Literature Review

Trinity Health’s COO on getting a PACE program up and running Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 12/11/25 Anne Lewis calls Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly one of the “best-kept secrets” to containing rising costs for health systems. As chief operating officer of Trinity Health PACE, Lewis is helping the nonprofit Catholic health system expand the federal-state program that is expensive to launch and can take a few years to turn a profit. The program provides home care, prescriptions, meals and transportation for mostly Medicare-Medicaid dual-eligible older adults who can receive nursing home-level care in their homes.

Executive Personnel Changes - 12/5/25

Enhabit's strategic positioning and 2026 pricing outlook: Navigating regulatory headwinds with valuation resilienceAInvest; by Charles Hayes; 12/10/25 ... Conclusion: Enhabit's strategic initiatives-rooted in efficiency, innovation, and diversification-demonstrate a proactive approach to mitigating 2026's regulatory challenges. By reducing visit intensity, renegotiating payer contracts, and expanding hospice services, the company is positioning itself to maintain profitability even under a 6.4% Medicare cut. Its strong balance sheet and disciplined cost structure further reinforce valuation resilience.Editor's Note: Am I reading this correctly? Leading interventions are "reducing visit intensity" paired with "expanding hospice services"? I understand the importance of maintaining profitabilty. However, what is the core purpose? Examining Enhabit Hospice quality scores on the National Hospice Locator (data from CMS), the first 5 Enhabit hospices that populated had quality scores of 68/100, 60/100, 60/100, 58/100, and 41/100. The national average is 67/100. What kind of care would you want for your family member? For yourself?

Cadre Hospice welcomes Inspire Hospice & Palliative Care, advancing the vision for world-class end-of-life care PR.com, Nashville, TN; by Cadre Hospice; 12/9/25 Cadre Hospice announced today that Inspire Hospice & Palliative Care, a highly respected hospice provider serving Metro Atlanta and North Georgia, is joining the Cadre family. This alignment brings together two mission-driven organizations focused on world-class end-of-life care, trusted clinical leadership, and the belief that extraordinary care begins with extraordinary teams.

AI ‘griefbots’ resurrect dead loved ones — healthy or harmful? Medscape; by Maya Ordonez; 12/5/25 Justin Harrison’s mother passed away in 2022, but he still speaks with her every week. While his mother was still alive, Harrison recreated her virtually using generative artificial intelligence (AI) trained on videos, audio recordings, text messages, and basic information about her. This virtual persona, or “versona,” interacts with him and speaks much in the same way his mother did. He calls her after small wins, such as running a mile, or difficult times, such as when he’s sick. ... Editor's Note: Griefbots may offer comfort, yet they raise deep ethical concerns. These AI recreations are not our loved ones but rather are algorithmic replicas shaped by incomplete data. They make assumptions. They risk distorting what was real, blurring death’s finality, and commercializing our most vulnerable moments. As guardians of grief care and human dignity, we must ask: In using AI to “resurrect” the dead, do we honor memory or jeopardize it? First, do no harm. As this technology expands, we must protect the dignity of the deceased and the integrity of the bereaved. 

The goal for most people should not be to feel better, but to get better at feeling. ~ Shannon L. Alder

Volunteer vocalist has provided solace to hospice patients for 23 years The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; by Danielle Charbonneau;  Kevin Dunn has been a volunteer vocalist at Wellstar West Georgia Hospice in LaGrange for 23 years, providing solace to hospice patients and their families through his music. ... Dunn's voice has been a source of comfort for many, including Kitty Matthews Crawford, who experienced a moment of peace when her grandfather's face softened after hearing his voice. Dunn has sung at roughly 250 funerals and has never charged a fee for his services. His dedication to music and hospice care has made a significant impact on the lives of those he serves. [Access may be limited by paywall]

AARP: 55 percent of family caregivers use tech to coordinate care McKnights Home Care; by Donna Shryer; 12/9/25 Technology adoption is surging on both sides of the caregiving equation. AARP estimates there are about 63 million unpaid caregivers nationwide, and among those caregivers age 50 and older, 55% now use one or more digital tools to manage routines, coordinate care or track health. Among all adults age 50+ (unpaid caregivers and care recipients), 78% say they rely on technology to stay connected with friends and family, according to AARP’s newly released 2026 Tech Trends and Adults 50-Plus report.

Quality comes from within, with Andrew Reed Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Andrew Reed; 12/10/25In our latest crossover episode TCNtalks and Anatomy Of Leadership, Andrew Reed, CEO and Chief Teaching Officer of Multi-View Incorporated, shares his journey as a recording artist with Universal Virgin Music Groups and his experiences in the music industry.  Andrew makes a bold case: profit should follow purpose, not push it around.  When leaders chase “more” at all costs, bad profits appear and training, standards, and trust all erode.  When teams build sustainable systems and teach rigor with heart, margin becomes a reliable barometer rather than the goal. 

Medicare's AI prior authorization pilot sparks backlash over incentives to deny care Complete AI Training | Insurance; by Joren Erne; 12/7/25 CMS will pilot AI prior auth in traditional Medicare across AZ, NJ, OH, OK, TX, WA through 2031. Expect tougher reviews, vendor incentives, and pushback on denials and delays. ... For insurance professionals, this is a signal: CMS is importing private-plan utilization tactics into fee-for-service Medicare, with financial incentives tied to denial-driven cost savings. Expect policy, operations, and provider relations to feel it. 

The business of caring for older Americans is in a deepening crisis The Washington Post; by Shannon Najmabadi; 12/7/25 Jonas Atta-Kyereme helps 85-year-old David Reese dress in the morning and prepare for bed at night. He makes sure the retired pediatrician takes his medicine, and calms him when he gets anxious looking for his wife, Jane, who died last year. ... Home health workers and caregivers such as Atta-Kyereme, who immigrated from Ghana two years ago, fill a critical role in the health care ecosystem as America ages and demand for caregivers soar. ...

Nathan Adelson Hospice Foundation receives $284,000 donation from the Robert Thomas Bigelow Medical Foundation, Inc. Nevada Business; by Nathan Adelson Hospice; 12/8/25 Nathan Adelson Hospice Foundation has been selected to receive a $284,000 donation from the Robert Thomas Bigelow Medical Foundation, Inc. through its grant program. This gift will be used to purchase two new medical transport vans, new overbed lighting for patient rooms and new patio furniture for the patient room patios at the hospice’s in-patient Swenson facility.

Ask Sheri: Overcoming fear and expressing thanks Lovin' Life; by Sheri Simpson; 12/7/25Dear Sheri, When my mother’s health began to decline, our family found ourselves standing at the edge of something we couldn’t quite prepare for. ... From the very first visit, the hospice team wrapped my mother — and our entire family — in comfort, dignity and compassion. They didn’t just care for her; they cared about her. They learned her favorite songs, listened to her stories, and treated her as the vibrant, funny, loving woman she’d always been. The nurses would hum along when she sang softly, and one even brought her a small, crocheted blanket because she noticed how much mom loved the color lavender. Hospice is not about giving up, it’s about giving more: more peace, more presence, more love. Azorna Hospice helped us see that. ...