of Health and Human Services last week announced it planned to dismiss 10,000 people. These cuts come on top of around 10,000 people already leaving the agencies under the Trump administration's Fork in the Road offer and early retirement. Termination emails went out Tuesday morning to employees and leadership of agencies within HHS, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as several smaller agencies. Many of those workers only found out they had been fired when they tried to badge into the building after waiting in line and couldn't get in, NPR learned from multiple sources at HHS who didn't want to share their names for fear of repercussions.

How this thrift shop helps Virginia families in their time of need: 'They’re good people here' CBS-6 News - Richmond, Petersburg, VA; by Wayne Covil; 3/31/25 The regulars who frequent Crater Community Hospice Thrift Shops were busy browsing for bargains on Monday. They know that some of the money they spend here goes back into their community. Crater Community Hospice runs the stores as a way for the nonprofit to raise much-needed funding. "The money we bring in to our stores goes directly to caring for our patients," Zach Holt, with Crater Community Hospice, said. "I don’t want to ever say no to a patient. I don’t want to ever say no to a patient’s need." Krystal Mansfield told CBS 6 there was a reason she chose to shop at Crater Community Hospice Thrift Shops. "[It] was a big part of my grandmother's end of time, and they took very good care of her in her last days," Mansfield said. ... Angie Dowdy shared a similar story. ... [Continue reading ...]

HHS Job Cuts: FDA, CDC, NIH and CMS impacted amidst significant restructurings JD Supra; by Cate Baskin, James Kim, Stuart Pape, Angela Powers, Ryan Thurber; 3/31/25 On March 27, 2025, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a “dramatic restructuring” that will result in a reduction in agency workforce combined with significant internal restructuring. ... In connection with this restructuring, the Administration announced the following changes:

The most personal column I’ve ever written The Times, United Kingdom; by Professor Tanya Byron; 3/31/25 ... This column will be more personal than any other I have written in my now 20 years writing for The Times. I write it four days after my sister Katrina and I lost our beloved mum, Elfie, who ... had advanced end-stage dementia. Where do we start when trying to describe the many moments of heartbreak and the challenges that come with the long goodbye we have faced with our parents? Dementia is unpredictable. We say goodbye more than once and so the pain of bereavement does not begin at the time of death. Instead it is a prolonged pain marked by gradual losses. Watching a loved one slowly fade away over months or years brings grief, exhaustion and deep emotional turmoil. Amid all this is the experience of being on a rollercoaster of loss and hope, an experience that creates huge lurches between perceptions and emotions. There are moments of clarity and regression, ... [Continue reading ...]

I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really are those who will have sought and found how to serve. ~ Albert Schweitzer

Healthcare data breaches average $11M per incident: Report Becker's Health IT; by Naomi Diaz; 3/28/25 Cyberattacks have hit 78% of U.S. healthcare organizations, with the average cost of a breach soaring to $11 million per incident — largely due to ransomware attacks — according to a March 28 report from Black Book Market Research. Black Book Market Research, a technology survey organization, released findings from its first-quarter 2025 Global Healthcare Cybersecurity Survey, which gathered responses from more than 1,200 healthcare administrators worldwide. Participants were sourced through LinkedIn professional groups. The study revealed a sharp rise in cybersecurity threats targeting EHRs and patient data. [Continue reading ...] 

Palliative Care ECHO on health system strengthening: Advancing global collaboration and integration ehospice; by Mark Stoltenberg, Clayton Richards, Chris Piromalli; 3/24/25The World Health Organization (WHO) Working Group on Palliative Care has introduced an innovative digital initiative utilising the ECHO Model to enhance global collaboration in palliative care. Officially launched on March 5, 2025, this programme will facilitate knowledge exchange and promote best practices for the integration of palliative care into health systems worldwide. The ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) Model connects healthcare professionals globally in virtual communities of practice to support contextualised implementation of best-practice care through mentorship and guided practice.  [Continue reading ...]

What is death positivity? Healthline; by Sarah Choi, medically reviewed by Joslyn Jelinek, LCSW, ACSW, RDDP; 3/28/25 Death positivity involves acknowledging death as simply the final phase of life. It emphasizes open discussions around death and education on the options, rights, and choices surrounding it. ... The Death Positivity Movement was coined in 2011 by funeral director Caitlin Doughty, but the sentiment existed long before — the movement’s origins date back to the 1970s, drawing on the hospice movement. ... Elements of the Death Positivity Movement:

Study raises questions about GUIDE model’s helpfulness for caregivers of loved ones with dementia McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 4/1/25 The Guiding an Improve Dementia Experience may need to be fine-tuned to better serve caregivers of those living with dementia, according to a new study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. The researchers identified 565 older adults and 555 caregivers eligible for GUIDE using data from the 2022 National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving. They found that approximately half of GUIDE-eligible people with dementia received care from two or more caregivers, and about a third of these caregivers reported experiencing high caregiving strain. [Continue reading ...] 

Palliative care in the intensive care unit: An integrative review of intensive care unit health care professionals' views and experiences Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing (DCCN); by Berit Lindahl and Susan Kirk; May-Jun 2025 ... Our findings suggest there is variation in how palliative care in the ICU is conceptualized and interpreted. Intensive care unit professionals need enhanced competencies and training to develop their confidence in providing palliative care and improve role clarity. Such training should focus on serious illness conversations with patients/families and interdisciplinary teamwork. Integration of palliative consultants into the ICU could be further developed.

Hospice of the Chesapeake leader aims to think outside the box on hospice, palliative care McKnights Home Care; podcast by Liza Berger with Rachel Jordan; 3/27/25 As the director of legislative affairs and advocacy at Hospice of the Chesapeake, the largest independent not-for-profit hospice provider in the state of Maryland, Rachel Jordan strives to treat the patient and not the disease. This helps explain why she worries less about the line between “curative” and “noncurative” care and more about whether a particular treatment helps to make a patient feel more comfortable. Jordan spoke to McKnight’s Home Care about her views of hospice and palliative care for a Newsmakers podcast. [Continue to the podcast ...]

Health system CFOs fight for Medicaid on Capitol Hill Becker's Hospital Reivew; by Alan Condon; 3/31/25 Multiple health system CFOs recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, advocating against proposed Medicaid cuts that could threaten access to care and lead to the closure of essential hospital services. Health system executives participating in these discussions included:

Niagara Hospice to offer free community presentation for National Healthcare Decisions Day Niagara Frontier Publications; Press Release; 3/28/25 April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day, which is a day set aside to educate and empower individuals to discuss and document their end-of-life health care wishes. Niagara Hospice invites the community to attend the free presentation, “Advance Care Planning: Advance Directives for Health Care,” ... Advance care planning includes advance directives like health care proxies, do not resuscitate (DNR) orders, and living wills. Advance directives help to ensure end-of-life care wishes are followed if one is unable to make necessary decisions for themselves. [Continue reading ...]Editor's note: For more information about National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD), explor The Conversation Project, at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.