Literature Review

Google.org and Johnson & Johnson Foundation launch $10 million AI training program for rural U.S. healthcare workers Complete AI Training; Press Release; 4/14/26 Google.org and the Johnson & Johnson Foundation are launching a $10 million program to train rural U.S. healthcare workers to use AI tools for administrative tasks. The initiative targets operational efficiency in clinics facing chronic staffing shortages and administrative overload. ... According to the National Rural Health Association, over 130 rural hospitals have shut down since 2010, with administrative burden cited as a major factor. The new program addresses this directly by teaching healthcare workers to use AI for scheduling, patient documentation, and clinic operations. 

Hospices to face increased scrutiny under new scoring system Harris Beach Murtha Attorneys at Law; by Glenn M. Jones and Roy W. Breitenbach; 4/15/26 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans a new hospice scoring system in fiscal year 2027 . ... CMS announced the service and spending variation index (SSVI) is part of its ongoing efforts to combat fraud and strengthen program integrity. CMS said the system will increase transparency for families, ensure proper care, protect beneficiaries and support providers delivering quality end-of-life care. Details of the proposed rule can be found on the Federal Register. The agency has also published a fact sheet on the proposed rule. The SSVI score will be based on a variety of metrics CMS gathers from hospice claims, including:

I understand the need to be a responsible adult... But every day? Every single day? ~Unknown

U.S. House Committee on Ways & Means - Full committee hearing on protecting patients and taxpayers: cracking down on Medicare fraud United State House Committee on Ways & Means, Chairman Jason Smith; content below is from the US House Committee Ways & Means website, with descriptions (below) by Judi Lund Person; 4/21/26 The House Committee on Ways and Means, chaired by Jason Smith (MO-08), held a hearing today [4/21] examining the prevalence of fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare and efforts to combat fraud to protect patients and taxpayers. Readers have the opportunity to watch the full committee hearing on YouTube. Links are provided below.

Second-generation antipsychotics for depression in serious illness: A first-line augmentation strategyJournal of Pain & Symptom Management; by Gregg Robbins-Welty, Mia Pattillo, Danielle Chammas, Karolina Sadowska, Cara L McDermott, Nneka Ufere, Jason A Webb, Daniel Shalev; 3/26Depression in serious illness is common, disabling, and often requires rapid improvement. In the psychiatric literature, SGA [second-generation antipsychotics] augmentation improves response and remission rates ... , with onset of improvement within 1-2 weeks. Monotherapy is less well tolerated and not guideline-recommended. No RCTs have evaluated SGAs specifically for depression in serious illness, but numerous cancer trials support their safety for nausea, appetite, and other symptoms. Despite the absence of serious illness-specific psychiatric trials, SGAs have the strongest evidence base among augmentation options and may offer meaningful benefits when prognosis or symptom severity necessitates rapid improvement. Low-dose augmentation should be considered early, rather than only after multiple failed antidepressants, particularly when SGAs can also target co-occurring physical symptoms relevant to palliative care.

[Greece] Tele-palliative care in rural areas, implementation and patient experiences: A systematic reviewAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine; by Athanasios Pitis, Maria Nikoloudi, Kyriaki Mystakidou; 3/26Specialist palliative care remains highly uneven in rural and remote settings for patients with life-limiting illness and their families. This review aimed to examine the implementation characteristics, clinical and service-level outcomes, and patient experiences of tele-palliative care interventions for individuals living in rural or remote settings with limited access to specialist palliative care. Conclusions: Tele-palliative care can extend specialist palliative care to rural and remote communities by reducing travel burden and supporting continuity, particularly when delivered through hybrid models embedded in local care pathways. 

If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down. ~Toni Morrison

To leave the world better than you found it, sometimes you have to pick up other people's trash. ~ Bill Nye

Chapters Health System launches new pediatric program PR Newswire, Temple Terrace, FL; Press Release; 4/23/26 Chapters Health System announced the launch of Chapters Kids, a system‑wide pediatric hospice and palliative care program. Chapters Kids will expand resources for pediatric patients and families throughout the Chapters Health System service area and unite existing pediatric programs from several affiliates. "The launch of Chapters Kids is another critical step forward as we work toward fulfilling our mission of taking care of patients, or taking care of those who do," said Andrew Molosky, President and CEO, Chapters Health System.