Literature Review

Circle of Life opens home-based care center Talk Business & Politics, Arkansas; by Talk & Politics staff; 1/28/25 Nonprofit hospice provider Circle of Life recently opened the two-story, 27,133-square-foot Joey Feek Center for Home-Based Care in Lowell after a capital campaign raised over $12.5 million. According to a news release, the center will serve 93% of the nonprofit’s patients daily. “We want to express our deep gratitude to our community, board of directors, and dedicated staff for making this expansion possible,” CEO Catherine Grubbs said. ... Dee Vaughn, chief development officer, said the campaign surpassed its $12.5 million goal and had over 350 supporters. Circle of Life has more than 170 staff based at the new center, ... 

Palliative care is essential for seriously ill patients—at any ageAMA (American Medical Association); by Kevin B. O'Reilly; 1/27/25 The AMA House of Delegates has adopted new policies outlining physicians’ ethical obligation to provide or seek optimal palliative care for patients with serious illnesses who can benefit from comprehensive management of pain and other distressing symptoms—not only those with terminal illnesses or on the precipice of death. “Physicians have clinical ethical responsibilities to address the pain and suffering occasioned by illness and injury and to respect their patients as whole persons,” says one of the new policies adopted at the latest AMA Interim Meeting, held in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. “These duties require physicians to assure the provision of effective palliative care whenever a patient is experiencing serious, chronic, complex or critical illness, regardless of prognosis.” 

Former hospice physician alleges retaliation against nonprofit healthcare provider Northern California Record; by Northern California Record State Court; 1/23/25 In a gripping legal battle that raises questions about medical ethics and employee rights, a former hospice physician has filed a lawsuit against his previous employer, alleging wrongful termination and retaliation. The complaint was lodged by Kamaldip Ghei in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, on January 10, 2025, targeting Sutter Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice dba Sutter Care at Home. ... Ghei claims he was wrongfully terminated after raising concerns about the organization's practices regarding patient care. Specifically, he alleges that he was pressured to keep patients in hospice care even when it was not medically justified. ...

Stillwater Hospice CFO: A winning recipe for improving rural hospice care Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 1/23/25 Montana-headquartered Stillwater Hospice has found a successful rhythm to strategic rural-based growth and sustainability. The strategy hinges on building culture, staffing resources and a reputation for quality, according to CFO and Co-founder Chris Graham. Launched in 2017, the hospice company serves predominantly rural-based populations in Montana, northern Wyoming and South Dakota. ... What are the most significant concerns among rural-based hospice providers currently? How have the challenges of rural care delivery evolved in recent years? "Staffing is very hard. You’ve got to find staff who are willing and like to travel because they have a lot of windshield time. It’s also the logistics of remote care. We have patients that live 75 miles or more outside of a town, then once you get there it’s another 20 miles on a dirt road that could be covered in snow and ice. ..." [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Remembering the Holocaust with little-known story about a Jewish refugee and Cicely Saunders: Honoring the International Holocaust Remembrance Day - 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz

New telehealth rules: 5 takeaways on temporary flexibilities for 2025 Becker's ASC Review; in collaboration with Coronis Health; 1/21/25 With the passage of the American Relief Act, 2025, certain telehealth flexibilities initially introduced during the public health emergency (PHE) era have been extended. These provisions, however, are only authorized through March 31, 2025. A Jan. 9 blog post by Coronis Health breaks down what the extensions mean for telehealth providers and patients, what services and features were left out and why certain changes could become permanent in 2025. Five takeaways:

Up to $212,500 funding now available to researchers investigating health disparities CMS.gov - Health Equity - Grants & awards; Minority Research Grant Program; via email 1/21/25, retrieved from the internet 1/21/25 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) is pleased to release the Minority Research Grant Program (MRGP) 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). This grant awards funding to health equity researchers at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) investigating health disparities and improving the health outcomes of minority populations.As a grantee, you will enhance your impact and visibility in the research community, support our mission to advance health equity, and join a prestigious group of awardees whose collective MRGP-funded research has been cited in more than 190 publications. CMS will award up to six grants, totaling up to $1,275,000, in 2025. Review the notice of funding opportunity CMS-1W1-25-001 and submit your application on grants.gov by April 1, 2025.

Nonprofit opens home-based care facility for hospice patients Fox KNWA-24/KFTA, Lowell, AR; by Justin Trobaugh; 1/17/25 A nonprofit organization introduced a new resource Jan. 17 for those in Northwest Arkansas who need home-based care. Circle of Life provides hospice and in-and-out patient care services, and it opened its Joey Feek Center for Home-Based Care in Lowell. The facility will serve 93% of the non-profit’s patients and was donated by the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation. 

Michigan hospice's training empowers African Americans to dialogue Catholic Health world; by Lisa Eisenhauer; 1/16/25 Rev. Diane Smith knows the hospice education program she leads for predominantly Black churches resonates with those who enroll. ... Rev. Smith directs The African American Church Empowerment Project at Livonia, Michigan-based Angela Hospice and gives certificates those who complete the training. She is also the hospice's director of ministry engagement and chief diversity officer. The Empowerment Project isn't about promoting Angela Hospice's services, Rev. Smith explains, but rather about educating the community on hospice care and listening to concerns about end-of-life issues. Rev. Smith sees another primary reason for the disconnect between Black Americans and hospice providers. She says many people of color have a distrust of the medical community that is rooted in historically being both denied care and exploited ...

Sociodemographic disparities in the use of hospice by U.S. nursing home residents: A systematic reviewAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; Christine E. DeForge, PhD, RN, CCRN; Hsin S. Ma, MPP, MA; Andrew W. Dick, PhD; Patricia W. Stone, PhD, RN, FAAN, CIC; Gregory N. Orewa, PhD; Lara Dhingra, PhD; Russell Portenoy, MD; Denise D. Quigley, PhD, MA; 1/25 Hospice can improve end-of-life (EOL) outcomes in U.S. nursing homes (NHs). However, only one-third of eligible residents enroll, and substantial variation exists within and across NHs related to resident-, NH-, or community-level factors. Studies adjusting for resident-, NH-, and community-level factors found lower hospice use among male residents, Black/Non-White residents, and residents of rural NHs, with mixed results by payor and ownership. Results were mixed for hospice referral and length-of-stay. These findings suggest complex influences on NH hospice use.

‘Those Who Have Made Death Their Life’ Part 1: Hospice The Daily Yonder - Keep It Rural; by Hannah Clark; 1/15/25 Hannah Clark spent six months riding along with the nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) of Hearth Hospice who provide in-home care to those living in Northwest Georgia and Southeast Tennessee. These hospice workers often drive up to a hundred miles a day to visit a handful of patients scattered across the Appalachian landscape in both rural towns and urban centers. What will follow this introductory essay is her photo reportage in three parts, documenting what she has witnessed accompanying these caregivers. The intimate portraits and vignettes show tender moments at different stages towards the end of one’s life. Their beauty lies in the companionship Clark captured in moments of need and vulnerability. Editor's note: Click here for the Introduction, which we posted 1/16/25. 

How poor communication is killing patients and burning out doctors Medpage Today's KevinMD.com; by Pamela Buchanan; 1/14/25 This week alone, I had two particularly heart-wrenching encounters [as an Emergency Room physician]: A 65-year-old man with metastatic lung cancer, convinced his shortness of breath was just pneumonia. When I explained the progression of his disease, he was shocked. No one had told him that his cancer was likely incurable. A 97-year-old woman brought in for “failure to thrive.” She was frail, pale, and not eating—classic signs of the final stages of metastatic cancer. When I suggested hospice care, she seemed blindsided, as if this reality was completely new to her. Both cases highlight a troubling trend: Patients often come to the ER not just for care, but for clarity. They don’t understand their diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment plan. ...

Introduction: ‘Those who have made death their life’The Daily Yonder - Keep It Rural; by Hannah Clark; 1/15/25 Hannah Clark spent six months riding along with the nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) of Hearth Hospice who provide in-home care to those living in Northwest Georgia and Southeast Tennessee. These hospice workers often drive up to a hundred miles a day to visit a handful of patients scattered across the Appalachian landscape in both rural towns and urban centers. What will follow this introductory essay is her photo reportage in three parts, documenting what she has witnessed accompanying these caregivers. The intimate portraits and vignettes show tender moments at different stages towards the end of one’s life. Their beauty lies in the companionship Clark captured in moments of need and vulnerability.