Literature Review

Instilling hope: A comprehensive model of cancer care for younger adults Targeted Oncology; by Andrea Eleazar, MHS and Shane Dormady, MD, PhD; 9/29/25 In the past decade, the incidence of numerous cancer types has increased, particularly among younger adults under age 50. For younger adults, many of whom are primary breadwinners of their households or in the height of their educational or professional careers, a cancer diagnosis at this life stage can be unexpected and jarring. ... In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Shane Dormady, MD, PhD, medical director of El Camino Health Cancer Center, describes the unique needs and challenges of younger adults, outlines El Camino Health’s comprehensive care strategy, and offers insights and considerations for treating and interacting with this patient population.

Commentary: New York must act now to protect quality hospice care Times Union; by Cara Pace, Liz Krueger and Amy Paulin; 9/30/25 When your loved one is entering the final stage of their life, who would you rather manage their care: a nonprofit solely dedicated to providing the highest quality care possible? Or a private entity seeking to maximize profits? ... However, for-profit hospices now account for 70% of the market, up from 5% 35 years ago. This comes despite studies showing that for-profit hospices provide fewer essential services, employ less skilled staff, receive a higher volume of complaints and contribute less to their communities than their nonprofit counterparts. ... That's why we introduced legislation (S.3437/A.565) to prohibit the state from approving new applications for the establishment, construction or increased capacity of for-profit hospice entities. The two existing for-profit providers would not be touched, though their capacity to expand would be limited. The legislation now awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature.Editor's Note: For-profit or non-profit status alone does not speak to the quality of care provided by the individual hospice. Some for-profits provide excellent care; some non-profits do not. This article speaks to evidence-based data, quality scores, patterns, trends, and cumulative results from CAHPS, HIS (which is being replaced by the HOPE Tool, effective today), and more. Examine quality scores in your services with the National Hospice Locator (ranked by scores), provided by National Hospice Analytics.

[Portugal] End-of-life care in the prison environment (supplement #22) ehospice, republished from by Portual Plus; 9/25/25 “Inmates who are dependent on assistance have a significant need for help from fellow prisoners,” stated Manuel Almeida dos Santos, secretary-general of the Obra Vicentina de Auxílio aos Reclusos (OVAR) [i.e., St. Vincent de Paul Work to Aid Prisoners], citing the lack of nursing aides and other professionals within prisons. “The shortage of human resources is not limited to prison guards. The deficiencies in prisons are even greater in other areas,” he argued. This concern was echoed by Vítor Ilharco, president of the Associação Portuguesa de Apoio ao Recluso [i.e., Portuguese Association for Prisoner Support], who mentioned cases of sick or elderly inmates who are bedridden, with their families paying “fixed amounts” to other inmates for assistance. Editor's Note: Log in to your newsletter account, type "prison" in the "Search" field, and compare this with many articles we've published on this topic; notably, "IL law calls for annual report on prison hospice, palliative care" and "Death and redemption in an American prison."

Long COVID hitting doctors and nurses hard Medscape; by David Brzostowkicki; 9/3/25 Jeffrey Siegelman, MD, contracted COVID-19 in August 2020 and, 3 months later, published a paper online in JAMA about his experiences. Today, he’s still dealing with the symptoms, as one of many healthcare providers who have long COVID. He said his experience highlights the impact of long COVID on hundreds of thousands of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, by some estimates, who have been on the frontlines fighting the pandemic from the beginning. “I reflect on that paper from JAMA, and I thought that 3 months was a long time,” said Siegelman, associate professor of emergency medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine and a practicing emergency room doctor in Atlanta. “And here I am, 5 years later, and I still have symptoms. I think that’s the case for a lot of patients with long COVID, that it just keeps getting longer.”

Master gardeners in New Hampshire cultivate community and connection ABC WMUR-9, Auburn, NH; by Erin Fehlau and Mary-Paige Provost; 9/26/25 On Thursday mornings at the New Hampshire Audubon's Massabesic Center in Auburn, dozens of volunteers from the University of New Hampshire Extension's Master Gardener Program can be found getting their hands dirty, welcoming visitors and sharing their gardening knowledge. ... One way master gardeners give back is by volunteering at therapy gardens, such as the Community Hospice House in Merrimack. ... "The house has been designed so that every room has a private patio, and the patients can be outside. The idea is to bring life into the rooms and honor the life cycle," master gardener Jean Abramson said. 

40 HR executives gathered to discuss today’s biggest challenges: Here is what they said Seramount; by Grace Licsko; 9/26/25 This month, Seramount convened more than 40 CHROs and senior HR leaders for our latest HR Executive Board Roundtable. The event included findings from Seramount’s interviews with 100 CHROs and featured a fireside chat with Jacqui Canney, Chief People and AI Enablement Officer at ServiceNow. Across the day, participants exchanged perspectives on a wide range of priorities, from culture and hybrid work to sustaining employee well-being. But the conversation largely centered around GenAI. Below are some key takeaways and themes from the conversation. 

Elizabeth Earley explores the fear of death in new essay collection SGN - Seattle & The Pacific Northwest's LGBTQIA+ News & Network; by Lindsey Anderson; 9/26/25 ... Humans often push the idea of death to the fringes of our minds, especially in Western cultures. However, for writer and clinical research scientist Elizabeth Earley, this topic contains multitudes as vast as the human experience. The more she studied the history and science of mortality, the more she found an underlying beauty, which inspired her latest work, Little Deaths All in a Row, a collection of prose diving deep into death. ... Realizing death is the inevitable end for us all, Earley decided to face her fear. "I believe the best way to get over fearing something is just to get closer to it and more intimate with it, so that's what I did," she said. She began volunteering in a hospice program as a form of exposure therapy. 

Hospice of the Chesapeake’s popular Golf Tournament raises more than $210K Hospice of the Chesapeake; Press Release; 9/29/25 Thanks to an impressive lineup of sponsors, the dedication of volunteers and the hundreds of golfers who came out to play, Hospice of the Chesapeake’s annual Golf Tournament was another great success. The event raised more than $210,000 in support of the nonprofit’s mission to care for families in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles and Prince George’s counties. Held Sept. 25 at Queenstown Harbor Golf Course, the day was filled with good cheer, delicious food and generous hospitality ... This success would not have been possible without the businesses, organizations and individuals in the community who stepped up as sponsors, ... This event helps families experience moments of joy, dignity and connection at one of life’s hardest times.

10 top areas for growth, per health system CEOs and CFOs Becker's Hospital Review; by Laura Dyrda; 9/25/25 As healthcare continues to face financial pressures, workforce shortages, and rising patient expectations, health system executives are reimagining their strategies for growth. In a series of connections with C-suite leaders across the country, 10 themes surfaced again and again ... Here are the 10 most frequently cited growth areas, and how they shape the future of healthcare.

Melinda Mullet: Hospice helps us die well. But barriers and misconceptions prevent access to services. The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA; by Melinda Mullet; 9/28/25 Hospice helps us die well. But barriers and misconceptions prevent access to services. ... To read an in-depth analysis of the barriers to hospice and the steps needed to ensure a robust end-of-life care in the future, my full report, “The Hope of Hospice: Reimaging End-of-Life Care in an Aging America,” is available at cpjustice.org/flipbook/2025-hatfield-prize-reports.

Acara Healthcare names Kerri Pendley Chief Executive Officer EIN Presswire, Dallas, TX; by Momentum Healthcare and Technology Consulting; 9/25/25 Acara Healthcare today [9/25] announced the appointment of Kerri Pendley as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 8, 2025. Pendley, who has served as Interim CEO since October 2024, was unanimously confirmed by the Board of Directors in recognition of her leadership during a pivotal year for the organization. With more than two decades of leadership experience in post-acute and home-based care, Pendley has guided Acara through a period of renewal and transformation. During her interim tenure, she stabilized operations, implemented cost-saving initiatives, and spearheaded a comprehensive growth strategy across Acara’s personal care, home health, and hospice service lines. 

New Missoula palliative care clinic celebrates expansion of patient care options KPAX-8, Missoula, MT; by Cynthia Carranza; 9/25/25 Missoula now has a dedicated space for patients and families to have serious conversations about life-limiting illnesses with the opening of a new Palliative Care clinic. The new clinic inside Partners in Home Care held its grand opening this week, celebrating the facility that has been serving patients since July. ... The new clinic on Palmer Street will complement, not replace, existing home visit services.

Nearly 150,000 patient records exposed in major healthcare data breach – here’s what we know MSN / TechRadar Pro; by Sead Fadilpasic; 9/26/25 Archer Health, a US-based in-home and palliative care service provider, kept an unprotected database available on the wider internet, leaking sensitive personal and health data to anyone who knew where to look, experts have warned. ... Overall, these files, which and measured in at 23GB, also contained people’s names, patient ID numbers, SSNs, postal addresses, phone numbers, and other personally identifiable information (PII). Other documents contained diagnoses, treatments, and other potentially sensitive healthcare data.