Literature Review

What’s ahead for AI regulation in 2025? Modern Healthcare; by Brock E.W. Turner; 12/24/24 The development of artificial intelligence in healthcare continues to pace ahead of the industry's ability to regulate the technology. Over the past year, large tech firms partnered with providers and digital health companies to implement healthcare-focused AI at speeds rarely found in the industry. But outside of a few states passing specific health AI bills, legislators have not kept up with development leading the industry to regulate itself. Most experts say comprehensive federal policy that would regulate healthcare AI remains unlikely in 2025, but there will be a lot of activity at the state level and through industry groups. 

SPECIAL EDITION: New Year's Day 2025For December 31st  and January 1st we look back at summary posts about 2024 and projected themes for 2025. May we wisely learn from the past, be present in the present, and forge out the future. We thank you for the hospice and palliative care you provide to our world. Hospice & Palliative Care Today - Cordt Kassner, Publisher, Joy Berger, Editor in Chief, and Cathy Wagner, Assistant Editor.

‘Change in air’ for senior living and care industry in 2025 McKnights Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 12/20/24 “Change is in the air” heading into 2025 for the senior living and care industry, particularly evidenced in regulatory shifts, dementia care, technology expansion and market rebounds, according to the Health Dimensions Group’s annual white paper outlining key issues expected to affect providers in the future.

Hospital CEOs: What to expect from CMS next yearBecker's Hospital CFO Report; by Laura Dyrda; 12/13/24Healthcare providers will face more reimbursement challenges next year, S&P Global predicts, especially as demographic shifts increase the number of Medicare beneficiaries in many markets. Factors likely to pressure providers next year include:

I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind. ~ Neil Gaiman

2024 Review: The best thought leadership of the past year PRovoke Media; by Paul Holmes; 12/27/24 There were some familiar themes, from the impact of artificial intelligence to the changing face of ESG, as well as a focus on geopolitical turmoil and the coming Generation Alpha. ... The content below identifies the most interesting themes of the thought leadership we saw in 2024, and includes 12 surveys conducted by researchers, consulting firms, professional organizations, and agencies.

[Cure] Top palliative care stories from 2024 Cure; by Alex Biese; 12/28/24 This year, CURE® worked to provide education and insight that underscored the importance of palliative care in cancer treatment. Early integration of palliative care, whether through in-person visits, telehealth or ongoing emotional support, can make a significant difference in a patient's quality of life. Here are some of the top articles on the topic of palliative care from 2024.

I have one life and one chance to make it count for something. ~ Former President Jimmy Carter

Hospice News’ top 10 stories of 2024 Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 12/13/24 Fraud and program integrity concerns dominated the news in 2024, along with large acquisitions, payment rules and regulatory changes. This year saw regulatory evolutions spurred by program integrity concerns, as well as the introduction of landmark legislation, shifts in reimbursement trends and a change in presidential administration with unknown impacts across the care continuum. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ramped up auditing activity in the space while also sunsetting the hospice component of its value-based insurance design (VBID) model demonstration ahead of its initial expiration. Meanwhile, lawmakers unveiled a bill with some of the most significant reforms proposed to date for hospice payment and oversight. Dubbed as the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act, the bill has ignited conversations across the industry about future sustainability, growth and program integrity. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

25 Hospital closures in 2024 Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Madeline Ashley; updated 12/27/24, 3:06 pm CT Many hospitals and emergency departments have been forced to close in 2024 due to circumstances like high costs and shifts in care needs. Becker's has reported on 25 hospital and emergency department closures in 2024. [Click on the title's link to view the list.]

Hospice & Palliative Care Today's most read stories of 2024

Children’s Hospital New Orleans dedicates new ‘Bella’s Room’ ComfortCare Suite NewOrleans.com, New Orleans, LA; by Site Staff; 12/26/24 Children’s Hospital New Orleans recently celebrated the opening of “Bella’s Room,” a ComfortCareSM suite designed to serve as a sanctuary for children in need of end-of-life care and their families. ... “With the generous support of the Bella Bowman Foundation, honoring Bella’s lasting legacy, Bella’s Room will transform the way children and families across Louisiana and the Gulf South experience serious illness and end of life care,” said Lindsey Casey, RN, senior vice president and chief nursing officer for Children’s Hospital, said in a release. “This beautiful space will help our team provide family-centered end of life care, while offering a comfortable and serene home-like setting for the entire family to be a part of the care experience.” 

As a hospice nurse, Jaffrey's Nancy Folsom helps make the journey easier The Keene Sentinel, Keene, NH; by Elijah de Castro; 12/28/24 Nancy Folsom has been working around death since she was a teenager in her family’s funeral home, where she was an embalmer apprentice. From there, she took a step back, pursuing a career as a home hospice nurse in the Monadnock Region, where she helps those who are dying confront death. “Death is never easy, at any age or any time,” Folsom said. “We want to make it as human as possible. I’ve always been comfortable with death.” ... Folsom, 62, of Jaffrey, “has never had a boring day” on the job. When she’s not out in the community working, she’s in the Peterborough office of Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services, a local nonprofit provider of home health services that also has offices in Keene and Charlestown. ... Over the years, Folsom has gained experience in how to best read a situation when she gets a new patient. Building trust between a hospice nurse and a patient, Folsom said, takes time, something many of her patients don’t have. Folsom resolves this dilemma by first making sure she is comfortable herself and cultivating a calm, abiding presence. ...