Literature Review

The complexity of multi-service organizations Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Christ Comeaux with Rebecca Ramsy and Mark Jarman-Howe; 7/30/25 Rebecca Ramsay and Mark Jarman-Howe, two dynamic leaders who are navigating the evolving world of hospice and multi-service healthcare with vision and heart,  share their experiences in managing diverse service lines, emphasizing the importance of culture, workforce resilience, and community engagement. Rebecca and Mark discuss the challenges of balancing mission and margin while fostering innovation and collaboration. The conversation underscores the importance of strategic planning, mentorship, and understanding regulatory frameworks to navigate the healthcare landscape effectively.  

Terminally ill nursing home patients face needless ER visits, hospital stays HealthDay; by Dennis Thompson; 7/28/25 Terminally ill nursing home residents are being hounded to their graves with needless trips to the hospital, a new study says. About 80% of ER visits by terminally ill nursing home residents are potentially avoidable, researchers report in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. Likewise, nearly one-third of hospitalizations among these residents were needless, the study says. Pneumonia, urinary tract infections (UTIs) and sepsis commonly resulted in needless trips to the hospital for terminally ill patients, but better health care and management at nursing homes could have kept these people out of the hospital, researchers argue. 

Association releases first-ever guideline on use of blood tests to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 7/29/25 The Alzheimer’s Association has issued its first clinical practice guideline on the use of blood tests to help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease in people with cognitive impairment. Released at the 2025 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference this week, the guideline establishes performance thresholds that blood-based biomarker tests must meet before they can be used in specialized memory care settings. ... “This is a pivotal moment in Alzheimer’s care,” said Maria C. Carrillo, PhD, the Association’s chief science officer and a guideline co-author. “For the first time, we have a rigorously evidence-based guideline that empowers clinicians to use blood biomarker tests confidently and consistently.”

VITAS® Healthcare announces CEO transition and appointment of new Chief Executive OfficerGlobeNewswire, Miramar, FL; Press Release; 7/30/25VITAS Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading providers of hospice and palliative care, and a subsidiary of Chemed Corporation (NYSE: CHE), today announced that Nicholas M. Westfall will step down as chairman and chief executive officer to pursue other personal and professional opportunities. Joel L. Wherley, president and chief operating officer, was appointed by the Board to succeed Westfall as chief executive officer of VITAS Healthcare. Westfall has served as CEO since 2016, leading VITAS through a period of meaningful growth, operational transformation and reinvestment in its people. “It has been an honor to lead VITAS Healthcare and work alongside such a talented team,” said Westfall. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together and confident that Joel is the right leader to take the company forward.”

How leaders undermine their own authority Harvard Business Review (HBR) On Leadership; podcast with Peter Bregman; 7/23/25 Does your organization lack quality leadership? In this episode of HBR’s advice podcast, Dear HBR:, cohosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn answer your questions with the help of Peter Bregman, the CEO of Bregman Partners and author of the book Leading with Emotional Courage. They talk through what to do when your leaders are indecisive, unprofessional, or value the wrong things.Key episode topics include: leadership, decision making and problem solving, organizational culture, emotional intelligence.

Georgia may be next for enhanced hospice oversight, regulatory affairs expert predicts McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 7/29/25 Warning, hospice providers in Georgia. Your state may be the next target for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Provisional Period of Enhanced Oversight (PPEO). “If you are from Georgia, do not be surprised if something like this comes to your town soon,” Katie Wehri, vice president of regulatory affairs, quality and compliance for the National Alliance for Care at Home, said on the closing day of the Alliance’s Financial Management Summit Tuesday. “The reason is that the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and CMS have both mentioned Georgia as an area where there’s a high number of new hospices.” Four states are currently the subject of PPEO: California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas. California — and specifically Los Angeles County — has been a hotbed of hospice fraud in recent years. 

Crossing Rivers Health hospice service closing after 45 yearsWGLR; by Courtney Chaffee; 7/30/25 An area hospital-based hospice service is closing. Crossing Rivers Health announced this week that it will close its hospice program effective Sept. 30. A press release states that the decision followed “a comprehensive evaluation of healthcare trends.” Crossing Rivers Health is based in Prairie du Chien and the hospice program was established in 1980. It serves patients in Crawford County and portions of Grant County in Wisconsin, as well as patients in portions of Clayton County in Iowa. The release states that Crossing Rivers Health is working with Agrace Hospice Care to help ensure continuity of care for Wisconsin hospice patients. 

VITAS® Healthcare announces CEO transition and appointment of new Chief Executive OfficerGlobeNewswire, Miramar, FL; Press Release; 7/30/25

NCFCU grant helps CVHHH reach more patients seeking end-of-life care Vermont Business Magazine, VB Vermont; by Tim; 7/29/25 Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice (CVHHH) has received a $5,000 grant from NorthCountry Federal Credit Union (NCFCU). The funds will be used to expand hospice and outpatient palliative care services to Central Vermonters who are seeking compassionate end-of-life care and support at home.  ... [CVHHH's] Palliative Care Consultative Service (PCCS) program was launched in 2023 to support Central Vermonters facing serious illness with one-on-one care and emotional support. 

HopeHealth CEO on hospice, palliative care, and the future of serious illness support in Rhode Island Rhode Island PBS; by G. Wayne MIller; 7/22/25 HopeHealth President and CEO Diana Franchitto discusses her personal journey, the organization’s partnership with Brown University, caregiver and grief support services, and how HopeHealth is preparing for its 50th anniversary as a leader in compassionate end-of-life care. ... [Diana Franchitto, "Over the past half-century, HopeHealth has been a trailblazer for serious illness care. As we look to the future, we take that legacy seriously. We want our organization and our community to thrive, but we also have a role in helping the fields of hospice and palliative care thrive on a broader scale. ..."  

Hospice East Bay workers to strike Tuesday KRON-4, Bay Area, CA; by Bay City News; 7/29/25 Hospice East Bay workers say they will strike Tuesday to protest spiking caseloads. Nearly 80 nurses, social workers, chaplains and bereavement counselors at Hospice East Bay joined the National Union of Healthcare Workers in 2023. The group said they’re still seeking their first contract after about 18 months of negotiations. The group said Friday in a statement they “are fed up with a severe understaffing of nurses and frustrated that management is bargaining in bad faith and refusing to enshrine existing patient care protocols into a contract before the hospice turns over control to an out-of-state chain.” 

System wide goals of care implementation: A podcast with Ira Byock, Chris Dale, and Matt GonzalesGeriPal podcast; by Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Ira Byock, Chris Dale, Matt Gonzales; 7/24/25Most health care providers understand the importance of goals-of-care conversations in aligning treatment plans with patients’ goals, especially for those with serious medical problems. And yet, these discussions often either don’t happen or at least don’t get documented. How can we do better? In today’s podcast, we sit down with Ira Byock, Chris Dale, and Matthew Gonzales to discuss a multi-year healthcare system-wide goals of care implementation project within the Providence Health Care System. Spanning 51 hospitals, this initiative [found] an increase from 7% to 85% in goals of care conversation documentation for patients who were in an ICU for 5 or more days. How did they achieve this? Our guests will share insights into the project’s inception and the strategies that drove its success, including: