Literature Review

Nursing profession sees major boom NBC Nightly News; by Emilie Ikeda; 4/21/26 As AI threatens so many industries, nursing is in demand. The Labor Department last year reported health care as the largest source of job creation in the U.S. "So many industries, one is thriving and paying good salaries," Emilie Ikeda explains why so many Americans are giving up working in office buildings to become nurses. ... At a time when many industries are shrinking in part because of Artificial Intelligence, "Why do you say that nursing is A.I.-proof?" "I don't think that A.I. can pick up on the minute nuances that may happen in human emotion ..."

Older adults and volunteerism: a vital social justice issue Nonprofit Quarterly; by Jan Masaoka; 4/20/26 In this series, The Unexpected Value of Volunteers, author Jan Masaoka takes on the underappreciated topic of volunteerism and provides some unexpected ideas about the role that volunteers can play in building nonprofit reach, impact, and capacity. ... Indeed, senior volunteerism exposes a deep problem with how organizations and society at large view older adults. Seniors are routinely cast as people to be helped instead of people who help.Editor's Note: This article names a quiet paradox especially relevant to hospice: older adults are often seen as recipients of care, yet they are essential to delivering it through volunteer service. When we treat volunteer roles as a Medicare requirement to fulfill, we risk missing the deeper truth. Older adult volunteers bring lived wisdom, presence, and purpose—helping us shape care in ways that truly matter.

Supporting family caregivers at work benefits employers too, report offers McKnights Home Care; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 4/17/26 Few employers are doing anything to support workers who are family caregivers, despite sometimes seeing the effects unpaid caregiving has on the workplace, such as absenteeism and underperformance, according to a report from CareBenefits by Care.com, published Wednesday [4/15]. The business implications are becoming clear, the authors said, adding that employers can support workers by offering family caregiving-related benefits.

Google.org and Johnson & Johnson Foundation launch $10 million AI training program for rural U.S. healthcare workers Complete AI Training; Press Release; 4/14/26 Google.org and the Johnson & Johnson Foundation are launching a $10 million program to train rural U.S. healthcare workers to use AI tools for administrative tasks. The initiative targets operational efficiency in clinics facing chronic staffing shortages and administrative overload. ... According to the National Rural Health Association, over 130 rural hospitals have shut down since 2010, with administrative burden cited as a major factor. The new program addresses this directly by teaching healthcare workers to use AI for scheduling, patient documentation, and clinic operations. 

Owatonna, Mankato Hospice Supplement Program & caregiver jobs plan launched Marketers Media / NewsNetwork, Owatonna, MN; Press Release; 4/14/26 Freedom Home Care, LLC, in southern Minnesota, announced the update and expansion of its Hospice Care Supplement Program. ... It delivers 24/7 supplemental care, including overnight and live-in options, to cover times when family members or hospice teams are unavailable. Services go beyond medical support to include household assistance such as meal preparation, light housekeeping, companionship, supervision, assistance with transfers and repositioning, and personalized one-on-one attention—ensuring patients are never alone while families can rest, focus on quality time, and avoid burnout. More information at: https://freedomhomecarellc.com/services/hospice-care/

Regional Home Health and Hospice facility to lay off 161 employees at Greenville site WhatNow; by Deepali Singla; 4/9/26 ECU Health Home Health and Hospice will lay off 161 employees at its facility in Greenville. The company filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice with the state. The layoffs follow the shutdown of the Greenville facility. ECU Health Home Health and Hospice filed a WARN notice indicating the closure of its facility at 1005 WH Smith Blvd, Greenville, NC 27834. As a result of the closure, the layoffs are scheduled to take effect on May 1, 2026.

Proposed Rule: FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements. CMS-1851-P DisplayRegulations.gov -  An official website of the United States Government | CMS; 4/6/26 This proposed rule would update the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap for Fiscal Year 2027; include an analysis of Medicare non-hospice spending, and proposes requirements that hospices provide the hospice election statement addendum to all Medicare beneficiaries. Additionally, this rule proposes conforming regulation text changes to discharge from hospice care regulations; regulation text changes to the face-to-face encounter regulations; and includes RFI on community palliative care services; hospice specific wage index construction; and the overlap between hospice and medical aid in dying. Finally, this rule proposes changes to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program. In commenting, please refer to file code. CMS-1851-P.

April is Global Volunteer Month Points of Light - Global Volunteer Month; retrieved from the internet 4/2/26 Global Volunteer Month is a time to honor and celebrate volunteers worldwide while encouraging volunteerism everywhere. Volunteers, you are the heartbeat of strengthening communities, and throughout the month, we recognize your vital role. We also urge everyone to join us in taking action, as every act of service contributes to a more connected world. During April, lend your time, talent and passion to making a real difference in your own backyard and cause a ripple effect around the world.Editor's Note: How is your hospice celebrating and honoring volunteers this April? We’re gathering meaningful and creative ways organizations express appreciation for those who serve in so many roles throughout the year. We’d love to include yours. Please email me at jberger@hospicepalliativecaretoday.com with a brief description and a link to more details (article or webpage). Let’s honor the heart of hospice—together.

‘No silver bullet’: The iterative staffing strategies home-based care providers need Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 3/26/26 The home-based care staffing landscape is undergoing a shift, as worker demographics, desires and motivations evolve. ... [There] there is no single technique that serves as a panacea, and providers must continually iterate their strategies, according to Kerin Zuger, the chief operating officer at Caretech. “There is no silver bullet,” Zuger said on a recent Home Health Care News webinar. “What do we need to do with our recruiting and onboarding strategy so that we can hire more caregivers and get them to stay? The answer is, everything. The answer is, try it all and then try it again. 

Executive Personnel Changes - 3/27/26

21 hospitals, health systems raising workers’ payBecker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 3/24/26 Since December 2025, the following hospitals and health systems have said they plan to raise their workers’ pay. ... This webpage was created Jan. 9 and is updated regularly. It was last updated March 24.

[Italy] Vicarious post-traumatic growth in health professionals facing their patients’ end of lifeEuropean Journal of Trauma & Dissociation; by David Faggi, Gabriella Aprea, Chiara Fioretti; 3/26This study explored forms of vicarious post-traumatic growth perceived by professionals working in EoL [end of life] care settings. The findings indicate the presence of positive transformations, consistent with the construct of vicarious post-traumatic growth, among professionals who work daily in contact with patients’ suffering and finitude. The four themes identified (care as witnessing and mission; learning to live with death anxiety; personal vulnerability and resources; and authentic communication  [with terminally ill patients].The authors discuss the results, considering clinical implications and the potential role of post-traumatic growth in protecting healthcare professionals from distress and psychological suffering due to daily contact with death and dying.

HCA’s CEO-to-worker pay ratio widens in 2025  Becker's Hospital Review; by Andrew Cass; 3/16/26 Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare CEO Sam Hazen was paid 420 times more than the health system’s median employee in 2025, according to a March 13 proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Hazen’s total compensation was $26,456,606 in 2025. The total compensation of HCA’s median compensated employee was $62,955. The ratio of these amounts was 420:1.