Literature Review

Bayada offers scholarship program to address nursing shortage Williamsport Sun-Gazette; by Matthew Corter; 3/17/26 In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many industries experienced a shrinking workforce, and one of those hardest hit by the trend was the healthcare field. ... One of the biggest gaps currently is in home health aides. ... To face the shortage head on, Bayada has recently increased investment in its workforce and career development, including a scholarship program called Advance Through Nursing, which helps home health aides overcome financial and educational barriers on their path to becoming licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered nurses (RNs).

Leveraging AI, automation, and data analytics in a hospice setting HealthTech; by Lindsay Myers; 3/13/26 In the hospice setting, the revenue cycle is not only complex but also uniquely fragile, as billing cannot proceed without complete documentation. The sequential nature of hospice billing, where one month’s claims must be fully processed before the next can begin, means that even minor deficiencies can halt revenue entirely. Small delays or errors upstream can have a profound impact on cash flow. ... To improve this process, the Chapters Health System is developing an AI-driven chart review process to analyze the completeness of clinical and other documentation in real time. The goal is to identify missing or inconsistent elements and route those issues directly to the party that can make corrections ...

The non-professional virtues of the hospice volunteer Journal of Applied Philosophy; by Michael B. Gill; 3/12/26 Volunteers have long played a significant role in hospice care. Much of the care volunteers provide consists of weekly hour-long in-home visits. Home-visiting hospice volunteers are not professionals, nor are they strangers or intimates. Hospice volunteers will not typically face moral dilemmas, nor be called upon to make dramatic decisions. Nonetheless, hospice volunteering can exemplify a neglected area of in-between ethics – a subset of what Brownlee has called the ‘ethics of interacting’ – that can redound to the wellbeing of all concerned. This article explores the in-between ethics of hospice volunteering and the opportunities it affords to cultivate virtues of attention and gratitude.

Bedford Hospice House seeks new partners Bedford Bulletin, Bedford, VA; by John Barnhart; 3/11/26The Bedford Hospice House will close on April 15, but this may not be the end. The hospice house was built as a community endeavor with Tom and Connie Messier spearheading the effort. The community raised the money to build a free-standing residential-style hospice house. The four-bedroom facility provided a home-like place where terminal ill people, who could not stay in their homes, could spend there last days. ... According to Amy Merrill Willis, President of the Board of Directors for Friends of the Bedford Hospice House, Cemtra notified them on Feb. 26, that hospice house would close.  ... "We remain very committed to the hospice house," she said. She said they are exploring options and have been in communication with the Bedford County Board of Supervisors. She said the supervisors are interested in maintaining it as a hospice house and she said her board hopes to find a new partner.

Thyme Care launches Integrated Social Support model, bringing proactive oncology social work to 8 million Americans upon diagnosis PR Newswire, Nashville, TN; by Thyme Care; 3/5/26 Thyme Care today announced the public launch of its Integrated Social Support (ISS) model, a redesigned approach to oncology navigation that positions licensed master's-level social workers as the first to intervene when members experience barriers to navigating their cancer. The announcement coincides with National Social Work Month in March, recognizing the essential role social workers play in improving health outcomes. An estimated 44% of individuals affected by cancer experience psychosocial burdens, which are associated with poorer health, clinical, and economic outcomes for patients and caregivers. Thyme Care's ISS model flips the approach by making licensed social workers one of the first points of contact for social, emotional, and practical needs, assessing members from day one and throughout their journey ...

A nurse-led violence prevention program that cut incidents to zero Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Mariah Taylor; 3/2/26 WakeMed Raleigh (N.C.) has gone 20 consecutive months — and counting — without a single workplace violence incident on its medical-surgical unit. It is all thanks to a program created by three nurse leaders. The program started with a partnership between med-surg and psychiatric nurses. ...

UVM Home Health & Hospice volunteers among the longest serving in the nation Vermont Business Magazine | The University of Vermont Health Network - Home Health & Hospice; by Tim; 3/3/26 Among the longest‑serving hospice volunteers in the nation, Charlotte Kenney, Jan Watt and Lil Venner have each devoted more than 45 years to UVM Health – Home Health & Hospice because, they say, helping patients and their families make the most of the time they have left of this earth is a privilege, rooted in grace and connection. The notion that hospice work is defined by sorrow, is rejected by all three dedicated volunteers. "What I'm doing is enabling this person to live fully until the very last second," says Kenney. ... Venner adds, "You see the world differently when you're looking through the eyes of somebody who may be seeing this particular thing for the last time." Editor's Note: We celebrate these devoted hospice volunteers at UVM Health Network – Home Health & Hospice. Together, Charlotte Kenney, Jan Watt, and Lil Venner have given more than 185 years of service—an extraordinary testament to presence, compassion, and steadfast commitment. Who among your volunteers carries a stories of faithful service? What collective years of care live within your own program? Consider gathering and sharing that data—not simply as numbers, but as narratives of impact and catalysts for thanks.

Infographic: Compliance you can’t ignore HR Daily Advisor Staff; by HR Daily Advisor Staff; 1/21/26 In the age of AI and remote work, HR leaders are dealing with tough compliance challenges, and they must have strategies to keep everything straight and in order for their organizations. Want to learn best practices and what HR leaders should do right now to deal with compliance issues such as AI governance, leave laws, classifying workers, remote and global jurisdictional risk, data privacy, and employee monitoring/surveillance? Check out our infographic to ensure you’re as proactive as possible.

Forbes: 2026 America's best large employers and America's best midsize employers Forbes; by Rachel Rabkin Peachman; 2/10/26 ... The annual rankings were based primarily on survey responses from more than 217,000 employees working at companies within the U.S. that employ more than 1,000 people. ... As with all Forbes lists, companies pay no fee to participate or be selected. ... [Healthcare organizations listed in the top 50 organizations include the following, with rankings among all industries: ...]

10 healthcare workforce challenges defining 2026 Becker's Hospital Review; by Laura Dyrda; 2/24/25 ... When Becker’s asked 103 healthcare leaders, “What do you anticipate being the most pressing workforce challenge in 2026, and how are you preparing to address it?” the responses revealed an industry preparing for permanent redesign. Across all 103 responses, 10 themes stood out. ...

The Alliance and the Research Institute for Home Care release 2025 Hospice Chartbook National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 2/19/26 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) and The Research Institute for Home Care (the Institute) are excited to announce the release of the 2025 Hospice Chartbook. Highlighting the vital role that hospice plays in caring for an aging demographic, the Chartbook provides a look at the patients being served in hospice, who they are demographically and clinically, and more.  Now in its second year, the 2025 Hospice Chartbook, co-sponsored by the Alliance, provides an overview of national patient and workforce data with an emphasis on state-specific information and trends, including key data on hospice patients and providers, Medicare spending on hospice, and more. 

Physician Associates [PAs] in hospice and palliative medicine: Insights from a national needs assessment American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Ryan Baldeo, MPAS, MSPC, PA-C, FAAHPM; 2/3/26Results: Respondents were primarily female (89.8%) and hospital-based (57.1%), with 73.5% less than or equal to 10 years of experience in the specialty. While 55.1% had specialized training, only 16.3% were specialty certified. Qualitative analysis identified five challenges: regulatory and policy hurdles, workforce disparities compared to other APPs, misconceptions about the PA role, education gaps, and emotional strain.Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest a need for targeted organizational support in advocacy, particularly regarding legislative efforts for hospice inclusive, and professional development to bridge the certification gap.