Literature Review

Me and you, we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow. ~ Toni Morrison, Beloved

During Garden Grove evacuations, did seniors and people with disabilities get out safely? The Almanac; by Kelley Barrett; 6/16/26 When officials ordered tens of thousands of residents to evacuate during the Garden Grove chemical emergency in Orange County last month, the instruction sounded simple: leave now. But for many Californians, leaving is not simple. For some, it is impossible without help. Think about the bedridden senior who relies on a caregiver to be turned, cleaned, fed and medicated. What happens to the disabled resident whose power wheelchair cannot fit in a regular car, the hospice patient on oxygen, or the medically fragile person who cannot safely sit for hours in a crowded shelter?

1776-1786: 250 Years - A History of CareHospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger; for 6/10/26Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

The AI leadership edge: seven critical skills for navigating the age of Artificial Intelligence Recruit-Talent.com | Leadership and Management; 6/14/26 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has revealed a stark reality for businesses venturing into the realm of artificial intelligence (AI): a staggering 70% of AI implementations fail to deliver their anticipated business value. ... The MIT study, coupled with extensive real-world application, has identified seven pivotal leadership skills that are instrumental in distinguishing effective AI leaders from their less successful counterparts. ...

Well-timed nudges help care providers to honor the wishes of patients with cancer according to study National Comprehensive Cancer Network; edited by Gaby Clark and reviewed by Andrew Zinin; 6/15/26 New research in the June 2026 issue of Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds that small, targeted prompts delivered to both patients and providers at the right moment can significantly increase the number of serious illness conversations that take place. The randomized controlled trial out of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute tested two simple nudges designed to encourage important conversations between patients with cancer and their oncologists about goals and preferences for care. ... When these nudges were combined, these conversations occurred significantly more often.

Vance’s fraud task force is sweeping up legitimate small businesses The Washington Post, Washington, DC; by Isaac Arnsdorf; 6/15/26 The vice president and other officials have downplayed evidence of collateral damage in their crackdown on fraudulent hospices. In April, when the Trump administration began suspending about 800 hospices in the Los Angeles area suspected of fraud, a small local agency started accepting patients from the affected providers. The owner never thought he would be next. ... “The Trump administration is taking a pretty aggressive tactic here, but the downside is you’re often going to catch up legitimate actors because you’re not really taking the time to do your due diligence,” said Hillary Loeffler, vice president of policy and regulatory affairs for the National Alliance for Care at Home, an industry group, who worked on hospice issues at CMS until 2025.

Connecting through emotions: a social constructivist grounded theory on how palliative care clinicians use their emotions during consultations Journal of General Internal Medicine; by Katrien Moens MSc, Johan Bilsen PhD and Sofia C. Zambrano PhD; 6/15/26 Background: Palliative care clinicians are regularly exposed to emotionally laden situations. While emotions are an intrinsic part of their encounters with patients and relatives, the role of clinicians’ own emotions has remained understudied. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that palliative care clinicians use their strong emotions during consultations to build connection. When met with awareness and reflection, these emotions can serve as a valuable resource for delivering patient- and relationship-centered palliative care. Future research should explore clinicians’ training needs and attitudes towards emotional skills training more broadly.

If a woman doesn't look like a goddess during labor, then someone isn't treating her right. ~ Ina May Gaskin

Hospice care takes a community: Lynn Mock Cleveland.com, Cleveland, OH; by guest columnist Lynn Mock, chief strategy officer for Reserve Care; 6/14/26 ... Across Northern Ohio, families face some of life’s most difficult moments when a loved one is living with serious illness. In those moments, medical expertise matters. But so does something less clinical, but just as essential: human presence. Hospice brings both. ... This support allows patients to focus on what matters most in the time they have. But hospice does not stand alone in that work. It is strengthened by the community around it. ... Community support also makes grief care possible.

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High schooler shares final milestone with Dad after hospice nurses help him organize bedside graduation ceremony People; by Abigail Adams; 6/12/26 A dad got to watch his son graduate from high school just days before he died in hospice care. Brad Case was put into hospice care after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer, according to WPTA. So, his son Braden Case, a senior at Hamilton Junior Senior High School in Hamilton, Ind., did what he could to make sure his dad could see him graduate. Braden worked with nurses to put together the improvised graduation ceremony at Brad's bedside. A photo taken from the special moment, shared by WPTA, showed Braden in his blue cap and gown while standing by his father's side. Braden told WPTA that Brad had always been there for his big moments in life, and he wanted to ensure his dad witnessed this one.

Hospice patient joins care team for day on the golf course KJCT-8 / KKTV News ABC, Grand Junction, CO / La Junta, CO; by Bryce Patterson; 6/12/26In “a beautiful reminder that joy, laughter, and meaningful experiences don’t have an expiration date,” a hospice patient recently spent a day at the Rocky Ford Golf Course with her caregivers. ... [The Arkansas Valley Hospice team said] “she may very well have been one of the oldest golfers to enjoy a round” at that course. ... In a release, the hospice said that kind of care is not just about dying, but also “honoring wishes, celebrating the person behind the diagnosis, and making every moment matter.”

CMS moratorium could spur hospice, home health M&A Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/12/26 A current moratorium on home health and hospice Medicare enrollment could increase demand for mergers and acquisitions in the short term. ... The pause is intended to address concerns about a surge in new providers that regulators have linked to fraudulent activity in the hospice sector. ... Rumors have circulated that the moratorium could be extended beyond the six months, though to date CMS has given no indication that will be the case. The moratorium could limit provider growth via de novos, so some companies may turn towards more M&A, according to Cory Mertz, managing partner of the M&A advisory firm Mertz Taggart.