Literature Review

Rigorous assessment of leadership development programs in health careNEJM Catalyst; by Amanda Woods Herron, Katelyn J. Cavanaugh, Courtney L. Holladay; 4/26Effective leadership is increasingly recognized as a critical determinant of organizational performance within health care systems, but funding for such programs is frequently in jeopardy as revenues fail to keep up with other expenses. Therefore, the managers of such programs should adopt rigorous methods for evaluating the impact of their work. Despite the proliferation of leadership development programs, few institutions systematically evaluate these initiatives. This article presents a comprehensive framework for the evaluation of leadership development, grounded in implementation science and organizational research, as applied within a large academic health care institution. The framework emphasizes the necessity of clear eligibility criteria, integrated data sources, and alignment with institutional strategic priorities to assess program effectiveness and support continuous improvement. 

Hospice Regulatory Alert June 3, 2026 - Hospice PEPPER Report released LundPerson & Associates Hospice Consulting; by Judi Lund Person; 6/3/26 What is PEPPER? The Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) is a Microsoft Excel file summarizing provider-specific Medicare data statistics for target areas often associated with Medicare improper payments due to billing, DRG coding, and/or admission necessity issues. ... Three years of data: PEPPER can be used to review three years of data statistics for each of the CMS target areas, comparing performance to that of other hospices in the nation, specific Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) jurisdiction and state. ...

Repost: Modern Healthcare Awards, "Best Places to Work in Healthcare 2026"Modern Healthcare; Press Release behind a paywall; 5/11/26Editor's Note: We are pleased to add several "Best Places to Work 2026"--as honored by Modern Healthcare--to our "Awards and Recognitions May 2026" from 6/2/26. The more complete list of hospice organizations is below. If we have inadvertently omitted an organization, please email jberger@hospicepalliativecaretoday.com.

[Italy] Understanding the evolving role of early palliative care in myelodysplastic syndromes: A 2026 narrative reviewAnnals of Hematology; by Pasquale Niscola, Valentina Gianfelici, Marco Giovannini, Carla Mazzone, Maria Ilaria Del Principe; 5/26Myelodysplastic Syndromes/Neoplasms (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of blood cancers characterized by a broad spectrum of symptoms and varying impacts on quality of life (QoL). Although the integration of early PC care has long been recognized as an essential part of comprehensive management for patients with solid tumors, experience in the context of MDS is still limited. However, symptom control, QoL, advanced care planning goals, the reduction of aggressive therapies, intensive care use, including intubation before death, and resource use in the end-of-life (EOL) phase are critical issues that are enhanced through early PC in MDS management. Additionally, integrating standard hematological measures with early PC leads to fewer visits and hospital admissions near the EOL, particularly during the last 30 days. Moreover, patients with early PC die at home or in hospice care at a rate nearly in line with their preferences.

The ASCENT Consortium to Publish Two Requests for ApplicationsASCENT Consortium press release; 6/4/26The ASCENT Consortium is pleased to announce plans to publish a Request for Applications (RFA) for the ASCENT Research Scholar and Pilot and Exploratory Studies Awards Programs.

Saturday newsletters focus on headlines and research - enjoy!

West Coast fraud and AI: DOJ expands healthcare fraud enforcement into technology-driven markets JDSupra | Proskauer Health Care Law Brief; by Devin Cohen, Lara Feder, Matthew Westbrook; 6/3/26 On April 30, 2026, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced the creation of the West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force, a coordinated enforcement initiative focused on healthcare fraud in Arizona, Nevada, and Northern California. ... DOJ’s announcement also reflects the government’s growing focus on technology-enabled healthcare fraud risks. ... In its announcement, DOJ specifically highlights recent prosecutions involving digital health executives and healthcare technology-related fraud schemes in Northern California and Arizona.

Community Hospice and Health Services invests in behavioral health Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/3/26 California-based Community Hospice and Health Services is extending its mission to improve quality of life into the behavioral health space. In addition to the nonprofit’s bereavement care program, five years ago it established Hope Counseling Mental Health Services, to provide talk therapy to individuals from the community in need of additional support. Licensed clinical social workers and a marriage and family therapist staff the center, according to Monica Ojcius, director of strategic development at Community Hospice. “We formalized a mild to moderate outpatient mental health program. We did that because folks heard about our services for people experiencing grief and bereavement after hospice,” Ojcius told Hospice News.

CMS releases guidance to surveyors on hospice, home health moratoria LeadingAge; Press Release; 6/2/26 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance to surveyors regarding the home health and hospice moratoria which took effect May 13, 2026. While much of the information is consistent with the previous FAQs released by CMS, the memo does note that if a presidential disaster is declared, the moratoria will be lifted. Additionally, the memo makes clear that during the moratorium, accreditation from an approved accrediting body cannot serve as the basis for Medicare participation.