Literature Review

Healthcare leaders must confront toxicity to avoid obsolescence, SCAN Group CEO warns Time.News; by Grace Chen; 1/27/26 A new call to action from Dr. Sachin Jain emphasizes ethical leadership, honest self-assessment, and a relentless focus on patient needs as crucial for survival in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. Healthcare organizations face a stark choice: embrace ethical principles and actively combat internal toxicity, or risk becoming irrelevant.

What home-based care consumers really want Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/27/26In interviews conducted by Cozy Home Community with patients and family members who received home-based care, six key themes emerged as factors that influence their perceptions of care —  education, navigation, community and fit, families serving as health care “quarterbacks” and the importance of emotional intelligence and empathy.

Rehab staff concerned by Enloe’s partnership with Lifepoint Chico Enterprise-Record, Chico, CA; Press Release; 1/24/26 In a move that is concerning some staff members, Enloe Health is partnering with private company Lifepoint Health to manage its rehabilitation center. ... This is the second time in roughly five months Enloe outsourced or transitioned services away from in-house management. In August 2025, Enloe ended its in-house Home Health and Hospice program, with hospice services now referred to Butte Home Health and Hospice. Enloe Health and Butte Home Health and Hospice are nonprofits, while Lifepoint is a for-profit company. 

An Anderson Township nursing home patient died of natural causes — until the coroner called it homicide ABC WCPO-9, Cincinnati / Anderson Township, OH; by Dan Monk; 1/21/26 An Anderson Township nursing home is under scrutiny after a patient’s death was changed from natural causes to homicide by the Hamilton County Coroner. Robert Meyer was a patient at Forest Hills Healthcare Center, ... He died on Sept. 6, 2025, soon after being transferred to a hospice facility in Blue Ash. No autopsy was conducted because the original death certificate said Meyer died of natural causes. However, as his funeral approached, his daughter raised concerns about his care at Forest Hills. Tammy Maham sent the coroner pictures of neck bruises that Meyer incurred in the days before his death. That led to Meyer’s disinterment, a Sept. 22 autopsy and a revised death certificate that lists “physical elder abuse” as the immediate cause of death by homicide.

Agrace announces revolutionary dementia village: America's first Hogeweyk-inspired community redefining memory care PR Newswire, Madison, WI; by Agrace; 1/20/26 Agrace ... today announced plans to build the Ellen & Peter Johnson Dementia Village at Agrace, the first Hogeweyk-inspired dementia care community of its kind in the United States. ... Breaking ground this spring, the $40 million project represents a complete reimagining of dementia care in America, drawing inspiration from the Netherlands' internationally acclaimed Hogeweyk Dementia Village—a model that has set a new global standard for supporting people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. ... Traditional memory care has long focused on safety and clinical oversight—priorities that matter deeply to families and caregivers alike. Yet many of these settings—shaped by institutional design and medical frameworks—can unintentionally narrow autonomy, spontaneity, and connection to ordinary life. 

Baptist Health and Hosparus Health expand hospice and palliative care partnership to Southern Indiana Hosparus Health, Louisville, KY; Press Release; 1/14/26 Hosparus Health and its palliative care affiliate, Pallitus Health Partners, in collaboration with Baptist Health, announce the expansion of their innovative partnership to Southern Indiana. As of January 2, 2026, Pallitus Health Partners is offering palliative care consultations for patients at Baptist Health Floyd in New Albany. The program focuses on supporting patients and families facing serious illness by providing expert symptom management, helping them plan for the future, and connecting them with broader care options, including hospice when appropriate. 

CMS, hospice groups mull Wage Index reform Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/13/26 Some stakeholders in the hospice space are seeking reforms to the hospice wage index. ... CMS has given indications that it would mull changes to the hospice wage index. In 2025, the agency convened a technical expert panel to consider the issue. One point of discussion is the application of new data sources, including potential changes to hospice cost reports. ... One proposal discussed within the panel would be to revise the hospice cost report to collect accurate information about costs related to full-time employees, ... To implement a new wage index methodology, CMS would also have to go through a proposed rulemaking process, including public notice and a comment period. With any wage index changes, some hospices would “win” and others would “lose.” Some providers may see higher payments as a result, whereas others may see their rates go down. ...

New AMA survey spotlights top priorities, challenges in 2026 HCN - HealthCare News, Chicago, IL; by HCN Staff; 1/9/26 Physician organizations are preparing for a dynamic state legislative landscape this year with health policy changes poised to reshape coverage, oversight, care delivery, and public health across the health system, according to a new survey released by the American Medical Assoc. (AMA). The AMA’s survey of 64 medical societies, including all 50 state medical societies and the District of Columbia, spotlights the leading healthcare priorities and challenges set to define state-level legislative action in 2026. Top issues include scope of practice, Medicaid policy pressures, and physician workforce challenges.

[United Kingdom] One in five hospice beds closed, report warns in end of life care crisis Express - Health and Social Affairs; by Lucy Johnston; 1/10/26 Almost one in five hospice beds in England is now closed or standing empty, despite growing demand for end-of-life care, a study by Oxford University researchers has found. The analysis exposes a deepening funding crisis in the hospice sector - which its authors have described as “a national scandal.” ... [Oxford University professors describe that] ... increasing numbers of frail and elderly patients are dying “in pain, alone, often hungry and dehydrated,” while others are being admitted to hospital in emergency situations, adding pressure to already stretched NHS services.

What to expect in US healthcare in 2026 and beyond McKinsey & Company; by Neha Patel and Shubham Singhal with Ankit Jain; 1/12/26The healthcare industry faces successive waves of challenging trends, with glimmers of opportunity in select segments. US healthcare system continues to face considerable financial strain, although there are pockets of opportunity. ... Payers and providers have borne the brunt of the decline to date and will continue to feel financial pressure in the immediate future. ... Meanwhile, providers could experience an increase in uncompensated care and loss of reimbursement. ... Post-acute care is positioned for stronger performance over the next several years, with continued growth in home health and hospice but stagnation in skilled nursing facilities. ...

OhioHealth, Columbus family foundation end decades-long relationship Columbus Business First - Healthcare, Columbus, OH; by Carrie Ghose; 1/9/26 The primary benefactors for OhioHealth Corp.'s hospice facility have shifted their family's support to another nonprofit, Dayton-based Ohio's Hospice - citing dissatisfaction with the involvement of private equity in end-of-life care. ... "In the bright glare of machines and the cold calculation of metrics, some in our society have allowed the final days of human life to become a logistical and financial puzzle, measured in reimbursement rates and hospital capacity," said a statement from the Kobacker family of Columbus. OhioHealth will announce new naming rights for its Kobacker House in the coming months, the system said in a statement to Columbus Business First. No patients are affected by the transition. [Access may be limited due to paywall.]

Home-based care type II workplace violence nurse provider experience a literature review Home Healthcare Now; by LaDawna Goering DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, BC-ADM, CDP and Tracy Ashby, MLIS; Jan/Feb 2026 Home-based healthcare workers are at risk of violence from patients or visitors, known as Type II workplace violence (WPV). A review of studies from 2014 to 2024 found that WPV in home care is often underreported, and current training programs are not tailored for home settings. This leaves workers vulnerable to physical and psychological harm. The review suggests the need for specialized training for home care providers, focusing on patient screening, situational awareness, and de-escalation techniques. Future efforts should aim to create specific WPV prevention and reporting protocols to enhance safety and accountability in home healthcare.