Literature Review

Muslim American Heritage Month Celebration U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC; Denis McDonough; 1/8/25 Dr. Salaam, thank you for your service in the Air Force, and for your service in communities around the country as an Imam and civil rights leader in the years since. Your words, principles, and perspectives are as inspiring as they are important ... [Describing VA Chaplain Omer Yigiter:] He became a VA chaplain at the Northport VA Medical Center, the only Muslim chaplain serving all of VISN-2 and one of only four Muslim VA chaplains across the country. ... We must learn and re-tell stories like those shared today—to ensure the experiences of Muslim American Veterans are acknowledged and honored. Truthful storytelling is also about authentic representation, about ensuring all Veteran voices and perspectives are heard and welcomed. So to our Muslim Veterans and colleagues, your unique perspectives make VA stronger. 

December ransomware attacks slam healthcare, public services Informa; by Arielle Waldman; 1/9/25 As 2024 wrapped up, ransomware continued to be a prevalent threat for victim organizations in the education, transportation and healthcare sectors. ... Attacks knocked services offline for weeks or months, interrupted students' education and led one victim organization to give in to ransom demand pressures. Like many of the major ransomware attacks throughout 2024, December continued to prove how enduring the threat is. One highly disruptive attack last month occurred against PIH Health in Whittier, Calif., Dec. 1. The attack affected healthcare appointments and services at PIH Health Downey Hospital, PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital and PIH Health Whittier Hospital, as well as urgent care centers, doctors' offices and PIH Health's home health and hospice agency.

Hospice Insights Podcast [The Law and Beyond] - A year in review: Reflections and hopes for the future JD Supra; by Husch Blackwell LLP; 1/8/25 It’s our first podcast of 2025 and we wanted to start the year out with some reflections. Join Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske and Bryan Nowicki as they each share their biggest surprises and victories of 2024 and what is on their wish list for 2025. 

The anonymous advantage: How anonymous patient surveys can improve healthcare outcomes Forbes; by Lauren Parr; 1/9/24 When it comes to improving patient care, feedback is the compass that guides healthcare providers in the right direction. But here’s the catch, traditional feedback often fails to capture honest patient opinions due to fear of judgment, privacy concerns and other potential repercussions. This is where anonymous surveys prove to be valuable. Studies have demonstrated that anonymous surveys yield more candid responses, leading to a deeper understanding of patient experiences. This increased transparency fosters trust between patients and healthcare providers, enabling a more collaborative approach to care. Free from fear of judgment or consequences, patients can provide honest feedback, highlighting strengths and identifying areas for improvement. This ultimately leads to better healthcare outcomes.

UnitedHealth named world's largest insurer for 10th straight yearBecker's Payer Issues; by Jakob Emerson; 1/3/25UnitedHealth Group is the world's largest insurer by net premiums written for a 10th year in a row, according to AM Best's annual ranking published Jan. 2. In 2025, UnitedHealth expects revenues of up to $455 billion and adjusted net earnings of $29.50 to $30.00 per share. Top 10 insurers ranked by 2023 NPW:

Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center announces 2025 Board of Directors Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center; Press release; 1/2/25The Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC) is proud to introduce its 2025 Board of Directors: Kristin Akers, Grady Barnhill, Susan Cox, Joseph Ebberwein, Lawrence Fabrey, Jacklyn Griffin, Nicole Martin, Alicia Murray, Arden O’Donnell, and LaDonna Wright.

How CommonSpirit Health doubled AI deployment in '24Becker's Hospital Review; by Giles Bruce; 12/31/24Many of the largest U.S. health systems increasingly pivoted toward artificial intelligence in 2024 for tasks such as clinical documentation and physician inbox management. Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, with more than 140 hospitals across the country, was no exception.Publisher's note: Hospice implications for 2025...?

OnePoint Patient Care expands services to PACE programs Pharmiweb.com - Global Pharma News & Resources, Morton Grove, IL; 1/7/25 OnePoint Patient Care, a leading provider of community based pharmacy services, is proud to announce the launch of OnePoint PACE, a new business line that will bring the company's medication dispensing expertise and high level of service to Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) providers and participants. 

Amedisys halts sale of home health, hospice locations to VitalCaring Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 1/7/25 Amedisys’ (Nasdaq: AMED) has halted the divestiture of some of its home health and hospice locations to Texas-based VitalCaring. Amedisys in June announced an agreement to sell some of its locations to the private equity-backed home health and hospice provider VitalCaring. ... The news to cancel the divestiture comes after a recent court order issued by a federal judge in Delaware requiring that VitalCaring allocate 43% of future profits to Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) and Enhabit Inc. (NYSE: EHAB). [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

[United Kingdom] More than 100 people in Everest walking challenge BBC News; by Holly-Anne Langlois; Guernsy and Jake Wallace; 1/7/25 More than 100 people are taking part in a community fundraising walking challenge to help support a Guernsey hospice. The Everest Challenge sees teams or individuals walk up the Val De Terres hill 115 times in January, which is equivalent to the height of Mount Everest. Les Bourgs Hospice said the funding will help with its £1.8m annual running costs after a "challenging year" financially in 2024. Fundraising administrator Liz Stonebridge said: "We are very grateful for being chosen as the charity for the challenge this year." 

2025 begins with growth: NPHI adds Hospice of Hope and North Hawaii HospiceNational Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), Washington, DC; 1/7/25The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the voice for nonprofit hospice and advanced illness care, is thrilled to commence 2025 by announcing the addition of two new outstanding members to our compassionate, mission-driven community: Hospice of Hope and North Hawaii Hospice.  ... Tom Koutsoumpas, NPHI CEO remarked: “We are thrilled to welcome Hospice of Hope and North Hawaii Hospice to our mission-driven, innovative community. Their commitment to delivering compassionate, high-quality, community-based care reflects the core values of NPHI, and we’re excited to join forces in advancing innovative care for patients and their families.” 

Top news stories of the month December 2024 - TCN podcast Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux; 1/8/25 In this episode of TCNtalks, Chris Comeaux, Mark Cohen, and Cordt Kassner discuss the top news stories in hospice and palliative care for December 2024. This episode marks the end of Mark’s two-year run of partnering with Chris to review the month’s top stories, with Cordt taking on that role going forward, along with his colleague at Hospice & Palliative Care Today, Joy Berger. Mark takes a deeper dive into three big news events in December, Cordt looks at the most-viewed articles from both December and all of 2024, and Chris, as usual, highlights articles of particular import to hospice C-Suites.  

Time flies. It's up to you to be a navigator. ~ Robert Orben