Literature Review

Thyme Care launches Integrated Social Support model, bringing proactive oncology social work to 8 million Americans upon diagnosis PR Newswire, Nashville, TN; by Thyme Care; 3/5/26 Thyme Care today announced the public launch of its Integrated Social Support (ISS) model, a redesigned approach to oncology navigation that positions licensed master's-level social workers as the first to intervene when members experience barriers to navigating their cancer. The announcement coincides with National Social Work Month in March, recognizing the essential role social workers play in improving health outcomes. An estimated 44% of individuals affected by cancer experience psychosocial burdens, which are associated with poorer health, clinical, and economic outcomes for patients and caregivers. Thyme Care's ISS model flips the approach by making licensed social workers one of the first points of contact for social, emotional, and practical needs, assessing members from day one and throughout their journey ...

Palliative care and its importance on Block Island The Block Island Times, Block Island, RI; by Laurie Anderson, APRN-C, CDOE; 3/6/26 ... On Block Island, [Rhode Island,] palliative care is a cornerstone of a plan to allow residents to age in place. ... On Block Island, the importance of palliative care is magnified by geography. With no inpatient hospital and limited access to specialty services, island residents often rely on local care combined with strong coordination to meet complex health needs. ... One of the most meaningful local commitments to palliative and end-of-life care on Block Island is the Livesey Endowment for Palliative and End of Life Care, established through Block Island Health Services. ... In our small, close-knit island community, palliative care also serves a broader social purpose. It helps preserve independence, reduces unnecessary hospital transfers, and honors patients’ wishes to remain connected to their homes, families, and community. 

Longer-running state POLST programs improve end-of-life outcomes for SNF patients McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Kimberly Marselas; 3/9/26 Nursing home patients are more likely to die in the facility or in hospice than in a hospital in states with mature POLST programs, according to a new, first-of-its kind study. Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, also known as POLST or MOLST, are standing orders meant to assist in decision-making at the end of life to ensure patients’ treatment preferences are documented. ... Researchers behind the new study said results suggest continued implementation and long-term use of POLST programs streamlined advance directives among residents, helped lessen unnecessary hospitalizations and limited aggressive care at the end of life. 

C-TAC report: From metrics to momentum - accelerating the spread of community-based palliative care The John A. Hartford Foundation, Washginton, DC; 3/4/26 The Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC) and and The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF) have released a report, "From Metrics to Momentum: Accelerating the Spread of Community-Based Palliative Care." The report summarizes discussion from a September 2025 C-TAC national convening of clinical, policy, payer, and delivery system leaders that was focused on accelerating the spread of community-based palliative care and identifying meaningful approaches to measuring access. 

Harbors Home Health and Hospice expands community education The Daily World; by Jerry Knaak; 3/6/26 Harbors Home Health and Hospice was selected as the recipient of more than $19,000 in donations at the March 2025 100+ Harbor Women Who Care giving event. The funds were awarded after Harbors was nominated alongside two other local nonprofits and chosen by the attendees for the organization’s commitment to caring for patients and families throughout the community. Rather than using the funds internally, Harbors leadership saw the award as an opportunity to give back through community education focused on aging and end-of-life planning.

Delivering palliative care in mental health nursing settings: A systematic review Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing; by Oladapo Akinlotan, Allen O'Connor, Ruben Seetharamdoo, Mo Ghoorun; 3/6/26 Palliative care can provide comfort, alleviate suffering, and improve quality of life; however, access to palliative care for people with mental illnesses at the end of their lives is extremely poor. As the need for palliative care is expected to rise significantly in the future, palliative care must be considered a global health priority. ...  Recommendations: Although care for people with complex mental illness is complex while dying, conversations around palliative care need to be as part of a therapeutic relationship and engagement. Also, palliative care staff have an important role in communicating end-of-life planning to patients' families and carers.

‘Don’t play God’ in end-of-life conversations Medscape; by Medscape's editorial team; 3/5/26 For many clinicians, the most difficult words to utter are not a complex diagnosis but a simple admission: “We have reached the end of what medical care can do to make your loved one better.” An ICU/emergency room (ER) nurse with 30 years of experience says avoiding this reality can “prolong the dying process” rather than an extension of meaningful life — and called “false hope in the next procedure, next drug, next consultation” the “cruelest thing a well-meaning caregiver can do.”

Hospice patient who held toy drive for community has died:  Celebrating the life of 7-year-old Kenia Medina ABC KVIA-7, El Paso, TX; by Armando Ramirez; 3/3/26 Kenia Marisol Huerta Medina, the 7-year-old hospice patient who held a toy drive for the other children during the holidays, has died according to the Hospice of El Paso. The Hospice of El Paso has released an update on the family of Kenia's behalf providing an update of her passing. ... Robert Enriquez, Interim CEO of Hospice El Paso, said "Kenia’s heart was a reflection of the very best of El Paso. Through our Butterfly Program, we aim to bring peace and joy to our youngest patients, but Kenia reversed that gift and gave it back to our entire community. Her decision to use her final wish to bring smiles to other children is something we will never forget."

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. ~ A. A. Milne

New Job Board Posting: Chief Executive Officer, Hildegard House, Louisville, KY Hildegard House | Ashley Rountree and Associates; Executive Job Posting; 3/9/26 Hildegard House (HH) is Kentucky's first and only Comfort Care Home. Through the support of our community and with the help of many volunteers, we provide a home and compassionate care for individuals at the end of life who have no home or loved ones to care for them, allowing each of them to die with dignity. ... The next CEO of Hildegard House (HH) will step into a pivotal leadership role at a moment of stability, growth, and meaningful transition. ... The retirement of the founding CEO creates a unique opening for a visionary leader to build upon a decade of mission driven success and to chart the organization's future direction.

Pikes Peak Hospice donation drive smashes goal; 150 new blankets collected for veteran patients The Gazette, Colorado Springs, CO; by O'Dell Isaac; 3/2/26 Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care reached out the local community with an ambitious request in early January ... [asking] for donations of up to 100 new, handmade lap blankets for its veteran patients by March 2. ... The community has answered the call – and then some. More than 150 red, white and blue blankets have been donated, with more donations still arriving, ... "We've been overwhelmed by this incredible response," said Sonya Bergeron, veteran liaison with Pikes Peak Hospice.