Literature Review

If you treat AI like software, you’ll miss the real transformation Forbes; by Nirit Cohen; 11/2/25 ... When employees work with AI, ownership blurs. Who is responsible for an outcome — the person, the model, or both? Who retrains the system when it learns the wrong lesson? Who decides when to trust a recommendation and when to challenge it? These are not IT questions; they’re questions for the people closest to the work — the ones who understand how value is actually created. This is why the biggest risk isn’t technical. It’s human. 

Live discharges of patients in hospice home settings-Relief or grief: A narrative studyThe American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Jacek T Soroka, Amanda L Paulson-Blom, Alla Blotsky, Jennifer L Derrick, Margaret T Mudroch; 10/25Approximately 20% of hospice patients in the US are discharged alive, often due to Medicare regulations. One of the caregivers described discharge as distressing and poorly coordinated; the other reported a positive experience shaped by prior knowledge and financial resources. Both emphasized the importance of clear communication, care planning (eg, to avoid loss of durable medical equipment), and interdisciplinary support. Live hospice discharge can cause emotional and practical disruption, especially when not accompanied by a care transition plan or access to durable medical equipment. This study highlights the need for team-based communication, sensitivity in language, and continued support. Assistant Editor's note: There can be immense ambivalence among patients and loved ones when one is discharged alive from hospice. Usually, these patients have been with hospice for many months or even years. Perhaps the discharge is viewed as good news-even GREAT news(!) that the patient has "graduated" from hospice. Maybe loved ones will throw a graduation party(!) as it means that the patient is no longer terminally ill (as defined by hospice regulations). On the other hand, some patients/loved ones can become very distraught, wondering how they will get along without having a nurse to call in the middle of the night, without their beloved aide who brightens their day with the TLC of the bath-hair-nail care, and without the support and guidance of their social worker and/or chaplain. Some patients/loved ones will feel angry and abandoned. Best practices dictate that hospices be proactive in discharge planning when the health of their long length-of-stay patients hits a plateau; discharge should never come as a surprise. There should be frequent and ongoing discussions with the patient/loved ones about the potential for live discharge. Discharge planning needs to include: how the patient will get their DME/medical supplies/medications?, who does the loved one call in the middle of the night if there is a medical crisis?, who can provide tangible support and spiritual guidance (if desired)?, and can palliative care ease the transition once hospice has discharged?

Kalos Health shutters amid Medicaid changes Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 10/29/25 Kalos Health Inc. is closing amid changes to Medicaid reimbursement. The change could challenge access to home-based services for chronically ill adults in western New York. The nonprofit provided health insurance coverage across six counties in New York through a Medicaid managed long-term care (MLTC) plan. Since 2014, the plan has coordinated with regional health care providers to serve adults with chronic illness and health disabilities. Kalos Health is part of The Hospice and Palliative Care Group (HPCG), an organization that provides administrative services. Other providers in the group include Niagara Hospice, Liberty Home Care, Hospice of Orleans and The Niagara Hospice Alliance.  

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. 

Strategies for managing rising healthcare premiums with Jason Bradshaw Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Jason Bradshaw; 10/29/25 In this episode of TCNtalks, host Chris Comeaux welcomes back Jason Bradshaw, a seasoned benefits consultant with USI Insurance Services. Together, they unpack why healthcare premiums are rising, where volatility is coming from, and how employers can regain control without gutting benefits.  Jason shares practical funding models, transparency tools, and a playbook for building a cost culture that actually moves behavior.

After her son’s painful death, a Cheshire mother highlights Connecticut’s pediatric hospice gap New Haven Register, Norwalk, CT; by Cris Villalonga-Vivoni; 10/26/25 Carolyn Torello believes that no parent should outlive their children, yet that became her reality. ...  As his condition worsened, the family faced his impending death without the support of pediatric palliative or hospice care. No provider, she said, seemed to know how to help or where to begin. He died at 15 years old in 2021. ... In 2020, an estimated 7,800 children in Connecticut were living with complex medical conditions that limited their life expectancy and could have benefited from palliative or hospice care, according to data from the National Survey of Children's Health. ... Torello thinks that if Michael had access to hospice care, he could have died with greater dignity, and their family could have focused on simply being together. ... Efforts to create a more formalized pediatric palliative care system have been underway since 2024, led by a state-commissioned working group that will make recommendations to the legislature on potential reforms.

Ensuring safe, effective transitions to hospice Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/22/25 Trust, coordination among staff and speedy processes are essential to hospice referral management. This is according to new research from Transcend Strategy Group. For the consulting firm’s most recent Insights Report it conducted in-depth interviews with hospice admissions and business development professionals to identify recurring themes, barriers and opportunities. ... “We have to remember that for the person calling this is probably one of the worst days of their life — if it’s a family member, or if they’re calling on behalf of themselves — and they need help urgently,” Tony Kudner, chief strategy officer for Transcend Strategy Group, told Hospice News.

Poverty, food insecurity, and housing instability among US health care workersJAMA Network; by Anthony Zhong, Chloe Gao, Donald Szlosek, Dang Nguyen, Maelys J. Amat, Russell S. Phillips; 10/22/25The US health workforce faces projected shortages of more than 180 000 physicians and 200 000 registered nurses in the next decade. Burnout, poor working conditions, and inadequate wages have been cited as key drivers of these shortages. However, the prevalence of financial hardship can affect worker retention and job performance. This study evaluated rates of poverty, food insecurity, and housing instability among US health care workers... Rates of financial hardship varied by occupational group. Direct care/support workers reported the highest rates of financial hardship across all measures, including poverty (9.63%), food insecurity (24.50%), and housing instability (13.64%).Publisher's note: An interesting question - do we know these rates among hospice workers?

Bay County hospice facility Brian’s House temporarily closes its doors mlive.com, Hampton TWP, MI; by Joey Oliver; 10/17/25 Brian’s House Community Group, an end-of-life care facility, has announced its temporary closure after eight years of serving terminally ill patients and their families. The facility at 664 W. Nebobish Road has served more than 1,000 families since opening its doors in June 2017, according to a statement from the board officers and members. The organization cited financial challenges as the primary reason for the closure. ... The facility operated on a sliding scale fee structure that was significantly lower than assisted living residences and often provided free care to families with low or no income.

More than 45,000 Kaiser Permanente workers strike in 4 states Modern Healthcare; by Hayley DeSilva; 10/14/25 An estimated 46,000 Kaiser Permanente staff members began a five-day strike Tuesday across multiple states over staffing, pay and benefit concerns. Employees on strike include registered nurses, lab professionals, pharmacists and other skilled healthcare workers from 23 different unions, a spokesperson for Kaiser Permanente said. The unions are part of the Alliance of Health Care Unions, which represents an estimated 62,000 Kaiser employees. ... "[They] are demanding significantly higher increases than our 21.5% offer,“ the Kaiser spokesperson said.

The Exec: Hamilton Medical Center CMO on incremental successes in change management HealthLeaders; by Christopher Cheney; 10/13/25 In healthcare, attempts to make changes quickly at a grand scale are often unsuccessful, this CMO says. The primary element of success in change management is to pursue a strategy that emphasizes small and incremental changes, according to [Ricard Perez] the new CMO of Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton, Georgia. ... If you are going to be affecting people's daily work lives, your best bet for success is to make sure that those people have some representation at the table," Perez says. "Once you have stakeholders at the table, they can become advocates and catalysts for change because they will have an intricate understanding of why change needs to happen."

Ex-employee sued bankrupt SLO County hospice group 3 times. Here's whyMSN San Luis Obispo County, CA; 10/13/25 A former employee of Wilshire Health and Community Services filed three lawsuits against the organization in the past two years, accusing the now-bankrupt nonprofit of violating numerous labor laws including using unfair pay practices, gender-based discrimination and wrongful and retaliatory termination.