Literature Review

‘Because I Knew You’: OHSU pediatric physician’s memoir reveals how treating kids helped him healOregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), Portland, OR; by Geoff Norcross, with Robert Macauley; 6/10/25 About 200 pages into Robert Macauley’s memoir, he takes up the big question of why God — if there is one — allows kids to suffer and die. “The best answer I’ve come up with — with three graduate degrees in theology from places like Oxford and Yale, followed by three decades as a physician-priest—is…” The next two pages are blank. This is what he writes next. “In other words, I don’t know. I don’t know why God lets such terrible things happen, which even someone as tragically flawed as me would make absolutely sure to prevent, given a pinch of omnipotence and a nanosecond to act.” Macauley deals with dying kids for a living. He’s a pediatrician at OHSU, and one of the few in the country certified in hospice and palliative care. He’s also an ordained Episcopal priest. His new memoir is called “Because I Knew You: How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed A Doctor’s Soul.” He spoke with OPB’s “All Things Considered” host Geoff Norcross. 

2025 World Hospice and Palliative Care Day: Using the Toolkit Effectively webinar Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA); press release / email; 6/17/25The Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA) invites you to attend a 2025 World Hospice and Palliative Care Day: Using the Toolkit Effectively Webinar and you must register in advance, HERE. The theme for WHPCD is Achieving the Promise: Universal Access to Palliative Care, and this year’s World Day will be on 11 October. World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) is a unified day of action in support of hospice and palliative care. Palliative care is an interdisciplinary caregiving approach that optimises quality of life and mitigates health-related suffering among people with very serious illnesses and their carers. WHPCD has been marked every year for the last 19 years.

Families demand end to Medicare waiting period for early-onset Alzheimer’s patients Washington Examiner; by Elaine Mallon; 6/15/25 Jason Raubach was diagnosed at 50 years old with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease — a diagnosis that affects nearly 200,000 Americans. He received the diagnosis in 2018, completely upending life for his family. His youngest child was just a freshman in high school. ... Shortly before receiving an official diagnosis, Jason Raubach lost his job, having to move his family onto a consolidated omnibus budget reconciliation act health plan, or COBRA plan, which allows a person to keep their health insurance even after losing their job. “It wasn’t cheap,” Elizabeth Raubach said.However, once diagnosed, Jason Raubach had to wait two and a half years before he could receive coverage under Medicare, health insurance for those 65 years and older or those with qualifying disabilities. But Elizabeth Raubach, along with dozens of other caretakers for people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, called on Congress in a letter to eliminate the 29-month waiting period required for those under the age of 65 to receive coverage under Medicare. ...

[Congressional Research Service] Medicare Coverage: Background and resources Congressional Research Service - In Focus; 6/13/25 This In Focus provides an overview of Medicare coverage of services and items, coverage determination processes, and core resources on these topics for beneficiaries, health care providers, and policymakers. ...

Nurse practitioners step in as geriatrician ranks shrink The Washington Post; by Jariel Arvin; 6/15/25 On Fridays, Stephanie Johnson has a busy schedule, driving her navy-blue Jeep from one patient’s home to the next, seeing eight people in all. Pregnant with her second child, she schleps a backpack instead of a traditional black bag to carry a laptop and essential medical supplies ... “Our patient isn’t just the older adult,” Johnson said. “It’s also often the family member or the person helping to manage them.” Johnson isn’t alone. Today, nurse practitioners are increasingly filling a gap that is expected to widen as the senior population explodes and the number of geriatricians declines. The Health Resources and Services Administration projects a 50 percent increas in demand for geriatricians from 2018 to 2030, when the entire baby boom generation will be older than 65. ...

Coastal Hospice announces leadership appointment: Ann Lovely to lead as President & CEO SBY Business Journal, Salisbury, MD; Press Release; 6/16/25 The Coastal Hospice Board of Directors is proud to announce the appointment of Ann Lovely, RN, BSN, CHPN, as President & Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Lovely has served as Interim President & CEO since June 2024, guiding the organization with strength and compassion through a period of transition. A steadfast leader and one of Coastal Hospice’s longest-tenured team members, Ann brings more than 25 years of dedication, experience, and deep knowledge of hospice and palliative care to her new role. Her appointment is a reflection of her exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to the patients, families, and communities served by Coastal Hospice.

209 women hospital and health system presidents and CEOs to know | 2025 Becker's Hospital Review - Leadership & Management; by Anna Falvey and Allie Woldenberg; 6/16/25 Becker’s is proud to recognize 209+ women presidents and CEOs leading hospitals and health systems across the nation. These inspiring leaders are champions of expanding care access, advancing equity and inclusion, and driving meaningful improvements in how healthcare is delivered. Their vision and leadership are shaping a stronger, more inclusive future for healthcare. ... This list was compiled based on nominations and editorial research. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of included presidents, CEOs, hospitals, health systems or associated healthcare providers. [The following persons have "hospice" in their profile.]

Tricentis’ Adam Rosenbaum discusses key factors on Electronic Health Record modernization ExecutiveBiz - Healthcare IT News; by Miles Jamison; 6/13/25 Modernizing electronic health records is a complex, high-stakes initiative for any healthcare organization, according to Adam Rosenbaum, director of public sector at Tricentis. In a column published Monday on Future Healthcare Today, Rosenbaum likened EHR transformation to a grand symphony, where “technical mastery and flawless coordination” are necessary for its success. ... Rosenbaum stressed the significance of risk management, thorough testing, change management strategies, and proper coordination among teams for an EHR modernization project to succeed. 

A woman died in hospice at a Gilbert memory care facility. Her husband was arrested after staff say they found 'suspicious bruising and markings.' NBC News 12, Gilbert, AZ; Kyra O'Connor; 6/14/25 A man was arrested after staff at a memory care facility in Gilbert reported his wife had "suspicious bruising and markings" on her body, the city's police department said. The woman, who was not identified, passed away in hospice care. Gilbert police officers responded to a memory care facility around 9 a.m. on June 11. Staff at the memory care facility contacted police after noticing "suspicious bruising and markings" on a 58-year-old woman in hospice care who had passed away earlier in the day, at approximately 3 a.m. The woman's husband, 46-year-old Justin Davidson, was in the room at the time of her death, staff told police. ... Davidson was arrested and faces a first-degree murder charge, police said. The investigation is ongoing. Police did not give any further details. Police did not name the memory care facility where the deceased lived. 

Trump administration shared Medicaid data with immigration officials: Report Straight Arrow News; by Kalé Carey; 6/13/25 A newly obtained government memo reveals that immigration officials received access to Medicaid data to assist in deportation efforts. ... The Associated Press reported that emails and a memo show the Department of Health and Human Services ordered staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to release data, including immigration status, on millions of federal program enrollees. The Department of Homeland Security was reportedly given the information, according to the Associated Press. Advisers to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gave CMS staff 54 minutes to hand over the data. CMS staff objected to the request, citing legal and ethical concerns over the type of data being shared. ... 

Inspiration for nursing home leaders: Finding empathy, expertise on the ground and in the airMcKnights Long-Term Care News; by Kimberly Marselas; 6/11/25 In the search for creative strategies, nursing home leaders can’t look just to their own peers. Inspiration is everywhere, as several executives recently told McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. Rhonda Dempsey RN, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Trilogy Health Services, serves in a clinically oriented role, but she says when she wants to better understand the hospitality side of the business, she looks to emulate Marriott, owner of the world’s most hotel beds. “I’m inspired by leaders who prioritize empathy and create cultures that value employees as much as customers,” she told McKnight’s. “Those who focus on purpose-driven leadership and foster environments of inclusion and continuous learning stand out."Editor's Note: The words "hospice" and "hotel" share the same root words "hospes" and "hospitium," meaning "hospitality, host, guest, restful lodging for travelers.

Chapter 6: Medicare’s measurement of rural provider quality MedPAC; 6/12/25 ... Because of low patient volumes in many rural health care settings, there are practical challenges in measuring some individual rural providers’ quality of care and in holding these providers accountable in quality reporting programs. ... The Commission acknowledged these difficulties when it established specific principles to guide expectations about quality in rural areas. These principles were developed with hospitals in mind but could be applied to other providers. ... [On page 4 of 40] Rural skilled nursing facilities and dialysis facilities had lower shares of providers with publicly reported quality results compared with their urban counterparts; in contrast, rural home health agencies and hospices had higher shares of providers with publicly reported quality results compared with their urban counterparts.Editor's Note: For ranking of hospices by quality scores, examine the National Hospice Locator, provided to the public by Hospice Analytics (a sponsor of this newsletter). 

Choices Healthcare President and CEO to retire Central Penn Business Journal; by Rochelle Shenk; 6/12/25 Steve Knaub, president and CEO of Choices Healthcare, will retire December 31, according to a media release. Choices Healthcare is the parent organization of Hospice & Community Care and Hospice of Central PA. The media release said Knaub has been a “driving force behind the organization’s growth, steering it through significant achievements and fostering strong relationships with healthcare partners and the community”. “Serving this organization and our community has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Knaub said in the release, “When I first joined—then Hospice of Lancaster County (in 1998)– we were caring for 140 patients a day. Today, we serve more than 1,000. That growth reflects not only the increasing need for compassionate end-of-life care, but also our unwavering commitment to meeting people where they are, with the support they deserve.”