Literature Review

Summerlin Hospice and Palliative Care transforms hospice care in Las Vegas with comprehensive in-home services East Coastsentinel; Press Release; 6/8/25 The healthcare industry is experiencing significant advancements as Summerlin Hospice and Palliative Care announces the expansion of comprehensive services that redefine compassionate end-of-life care throughout Nevada. ... The in-home care model provides comprehensive medical oversight, including pain management, regular health assessments, and specialized medical testing, all administered by trained healthcare professionals. This approach to hospice allows families to remain together while receiving the highest quality medical attention and emotional support throughout the care process.

Nurse Elaine Gillard and her lifelong calling for caring New York Amsterdam News; by Leyrian Colón Santiago; 6/5/25 Treating patients with dignity and with an awareness of the disparities that Black people face in accessing health care were the two main reasons Elaine Gillard decided to become a nurse 14 years ago. ... According to a 2024 analysis, Black-American New Yorkers experienced the lowest health system performance in the state compared to white individuals. For Gillard, a 41-year-old native of Staten Island and a nurse at VNS Health Care, the disparities affecting the Black-American population were what inspired her to focus her nursing career on hospice care. ... Gillard believes that being a Black nurse and caring for patients from Black-American communities helps foster greater trust in the health care system.

Sister Grace spent her life helping the homeless. Now in hospice, she reflects on legacy and lessons WXXI News NPR, Rochester, NY; by Gino Fanelli; 6/6/25Sister Grace Miller smiles as she props herself up in her hospice bed and gently teases her strands of chestnut brown hair. “How does my hair look?” she asks. It’s the type of remark one would expect from Miller. Sister Grace is many things: a radical compassionate, a devout follower of the Catholic faith, a civil disruptor, and a wielder of a sharp, slightly sardonic wit. ... The 89-year-old champion for the homeless and destitute is dying, in hospice care at a congregation home on Carter Street. But her spirit is alive and well. “I would fight with them over whatever, whatever the people needed,” Miller said, referring to the county and city administrations she often tangled with over the years. “I would fight for the people. ... She said it was, ultimately, an undying, uncompromising commitment to the work she does as a fierce and fearless advocate for the poor.

A World War II hero is facing his final battle - with Medicare | PennLive letters PennLive Patriot News; by PenLive Letters to the Editor; 6/5/25 “Is this how one treats a 100-year-old World War II Army veteran?” I am such, having defended my country in the Philippines and then as one of the first GIs to step on Japan’s shores when it surrendered. Today, I am a widower, living alone under hospice care in the same small, comfortable home my wife and I cherished for so many years. My health condition has deteriorated dramatically, due to the ravages of ESRD, bladder cancer, anemia, high blood pressure, depression, and loss of balance. I am mostly bedridden, waiting for the inevitable. And yet, just now, I have received a Notice of Discharge from hospice because of an “extended prognosis,” literally meaning in lay terms that, “I’m living too long for hospice and Medicare purposes.” They argue that I’m now able enough medically to make it on my own without hospice care! ... I know I have only weeks, perhaps a month to live, but their rejoinder is simply, “Thank you for your service, but get out of our sight.”Editor's note: Click here for a similar related article and my editor's note, Dementia patient discharged from hospice over Medicare requirement. Here’s why it happened. (One of our "most read" Sunday posts.) These cases are too common. Basic communication, information, and coordinated care planning can mitigate much of the distress and pain. How does this dynamic play out with the patients and families you serve?

Rosen introduces bipartisan bills to expand access to palliative care, hospice careJacky Rosen, U.S. Senator for Nevada, Washington, DC; 6/5/25 U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen, co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Comprehensive Care Caucus, announced the introduction of a pair of bipartisan bills to expand access to palliative and hospice care. The Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act with Senators Barrasso (R-WY), Baldwin (D-WI), and Fischer (R-NE) would establish a demonstration project through Medicare to expand access to palliative care at the time of diagnosis of serious illness or injury. The Improving Access to Transfusion Care for Hospice Patients Act with Senators Barrasso (R-WY) and Baldwin (D-WI) would carve out payment for transfusion services within the Medicare hospice benefit, allowing for separate billing to Medicare for transfusions. This would improve access to hospice care for patients who rely on transfusion care to maintain quality of life.

Provider MiraSol Health launches new Behavioral Health Program Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/3/25 MiraSol Health has launched a new behavioral health program designed to amplify emotional and psychological support for its hospice and palliative care patients. Branded as Rays of Hope Behavioral Health, the program offers individual and group therapy sessions, both in person and via a secure telehealth platform. Through Rays of Hope, MiraSol’s licensed therapists will help address anticipatory grief, caregiver stress, loss and other struggles that patients and families face during a time of chronic, serious or terminal illness.

TCN/HPC Today: Storm clouds on the horizon for reimbursement - Top news stories, May 2025 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner, 6/4/25 What happens when artificial intelligence meets end-of-life care?  How do we reconcile private equity's profit motives with hospice's mission-driven ethos?  These questions took center stage in this month's roundup of hospice news with host Chris Comeaux and guest Cordt Kassner. The May edition of TCNtalks' top news stories reveals a healthcare sector at a fascinating crossroads.  AI has emerged as both a tantalizing promise and a practical challenge for hospice providers.  ... In this episode of TCN Talks, hosts Chris Comeaux and Cord Kassner reflect on Memorial Day and discuss significant news stories from May, including the complexities of thanking veterans for their service, the role of artificial intelligence in hospice care, and the importance of honest conversations about racism in healthcare.Editor's note: This monthly podcast combines quantitative data and qualitative discussion from articles gleaned from the 400+ posts we provide each month. Do you seek to make sense of it all? Tune in and learn. We welcome your feedback via our newsletter's Contact page. 

40 years after Karen Ann Quinlan’s death, NJ right-to-die case still stirs strong emotions New Jersy Herald; by William Westhoven; 6/4/25 ... Today, Americans are free to declare those rights [about dying] in the form of advance directives such as a living will. For that, we have one New Jersey family to thank: the parents and siblings of Karen Ann Quinlan, whose faith carried them through the arduous process of turning their tragedy into a legal victory that changed the way Americans approach the end of life. They were aided by a collection of attorneys and judges on both sides of the life-or-death case who chose to work "as adversaries but not enemies." Karen, then 21, fell into an irreversible coma after attending a party in Sussex County on April 15, 1975. She died 40 years ago, on June 11, 1985, in a Morris County nursing home.Editor's note: I remember this. Do you? In the midst of today's MAiD legislation, lobbying, and often highly inflammatory stances, I'm struck by this article's description, "They were aided by a collection of attorneys and judges on both sides of the life-or-death case who chose to work "as adversaries but not enemies." Yes, strong emotions and beliefs still drive both sides. Yes, we still choose how to work together. 

10 Signs death is near for dementia patients The Healthy; by Dr. Patricia Varacollo, DO; 6/2/25 For families and caregivers, recognizing the final stages of dementia can be difficult, but understanding the signs can help ensure comfort and dignity in a loved one's last days. Dr. Koncilja highlights these key indicators that may suggest the end of life is near:

Groundbreaking ceremony for new hospice house in Derby CBS WCAX-3, Burlington/Derby, VT; by Hailey Morgan; 5/31/25 ... Marion Dehnke lost her husband Clint Stevens to cancer back in 2013. She says during that time, she was his caregiver, and he had to stay in a nursing home in a tiny room, with one other person. She said it made things very disruptive, and she didn’t get to spend the time she wanted with him, and she doesn’t want that for someone else. ... Community leaders, and members with the Newport Church of God invested in a solution called the Living Waters Hospice House. It is a two bedroom home dedicated to those in need in their final days. The project is worth a million dollars, and is funded entirely by donations. ... Construction for the home, started this past week, the groundbreaking ceremony was held on the church lawn Saturday.

Sioux Falls VA Healthcare System opens hospice cottage Dakota News Now, Sioux Falls, SD; by Dakota News Now staff; 5/30/25 The Sioux Falls VA Healthcare System has cut the ribbon and opened the newest facility on its campus, a hospice cottage. The 10,000-foot facility with 10 beds is meant to give veterans and their families a high level of care and a peaceful environment that allows them to spend time together. The VA says the cottage is the perfect setting for end-of-life care for veterans, treating them with dignity. ... "We are here for the veterans, and we complete that circle. The time they gave, and now we’re giving back to them at the end of their life,” said Sioux Falls VA Hospice Nurse Manager Cami VanWyhe.

OP-ED: How hospice care falls short for people living with dementia Being Patient - Alzheimer's News, Advice, Stories & Support; by Maria J. Silveira; 5/30/25Only 12 percent of Americans with dementia ever enroll in hospice. This may be due to how hospice is structured and paid for in the U.S., explains University of Michigan associate professor of internal medicine Maria J Silveira. ... In contrast to the former president [Jimmy Carter's extended hospice care], his wife, who had dementia, lived only nine days under hospice care. Palliative care physicians like myself who treat both conditions are not surprised at all by this disparity. ... Strikingly, only 12 percent of Americans with dementia ever enroll in hospice. Among those who do, one-third are near death. This is in stark contrast to the cancer population: Patients over 60 with cancer enroll in hospice 70 percent of the time.

Hospitalists should champion hospice as ‘life with dignity’ Medscape; by Julie Peck; 5/29/25 If anyone can put a positive spin on the end of life, it’s Charles Vialotti, MD, director of Hospice Care at Holy Name Medical Center’s Villa Marie Claire in Bergen County, New Jersey. Violotti, who at the age of 80 lives at the 20-bed Villa Marie Claire to serve its residents full-time, says the hospice industry needs hospitalists’ help with sort of a rebrand, one that will almost certainly have a positive effect on patient and family satisfaction. “Providers used to stress offering people death with dignity. And if you think about that, who is ever going to choose anything that offers death? Death in any form is still death,” Vialotti said. “So, we really like to focus on offering people life with dignity, giving people back choice, giving them the option to structure their final days, weeks, or months the way they would most like to see it happen."