Literature Review

Basketball doesn’t care what color your skin is. It doesn’t care what language you speak or what religion you practice. It doesn’t care if you’re big or small, fast or slow. It just asks you to play, to complete, to lose with dignity, to win with humility. ~ Coach Jim Calhoun, Basketball Hall of Fame and 3-time NCAA champion

[UK] Man to sell his 4,000 books in aid of hospice BBC News; by Emily Coady-Stemp and Jo Burn; 3/26/25 A man has opened a shop to sell his collection of 4,000 books to raise money for the hospice where he is receiving care. Rob McCann, from the Kent village of Sutton Valence, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July 2023 and given just weeks to live. "Yet here I am, 18 months later, still going strong," he added. He opened Capelli's Books in his village on Tuesday to raise money for the Heart of Kent Hospice. [Continue reading ...]

The Healing of America with T.R. Reid TCNtalks Podcast; podcast by Chris Comeaux with T.R. Reid; 3/26/25 In this episode of TCN Talks, host Chris Comeaux interviews NY Times bestselling author T. R. Reid.  They discuss T. R. Reid’s experiences and insights from researching healthcare systems around the world, particularly focusing on the need for universal coverage and the various models of healthcare delivery. ... This is a great listen as the U.S. spends more on healthcare, yet we are not even in the top 10 in the world.  It’s hard to make one aspect of healthcare successful, like Hospice and Palliative Care, if the broader ecosystem it resides in is flawed and unsustainable.  Join us; this is very timely.

‘Show up and share’: How one UCLA ICU helps patients and staff live with dying Los Angeles Times; by Corinne Purtill; 3/20/25 

Y.C. Ho/Helen and Michael Chiang Foundation Fellowship Grant Program now open American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM); Press Release; 3/25/25 We are pleased to announce that the Y.C. Ho/Helen and Michael Chiang Foundation has awarded AAHPM a grant to support fellowship training programs for the 2026-2027 academic year. [This grant] is available to partially support a fellowship training program that operates an adult accredited program offering a pediatric focused hospice and palliative medicine fellowship training program or pediatric hospice and palliative medicine fellowship training program accredited through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) preparing physicians to practice as a pediatric hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) subspecialist following training. This funding initiative is open to accredited hospice and palliative care fellowship training programs, not to individual applicants. Funding will go to support part of the salary and benefits of a single fellow. The application cycle is open now through Wednesday, April 23 at 5pm CT. Details on funding priorities, eligibility criteria, and the application are available on the AAHPM website. [From the AAHPM site:] One award of $45,000 will be presented for the 2026-2027 academic year with the opportunity to renew for one additional year following an evaluation. [Continue reading ...]

[Austria] Influence of prior knowledge and experience on willingness to pay for home hospice services: a contingent valuation study International Journal of Health Economics and Management; Caroline Steigenberger, Andrea M Leiter, Uwe Siebert, Claudia Schusterschitz, Magdalena Flatscher-Thoeni; 3/25/25 Home hospice services contribute to dying in dignity by addressing medical and social needs at the end of life. ... We aim to quantify the benefits of home hospice services to society using society's monetary valuation and examine the influence of prior knowledge and experience on willingness to pay for home hospice services. A nationwide cross-sectional contingent valuation study was conducted in Austria. ... The two-part regression analysis showed a statistically significant positive impact on the probability of having a positive willingness to pay by prior knowledge of home hospice services, prior donations, and the wish of not dying alone. [Continue reading ...]Editor's note: Pair this research from Austria with today's USA post, "Medicare and 24-hour in-home hospice care: Is it covered?" Too often, we take for granted our Hospice Medicare payment system. Some choose to misuse it in ways that lead to fraud. This research reinforces openess to hospice services per "prior knowledge of home hospice services, prior donations, and the wish of not dying alone."

Daughter embraces mom’s hospice journey City Sun Times, Phoenix, AZ; by Lin Sue Flood; 3/25/25 As a nurse, Robin Benton is used to caring for people who are ill. But it’s different when your mother is the one who is sick. Her mom, Charlotte Brewer, a former nurse herself, has multiple myeloma, a rare type of blood cancer. In March 2024, the 80-year-old Valley resident decided to stop curative treatments in favor of comfort care with Hospice of the Valley, where she worked for over 10 years, before retiring in 2007. ... Charlotte’s Hospice of the Valley nurse, Kelly Langston, admires the way the family is living this stage of life with great intention, creating new ways to deepen their love for each other. “They came up with an idea for a hug shirt,” shared Kelly. “Everyone in the family painted their arms then took turns hugging each other — stamping an imprint of encircled arms on the shirts. It’s a way to feel each other’s hugs even when they aren’t together.” [Continue reading ...]

Palliative care clinic offers supportive care for patients with end-stage heart failure Yale School of Medicine; by Rachel Martin; 3/25/25 ... Michael Beasley, MD, [Yale] assistant professor of medicine (cardiovascular medicine), and Nora Segar, MD, [Yale] assistant clinical professor (general internal medicine) and director of palliative medicine at the Saint Raphael Campus of Yale New Haven Hospital, recently established a new outpatient clinic to provide dedicated palliative care for people with end-stage heart failure. ... “For many patients with advanced heart failure, hospice care does not meet their needs until very late in their course,” said Segar, an early champion of the clinic. “Instead, by providing early palliative care outside of the hospital, when it’s not a time of crisis, we can help patients accept and cope with their prognosis, manage their symptoms, and continue making plans for the future.” New patients receive longer appointments, which allows the team to hear their stories and start building relationships with them. [Continue reading ...]Editor's note: For all palliative and hospice leaders, we highlight this last statement: "New patients receive longer appointments, which allows the team to hear their stories and start building relationships with them."

Ohio hospital closesBecker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 3/21/25 East Ohio Regional Hospital, a 140-bed healthcare facility in Martins Ferry, has closed, local media outlets reported. Signs posted at EORH entrances March 20 said “Hospital closed! Please go to the nearest hospital Trinity, Reynolds or Wheeling!” according to the outlets, including The Intelligencer and NBC and Fox affiliate WTOV. ... Also in March, EORH announced the closures of the pharmacy and long-term care and skilled nursing facility, as well as the layoff of “ancillary services” to strengthen efforts to prioritize payroll disbursement. 

Medicare and 24-hour in-home hospice care​: Is it covered?Healthline; Medically reviewed by Shilpa Amin, MD, CAQ, FAAFP and written by Mandy French; 3/25/25... Medicare offers hospice coverage for beneficiaries. However, there are certain eligibilities and guidelines that they must meet. ...

Ohio reported its first measles case in 2025. Here’s what you need to know about this highly contagious virus. Signal Cleveland, Cleveland, OH; by Sue Zake and Reegan Davis Saunders; 3/25/25 An unvaccinated adult in Ashtabula contracted the first case of measles in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The individual had contact with someone who recently traveled internationally and was confirmed to have contracted the highly contagious respiratory virus. ... As of March 20, the CDC has reported 378 confirmed cases in the U.S.  — 95% of those who became ill were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. Twenty-seven percent of children under 5 years of age who contracted measles have been hospitalized since Jan. 1. Here’s more information to help you understand the disease and protect yourself and your family [and prfoessionals]. [Continue reading ...]

Charting the path forward to Value-Based Care Forbes; by David Snow, Jr.; 3/25/25 The U.S. healthcare system is at a crossroads, embarking on a crucial transformation in how care is financed. For decades, we've operated under a fee-for-service (FFS) model, which incentivizes service volume with little accountability for efficacy or costs. According to the Commonwealth Fund, this model contributes to poor healthcare access, lower care quality and lack of care continuity and is a factor behind the staggering per-capita healthcare costs in the U.S., which are the highest in the world. ... In recent years, we've seen a shift away from the FFS model to progressive value-based care (VBC) models that link provider payments to patient outcomes, care quality and cost efficiency. This is a fundamental overhaul of healthcare economics, and although it may be challenging and disruptive, I believe it's essential. [Continue reading ...]