Literature Review

The human cost of health care automation MedPageToday's KevinMD.com; by Christie Mulholland; 11/8/25 AI is rolling out in medicine faster than most of us can process. Ambient scribes documenting visits. Clinical decision support algorithms. Automated prior authorizations. The promises are compelling: reduced clerical burden, more face-time with patients, less burnout. I wanted this. As a palliative care doctor and director of physician well-being at my institution, ... [when] AI tools promised relief, I advocated for them. ... 

Pidgie Chapman marks nearly four decades as a hospice volunteer The Pilot; by Maggie Boncurrter; 11/7/25 The ladies weren’t exactly Thelma and Louise of big screen fame, but they probably looked very similar driving through the Moore County community of Addor. FirstHealth Hospice volunteer Pidgie Chapman had a patient decades ago who loved to dress up and wear fancy hats. Chapman had quite the chapeau collection, so she presented her patient with a giant, floppy hat while donning a similar one. “In those days we could drive our patients around,” said Chapman, who has been a hospice volunteer since 1986. “We got in the car and visited all her friends – in our hats. She was absolutely delighted.” ... Chapman is one of the area’s most seasoned hospice volunteers, starting her career soon after the philosophy of care took hold in Moore County. 

The sliver of light after losing a child: Personal perspective - a child's loss can provide elusive and rare gifts. Psychology Today; by David R Patterson PhD, ABPP; by 11/10/25 I have often said that working with patients who are dying has brought an ironic, but transient, feeling of exhilaration to my life. Most care providers who work in hospice will explain to us that people who are aware of their impending mortality have a sense of being in the present that those of us who are not so close to that inevitability can only admire from a distance. ... I don’t know whether this resonates with other parents that have lost a child, but I can say that a very clear impact of my son’s loss has been to become acutely aware of my own mortality. ... After living with my son’s death for three years, I am only just beginning to grasp the lessons that his death is teaching me.

Columbus Community Hospital unveils advance health care directives toolkit Columbus Community Hospital, Columbus, NE; News Release; 11/4/25 When you’re planning for future health care decisions, you need to talk to your loved ones about values, priorities and the quality of life you want. To help you in this process, Columbus Community Hospital’s ethics committee created an advance health care directives tool kit. ... This toolkit does not replace an attorney’s services; rather, it is a way for people to start thinking about what they want. ... Each toolkit contains the following resources:

Understanding the importance of leadership development training in today's workforceJoyRulez - JR; by davidnbell; 11/10/25 Leadership development training has become a cornerstone for businesses aiming to create a sustainable and high-performing workforce. This article explores the significance of leadership development training and its role in shaping the future of organizations in the United States. ... 

A new treasure arrives to downtown Menomonie Volume One, Wisconsin; 11/11/25 ... Adoray’s Treasures from the Heart (521 2nd St. E, Menomonie) — the newest addition to Adoray Home Health & Hospice’s fundraising thrift stores — opened its doors earlier this summer. In just a few short months, this second-hand boutique has captured the hearts of community members, Amber Bettinger-Lytle, Adoray’s director of marketing and development said. “Every item that comes through our doors tells a story,” Bettinger-Lytle shared. “When someone donates a household item or buys a sweater, that act of kindness ripples outward, helping us bring care, compassion and hope to someone in need.”Editor's Note: This article's tone and wording moves it from a typical sales promotion to meaning and purpose, linking past, present and future. 

HPNA announces 2026 award recipients Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA); Press Release; 11/10/25 The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) congratulates the following individuals on being selected as 2026 HPNA Award recipients.

Telehealth flexibilities expired. Here's how providers are coping. TechTarget - xtelligent Virtual Healthcare; by Anuja Vaidya; 11/10/25 Telehealth flexibilities ended on Sept. 30, forcing providers to halt new virtual visits, risk financial losses or drive hundreds of miles for rural patient care. ... This has not only had a significant impact on the operations and finances of these providers but also led to concerns about the future of telehealth access. ...

Difference-making factors linked to higher reach of Specialist Palliative Care among people with heart failure across a national sample of VA Medical Centers American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Yan Zhan, PhD, RN, MBA, Edward J. Miech, EdD, Erica A. Abel, PhD, MD, and Shelli L. Feder, PhD, APRN, FPCN, FAHA; 11/10/25 Conclusion:  High Specialist Palliative Care (SPC) reach among people with advanced heart failure (aHF) was linked to combinations of several modifiable factors related to staffing, cardiology involvement, and outpatient palliative care. These findings provide actionable insights into improving SPC delivery across VAMCs.Editor's Note: What education or other partnerships do you have with VA Medical Centers in your service areas? Or, what gaps for veterans exist because of a lack of VA Medical Centers? Use these "combinations of modifiable factors related to staffing, cardiology involvement, and outpatient palliative care" for your strategic planning to improve care for veterans struggling with advanced heart failure.

Care of the dying patient: Maximizing compassionate care on the battlefield Military Medicine; by Kathryn B Muir, Jeremy Edwards, Rebeccah Dindinger, Benjamin Ingram, Benjamin Baker; 11/9/25... Palliative care has also been employed throughout history on the battlefield and is a vital component of compassionate care for dying patients. Unfortunately, its use on the battlefield is an unpalatable topic with little formal documentation. ... We must prepare now to reduce the pain and suffering of dying patients on the battlefield and potentially mitigate the degree of moral injury sustained by the personnel managing those casualties. Consider ...

LifeCare Home Health acquires Infinity Hospice Care Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 11/7/25 LifeCare Home Health in Nevada has acquired Infinity Hospice Care for an undisclosed amount. Infinity serves patients across Nevada and Arizona. Through the deal, LifeCare also obtains a Las Vegas-based inpatient facility. The transaction marks the company’s first entry into the Arizona marketplace. Editor's Note: LifeCare Home Health recently acquired St. Gabriel's Hospice & Palliative Care in Texas. 

"The Wounded Generation": Bearing the invisible scars of war CBS News; by Lesley Stahl; 11/9/25 In 1984, President Reagan commemorated the 40th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy, and paid tribute to the World War II soldiers known as "The Greatest Generation." ... But in his new book, historian David Nasaw calls them "The Wounded Generation." "They are the Greatest Generation, but they returned from war, bringing wounds home with them that are invisible; they're psychic wounds," he said. "Now we know that a lot of those wounds were PTSD. But PTSD was not diagnosed for 40 years after the return of the World War II veterans. ... Nasaw said [of his own father,] "He came home smoking three or four packs of Luckys a day. He came home with a heart condition from the war. He dies at age 61. And I had never had the chance to find out what happened in Eritrea, what he went through. So, what do I do as a historian? I can't find out his story, so I jumped in to find out the story of his generation."Editor's Note: While most World War II veterans are now gone, many of today’s hospice patients—particularly those who served in combat—carry similar invisible scars. Their psychic wounds, once unnamed, often resurface in life’s final chapter. This story also echoes in their adult children, who now seek to understand the unspoken pain that shaped their families. For more insight and support—especially regarding post-9/11 veterans—see the Wounded Warriors Project.