Literature Review

Diversified Healthcare Trust completes transition of all 116 Five Star-branded AlerisLife communities to new operators McKnights Senior Living; by Lois A. Bowers; 1/5/26 Diversified Healthcare Trust has transitioned all 116 Five-Star Senior Living-branded communities in its senior living operating portfolio communities to new seven different third-party operators, the Newton, MA-based real estate investment trust announced Monday morning. The actions, as expected, were completed by Dec. 31, according to the company.

Why hospice is approaching AI differently than the rest of healthcare1520ai press release; by Ernesto Lopez; 1/3/26Artificial intelligence is moving quickly across healthcare. Health systems are deploying AI to automate administrative work, summarize clinical encounters, optimize revenue cycle processes, and support clinical decision making. In many areas of healthcare, adoption is accelerating with great enthusiasm. Hospice has had a different experience. While hospice leaders are paying close attention to AI, they are approaching it with greater caution and intention. That is not because hospice is behind the curve. It is because the realities of hospice care demand a higher standard. [Key takeaways include:]

CAPC fireside chat: Leading through change and uncertainty in palliative careAmerican Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) and Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC); to be presented by Brynn Bowan, MPA, Rikki Hopper, FNPT-C, MBA, Kristina Newport, MD, FAAHPM, and R. Sean Morrison, MD; retrieved 1/2/26, to be presented 1/14/25, 3:00-4:00 ESTPeriods of organizational or environmental change can test even the most experienced leaders. ... In this fireside chat, national leaders from CAPC, AAHPM, HPNA, and the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai will reflect on how palliative care leaders can stay grounded and effective during times of uncertainty—maintaining clarity, confidence, and compassion while advancing the field. Attendees will explore strategies to sustain team morale and well-being, foster collaboration across disciplines, and keep equity, quality, and patient-centered care at the heart of their work. The discussion will also highlight emerging opportunities for innovation, research, and shared leadership as palliative care continues to evolve within a changing health care landscape. [Registration is free.]

How to work clinically and ethically with chatbots and AI Medscape; by Arthur L. Caplan, PhD; 12/30/25 Hi. I’m Art Caplan. I’m at the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City. I’m getting an interesting question from many doctors from different specialties, and also from more primary care people. How do I work clinically and ethically with chatbots and artificial intelligence? They’re not asking about making appointments or handling data behind the scenes. They want to know, in dealing with patients, how do I do this and do this right? ...

The 8 quotes that defined home-based care in 2025 Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 12/23/25 In 2025, specific quotes from Home Health Care News’ conversations with provider executives and industry stakeholders stood out. These quotes illustrate what 2025 held for home-based care providers, including the top pressures, strategies and growth opportunities. They also demonstrate pressure on home-based care providers’ reimbursement and margin landscapes, regulatory uncertainty and the weight that the government shutdown had on the industry. 

Is Alzheimer’s disease more common than previously thought? Medscape; by Megan Brooks; 12/24/25 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may be more common than previously thought in some demographic groups, according to the first population-based study to use a blood test to gauge AD-related neuropathological changes (ADNCs). ... A “major advance” of this study is the use of blood-based biomarkers as a way to generate more accurate, population-level estimates of AD pathology, Nicholas Ashton, PhD, senior director of the Banner Fluid Biomarker Program, Banner Sun Health Research Institute in Sun City, Arizona, told Medscape Medical News.

[Updates] New York expected to enact medical aid in dying law in 2026 Nixon Peabody; Press Release; 12/29/25 Explore key amendments and compliance steps in the amended bill, which is expected to take effect in 2026. What’s the impact?

Hospice of Michigan receives $10,000 grant for pediatric hospice care Ludington Daily News, Manistee, MI; 12/20/25Hospice of Michigan has received a $10,000 grant from the Manistee County Community Foundation to support its Jo Elyn Nyman Anchors Programs for Children, which provide specialized pediatric hospice care for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families. The grant will help fund medical, emotional, social and spiritual support services delivered through the not-for-profit’s pediatric hospice programs. Hospice of Michigan is the only statewide hospice provider offering specialized pediatric hospice care services in northeast Michigan.

Holistic hospice provider expands to Pinellas County Catalyst; by Mark Parker; 12/24/25 A national end-of-life care company with unique offerings, including pet visits, personal pampering and Memory Bears made from a patient’s clothing, has expanded to Pinellas County. VITAS Healthcare is a nearly 50-year-old mobile hospice provider that takes a holistic approach to providing support during a sensitive time in someone’s life. A new administrative office at 12425 28th St. N. in St. Petersburg serves as a home base for interdisciplinary care teams. Kathleen Coronado, vice president of operations, said VITAS plans to eventually open a local inpatient center “for patients who need a higher level of care.” However, the company’s primary goal is to provide comfort wherever patients call home.

CMS weighs advance care planning quality measure for nursing homesMcKnight's Long-Term Care News; by Kimberly Marselas;12/16/25Nursing homes could soon be measured on their ability to capture advance care planning documents for their patients, according to a federal publication. On Monday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released its 2025 list of measures under consideration. Among 24 new or updated metrics pitched for a range of Medicare programs, just one would directly affect skilled nursing: Advance Care Planning.

Harvey Max Chochinov, MD PhD - selected publicationsHospice & Palliative Care Today compilation; Cordt Kassner; 9/17/25Publisher's note: This week I attended a brilliant webinar by Dr. Chochinov, "Dignity, personhood and intensive caring: New insights into patient suffering", part of the McGill University "Lessons in living from the dying" lecture series. To highlight a few of his books and 200+ articles:

Hands Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA); by R. Jordan Williams, MD, MPH; 8/13/25Lend me your handCallused or calaminedWrinkled or plump,Nails bittenNails extendedSplintered and pittedNails neatly or never cropped.Lend me your handStrong or weakCold or warmingSwollen and swanned;Gnarled in knots ...Editor's Note: Continue reading this powerful poem. Reflecting on its meanings, JAMA paired "Hands" with this description of the poem in "Poetry and the Medicine of Touch" by Rafael Campo, MD, MA: "In this deeply felt poem, the hand becomes a potent metaphor for our shared humanity ... Aspiring clinicians are still taught to assess, to palpate, to diagnose through touch. Yet, as “Hands” reminds us, patients’ hands hold far more than clinical signs—they reflect stories, histories, fears, and hopes. ..."

See this video clip of a young man surfing a wave estimated to be 108 feet tall - easily the world's largest wave ever surfed. What's your goal this year?