Literature Review
Tele-palliative care offers access to needed support
07/22/25 at 03:00 AMTele-palliative care offers access to needed support Rand; by Shira H. Fischer, Jordan M. Harrison, Julia Bandini; 7/18/25 On first consideration, the idea of providing palliative care via video chat seems counterintuitive or even insensitive. Palliative care focuses on improving quality of life for individuals with serious illnesses. At such a delicate time, would a computer screen between patients and their doctors really suffice? Yet tele-palliative care—palliative care via telehealth— is emerging as a promising option. It offers access to care for those who might otherwise go without and has surprising advantages over traditional, in-person care.
Changing funeral preferences: NFDA’s first-of-its-kind generational report now available
07/22/25 at 03:00 AMChanging funeral preferences: NFDA’s first-of-its-kind generational report now available National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), Brookfield, WI; Press Release; 4/2/25 The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, has released an unprecedented study examining consumer attitudes toward funeral service across generations. Available to funeral service professionals for download at no charge, Changing Consumer Preferences: A Generational Perspective on Attitudes Toward Funeral Service provides critical insights to help funeral service professionals adapt to evolving expectations and continue delivering meaningful memorial experiences. ... Key findings include:
[England] £75 Million boost for hospices to transform end-of-life care
07/22/25 at 03:00 AM[England] £75 Million boost for hospices to transform end-of-life care Gov*UK, Department of Health and Social Care; Press Release, Stephen Kinnock, MP; 7/20/25 Families will see further improvements in end-of-life care as the government releases £75 million for hospices to deliver major upgrades and enhancements to facilities including separate family rooms, solar panels to reduce energy costs and communal lounges. More than 170 hospices across England will receive a share of the funding – the largest cash injection ever – to ensure patients receive the highest quality end-of-life care in comfortable, dignified surroundings. It follows a £25 million boost in February, delivering the government’s £100 million investment confirmed in December. This is already supporting urgent building repairs and creating warmer, homely spaces. This cash marks a further step in the delivery of the government’s Plan for Change, improving care in the community where people need it most.
Today's Encouragement: Nothing changes if ...
07/22/25 at 03:00 AMNothing changes if nothing changes. ~ attributed to AA
Perform detail-oriented internal audits to avoid common denials
07/22/25 at 03:00 AMPerform detail-oriented internal audits to avoid common denials DecisionHealth - Home Health Line; by MaryKent Wolff; 7/18/25 The most common reason for hospice denials in the first quarter of 2025 was that the claim was not hospice appropriate, according to Palmetto GBA, a Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) servicing 16 states. Palmetto released its list of the top 10 hospice medical review denial reasons from January to March 2025 on May 16. [Subscription required.]
Today's Encouragement: The most effective way to do it is ...
07/22/25 at 03:00 AMThe most effective way to do it is to do it. ~ Toni Cade Bambara
Death anxiety: Dani Chammas & Keri Brenner
07/22/25 at 03:00 AMDeath anxiety: Dani Chammas & Keri BrennerGeriPal podcast; by Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Dani Chammas, Keri Brenner; 7/17/25What is death anxiety? We spend the first 15 minutes of the podcast addressing this question. And maybe this was unfair to our guests, the fabulous dynamic duo of palliative psychiatrists Dani Chammas and Keri Brenner (listen to their prior podcasts on therapeutic presence and the angry patient). After all, we invited them on to our podcast to discuss death anxiety, then Eric and I immediately questioned if death anxiety was the best term for what we want to discuss!
51 healthcare leaders’ takes on doing more with less
07/21/25 at 03:00 AM51 healthcare leaders’ takes on doing more with less Becker's Hospital Review; by Allie Woldenberg, Kelly Gooch, Mariah Taylor, Giles Bruce, Kristin Kuchno, and Andrew Cass; 7/17/25 It’s a directive that hospitals and health systems of every size know well — whether sprawling academic medical centers, multistate nonprofit systems or rural, independent 25-bed hospitals. While the phrase isn’t new, the urgency behind it is intensifying. The nation’s healthcare workforce remains fragile, forcing leaders to distinguish between staffing gaps that are temporary hurdles or structural limitations. Revenue projections for health systems have shifted dramatically ... Against this backdrop, Becker’s set out to understand how health system leaders across the U.S. are interpreting and enacting the mandate to “do more with less” today. From June 9 to July 15, we spoke with executives across the country, in every type of market, hospital, and health system, to hear how they are navigating this evolving landscape. ...Editor's Note: Scan through these with a sharp eye toward improving the quality of patient care while "doing more with less." I applaud many of these leaders for not just focusing on cutting costs, but for using these crucial changes as a vehicle to improve patient care.
Most older adults with advanced cancer prioritize quality of life over survival
07/21/25 at 03:00 AMMost older adults with advanced cancer prioritize quality of life over survivalHealio; by Daniel R. Richardson; 7/14/25Nearly three-quarters of older adults with advanced cancer value quality of life over extending survival, according to study results presented at ASCO Annual Meeting. However, data showed that regardless of patient preference for quality of life or survival, clinical outcomes appeared to be similar.
A look at nursing facility characteristics between 2015 and 2024 - KFF
07/21/25 at 03:00 AMA look at nursing facility characteristics between 2015 and 2024 - KFF KFF; by Priya Chidambaram and Alice Burns; 12/6/24 In a KFF Issue Brief on nursing facility characteristics over time, KFF has described nursing homes and the people living in them. Data is pulled from Care Compare (Nursing Homes) and CASPER (Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports). Data includes the number of certified nursing facilities, hours of care by nurse staff type over years, survey deficiencies in nursing homes, and the share of residents by primary payer. The study confirms that Medicaid is the primary payer for 63% of nursing facility residents in 2024, followed by 24% for private and other payers, and 13% by Medicare. As reported by KFF, “KFF polling shows that four in ten adults overall incorrectly believe that Medicare is the primary source of insurance coverage for low-income people who need nursing facility care.” Guest Editor's Note, Judi Lund Person: As we think about the impact of Medicaid cuts on nursing home residents, it is important to note that Medicaid is the primary payer for 63% of nursing home residents as of 2024. In some states, that percentage may be higher. See the KFF article.
Healthcare’s self-driving moment: Why automation could restore joy of medicine for everyone
07/21/25 at 03:00 AMHealthcare’s self-driving moment: Why automation could restore joy of medicine for everyone Becker's Health IT; by Feby Abraham; 7/16/25 As rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) helps develop lower-cost, increasingly efficient workplace solutions, workers across all industries face concerns about the “human impact” on long-held positions. Software engineers, call center employees, technical support professionals, and administrative staff wonder what AI means for their careers—not just in coming years, but in the months ahead. Healthcare is not immune to these concerns. Leaders obsess over whether AI will replace doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. But they’re asking the wrong question. ... The real question is: How can healthcare follow the automotive industry’s proven automation playbook to restore the joy of practicing medicine while creating transformational value across the entire healthcare ecosystem?
Carter, Bera introduce bill to strengthen palliative and hospice care workforce
07/21/25 at 03:00 AMCarter, Bera introduce bill to strengthen palliative and hospice care workforce United States Representative Buddy Carter, Washington, DC; Press Release; 7/17/25Reps. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) and Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA) today introduced the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA), bipartisan legislation to invest in training, education, and research for the palliative care and hospice workforce, allowing more practitioners to enter these in-demand fields. ... "As a pharmacist, I understand the toll burnout takes on the health care industry, and I am committed to bolstering the workforce so nurses, doctors, and all health care workers can continue to pursue their passion for helping others,” said Rep. Carter. "As a doctor, I know how important it is to provide patients with comfort, clarity, and support when they’re facing serious illness,” said Rep. Bera. “The Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act is a smart, bipartisan step to ensure more health care professionals are trained to deliver this kind of care."Editor's Note: Bravo to this pharmacist and physician bipartisan team for introducing this bill. Go to the article and scroll down to this press release's long list of "Supporting Organizations."
The 4th and 5th Annual U.S. World Hospice and Palliative Care Day conferences: Unifying the global palliative care community
07/21/25 at 03:00 AMThe 4th and 5th Annual U.S. World Hospice and Palliative Care Day conferences: Unifying the global palliative care community Palliative & Supportive Care; by William E Rosa, Shila Pandey, Andrew S Epstein, Liz Blackler, Lauren Akua Koranteng, Dana Greenfield, Paul Yoon, Craig D Blinderman, Judith E Nelson, William S Breitbart; 7/18/25 On October 3-4, 2023 and September 30-October 1, 2024, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Supportive Care Service hosted the 4th and 5th Annual U.S. Celebration of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) conferences, respectively. This article describes both events and lessons learned in anticipation of the 6th annual conference to be held October 6-7, 2025.
Today's Encouragement: The secret of getting ahead is ...
07/21/25 at 03:00 AMThe secret of getting ahead is getting started. ~ Unknown
Online reputation management crucial for hospices, home-based care providers
07/21/25 at 03:00 AMOnline reputation management crucial for hospices, home-based care providers Hospice News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 7/18/25 Hospice and home-based care providers cannot put online reputation management on the back burner. That’s a key takeaway from a recent report from Transcend Strategy Group. While all businesses should be concerned about maintaining a good online reputation, this is especially important for home-based hospice care providers due to their unique care delivery setting, according to Tony Kudner, chief strategy officer at Transcend. A hospice provider’s digital presence can give patients and their families greater insight when it comes to the quality and depth of their services, Kudner said. “When you are dealing with the intimacy of someone coming into your home, the personalization and how you feel about the agency that you open the door for matters more,” Kudner told Hospice News.
How PACE is jockeying for position amid Medicaid cuts
07/21/25 at 03:00 AMHow PACE is jockeying for position amid Medicaid cuts Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 7/16/25 A federal-state program aimed at keeping older adults out of nursing homes could come out awinner under the new federal tax law. Nevada was the latest state to approve a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly last month before President Donald Trump signed the tax law. South Dakota is considering PACE as well. The program can save states money by caring for adults at home, rather than in nursing homes. However, PACE is a relatively small and not widely known initiative, which could make it a low priority for states weighing the best way to spend fewer Medicaid dollars.
Hospice of the Piedmont CEO: Doubling down on community-based support
07/21/25 at 03:00 AMHospice of the Piedmont CEO: Doubling down on community-based support Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 7/16/25 Virginia-based Hospice of the Piedmont is sharpening its focus on home-based care services and unfurling several initiatives in this realm. The future of end-of-life care delivery has increasingly shifted into the home, according to Nancy Littlefield, president and CEO at Hospice of the Piedmont. While demand for facility-based hospice care is also rising, sustaining these services has become increasingly difficult, she indicated. Several hospices have shuttered their facility-based programs in recent years, with many citing financial headwinds as a leading reason fueling inpatient center closures. Financial strains were among the challenges that led to the difficult decision to close Hospice of the Piedmont’s Center for Acute Hospice Care, Littlefield said. ... Hospice News recently sat down with Littlefield to learn more about how hospices are sustaining and growing their services in today’s economic and financial climate.
Cyclist to ride coast-to-coast for hospice care
07/21/25 at 03:00 AMCyclist to ride coast-to-coast for hospice care MyMotherLode.com, Calaveras, CA; by Nic Peterson; 7/27/25 John Silva, a 66-year-old retired Amador County Sheriff’s deputy and longtime Calaveras-area resident, is preparing to bike 4,700 miles across the United States to raise money for Hospice of Amador & Calaveras. The journey begins Aug. 1 at Cape Flattery, Washington — the northwesternmost point in the contiguous U.S. — and will end at West Quoddy Head in Lubec, Maine, the nation’s easternmost point. ... The trip is entirely self-funded and performed alone. Silva’s route will take him through Washington, Idaho, Montana, a stretch of Canada, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, New York, and Maine. More than a test of physical endurance, Silva says the ride is a personal mission. Each week of the ride will honor a community member who received hospice care, transforming every mile into a tribute to those who faced death with dignity.
Two programs recognized as 2025 AHA Circle of Life Award Honorees | AHA
07/21/25 at 02:00 AMTwo programs recognized as 2025 AHA Circle of Life Award Honorees | AHA American Hospital Association, Washington, DC; Press Release; 7/17/25 Two programs will be honored with the American Hospital Association 2025 Circle of Life Award for their efforts in palliative and end-of-life care. The winning programs are Gilchrist, Baltimore, Maryland, and Bristol Hospice – Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii. Both winners will receive this prestigious recognition during the AHA’s Leadership Summit in Nashville on July 20-22. The Circle of Life Award honors hospital and palliative care programs that are ensuring equitable access to care, implementing nontraditional models of care delivery and payment, fully integrating palliative care into a system of care or a community, making palliative care financially sustainable, developing meaningful measures and metrics to track progress, or partnering with payers, other providers, community groups and faith communities.Editor's Note: For more information, Gilchrist Named Circle of Life Award Winner--for the Second Time!
Essentia nurses and healthcare workers turned away from bargaining by employer on second day of ULP strike, acute care nurses announce tentative agreement vote results
07/20/25 at 03:55 AMEssentia nurses and healthcare workers turned away from bargaining by employer on second day of ULP strike, acute care nurses announce tentative agreement vote results Minnesota Nurses Association, Duluth, MN; Press Release; 7/9/25 On the second day of the ongoing unfair labor practice strike in Duluth and Superior, nurses and healthcare professionals across all six Essentia Health bargaining units arrived at negotiations prepared to make progress — only to be met with rejection and dismissal. ... No meaningful negotiations took place and no progress was made towards resolving the unfair labor practices. Despite Essentia Health’s reliance on costly travel nurses and its abrupt closure of essential facilities like the Solvay Hospice House, frontline healthcare workers have consistently proposed clear pathways to resolution. Today alone, negotiating team members offered to consolidate and expedite bargaining across all six contracts and offered 22 additional negotiation dates in July — both of which Essentia flatly refused.
Measuring goal-concordant care using electronic clinical notes
07/20/25 at 03:50 AMMeasuring goal-concordant care using electronic clinical notesJAMA Network; by Catherine L. Auriemma, Anne Song, Lake Walsh, Jason Han, Sophia Yapalater, Alexander Bain, Lindsay Haines, Stefania Scott, Casey Whitman, Stephanie Parks Taylor, Gary E. Weissman, Matthew J. Gonzales, Roshanthi Weerasinghe, Staci J. Wendt, Katherine R. Courtright; 7/3/25In this longitudinal cohort study among 109 patients with serious illness and limited prognoses, clinicians reviewed and classified 398 epochs of care as goal concordant (50%), goal discordant (19%), or of uncertain concordance (32%) with nearly perfect interrater agreement for categorizing the type of care received. These findings suggest that using electronic clinical notes to measure goal-concordant care is feasible, laying the groundwork for future automated text-based classification methods to improve reliability and pragmatism of measuring goal-concordant care for clinical and research use at scale.
New Winship web tool helps Georgians find palliative care services
07/20/25 at 03:45 AMNew Winship web tool helps Georgians find palliative care services Emory University Winship Cancer Institute; Press Release; 7/7/25 Patients, families and referring physicians now have a new online source for locating palliative care services in Georgia. Developed by Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, More Access to Palliative Care Georgia (MAPGA) is a searchable database of vetted inpatient and outpatient palliative care agencies and hospital-based programs across the state. ... Users who visit MAPGA can view a list and interactive map of nearby palliative care services, including hospital-based outpatient clinics and home-based care. For more customized results, they can enter their zip code or filter by location (clinic, in-home or hospital-based/inpatient) and type (adult or pediatric). MAPGA also features a “heat map” that highlights gaps in access to care.
Texas flooding: Live updates and main donation link
07/20/25 at 03:40 AMTexas flooding: Live updates and main donation linkLinks below are from CNN and the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country
How rising tariffs could affect hospice M&A
07/20/25 at 03:35 AMHow rising tariffs could affect hospice M&A Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/11/25 ... Tariffs tend to raise prices and often trigger interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve. This makes financing debt more expensive, and many buyers in the M&A market rely on borrowing to make acquisitions. This can have a “ripple effect” on the M&A landscape, including in hospice, according to Cory Mertz, managing partner of the M&A advisory firm Mertz Taggart. “Tariffs raise costs, which can tighten debt markets and make capital more expensive,” Mertz told Hospice News in an email. “Since M&A is largely driven by both debt and equity investors, a higher cost of capital tends to put downward pressure on valuations. This can lead some buyers to pause or redirect their investment elsewhere, while some potential sellers may hold off on going to market.”
Hill Country vigil draws hundreds after deadly Texas floods
07/20/25 at 03:30 AMHill Country vigil draws hundreds after deadly Texas floods MYSA, San Antonio, TX; by Nicholas Hernandez; 7/11/25 ... On Thursday, July 10, hundreds gathered downtown for a Candlelight Vigil of Hope to honor those affected [by the "catastophic flood"] and shine a light on the importance of grief and mental health support in the wake of disaster. Organized by River City Advocacy in partnership with Hope Hospice and other local nonprofits, the event brought together counselors, community leaders and families. Handheld candles were distributed at the plaza, where people stood shoulder-to-shoulder in silence, prayer and remembrance. ... "If there’s one thing that New Braunfels knows, it’s how to gather and how to support each other, especially in times of flooding and tragedy," said Heather Harrison, director of development at Hope Hospice and Hope Hospice Foundation.Editor's Note: Thank you Hope Hospice for your leadership in providing this crucial way to gather and grieve. Calling all hospice leaders to simply "check in" on employees who have family and friends in affected areas when such crises occur. Other recent examples include Hurricanes Helene & Milton, the Los Angeles wildfires, Kentucky floods, and these Texas / New Mexico floods. Your kind, timely words can make a lasting difference.