Literature Review

Directors and Boards: Executive session, Episode 37: Lisa Piercey, Venita Fields and Charles Elson Executive Session, The Directors & Boards podcast; with Lisa Piercy, Venita Fields and Charles Elson; 2/17/26 This episode explores composition on health-related boards, the role of the board in capital investment and allocation, and director compensation. ... In this episode of Executive Session, the official podcast of Directors & Boards, we speak with Lisa Piercey, director of National HealthCare Corporation, about the importance of having entrepreneurial clinicians on health-related boards. In our second interview, Venita Fields, director of Superior Group of Companies, examines the board’s role in capital investment and allocation. And in our final discussion, Charles Elson, director of Enhabit Home Health & Hospice and executive editor at large of Directors & Boards, dives into the principles that should guide director compensation.

A patient’s visit home Parkview Health; by Tim O'Sullivan, Parkview Hospice; 2/17/26 The Canal Stock Farm is more than a historical landmark along Old 24 in New Haven, Indiana. It is the home to now six generations of Ronald Hockemeyer’s family. Over the past year, members of the Parkview Hospice team had the privilege of getting to know Ron and the legacy of his familial home. ... Ron expressed his desire to have just one more day on the farm with his Parkview Hospice social worker, Emily Zimmerman. Emily was aware of a new program that makes the wishes of Parkview Hospice patients come true. She filled out the application and identified all the resources needed to secure a safe visit. Through the generosity of donors to the Parkview Foundation Hospice Fund, Ron’s day on the farm was made a reality.

Bridge Hospice Pet Adoption Program KCBD-11, Lubbock, TX; by Julie Castaneda; 2/17/26 Bridge Hospice has started a Pet Adoption Program to help hospice patients, who often need loving homes for their well-loved pets during their end-of-life care.

Letter to the editor: Thank you for your support of Hospice of the Plains Special to Journal-Advocate, Sterling, CO; by Hospice of the Plains; 2/17/26  On behalf of the entire Hospice of the Plains, Inc team, our hearts are full as we reflect on the incredible outpouring of support for this year's Fryin' and Buyin' Hometown Hospice Auction and Benefit. Thanks to the generosity, kindness, and community spirit of so many, this year's event was a remarkable success, raising around $48,500 to support compassionate hospice care right here at home. This auction was so much more than a fundraiser. It was a heartwarming celebration of community, connection, and shared purpose. [The rest of this letter may be limited to a paywall.]

Is your ladder leaning against the wrong wall? Richard Mobley on leadership and calling | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); hosted by Chris Comeaux with Richard Mobley; 2/18/26 What if you spend decades building a successful career—only to realize you were climbing the wrong ladder?  In this episode of TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership, executive leadership coach Richard Mobley, Founder and Principal of the Seven Four Group, Inc. and the Be Far More! System, joins Chris Comeaux to explore one of the most important questions leaders face: What comes after success? For CEOs, healthcare executives, and Hospice leaders approaching retirement or transition, this conversation centers on the critical shift from achievement to lasting significance—and what it truly means to finish well. 

Behind every flawless performance is a thousand falls on the ice.

How to plan for a ‘good death,’ according to a VCU researcher VCU News, Virginia Commonwealth University; by Madeline Reinsel; 2/16/26 People talk a lot more about death than dying. That’s according to Yifan Lou, Ph.D., a Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work assistant professor who studies how expectations around death and end-of-life care differ across cultures. ... “My job is really trying to understand different populations and then help design a policy and health care system that can support their value of the good death.” Planning for a good death requires patients and families to make decisions around hospice care, pain management, quality of life, financial affairs and long-term care, ideally alongside a social worker.

Prison teaches Rock Island man how to care for others wn.com, The Daily Nonpariel; by Tom Loewy; 2/15/26 Finis Leonard has helped 13 men die. That's not why the 48-year-old Rock Island native has been in Illinois prisons since 2007. Handed concurrent sentences of 30 years for being an armed habitual criminal and 10 years for the unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, Leonard made a decision in 2016 that he says changed his life. He decided to study palliative care and started a hospice care program at Danville Correctional Center. Leonard said working with dying men and helping others learn palliative care has made him a better person. He has petitioned Rock Island County State's Attorney Dora Villarreal for early release from his prison sentence, which is expected to last another six years. [Full article is behind a paywall.]

Physician Associates [PAs] in hospice and palliative medicine: Insights from a national needs assessment American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Ryan Baldeo, MPAS, MSPC, PA-C, FAAHPM; 2/3/26Results: Respondents were primarily female (89.8%) and hospital-based (57.1%), with 73.5% less than or equal to 10 years of experience in the specialty. While 55.1% had specialized training, only 16.3% were specialty certified. Qualitative analysis identified five challenges: regulatory and policy hurdles, workforce disparities compared to other APPs, misconceptions about the PA role, education gaps, and emotional strain.Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest a need for targeted organizational support in advocacy, particularly regarding legislative efforts for hospice inclusive, and professional development to bridge the certification gap.

This American Heart Month, Carolina Caring elevates cardiac care for serious illness Carolina Caring, Newton, NC; Press Release; 2/9/26 February is American Heart Month, a national effort to raise awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. As of 2025, 6.7 million Americans over the age of 20 are living with heart failure (Heart Failure Society of America, 2025). ... In response, Carolina Caring’s Advanced Cardiac Care program provides effective, tailored support to patients with chronic heart conditions. As the first cardiac care program of its kind in North Carolina, Carolina Caring combines nationally recognized standards of care with a home-based hospice approach. 

The Winter Olympics prove that strength can shine even in the harshest conditions.

Mourning a former spouse: Disenfranchised grief AfterTalk; by Dr. Robert Neimeyer; 2/16/26 Dear Dr. Neimeyer, ... Upon hearing that my ex died of cancer last February, I reacted viscerally which surprised my husband. I had to handle some of my ex’s legal affairs as he never remarried. Occasionally since then, I get flooded with memories of him and the good times we shared. It’s almost haunting. I am saddened he is missing the wonderful events in our children’s’ lives. Do people mourn their divorced spouses years after remarriage?  ... CarlaDear Carla, ... [Read Dr. Neimeyer's response]

Oregon considers bill to stop hospice scammers from entering state Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 2/13/26 State lawmakers in Oregon are mulling a bill designed to combat hospice fraud. Senate Bill 1575 would prevent hospices that have committed fraud or provided substandard care in other states from setting up shop in Oregon. If enacted, the Oregon Health Authority, a state agency, would examine the history of companies seeking to open hospices before approving a license, including Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey results, among other information.