Literature Review

Local organization offers guidance for grieving during the holidaysKKCO11 Grand Junction, CO; by Bella Demosthenous; 10/24/25HopeWest provides resources and advice for those struggling with loss during the festive season. HopeWest, a local organization that specializes in helping people grieve, shares advice on how to navigate the holidays while battling grief. “My encouragement is to show self-compassion for yourself first and foremost. It’s not an easy thing to do outside of grief,” said Jodi Molina Lopez, HopeWest youth counselor.

10 smart questions to ask before hiring an IT services company DesignRush; by Sergio Oliveira; 10/28/25 A first-hand guide for CEOs on how to vet IT vendors, avoid scope traps, and ensure accountability beyond the pitch. ... Every IT partner looks capable during a pitch — that’s their job. The challenge is separating an agency's confidence from day-to-day reality. I’ve learned that asking the right questions early is the only way to find out how potential agencies will handle change, protect uptime, and keep you in control of your own data. 

Headwaters Hospice and Palliative Care appoints James Bisom as new CEO CityBuzz; Press Release; 10/29/25Headwaters Hospice and Palliative Care [in Helena, Montana] has announced the appointment of James Bisom, MHA, as its new Chief Executive Officer. With over 14 years of healthcare leadership experience, Bisom assumes leadership of the veteran-owned healthcare provider with a clear mission to advance quality of life, dignity, and comfort for patients and families throughout Montana. ... Throughout his career, he has championed strategic initiatives that improved patient safety, expanded access to specialized services, and enhanced overall care delivery.

Granite VNA President and CEO Beth Slepian will retire June 2026 The Laconia Daily Sun, Concord, NH; Press Release; 10/28/25 New Hampshire home health and hospice agency Granite VNA recently announces President and CEO Beth Slepian will retire, effective June 12, 2026. Granite VNA has initiated a nationwide search for a president and CEO to succeed Slepian. Slepian joined Granite VNA in 2013 and was named president and CEO in 2015. ... While navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency, which was then known as Concord Regional VNA, completed a merger with Central NH VNA & Hospice and the formation of Granite VNA.

Updated opioid prescribing guidelines: Implications for nurse practitioners The Nurse Practitioner / Lippincott; by Rhond Winegar, PhD, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CCRN, CPN; Tara Martin, MSN, RN, CPN; Zhaoli Liu, PhD, FNP-C, CPPS; November 2025 issue. The opioid epidemic remains a significant public health challenge in the United States. Nurse practitioners (NPs) play a crucial role in addressing this crisis. This article discusses the implications for NPs of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2022 updated clinical practice guideline on opioid prescribing, focusing on four key areas: 1) deciding whether to initiate opioids, 2) determining appropriate opioids and dosages, 3) determining treatment duration and follow-up, and 4) implementing risk assessment and mitigation strategies. Adhering to this guideline enables NPs to optimize opioid prescribing practices and deliver patient-centered care that aligns with public health priorities to combat the opioid crisis.

Where the line is: The ethical limits of physician investingMedscape; by Donavyn Coffey;10/24/25So where is the legal and ethical line? Medscape Medical News spoke with physicians, entrepreneurs, and financial experts to explore how doctors can grow their wealth without putting their patients or their credibility at risk. [The article discusses:]

What’s next for the healthcare CEO role?Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 10/24/25Hospital and health system CEOs face mounting pressures and a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape — one that requires them to think critically about their leadership today, but also about how their role will need to evolve in the years ahead. Leaders must navigate various responsibilities — from confronting health disparities and engaging more deeply with their communities and employees, to adopting AI and addressing financial challenges. Becker’s asked [hospital] CEOs to share how they see the role evolving over the next two to five years — and how they are preparing themselves and their organizations for that shift.

AHA responds to OSTP request on AI policies for health care American Hospital Association; by Ashley Thompson, AHA Senior Vice President, Public Policy Analysis and Development; 10/27/25 ... On behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, our clinician partners — including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers — and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups, the American Hospital Association (AHA) appreciates the opportunity to provide comment on the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) request for information (RFI) regarding regulatory reform on artificial intelligence (AI). ... [Our] members have urged that policy frameworks strike the appropriate balance of flexibility to enable innovation while ensuring patient safety. The AHA offers four categories of recommendations to maximize the potential for AI to improve care, accelerate innovation and support the health care workforce.

New ACP paper provides ethical guidance amid controversies and changing practices in organ transplantation American College of Physicians (ACP), Philadelphia, PA; Press Release; 10/28/25 The American College of Physicians today issued a position paper on ethical considerations surrounding organ transplantation, saying the needs of the donor patient and family must be prioritized and the process should be trustworthy and transparent. “Ethical Issues in Organ Transplantation: A position paper from the American College of Physicians” was published in Annals of Internal Medicine.  It clarifies the duties and roles of care teams of prospective donor-patients, recipient-patients, and organ procurement teams, reaffirming that end-of-life decision making for prospective donor-patients must center on their best interests independent of organ donation potential. ... “This guidance is relevant to all involved in organ transplantation and particularly to internal medicine physicians who advise their patients about advance care planning and organ donation, caring for them prior to organ transplantation,” said Jason M. Goldman, MD, MACP, President, ACP. 

Post-biographical dignity in the age of artificial intelligence: Narrative, ePROMs and ethical challenges in end-of-life care Palliative & Supportive Care; by Abel García Abejas, David Geraldes Santos, Helder Mota-Filipe, Àngels Salvador Vergés; 10/27/25 Significance of results: End-of-life care in the age of AI must move beyond autonomy-focused ethics to encompass the narrative, relational, and posthumous dimensions of dignity. A critical, philosophically informed ethics is essential to prevent depersonalisation in digitally mediated care.

When words matter: NFDA releases groundbreaking communication guide for funeral professionals National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), Brookfield, WI; Press Release; 10/27/25 The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) has released “When Words Matter: A Funeral Director’s Guide to Clear and Compassionate Communication,” a groundbreaking, research-driven resource designed to bridge the growing language gap between funeral professionals and the families they serve. ... Available now as a free download at NFDA.org/Research, this new guide is grounded in original NFDA research conducted earlier this year with more than 1,100 U.S. consumers across four generations. ... While funeral professionals have long used terms like “funeral,” “memorial service” and “celebration of life,” the new study revealed that families often define – or misunderstand – these terms in radically different ways. Editor's Note: Basic decisions about burial versus cremation usually need to be made before the death. Your interdisciplinary team members need to be up-to-date with this NFDA communication guide, for consistent family information and planning.