Literature Review

[England] Mother, 79, excited to skydive for hospice BBC; by Susie Rack; 3/22/25 A 79-year-old woman planning a skydive to raise funds for a hospice charity that is caring for her friend said she was not "scared at all." Adventure-seeker Shirley Warnes, from Rugby, Warwickshire, who said she loved rock climbing and helicopter rides, described the jump for Myton Hospice as a "bucket-list challenge." ... She has already raised more than £600 for the charity, which supports people with life-limiting illnesses across Coventry and Warwickshire, to thank them for providing respite care for her friend Gordon, who has motor neurone disease.

Daughter embraces mom’s hospice journey City Sun Times, Phoenix, AZ; by Lin Sue Flood; 3/25/25 As a nurse, Robin Benton is used to caring for people who are ill. But it’s different when your mother is the one who is sick. Her mom, Charlotte Brewer, a former nurse herself, has multiple myeloma, a rare type of blood cancer. In March 2024, the 80-year-old Valley resident decided to stop curative treatments in favor of comfort care with Hospice of the Valley, where she worked for over 10 years, before retiring in 2007. ... Charlotte’s Hospice of the Valley nurse, Kelly Langston, admires the way the family is living this stage of life with great intention, creating new ways to deepen their love for each other. “They came up with an idea for a hug shirt,” shared Kelly. “Everyone in the family painted their arms then took turns hugging each other — stamping an imprint of encircled arms on the shirts. It’s a way to feel each other’s hugs even when they aren’t together.” [Continue reading ...]

5 must-watch TED Talks that will make you a better leader right now Inc; by Peter Economy; 3/21/25Back in 1978, historian and leadership guru James MacGregor Burns said, “Leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth.” While that assessment of leadership may have once been true, I think it’s no longer the case. Today, leadership is a well-understood phenomenon. There are a variety of ways to take your leadership to the next level. Here are five extremely popular—and powerful—TED Talks that will help you do just that. [TED Talk videos are embedded in this article.]

Palliative care clinic offers supportive care for patients with end-stage heart failure Yale School of Medicine; by Rachel Martin; 3/25/25 ... Michael Beasley, MD, [Yale] assistant professor of medicine (cardiovascular medicine), and Nora Segar, MD, [Yale] assistant clinical professor (general internal medicine) and director of palliative medicine at the Saint Raphael Campus of Yale New Haven Hospital, recently established a new outpatient clinic to provide dedicated palliative care for people with end-stage heart failure. ... “For many patients with advanced heart failure, hospice care does not meet their needs until very late in their course,” said Segar, an early champion of the clinic. “Instead, by providing early palliative care outside of the hospital, when it’s not a time of crisis, we can help patients accept and cope with their prognosis, manage their symptoms, and continue making plans for the future.” New patients receive longer appointments, which allows the team to hear their stories and start building relationships with them. [Continue reading ...]Editor's note: For all palliative and hospice leaders, we highlight this last statement: "New patients receive longer appointments, which allows the team to hear their stories and start building relationships with them."

‘Show up and share’: How one UCLA ICU helps patients and staff live with dying Los Angeles Times; by Corinne Purtill; 3/20/25 

Where all think alike, no one thinks very much. ~ Walter Lippman

Avoidable mortality rises in US, bucking global decline Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Mackenzie Bean; 3/26/25 Avoidable mortality has increased in the U.S. for more than a decade, contrasting decreases seen in many other high-income countries, according to a study published March 24 in JAMA Internal Medicine. For the study, researchers at the Brown University School of Public Health analyzed mortality data from the CDC and World Health Organization for people 74 and younger between 2009 and 2021, spanning all 50 states and 40 high-income countries. Avoidable mortality includes deaths that could have been prevented through effective public health measures or timely, high-quality healthcare. [Continue reading ...]

Family Hospice welcomes Charles Hall as new Chief Executive Officer EIN Presswire, Atlanta, GA; by BPR International; 3/11/25Family Hospice is pleased to announce the appointment of Charles (Charlie) Hall as its new Chief Executive Officer. With a distinguished career in healthcare leadership, Hall brings a wealth of experience in driving organizational growth, operational excellence, and strategic innovation to Family Hospice. “We are thrilled to welcome Charlie to Family Hospice,” said Mark Kimsey, chairman of the board and founder of Family Hospice. “His proven track record of leadership, team development, and strategic growth will be instrumental as we continue to expand our mission of providing compassionate, high-quality hospice care to the communities we serve.” "I  am honored to join Family Hospice and to work alongside such a skilled and dedicated team,” said Hall.  [Continue reading ...]

No one can grow if he does not accept his smallness.  ~ Pope Francis

Charting the path forward to Value-Based Care Forbes; by David Snow, Jr.; 3/25/25 The U.S. healthcare system is at a crossroads, embarking on a crucial transformation in how care is financed. For decades, we've operated under a fee-for-service (FFS) model, which incentivizes service volume with little accountability for efficacy or costs. According to the Commonwealth Fund, this model contributes to poor healthcare access, lower care quality and lack of care continuity and is a factor behind the staggering per-capita healthcare costs in the U.S., which are the highest in the world. ... In recent years, we've seen a shift away from the FFS model to progressive value-based care (VBC) models that link provider payments to patient outcomes, care quality and cost efficiency. This is a fundamental overhaul of healthcare economics, and although it may be challenging and disruptive, I believe it's essential. [Continue reading ...]

Pope Francis was so close to death that doctors considered ending treatment Reuters, Vatican City; by Joshua McElwee; 3/25/25 Pope Francis came so close to death at one point during his 38-day fight in hospital against pneumonia that his doctors considered ending treatment so he could die in peace, the head of the pope's medical team said. After a breathing crisis on February 28 ... "there was a real risk he might not make it," said Sergio Alfieri, a physician at Rome's Gemelli hospital. "We had to choose if we would stop there and let him go, or to go forward and push it with all the drugs and therapies possible, running the highest risk of damaging his other organs," Alfieri told Italy's Corriere della Sera in an interview published on Tuesday [3/25]. "In the end, we took this path," he said. [Continue reading ...]

Calvary Hospital doubles down on palliative care and hospice expansion Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 3/24/25 Michael Fosina began serving as president of Calvary Hospital in New York City in January, bringing decades of healthcare experience to the role. ... Mr. Forsina told Becker’s he’s excited about Calvary’s mission as the organization celebrates its 125th anniversary. Recently, the hospital integrated services with its parent organization, ArchCare, the healthcare ministry of the Archdiocese of New York. Mr. Fosina shared his perspective on Calvary’s role in New York and its future in meeting patient needs. ... [Michael Fosina described:] "ArchCare has all of the components of post-acute care when you include our end-of-life hospital and our hospice program. The integration allows us to accept patients, move patients around, have them stay connected with the physician — the team physician. So the transitions of care are not as dramatic as if you’re going from one organization to the next organization." [Continue reading ...]

Assisted ventilation withdrawal in motor neuron disease: updated results BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care; by Lucy Bleazard, Jonathan Palmer, David Wenzel, Thomas Jeffery, and Christina Faull; 3/24/25 Introduction: Patients with ventilator-dependent motor neuron disease (MND) may request withdrawal of their assisted ventilation. Facilitating this process as a healthcare professional (HCP) can be emotionally and practically challenging. The Association for Palliative Medicine (APM) issued guidance to support HCPs and invited anonymised accounts of the withdrawal process to provide an update on the guidance. ... Results: Younger patients tended to need higher doses to achieve adequate symptom management prior to withdrawal. Practices of weaning the ventilator varied significantly between respondents. The median time to death following withdrawal of ventilation was 30 min, with three-quarters of patients dying within 2 hours. Conclusion: This is the largest data set to date regarding the withdrawal of assisted ventilation in MND. This updated analysis reaffirms that a personalised, titrated approach remains appropriate and effective. The revised APM Guidance 2025 incorporates new sections on recommendations for managing the ventilator. [Continue reading ...]