Literature Review

Atlantic Area Chamber Ambassadors visit with Hospice of the Midwest AARP - Atlantic News Telegraph; Jenn Nichols; 11/13/25 The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors met with staff from Hospice of the Midwest [based in Guthrie Center, Iowa] on Thursday, Nov. 6, to learn more about the compassionate services they provide, and the important role volunteers play in supporting patients and families. Editor's Note: What ongoing relationships do you continue to foster with leaders of your service areas? Hospice of the Midwest in Guthrie Center, Iowa provides this great example.

Estimating the number of services & patients receiving specialized palliative care globally in 2025 Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Stephen R. Connor PhD, Eduardo Garralda MA, Vilma A. Tripodoro MD, PhD, Carlos Centeno MD, PhD; November 2025 Issue In 2025, the estimated number of specialized palliative care service delivery teams worldwide reached approximately 33,700 - representing a 35.6% increase from the 25,000 identified in 2017. Service delivery expanded across all WHO regions. The estimated number of patients served rose from almost 7 million in 2017 to approximately 10.4 million in 2025. This figure represents roughly 14% of the total global need for palliative care. ...Despite notable growth in service availability, significant disparities persist, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. 

Carolina Caring Foundation “Gift Back” grant provides cardio-pulmonary supplies at no cost to patients Carolina Caring, Newton, NC; Press Release; 11/10/25 In a powerful demonstration of its mission to support compassionate, whole-person care, Carolina Caring Foundation has awarded a $1,000 Gift Back grant to fund cardio-pulmonary equipment for patients served through Carolina Caring’s Palliative Care program. ... While hospice patients often receive these medical supplies at no cost, palliative patients do not qualify for those same benefits—causing barriers to care. The Gift Back grant closes that gap. Carolina Caring Foundation used the $1000 to fund numerous medical devices: 19 scales, 12 electronic blood pressure cuffs, and 10 pulse oximeters, all provided at no cost to the Palliative Care program or its patients. 

Transfusion access central to hospice decision-making among patients with blood cancers The ASCO Post; by Julia Cipriano, MS, CMPP; 11/13/25Based on the results of a multicenter cross-sectional survey study published in JAMA Network Open by Raman et al, patients with blood cancer who were potentially hospice-eligible placed the greatest importance on transfusion access compared with routine hospice services. “The high value placed on transfusion access suggests that this factor is central to hospice decision-making and highlights the need for novel hospice delivery models that incorporate palliative transfusion access for patients with advanced blood cancers,” the investigators commented. Editor's Note: Revisit our previous post, "Access to hospice and certain services under the hospice benefit for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease or cancer."

Hospice to deliver meals for homebound patients' Thanksgiving: Program volunteers will deliver over 700 Thanksgiving Day dinners on Nov. 27. Pike County Courier, Scranton, PA; 11/12/25 Hospice of the Sacred Heart will again spread the spirit of gratitude and compassion this holiday season through its annual Thanksgiving Program, taking place on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, Nov. 27. This is the program’s 20th year. Each year, staff and volunteers come together to prepare, package, and deliver traditional Thanksgiving meals to Hospice of the Sacred Heart patients receiving care at home, along with their families. Over 700 meals are expected to be delivered. ... Diane Baldi, CEO, Hospice of the Sacred Heart said, “This program allows us to bring comfort, care, and a sense of togetherness to our patients and their families on one of the most meaningful days of the year.”

Inside Compassus’ 2-pronged plan to expand Providence joint venture Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 11/11/25 The joint venture between Compassus and not-for-profit health system Providence is set to expand through two key growth tactics. ... For the first pillar, the joint venture aims to expand through multiple sources within Providence, including case management, discharge planning, hospital-based clinicians and Providence’s ambulatory environment. ... Its second growth strategy looks outside of the Providence ecosystem for referrals, whether from long-term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities or physicians working directly with patients. 

What is healthspan, and how can you extend yours? MSN - Everyday Health; by Sarah Klein; 11/11/25 Many people want to live as long as possible. But what about living as well as possible? Thats the idea behind extending whats called your healthspan. Healthspan is the length of time you live in good health, able to stay active, independent, and mentally sharp while doing the things you enjoy, ... 

New guidance offered for responsible AI use in health care - American Heart Association Science Advisory American Heart Association; by Newsroom; 11/10/25 Published in the Association’s flagship journal, Circulation, the advisory, “Pragmatic Approaches to the Evaluation and Monitoring of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare,” introduces a pragmatic, risk-based framework for evaluating and monitoring artificial intelligence (AI) tools in cardiovascular and stroke care. It builds on prior published AI frameworks to identify critical gaps in current practices. 

Reducing moral distress through interdisciplinary collaboration: the impact of a weekly palliative care and neonatology conference BMC Palliative Care; by Kirthi Devireddy, Riddhi Shukla, Rachel Boren, James E Slaven, Rebecca A Baker, Jayme D Allen, Karen M Moody; 11/11/25 Conclusion: A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and palliative care-weekly-collaborative conference resulted in significantly decreased moral distress among NICU staff. Qualitative data revealed that both prolonging life with life-sustaining medical therapies (LSMTs) and ending it by withdrawing LSMTs in the context of prognostic uncertainty and institutional constraints creates significant moral distress among staff. Palliative care and NICU programs should consider implementing regular interdisciplinary collaborative conferences to address this distress.

Home-based care providers reap benefits of palliative care – but broader adoption hinges on reformHome Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 11/10/25 Home-based providers are seeing tangible benefits from incorporating palliative care services as part of their offerings, but adoption of palliative service lines has remained limited. However, reimbursement and regulatory reform, as well as electronic medical record (EMR) enhancements, can accelerate broader adoption of palliative services. In the process, at-home care providers that diversify into palliative care services can differentiate themselves from their peers and improve the quality of care. For Dr. Kurt Merkelz, chief medical officer at Compassus, the combination of home health and palliative care is a net positive for providers.

From good to better with Andrew Molosky Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Andrew Molosky; 11/12/25 In this week’s special joint episode of TCNtalks and Anatomy of Leadership, host Chris Comeaux welcomes Andrew Molosky, President and CEO of Chapters Health System.  Together, they explore what it means to lead with perseverance, authenticity, and vision in times of change. Andrew shares powerful insights on cultivating culture, navigating uncertainty, and the role of vulnerability in leadership. 

Number of ‘solo-agers’ skyrockets, AARP survey finds McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 11/10/25The number of older adults living alone is rising quickly in the United States, but relatively few of these so-called “solo-agers” are confident in their ability to age safely on their own, according to a new survey by AARP.

A new treasure arrives to downtown Menomonie Volume One, Wisconsin; 11/11/25 ... Adoray’s Treasures from the Heart (521 2nd St. E, Menomonie) — the newest addition to Adoray Home Health & Hospice’s fundraising thrift stores — opened its doors earlier this summer. In just a few short months, this second-hand boutique has captured the hearts of community members, Amber Bettinger-Lytle, Adoray’s director of marketing and development said. “Every item that comes through our doors tells a story,” Bettinger-Lytle shared. “When someone donates a household item or buys a sweater, that act of kindness ripples outward, helping us bring care, compassion and hope to someone in need.”Editor's Note: This article's tone and wording moves it from a typical sales promotion to meaning and purpose, linking past, present and future.