Literature Review

7 hospice leaders’ predictions for 2026 Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/20/26 Hospice News interviewed several industry leaders to identify the most significant market forces and trends expected to shape the sector in 2026. Their insights revealed several shared themes, including growing demand for home-based care, ongoing workforce challenges, continued industry consolidation, heightened technology adoption and heightened regulatory oversight. Participants also emphasized the importance of better integrating hospice into the broader health care continuum. 

Employee experience trends: What the data says about 2026 Perceptyx; by Zachary Warman, MS, Oliver Lee Bateman, PhD & Bradley Wilson, PhD; 1/16/26 Perceptyx research across 20 million employee survey responses reveals the largest shift in engagement drivers ever recorded: change management and confidence in senior leadership now rank as top drivers, while belonging and feeling valued dropped from their consistent top-two positions. With 4.6% unemployment and a "low-hire-low-fire" market, stable retention numbers may mask a workforce too paralyzed to pursue growth rather than one that's thriving. 

Top news stories from 2025, and predictions for 2026 by Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner | Part 2 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast/video hosted by Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner; 1/16/26 In Part 2 of Top News Stories from 2025, and Predictions for 2026, Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner look back on their 2025 predictions with honesty and perspective before turning their focus to what lies ahead.  Both agree that 2025 was defined less by disruption and more by incremental movement.  While pressures around staffing, reimbursement, Medicare Advantage, Hospice quality, and AI persisted, many of the anticipated “breaking points” never fully arrived—revealing a year shaped more by steady undercurrents than seismic shifts.

Top 10 leadership pivots for 2026 Forbes; by Julie Kratz; 1/4/26 ... “Psychological safety is the most powerful differentiator in building high-performing teams. Those who report feeling psychologically safe are 31% more likely than those who don’t to be a high performer,” as stated in a recent Wiley Workplace Intelligence study of high performing teams. When cultural factors like psychological safety are linked to performance, leaders pay attention. Consider these leadership pivots heading into 2026:

Reimagining Hospice with Agentic and Generative AI1520ai press release; by Ernesto Lopez; 1/8/26...Agentic AI moves beyond task automation. It introduces systems that can reason over time, track evolving conditions, and coordinate actions across clinical, operational, and compliance domains. In a hospice setting, this means AI can move from being a documentation assistant to functioning as a continuous support layer. An agentic system can review clinical documentation as it is created, recognize patterns that suggest risk or change in trajectory, and surface insights proactively. It can coordinate care activities, prompt timely follow-up, and support consistency across interdisciplinary teams.Publisher's Note: An interesting article introducing AI terminology from a hospice perspective.

Choose a word, change your trajectory, lead with intention Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); by Chris Comeaux; 1/7/26 A new year often feels like a clean slate, yet most resolutions fade because they add complexity instead of clarity. In this episode, Chris Comeaux makes the case for a simpler, more enduring tool: choosing One Word as your theme for the year. A single word sharpens focus, clarifies tradeoffs, and guides daily decisions without a bloated checklist.  Leadership is about changing trajectories—not reacting to noise—and a clear theme helps leaders stop drifting and start leading with intention.

Why great leaders focus on the details Harvard Business Review (HBR) Executive - HBR IdeaCast; podcast with Scott Cook; 12/16/25 Senior executives are often told to focus on big-picture strategy while delegating the specifics of execution. But, according to Scott Cook, cofounder and former CEO of Intuit, smart leaders also spend time on the details of how the organization gets work done at every level, including the front lines. Working with Harvard Business School professor Nitin Nohria, he studied companies from Toyota to Amazon to better understand why hands-on leadership, from the CEO down, works and how to do it without micromanaging. They are coauthors of the HBR article “The Surprising Success of Hands-On Leaders.”

Creating and sustaining a culture of excellence American Nurse; by Aileen Cassada, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, NRP, and Holly Puckett, DNP, RN, CNE, CMSRN; 1/5/26 Takeaways:

CAPC fireside chat: Leading through change and uncertainty in palliative careAmerican Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) and Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC); to be presented by Brynn Bowan, MPA, Rikki Hopper, FNPT-C, MBA, Kristina Newport, MD, FAAHPM, and R. Sean Morrison, MD; retrieved 1/2/26, to be presented 1/14/25, 3:00-4:00 ESTPeriods of organizational or environmental change can test even the most experienced leaders. ... In this fireside chat, national leaders from CAPC, AAHPM, HPNA, and the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai will reflect on how palliative care leaders can stay grounded and effective during times of uncertainty—maintaining clarity, confidence, and compassion while advancing the field. Attendees will explore strategies to sustain team morale and well-being, foster collaboration across disciplines, and keep equity, quality, and patient-centered care at the heart of their work. The discussion will also highlight emerging opportunities for innovation, research, and shared leadership as palliative care continues to evolve within a changing health care landscape. [Registration is free.]

From laggard to leader: Why health care in the United States is failing, and how to fix itHealth Affairs; by Donald M. Berwick, Elaine Batchlor, Dave A. Chokshi, Patricia Gabow, Richard Gilfillan, Frederick Isasi, Arnold Milstein, Len M. Nichols; 1/22/25Health care in the United States is among the most technologically advanced in the world, but it is largely failing to meet the needs of the nation. The US can claim international excellence in important areas of care, such as cancer treatment, and it leads the world in biomedical innovation and building a well-prepared and dedicated clinical workforce. The Affordable Care Act was a major step forward in expanding access to health care in the US. However, Americans are faced with staggering health costs, inadequate access to care, pervasive health inequities, and lagging life expectancy compared with other developed nations. In this article, ... we present a partial road map for transforming the US health care system. We propose bold national goals: affordable and equitable care for all, an additional decade of healthy birthdays after retirement, elimination of racial and ethnic disparities in health, substantial reduction in health care expenditures, and, most important, improved health outcomes.Publisher's Note: This article was featured in Health Affairs' year in review.

The hospice conversations that defined 2025 - Best of TCNtalks Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); by Chris Comeaux; 12/24/25 With nearly 45,000 total downloads across TCNtalks and Anatomy of Leadership, this milestone reflects a shared commitment to thoughtful leadership, courageous conversations, and care as it should be. We’ve curated standout moments from episodes that challenged assumptions, clarified complexity, and pointed toward a better future for serious-illness care. ... This highlight episode isn’t just a recap—it’s a reflection of where hospice and serious-illness care has been, where it is, and where it must go next. These conversations underscore the urgency of leadership rooted in clarity, compassion, and courage. Whether you’re revisiting a favorite or discovering an episode you missed, we hope this collection sparks insight, conversation, and renewed purpose as we head into 2026.

Remembering the Holocaust with little-known story about a Jewish refugee and Cicely Saunders: Honoring the International Holocaust Remembrance Day - 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz

Hospice News’ 10 most-read stories of 2025 Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/19/25 Large acquisitions, regulatory headwinds and the fate of COVID-era telehealth flexibilities were top-of-mind issues for hospice providers in 2025, as evidenced by the 10 most-read Hospice News stories of the year. ... The following are the 10 most-read Hospice News articles of 2025.