Literature Review

Hospice finance 101 and the gift of mortalityPost Independent; by Peter Schoomaker, Homecare & Hospice of the Valley CFO; 2/19/25... [Practical information about hospice expenses, like labor and mileage reimbursement with. "For our agency, we estimate our clinicians will drive more than 250,000 miles in 2025, slightly more than the distance from the Earth to the Moon."] And now a more personal note … I am grateful for the last seven years of my career working in hospice care. Most importantly, I am grateful for the opportunity to integrate into the clinical experience of hospice. When I shadow an admission visit or attend the hospice interdisciplinary meeting, I am reminded that hospice is a world of YET (You’re Eligible Too). The only thing that separates me, and our hospice patients, is time. My relative physical strength will eventually shrink. My mental faculties will fade. And there is a large possibility, at some point in my life, that I will depend almost entirely on others to help with most activities of daily living. This is true for all of us. ... ... Recognizing this truth opens a path to humility. A path to step away from the ego, even for a moment, and really let go. ... When I reflect on this, I realize what a gift our mortality is. To know that our choices matter because we never know much time we have left. A sincere thank you to all our hospice, homecare and private duty clinicians — and our administrative teams that support them. It is genuinely noble work.Editor's note: "A sincere thank you" to Peter Schoomaker, Homecare & Hospice of the Valley CFO

'Fast and furious' AI sparks health system refocus Becker's Health IT; by Laura Dyrda; 2/19/25Health systems are beginning to hire chiefs of artificial intelligence and other AI leaders to bring new expertise into the system with the goal of becoming a more sophisticated, data-driven organization. Lisa Stump, executive vice president, chief digital information officer and vice dean of information technology at Mount Sinai Health System and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, participated in the search and hiring process for Girish Nadkarni, MD, Mount Sinai's first chair of artificial intelligence and human health to create a formal department at the Icahn School of Medicine dedicated to AI. She now partners with him and the system's chief clinical officer – calling themselves the "digital and technology partners" group – to structure a center of excellence around AI and digital health, focusing on the patient and consumer experience.

17 coaches on how to address leadership blind spots Forbes; by Expert Panel - Forbes Coaches Council; 2/12/25 ... Here, 17 Forbes Coaches Council members discuss leadership blind spots they encounter in their work with leadership clients and strategies for addressing them. Their insights below provide tools for becoming a more self-aware, adaptive and effective leader.

The case for a 4-day workweek for nurse managers Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Kelly Gooch: 2/18/25 Four-day workweeks lead to an improved work-life balance for nurse managers, nurse leaders at Philadelphia-based Fox Chase Cancer Center argue in a new paper shared with Becker's. "A 4-Day Workweek for Nurse Leaders: Unveiling the Lessons Learned" is based on a study conducted at the 100-bed specialty cancer center. The study aims to evaluate the influence of a four-day workweek on nurse leaders' perceptions of workload and job satisfaction. Results of the study were published Feb. 17, and included 24 care delivery units and 43 nursing directors, managers and assistant nurse managers.

Local hospice clinic reacts to doctor’s death NBC 11, CBS 13, Fox 9, Yuma, AZ; by Miriam Ordonez and Dillon Fuhrman; 2/12/25 A Yuma physician has been identified as the victim of a fatal vehicle crash that took place early Monday morning. 75-year-old William Michael Shea, a longtime doctor at Hospice of Yuma, was struck while crossing S. James Drive at East 24th Street. Authorities say the driver, a 65-year-old woman, was turning onto James Road from 24th Street when the accident happened. Shea was rushed to Onvida Health, where he later died from his injuries. Hospice of Yuma shared their sadness over Dr. Shea's passing, calling him a beloved leader whose "dedication, compassion and leadership touched countless lives."

Hodges remembered as hospice founder The News-Gazette, Lexington, VA; by Scotty Dransfield; 2/12/25Helen Hodges, the last living founder of what is now Connections Plus Hospice + Healthcare, died on Feb. 1, leaving behind a legacy of compassion and dedication, and a lasting impact on health care in Rockbridge County. Her work helped shape end-of-life care in the area, ensuring that those facing their final days could do so with dignity and comfort. Hodges was one of the four women ... who set out in the late 1970s to bring hospice care to the community. They were a grassroots team with no paid staff and no established structure — just a vision of providing comfort and support for terminally ill patients and their families. By 1983, their efforts had formalized into an official organization, and in 1984, Rockbridge Area Hospice was officially chartered. ... A stone plaque in the hospice gardens now bears her name, a quiet but permanent reminder of the foundation she built. ...

Teleios announces completion of Boomer End-of-Life Care Survey Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN), Hendersonville, NC; by Tina Gentry; 2/12/25 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN) announced the completion of its survey titled “What Baby Boomers Want in End-of-Life Care.” This survey aimed to gain insights into the healthcare preferences and needs of the Baby Boomer generation as they age, transition into retirement and seek end-of-life care. On February 5th, TCN’s Visioneering Council, which comprises member CEOs, C-Suite staff, and marketing managers, gathered to discuss the survey results and explore the best ways to utilize this information to enhance patient care. Before reviewing TCN’s survey findings, Matthew Wilkinson from NPHI and Bill Keane from Emergence presented results from NPHI’s “Aging and End of Life Care Survey.” Additionally, Dr. Terry Fulmer provided insights from the John A. Hartford Foundation’s survey titled “What Older Adults Want from Health Care.” TCN President and CEO Chris Comeaux said, “Over my career, we have been honored to care for the greatest generation. Now that we are at the dawn of the baby boomers being the majority of those we will be honored to care for as they enter their twilight years. Knowing what they expect, what they care about, what they do not want to worry about, all of this is such important data to ensure hospice over the next 30 years is providing an even greater service to patients and families. That’s what this study was looking to accomplish. It’s a great start in that direction.” 

Leaders-First Leadership and the 9 Touchstones with Jes Deshields Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux; 2/12/25 Jes DeShields, founder of Crescent Leadership, discusses her leadership journey, emphasizing the importance of self-discovery, personal stories, and sustainable growth.  She introduces the concept of 'crescendo' in leadership development, which occurs when the journey builds to a key pivot point or impact point. The discussion also covers the significance of integrity in leadership, the balance between confidence and self-reflection, and the leader-first leadership model, which prioritizes leader growth to foster effective organizational change. Then, it delves into the nine touchstones of effective leadership, which are the title of Jes’ book, 9 Leader Touchstones.

A CEO’s strategic guide to leading people facing cancer CEO World Magazine; by Joelle Kaufman; 2/10/25 Cancer doesn’t just affect individuals – it impacts entire organizations. As leaders, we must anticipate and prepare for the moment when cancer touches our teams. With over 18 million cancer survivors currently in the U.S. workforce and over 2 million new diagnoses annually, the question isn’t if cancer will affect your organization but when and how you’ll respond. ... The first step will be how you respond when an employee shares that cancer is impacting their life. The second step is how you will manage while cancer is having its impact. ... When we get this right, we build more than just protocols – we build resilient organizations that demonstrate our values through action. In doing so, we create the kind of workplace where people can bring their whole selves, face life’s challenges with dignity, and continue contributing meaningfully to our shared mission. Editor's note: Getting this "right" matters especially for hospice and palliative care organizations. Read this article for both strategic professional guidelines and a personal story from a CMO/business owner.

AdventHealth's AI chief aims to cut through the 'uncertainty' of AI in healthcare Becker's Hospital Review; by Naomi Diaz; 2/5/25 AdventHealth, based in Altamonte Springs, Fla., has appointed Rob Purinton as its first chief artificial intelligence officer, a newly created role aimed at reducing uncertainty around AI while guiding the health system's overall strategy for using the technology. "We think there's some uncertainty in the future with AI and healthcare, and so my job is to take some of that uncertainty out," Mr. Purinton told Becker's. "The future could be bright and productive and rosy and a really great experience for consumers and clinicians, or it could be the opposite of that. ..."

After Eaton fire response, a search and rescue team gears up for a future of wildfire DirectRelief; by Talya Meyers; 2/10/25 Like many California volunteer rescuers, Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team members got their start doing wilderness missions. Now, they’re preparing for a bigger role in an era of more frequent, severe wildfires. When the volunteers on the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team look back on the first night’s response to the Eaton Fire, what they remember most is problem-solving, and quickly. ...  “We were building an airplane while we were flying it,” is how operations leader Carolyn Grumm described it. ... For [Rob Klusman, senior paramedic team member], the vast and urgent need came into focus early that evening, when his team went to check on a medically complex patient receiving end-of-life care. ... [Immediately after countless evacuations,] he and his teammates moved into their second, grimmer assignment: Moving through devastated, burned-out neighborhoods, ... to find human remains. ... [Now, on] a larger scale, Klusamn explained, California search and rescue teams are thinking about the escalating severity and frequency of wildfires — and how they can be there to respond.

Learning from death: New memoir If We Never Meet Again imparts lessons from working with hospice patientsThe MarCom Journal, Charleston, SC; by Globe Newswire; 2/6/25While the topic of death is generally considered taboo, English teacher turned hospice administrator Matthew Cornett believes there is much to be learned from death. After becoming an empty nester, Cornett left the classroom behind and began a second career in hospice care. And the more time he spent with people as they approached the end of their life, the more he realized that their deaths had meaning. And what emerged from those final moments was something profound. Hoping to make others feel more comfortable when it comes to preparing for and talking about death, he presents a memoir of his journey into the world of hospice care. In If We Never Meet Again, Cornett chronicles his experiences providing compassion and support to hospice patients while adjusting to his new role. Finding inspiration in his patient’s “death stories,” he found himself on an unexpected path of self-discovery. Cornett’s personal reflections on these intimate and emotional interactions encourage readers to reconsider how they view death and dying.

Arkansas Hospice names Brian Bell new President and CEO Arkansas Money & Politics (AMP); by AMP Staff; 2/7/25 Arkansas Hospice announced Thursday that Dr. Brian W. Bell, M.D., FAAHPM, will take over as president and CEO for Arkansas Hospice’s Family of Care on March 10.  He joined the company in 2016 and is currently the chief medical officer. He will replace Judith Wooten, who announced her retirement last year. Wooten will stay on through April to ensure a smooth transition. Bell has worked in hospice care since 2006 and is board-certified in family medicine and hospice and palliative medicine. He is one of only people in the state with the designation fellow of the Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.