Literature Review

Baylor students learn care as healing in hospice class Waco Tribune-Herald, Waco, TX; by Carl Hoover; 5/12/26 A spring class for Baylor University medical humanities students put them in contact with something that medical training often skirts around: people who are dying and beyond what medicine can heal. The class, a partnership between Baylor and Providence Hospice, exposes students to the dynamics of hospice care through weekly contact with hospice patients, shadowing the routines of social workers, hospice workers and chaplains, plus and regular group discussions with classmates on their experiences. The hospice class was the brainchild of former Baylor medical humanities professor Bill Hoy, who started the class in 2020, recalled Sonya Wilson. Wilson, the volunteer coordinator for Providence Hospice, continues to teach the hospice class in collaboration with Baylor post-doctorate teaching fellow Levi Durham.Editor's Note: Recent newsletter posts about Dr. Bill Hoy include "Bridging the differences in care for grieving people: Worden’s differentiation between grief counseling and grief therapy" and "Not everything that can be counted ..."

Generous community support drives new hospice home project: longtime community member LeRoy Havel donates $500,000 to End of Life Hospice Home coming to Washington Southeast Iowa Union, Washington, IA; by Giovanni Coronel; 5/11/26 A generous donation of $500,000 from longtime community member and benefactor LeRoy Havel was given in support of an End of Life Hospice Home (EOLH) coming to Washington during a presentation on May 8. A EOLH is a place where individuals can spend their final days in comfort, dignity, and peace with around-the-clock-care in a home-like setting. It will be the first one of its kind in Washington and in Washington County.

Revisiting stories about mothersHospice & Palliative Care Today; compilation by Joy Berger, Editor in Chief; 5/6/26As we move into this Mother's Day weekend, we revisit memorable stories from our newsletter about mothers. Relationships can be unconditional love, broken, and every nuance in between. May these be a catalyst inspirations for your own relationships with the women in your lives - mothers, grandmothers, wives, daughters, aunts, grands, sisters, in-laws, "steps," and more. 

[UK] Dorset hospice and community choir charities announce merger CivilSociety; by Alex Turner; 4/30/26 Two Dorset-based charities, one providing hospice care and the other a community choir supporting people living with cancer, have announced a merger. Lewis-Manning Hospice Care said this week that the “exciting new step” will “bring together clinical excellence in palliative care with the powerful therapeutic and community benefits of music and singing.” Rising Voices Wessex, based in Poole, added that the partnership will expand access to the choir for people living with life-limiting illness and their families across east Dorset and Purbeck. The charities highlighted the benefits that group singing can bring, including around lowered stress, improved respiratory function, new social connections and overall mental wellbeing. 

Have guitar, will travel: music therapist brings comfort Lovin' Life; by Karen Schaffner; 5/3/26 Michael Hieber has a warehouse of music in his brain, everything from the Great American Songbook to Rob Zombie and beyond. He knows the value of music and how personal it is. As a board-certified music therapist, Hieber’s job is no different from other types of therapy. “The way to think of music therapy just in general is, imagine any kind of therapy there is: cognitive behavioral, occupational therapy, speech language pathology, et cetera,” Hieber said. “Music therapists can work in all those areas but you use music to achieve your therapeutic goals.” Hieber is a music therapist at Casa de la Luz Hospice, has a Yamaha guitar and will travel to patients.

Wish granted: Man in hospice attends his 80th Kentucky Derby in a rowWLKY-32 CBS News, Louisville, KY; by Addie Meiners; 5/4/26 An 89-year-old Louisville native living in hospice care was able to fulfill one final wish this weekend—attending his 80th Kentucky Derby in a row. Bob Weihe marked the milestone Saturday at the 152nd Run for the Roses. Despite being in hospice, his lifelong tradition was made possible for another year after a story about his situation gained attention. ... Editor's Note: Even though weather was cold and the sun did not "shine bright" for the Derby this story warms the heart. 

Man in hospice had final wish of attending his 80th Kentucky Derby, and it's coming true WLKY-32, Louisville, KY; by Addie Meiners; 4/30/26 An 89-year-old Louisville native in hospice care wants to get in one final Kentucky Derby before he dies. Bob Weihe has been to 79 Derbies in a row. But in a wheelchair, unable to walk and unable to afford it, he feared his dying wish would not come true. But after a public appeal, it looks like he'll get that wish. Journalist David Begnaud shared a video online asking for help to grant it. Weihe’s passion for the Derby began in 1946 when he attended his first race at the age of 8 with his mother. ... Weihe’s wife, Barbara, has been his date to 62 Derbies, starting in 1957. ... Churchill Downs responded to Begnaud’s video, providing tickets to make Weihe’s wish come true.

Mercy film starts dialogue on end-of-life care and dignity in dying The News Mill; 4/21/26 Director Mitul Patel revealed that his film ‘Mercy’ draws inspiration from actor Paresh Rawal’s account of his mother’s prolonged illness and coma, shared during an interview. This real-life story shaped the film’s exploration of end-of-life decisions and moral conflict. Patel told ANI, “As a writer, I look for conflicts in stories. I couldn’t find a bigger conflict than this where a son has to face this choice of letting go of his mother. ... “It will be better when we talk about mortality openly. End of life care, dignity in dying. We will start a conversation about all this. This is the goal of the movie.”

OHSU grapples with falling rank on patient safety measures OPB, Oregon Health & Science University; by Amelia Templeton; 4/27/26 [The context begins with an "abrupt firing" of the CEO for OHSU Health. The excerpt below is further into the article, with relevance for hospice providers and your partnerships with hospitals.] Mortality — the number of observed patient deaths versus the number expected — was the other major contributing factor to OHSU slipping in Vizient’s ranks. Edwards shared several caveats with the board as to why she believes OHSU is performing better than its ranking indicates, particularly on the mortality score. For example, some patient deaths may have been counted differently by Vizient due to the closure of a hospice program. That could account for up to a third of the change in OHSU’s mortality grade, she said. And an internal review of the mortality data suggested that some OHSU patients’ medical charts weren’t accurately capturing how sick or complex they were.

8 years later, Ohio takes another look at ‘medical aid in dying.’ Will this time be different? Cleveland.com, Columbus, OH; by Mary Frances McGown; 4/26/26 Eight years after similar legislation stalled at the Statehouse, Ohio lawmakers are again weighing whether terminally ill residents should be able to determine the timing of their death. Rep. Eric Synenberg this week introduced legislation to legalize “medical aid in dying” in Ohio, allowing mentally competent adults with a terminal diagnosis and six months or less to live to hasten their deaths by taking a lethal dose of medication prescribed by a physician. ... Recent public polling has shown that most Americans are open to medical aid in dying, and advocates say that public education on the subject has improved since the last legislative battle. Yet opposition to such legislation is also strong, particularly among the religious.

What is a ‘green burial’? Plainfield Township is now offering them MLive, Palinfield Township, MI; by Danielle James; 4/14/26 Plainfield Township will soon allow “green burials” in its cemetery located at 6205 Packer Drive NE. The alternative method of burial has been described by some as more natural and environmentally conscious. Township leaders said when approving it, they also had to weigh the potential for additional complications. At a March meeting, Plainfield Township Board members signed off on a resolution that amended the cemetery ordinance to allow for green burials. On April 13, the board approved designated areas in the cemetery where the burials could take place. The alternative burials will still require township approval on a case-by-case basis.Editor's Note: We provide this in light of today's "Earth Day 2026" awareness and the growth of alternative burial processes. Related articles we have posted include:

Strategies to promote the dissemination of psychosocial digital health resources for those affected by cancer: scoping review Supportive Care in Cancer; by Isabel Ronan and Olinda Santin; 4/15/26 Conclusion: This paper presents the first review consolidating research on psychosocial digital resource dissemination targeting those affected by cancer. ... When considering the dissemination of an online resource in the future, researchers should focus on creating co-designed digital interventions for caregivers and targeting more diverse populations using both traditional and digital dissemination materials.