Literature Review

AI in action: Exploring how AI is helping hospices do things in new ways Husch Blackwell; podcast by Meg S.L. Pekarske with Dina Yankelewitz; 7/16/25 Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske is joined by Dina Yankelewitz, CEO of Vitalis Care, a technology company that is harnessing AI technology to reduce staff burden and allow more time for patient care. Dina shares her vision and passion for the hospice space, discussing how she applied her background in education and learning methods to inform not only what tools to develop but importantly how they work for the end user. Dina and Meg explore what AI is good at as well as its limits and why scheduling optimization, compliance, and reimbursement were the first areas Vitalis tackled.

Medicare telehealth trends: Information on telehealth use by Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiaries Data.CMS.gov; Centers for Medicaree & Medicaid Services; 7/16/25 Data update frequency: Quarterly Latest data available: Q4 2025The Medicare Telehealth Trends dataset provides information about people with Medicare who used telehealth services between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2024. The data were used to generate the Medicare Telehealth Trends Report.

Understanding the influence of culture on end-of-life, palliative, and hospice care: A narrative review Cureus; by Veena Hira, Sainamitha R. Palnati, and Saajan Bhakta; 7/15/25 ... This narrative review included 25 relevant publications related to influence of culture and patient demographics on end-of-life care, hospice, and palliative care. As each culture has its own unique views on death and dying, it is crucial to note these cultural differences when assisting with end-of-life care to best align with patients’ beliefs and values. Themes such as cultural barriers, communication preferences and family roles emerged from the publications. ... This narrative review offered a snapshot of how culture influences end-of-life decisions worldwide, specifically in East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America, while highlighting themes of 1) truth disclosure and communication preferences, 2) patient autonomy and family involvement, and 3) perception of illness and death. ... Central to providing effective end-of-life care is open, culturally tailored communication that respects patients’ and families’ values, facilitated through shared decision-making discussions. ... Ultimately, integrating cultural understandings of death and dying into end-of-life care planning is not simply a matter of sensitivity, but it is a matter of quality and equity. Health systems must not only provide choices but ensure those choices are intelligible, meaningful, and respectful within the patient’s worldview.Editor's Note: Pair this today's post, My health and my politics walk into a doctor’s office …

Silver tsunami brings new challenges for end-of-life care NPR Network, KANW New Mexico Public Radio; by Jenny Kinsey; 7/16/25 ... Inhora isn’t a hospice but it describes itself as a social model hospice house that provides a place to be. The nonprofit opened in April and contracts with several local hospice providers to provide end of life support. ... Inhora gets its support through donations and volunteer help which enables their guests to stay for free. That’s the idea behind Inhora, said Miles Gloetzner, RN, Inhora’s founder and Executive Director. ... Investigating the idea led him to the Omega Home Network, a national network of comfort care homes, and other communities with the same mission bringing comfort and caring to those at the end of life . That’s when he realized his dream was not his alone. A comfort care home or social model hospice house provides free room and board for patient/guests and a family member or friend while they receive hospice care. ... Comfort homes like Inhora are found across Mountain West states, including Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. The idea isn’t new. For instance, the Omega Home Network was founded in 2003 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is a national organization of 50 comfort care homes – and growing rapidly with 79 in development.

Opinion: My health and my politics walk into a doctor’s office … The Washington Post; by Kim Fellner; 7/16/25 [Note: Access is behind a paid firewall, with an option to set up a temporary free account]... My palliative care doctor and I have almost nothing in common. We’re still learning from each other. ... It began simply enough. By October, my sarcoma had moved from possibly curable to definitively terminal, and, since metastasis to the bones can be painful, my anchor oncologist offered to connect me with a palliative care doctor to help with the physical and conceptual aches and pains of dying. Which seemed like a good thing to do. ... I did not anticipate, however, that the personal and the political would collide in my doctor’s office. ... [Descriptions unfold of significant, conflicted dialogue between (1) this Jewish daughter of holocaust survivors whose life-long vocation was social justice and (2) this Christian palliative care physician who asked about mental health and then dismissed this person's primary concerns that were affecting her dying.] ... Clearly, my doctor and I shared some beliefs about the importance of the palliative approach. ... But as the doctor noted, the best palliative care goes beyond the purely physical to address the more cosmic questions of life and death, and I was uncertain we were well matched as partners for this intimate process. ... I had no idea how to proceed. ... [More descriptions.] ... And that’s where the magic happened. Within a few days, my palliative care doctor sent me back a transparent, thoughtful and moving response. ... Her courage and openness, her willingness to risk a forthright response, have precipitated a remarkable dialogue about what each of us brings into the room, and how we can honor the space and each other once we get there. ... Editor's Note: Whatever one's political or religious stance, this article is sure to spark fireworks—of conflict, dissonance, and, hopefully, powerful insight. I encourage readers to engage with it attentively, attuned to three things:

HOPE Blog Part III – Navigating change with confidence Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); by Melissa Colkins; 7/16/25 The HOPE tool arrives October 1, ready or not. While some teams will stumble through implementation, others will use this moment to demonstrate what effective change management actually looks like. The question isn't whether change is hard - it's whether your organization will emerge stronger because of how you handle it. Here's the reality: every meaningful change follows a predictable pattern. Teams don't just flip a switch and suddenly excel with new systems. They move through distinct phases - each with its own challenges and opportunities for growth. Understanding this journey is what separates organizations that merely survive change from those that leverage it for lasting improvement.

Hospice & Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard announces leadership change MVTimes.com, Martha's Vineyard, MA; by The Martha's Vineyard Times; 7/16/25 After a productive five years at the helm of Hospice & Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard (HPCMV), Executive Director Cathy Wozniak, MPH, MBA, announced that she will retire on Dec. 31, 2025, ending her 40-plus years serving hospices and healthcare across the country. “My proudest moments were making sure HPCMV obtained Medicare certification, allowing it to better serve more people on this Island,” Cathy said, “and helping our talented staff create long-term strategy and a succession plan.” The board has unanimously selected Chantale Patterson, RN, BSN, as HPCMV’s next executive director. Chantale, who has served as the organization’s clinical director for the past eight years, said she is “grateful for this opportunity to lead HPCMV’s next chapter of service to Martha’s Vineyard patients and their families, increasing Islanders’ understanding of Hospice’s services and achieving sustainable growth.”

With new facility, Mourning Dove Grief Care expands help for survivors of loss Oil City News, Casper, WY; by Dan Cepe; 7/16/25 Death can be natural, or it can be cruel and unexpected. It is, however, an inevitable part of the human experience that can affect survivors in countless ways possibly for the remainder of their lives. ... Mourning Dove Grief Care, a service by Central Wyoming Hospice & Transitions, aims to provide that help to members of the community.  ... The [new] facility will allow anyone in the community suffering from loss to walk in and schedule appointments or join a support group, whether they’ve gone through Hospice or not. The program itself started when Hospice noted the need for grief care in the community, particularly for people suffering from sudden losses. “Interestingly enough, we found that even therapists and counselors were referring to us when they had clients dealing with loss,” she said. 

Family first: Embracing milestone achievements in pediatric care Carolina Caring, Newton, NC; Press Release; 7/15/25 ... Cardinal Kids [recently] became the first hospice organization in North Carolina to receive CHAP’s Pediatric Care at Home Certification. This milestone affirms what our patients and families already know: our program delivers care that is not only clinically focused, but also family-oriented, deeply personal, and rooted in hope. For the Cardinal Kids team, seeking the CHAP Pediatric Care at Home Certification wasn’t about achieving something new—it was about sharing the best practices we deliver to every patient, every day. As Cardinal Kids Director Emily Scholler explained, “The benchmarks CHAP presented were already in place at our program. Why not show CHAP how great this pediatric program is?” As part of the CHAP preparation process, our team assessed, developed, and showcased a model of care that’s always been central to who we are. We presented this model to CHAP surveyors as “A Focus on L.I.F.E.”

Hospice of the Ozarks: 2026 Pet Peace of Mind Calendar  KTLO.com, Mountain Home, AR; by Hospice of the Ozarks; 7/16/25 Hospice of the Ozarks is excited to continue our Pet Peace of Mind Pet Calendar. This tradition of an annual pet calendar continues to support the Hospice of the Ozarks Pet Peace of Mind Program. From July 10th to July 24th pet lovers will have the opportunity to upload a digital photo of their beloved companion to enter the contest for the 2026 wall calendar. Voting will be held between August 1st to August 15th. ... All funds raised will help support our Pet Peace of Mind Program. The Pet Peace of Mind’s mission is to enrich the quality of life and well-being of hospice patients and their families by caring for the pets they love.Editor's Note: What a creative, fun way to raise funds to support this extra program! Pet Peace of Mind is a registered trademark for Pet Peace of Mind, Inc. "the only national program providing a care model for the pets of seriously ill patients, including helping orphaned pets find a loving new home when necessary." Click here for its locations in 43 states (plus Washington DC) and the over 250 organizations they serve.

Leveraging speedy admissions to support hospice growth Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/16/25 Seamless and fast admissions processes are crucial to hospice growth. Speedy hospice patient admissions can lead to improved referral numbers, profitability and length of stay. Yet, hospices need to carefully navigate their patient admission processes to maximize both quality and their revenue. The hospices that do this effectively have a core set of key performance indicators that they look at consistently, according to Tony Kudner, chief strategy officer of the consulting firm Transcend Strategy Group. “The ones that look at data and are constantly asking themselves, ‘How can we paint the fullest picture of eligibility and get to that patient as quickly as possible?’ are the ones that we would say are the ones that are successful,” Kudner told Hospice News. “The people who have that information at their fingertips and use it to drive decision making are usually the ones who are sustaining their organizations and growing.”

Wisdom in leadership—Do we have the time to be wise? Forbes; by Melanie Hughes; 7/13/25 In today’s corporate world, where speed often seems like the ultimate competitive advantage, many leaders and organizations risk losing something far more valuable: wisdom. The question is pressing—do we have time to be wise? I was inspired to revisit this question by Manfred Kets de Vries’ essay on wisdom. Kets de Vries reminds us, “wisdom can’t be taught,” it emerges instead through life’s crucible: reflection, vulnerability, relationship, and, perhaps most importantly, teaching others. He argues that simply transmitting information—even the best advice—is not enough to cultivate wisdom. It comes from grappling with ambiguity and experimenting in the messy reality of life and work.