Literature Review
7 common transformation mistakes and how to avoid them
04/07/25 at 03:00 AM7 common transformation mistakes and how to avoid them CIO; by Patrizia Licata; 4/3/25 Just because technology solutions are readily available doesn’t mean transformation will automatically succeed. ... Knowing what’s at stake, here are some key mistakes and misconceptions to avoid in order to help ensure digital transformation success.
Executive orders and policy updates
04/07/25 at 03:00 AMExecutive orders and policy updates JD Supra; by Jones Day; 4/3/25 Since President Trump's inauguration, the Trump administration has issued a number of executive orders and policy actions ... Notable actions include rescinding Biden-era initiatives on health care access and equity, withdrawing from the World Health Organization, reducing indirect costs for NIH grants, and suspending foreign aid. While many of these actions may be subject to ongoing litigation, which is not addressed here, summaries of certain of these executive orders and policy actions are included below. ...
Today's Encouragement: Not everything that can be counted ...
04/07/25 at 03:00 AMNot everything that can be counted counts.Not everything that counts can be counted.~ by William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)Quote used by Dr. Bill Hoy 4/5/25 as a keynote for the 2025 Association for Death Education and Counseling Conference (ADEC). Dr. Hoy is a faithful reader of this newsletter. Thanks, Bill!
Are hospitalists becoming de facto PCPs for patients with complex illness?
04/07/25 at 03:00 AMAre hospitalists becoming de facto PCPs for patients with complex illness? Today's Hospitalist; by Colleen Peggenburg, MD, MS; April 2025 Key takeaways:
Hospice Savannah partners with Live Oak Public Libraries for ‘Aging in Place’ series
04/07/25 at 03:00 AMHospice Savannah partners with Live Oak Public Libraries for ‘Aging in Place’ series WTOC 11, Savannah, GA; by Simone McKenny; 4/2/25 A year-long series of free seminars will be coming to Live Oak Public Libraries through a partnership with Hospice Savannah to educate the community on aging and hospice care. One of the topics will be virtual reality in healthcare. Part of the seminars will be on the benefits of virtual reality in healthcare and they will be taught by Dr. Kathleen D. Benton, the president and CEO of Hospice Savannah and Healthcare Outreach Educator Kellie Whelchel. They will discuss topics from the book Virtual Reality for Serious Illness which is co-authored by Dr. Benton and Teri Yarbrow, the president and CEO of MagikaVRx. Organizers say the seminars will highlight the way virtual reality engages the brain’s neurological pathways using immersive three-dimensional experiences to reduce anxiety, fear, and chronic pain.Editor's note: Many of my colleagues know that I was born and raised in Savannah, GA. Imagine my delight when clicking on this article and viewing the photo Savannah's downtown library. I have wonderful memories in this building as child and teen. For years, my mom took us every Wednesday, with her guidance to return books and check out new ones. As a teen, I learned to research school papers beyond the encyclopedias our parents kept stocked in our home (pre-internet). Surely, these helped instilled my passion for learning, researching, and disseminating info. Years later, Hospice Savannah has tended many family members and friends. Thank you, Hospice Savannah and Live Oak Public Libraries (formerly Savannah Public Library)!
New administration’s appointees confirmed to lead key health agencies
04/07/25 at 03:00 AMNew administration’s appointees confirmed to lead key health agencies Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO); Press Release; 4/3/25 Several presidential appointees have been confirmed to lead key health agencies that the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) will work with during the new administration. These include:
National Healthcare Decisions Week highlights the importance of Advance Care Planning
04/07/25 at 02:00 AMNational Healthcare Decisions Week highlights the importance of Advance Care Planning JAX Chamber - Jacksonville News, Jacksonville, FL; 4/1/25 National Healthcare Decisions Week kicks off on April 14, 2025, with a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the importance of advance healthcare decision-making. This initiative encourages individuals to take proactive steps in planning for their future healthcare needs. Through various events and resources, the week aims to promote thoughtful conversations about healthcare decisions and the completion of advance directives to ensure patients' wishes are known and respected. ... For more information about National Healthcare Decision Day, please visit http://nhdd.org.
Today's Encouragement: You have to expect things of yourself before ...
04/06/25 at 03:00 AMYou have to expect things of yourself before you can do them. ~ Michael Jordan
Sunday newsletter
04/06/25 at 03:00 AMSunday newsletters focus on headlines and top read stories of the last week (in order) - enjoy!
Hidden battles: Keeping cancer secret
04/06/25 at 02:50 AMHidden battles: Keeping cancer secret Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Medical School; by Maureen Salamon; post is dated 4/1/25, retrieved from the internet 3/25/25 Some people choose to conceal their diagnosis and treatment. Here's why — and reasons that approach can sometimes backfire. ... [In addition to privacy motives, Cristina Pozo-Kaderman, a senior psychologist at Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute] says cancer patients may also wish to:
Niagara Hospice to offer free community presentation for National Healthcare Decisions Day
04/06/25 at 02:40 AMNiagara Hospice to offer free community presentation for National Healthcare Decisions Day Niagara Frontier Publications; Press Release; 3/28/25 April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day, which is a day set aside to educate and empower individuals to discuss and document their end-of-life health care wishes. Niagara Hospice invites the community to attend the free presentation, “Advance Care Planning: Advance Directives for Health Care,” ... Advance care planning includes advance directives like health care proxies, do not resuscitate (DNR) orders, and living wills. Advance directives help to ensure end-of-life care wishes are followed if one is unable to make necessary decisions for themselves. [Continue reading ...]Editor's note: For more information about National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD), explor The Conversation Project, at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Is your hospice providing a 2025 National Healthcare Decisions Day event? Email me a URL link to your local news coverage, press release, or your website's specific page. We will compile a list of participating organizations (with URL links) to highlight Advance Care Planning outreach, education, and implementation across the nation.
Four security updates to get ahead of proposed 2025 HIPAA Amendments
04/06/25 at 02:30 AMFour security updates to get ahead of proposed 2025 HIPAA Amendment Cisco Duo; by Katherine Yang; 3/31/25 Published in early January, the 2025 HIPAA Security Amendments are set to significantly enhance the protection of ePHI. The proposed changes are based off the US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) goals of both addressing changes in the health care environment and clarifying what compliance obligations look like for regulated entities. Organizations have 180 days to reach compliance according to stricter standards of identity cybersecurity if the proposed updates pass. In order to be prepared, here are four things your organization or managed security service provider should focus on:
Transforming healthcare: Hospice in the news, March 2025
04/06/25 at 02:20 AMTransforming healthcare: Hospice in the news, March 2025 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); pod/videocast by Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner; 4/2/25 In this episode of TCNtalks, Chris Comeaux and Dr. Cordt Kassner, Publisher of Hospice & Palliative Care Today and CEO and Founder of Hospice Analytics, leverage their data and extensive experience to identify key Hospice headlines, articles, research, and social media posts that are driving change and transforming end-of-life care and healthcare in America. They share personal experiences with hospice care, emphasizing the importance of social work and discussing the challenges of healthcare reimbursement. The conversation also touches on MedPAC recommendations, new social media trends, and highlights from recent research articles.
Palliative care in home health: Misconceptions and market opportunities
04/06/25 at 02:10 AMPalliative care in home health: Misconceptions and market opportunities Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 3/28/25 While palliative care remains an uncommon offering among home-based health care providers, forward-thinking providers have recognized a growing market demand and are strategically expanding their service offerings to include palliative care solutions. Expanding service lines to include palliative care can help home-based care providers stand out from their peers, industry insiders told Home Health Care News. However, a significant knowledge gap is slowing the adoption of palliative care within the home health community. Home health care clinicians, patients and caregivers all report insufficient knowledge of palliative care, according to a recent study conducted by Columbia Nursing research and published in the Journal Home Healthcare Now. [Continue reading ...]
'Unsung backbone of care delivery': The growing need for hospice aides
04/06/25 at 02:00 AM‘Unsung backbone of care delivery’: The growing need for hospice aides Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 3/28/25 As workforce shortages persist in health care, some operators are struggling to recruit and retain essential members of their care teams — hospice aides. The demand for hospice aides is expected to grow in the coming years. However, factors such as turnover, retirement, slow wage growth and immigration policy could complicate hospice’s ability to fill those positions. Many companies are focused on bolstering their nursing workforce, who are also in high demand, but providers also need to prioritize hiring a sufficient number of aides, according to Cooper Linton, associate vice president of Duke HomeCare & Hospice. [Continue reading ...]
What to know about palliative and hospice care
04/06/25 at 01:40 AMWhat to know about palliative and hospice care Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ); by Liz Seegert; 3/28/25 ... [Palliative care] is fundamental to health and human dignity and is a basic human right, according to the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard. When reporting on serious illnesses, journalists can help demystify palliative care and encourage more people in need to take advantage of it by clearly explaining the differences, and benefits, and incorporating anecdotes to further illustrate how these types of care make a difference in the lives of patients and their families. [Continue reading ...] Editor's note: Share this article--written for health care journalists--with your communications and marketing leadership, with your community newspapers' journalists, and your employee/volunteer educators. Too often, new hospice/palliative care employees at all levels of roles and responsibilities begin their roles without clear knowledge, comprehension, and application of distinctions between standard healthcare, palliative care, and hospice care. And for new employees (especially non-clinical leaders), information must be applied to that person's specific role and responsibilities.
Long-overdue recognition: Vietnam veterans welcomed home at emotional ceremony
04/06/25 at 01:30 AMLong-overdue recognition: Vietnam veterans welcomed home at emotional ceremony Grice Connect; by DeWayne Grice; 3/29/25 A poignant and heartfelt welcome home ceremony was held at Ogeechee Area Hospice, honoring Vietnam veterans from the surrounding communities. The event, filled with emotional tributes and personal stories, aimed to provide long-overdue recognition for the sacrifices made by these veterans. The ceremony, organized by Ogeechee Hospice, the American Legion Post 90, and Georgia Department of Veteran Affairs, brought together veterans, their families, and community members. The atmosphere was one of gratitude and respect, as attendees acknowledged the often-overlooked service of those who served during a tumultuous period in American history. [Continue reading ...]Editor's note: We add this to previous posts, Today is the National Vietnam War Veterans Day, honoring 50 years since the war's end.
Today is the National Vietnam War Veterans Day, honoring 50 years since the war's end
04/06/25 at 01:20 AMToday is the National Vietnam War Veterans Day, honoring 50 years since the war's end U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration Join us on 29 March, National Vietnam War Veterans Day, as Americans unite to thank and honor Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice. ... The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration honors all veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time from November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of location, and their families. Editor's note: Several hospice "We Honor Veterans" programs have been using this commemoration to thank their community's Vietnam veterans, especially in light of differences between their returns home from those of WWII veterans. Within your networks of colleagues, friends and families, whom can you informally honor, today?
Executive Personnel Changes - 3/28/25
04/06/25 at 01:10 AMExecutive Personnel Changes - 3/28/25
Executive Personnel Changes - 4/4/25
04/06/25 at 01:00 AMExecutive Personnel Changes - 4/4/25 Count
"Are they just experimenting with all of us?" Cultural considerations for clinicians caring for seriously ill Great Plains American Indians
04/05/25 at 03:35 AM"Are they just experimenting with all of us?" Cultural considerations for clinicians caring for seriously ill Great Plains American IndiansAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care; Bethany-Rose Daubman, Tinka Duran, Gina Johnson, Alexander Soltoff, Sara J Purvis, Leroy J R LaPlante, Sean Jackson, Daniel Petereit, Matthew Tobey, Katrina Armstrong, Mary J Isaacson; 3/25Serious illnesses like cancer disproportionately affect American Indians and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Peoples. AI/AN patients deserve culturally responsive healthcare at all times, and especially when journeying through serious illness. Interviews and talking circle qualitative analysis revealed 3 major themes related to clinician needs: cultural considerations, psychosocial support, and trust. It is important for clinicians to engage in cultural education and work to improve systemic deficiencies such as a lack of psychosocial support. An overarching theme was also the need for clinicians to seek to develop trustworthiness and earn trust when caring for AI/AN patients experiencing serious illness.
Interprofessional advance care planning to enhance end-of-life care: A community assessment
04/05/25 at 03:30 AMInterprofessional advance care planning to enhance end-of-life care: A community assessmentCreighton Journal of Collaborative Practice and Education; Meghan Potthoff, Amanda Kirkpatrick, Jenny Jessen, Cathy Fox, Victoria Haneman, Megan Piotrowski, Beatriz Rodriguez, Sydney Langlois; 3/25Lawyers and financial planners are more often sought for estate directives than primary care providers for end-of life planning. Lack of role clarity and divergent views about advance care planning (ACP) responsibility among healthcare providers lead to further delay of these important discussions. A qualitative, exploratory design was employed to investigate ACP understanding, barriers, and needs among aging Nebraskans and Omaha-metro community agencies that serve these consumers. Conclusions: Improved ACP discussions are needed for supporting value-aligned end-of-life care by educating aging adults about, and documenting their wishes for, life-sustaining treatments and other decisions surrounding death. Enhanced role clarity, increased competence, and a collaborative approach are needed among interprofessional team members involved to improve these end-of-life discussions.
The intent of the Physician's Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment: Reflecting patient wishes and institutional obligations
04/05/25 at 03:25 AMThe intent of the Physician's Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment: Reflecting patient wishes and institutional obligationsJournal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing; Jeannette Jeannie Meyer; 4/25Portable Medical Orders (PMO) such as the Physician's Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment and the Medical Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment have proven to be valuable documents that allow patients who are medically frail or have life-limiting illnesses to communicate their health care wishes. The PMO depends on a conversation between the trained health care provider and the patient or their designee. A PMO with incomplete signatures is not a valid legal document. In the scenario presented here, the author discusses a scenario in which the discussions did not take place and the signatures are questionable, leading the patient to receive aggressive medical treatment that might not be in their best interests. The reasons behind the above ethical issues are related to a misconception and misuse of the PMO within a long-term care facility. Unfortunately, as noted in the literature cited and in the author's own experience, these ethical issues are not uncommon.
Perioperative integration of palliative care and urology for patients with serious urologic illness: A qualitative need finding inquiry
04/05/25 at 03:20 AMPerioperative integration of palliative care and urology for patients with serious urologic illness: A qualitative need finding inquiryJournal of Pain and Symptom Management; Bhagvat J Maheta, Nainwant K Singh, Jonathan Bergman, Cati G Brown-Johnson, Alekhya Gunturi, Nickolas Interrante, John T Leppert, Karl A Lorenz, Isabella G Raspi, Karleen F Giannitrapani; 3/25Many urologic serious illnesses are treated with surgical procedures, which may put patients at a further risk of diminished quality of life. [We] purposefully sampled urologists, palliative care physicians, and clinical team members at fourteen geographically distributed Veteran Health Administration sites. We identified one general overall theme, to "change culture" so that PC [palliative care] is not a "last resort" ... Utilizing telehealth and team member role expansion when discussing the initial diagnosis, with surgery as a potential treatment option, allows for multiple conversations ... Creating a process to ensure goal of care conversations occur, since "urologic procedures can have complications that significantly impact quality of life" ... [and] during the pre-operative visits, interdisciplinary input and evaluation of the patient prior to surgery allows the patient to "have a sort of joint meeting with us and the urologist."