Literature Review

Palliative care remains underused among young adults with advanced cancer in U.S. American Cancer Society, Chicago, IL; 10/10/25 Although palliative care use has increased over time among young adults with advanced cancers in the United States, new research led by the American Cancer Society (ACS) found that utilization still remains very low. Palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life for individuals with serious or life-limiting illnesses. ... Researchers, led by Kewei (Sylvia) Shi, MPH, at the American Cancer Society, used the National Cancer Database to identify patients aged 18-39 who were newly diagnosed with stage-IV cancers. ... The study included a total of 76,666 patients. The percentage receiving any palliative care increased from 2.0% in 2010 to 4.8% in 2023.

How palliative care supports families emotionally and physically Elevated Magazines; 10/3/25 People often feel lost when someone they love is diagnosed with a serious illness. The shift in daily routines, the constant medical appointments, and the uncertainty about the future can feel overwhelming. Palliative care steps in to ease this transition, offering medical expertise and guidance that helps families adjust to new roles and responsibilities. Having a care team that understands both medical needs and the emotional burden can make a significant difference.

Emergency Departments report more consults for hospice, palliative care Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; by Michigan State University; 9/25/25 One-third of Americans will visit an emergency department, or ED, within a month of their death. While EDs are primarily purposed to provide emergent care, they’re increasingly becoming an initial touchpoint for hospice and palliative care, or HPC, referrals and consultations, according to a new study from several researchers at Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences.  Why this matters:

Health systems should empower their primary care physicians to deliver better palliative and end-of-life care Medscape - Family Medicine; by Edward L. Burns, MD, MA; 9/17/25 Primary care physicians (PCPs) play a pivotal role in managing the overall well-being of their patients. However, when it comes to palliative and end-of-life care, many health systems do not train or empower their PCPs to manage this important part of their patients’ lives. ... By systematically training PCPs in palliative care principles and communication skills, health systems can simultaneously deliver significantly higher quality, patient-centered care that aligns with families’ values and wishes, while reducing unnecessary hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and aggressive interventions that may not align with patients’ wishes. 

Nursing homes can disrupt ‘rehabbed to death’ cycle with PDPM-based palliative care Skilled Nursing News; by Kristin Carroll; 9/7/25 ... Skilled nursing facilities can leverage the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) to provide more palliative care to people near the end of life, helping to drive value-based care goals while improving the patient experience. However, much more needs to be done on the policy level to disrupt the current status quo, in which people commonly go through several care transitions near the end of life, driving up costs across the health care system while patients receive services that are not aligned with their own goals. Enabling concurrent SNF and hospice care is one change that could lead to improvement. These are assertions in the recent article “Rehab and Death: Improving End-Of-Life Care for Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility Beneficiaries,” published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[Global] Palliative care for special populations ehospice; by Howard Kinyua; 9/1/25

American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Announces Pierre M. Désy, MPH, CAE, as New Chief Executive OfficerIn late July, Pierre Désy, MPH, CAE became the new CEO of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Désy recently served as CEO of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) and the Foundation for Women's Cancer (FWC), where he led the development and implementation of strategic plans, revised bylaws, improved governance models, and advanced diversity and inclusion initiatives. Désy previously held executive leadership roles with the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (IAOMS) and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA). He has also served as a management consultant and coach, supporting healthcare associations and professionals in improving performance and achieving excellence. Désy said, "I am particularly energized to be part of an organization where I can bring together my public health background and decades of association management experience, and work alongside a team that shares my passion for building partnerships, advancing health equity, and supporting interdisciplinary collaboration to expand access to quality care. I am impressed by the work that has been accomplished by the Academy and look forward to working together to further its mission."Guest Editor Note, Ira Byock, MD: Mr. Désy’s public health background and substantial experience in executive roles of national specialty groups positions him well to lead AAHPM during this turbulent period in American healthcare. Hopefully, with his guidance the Academy will find ways to respond to the variability in access to and quality of hospice and palliative services and the widespread persistence of unmet needs among seriously ill and dying Americans.

Unity receives $25,000 grant from K.C. Stock Foundation to expand home-based palliative care service The Chamber - Manitowoc County, WI; 8/14/25 Unity is honored to announce the award of a $25,000 grant from the K.C. Stock Foundation to support its Supportive Care Management (SCM) program, which provides compassionate, home-based palliative care to individuals in Northeast Wisconsin facing serious illness. “We are deeply grateful to the K.C. Stock Foundation for recognizing the growing need for accessible palliative care,” says Unity Executive Director Alisa Gerke. ... Unity’s Supportive Care Management program provides an extra layer of support and education for individuals and their family when living with a serious illness, delivering expert care wherever a patient calls home. 

State Medicaid coverage policies for community-based palliative care: Lessons from NASHP’s State Institute National Academy for State Health Policy; by Ella Taggart, Wendy Fox-Grage; 8/11/25 Six states recently participated in NASHP’s two-year State Policy Institute to Improve Care for People with Serious Illness (the Institute): Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Ohio, Texas, and Washington. ... Specifically, the six participating states received guidance on policy mechanisms to cover palliative care services in the community and completed cost analysis on palliative care services for Medicaid beneficiaries. While all the states balanced the same forces and demands, ... each state modeled a benefit that was responsive to its particular needs and circumstances. ... CBIZ Optumas and TFA Analytics then designed a cost calculator for each state to help with different scenarios. 

Targeted palliative care may cut older adults’ risk of readmissions after elective surgeries: study McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Alicia Lasek; 7/27/25 Older adults with serious illness before elective surgery are at double the risk of extended hospital stays, readmissions, emergency department visits and costs, a new study has found. Targeting four key palliative care needs before surgery may help make the recovery period less burdensome for these patients and the healthcare system, the authors say. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, looked at seriously ill older surgical patients to see what palliative care interventions might help reduce the need for excess healthcare use post surgery. Among 2,499 older adults undergoing major elective surgery, [researchers reported] 63% were seriously ill, and 79% had four key palliative care needs:

My mother refused treatment for her breast cancer. Her doctors should have respected her choice. Instead they dismissed her--and criticized me.STAT; by Joy Lisi Rankin; 7/21/25My mother died in January 2007. She told the family that she had breast cancer in 2002. We still don’t know when she knew, or when she had been diagnosed. One thing we did know: She chose not to treat the cancer. In her encounters with health care professionals — doctors, nurses, assistants — during the last years of her life, her choice was met with disbelief and disdain. “Why aren’t you treating your cancer?” “Do you understand what’s going to happen?” “You know you’re going to die, right?” A final thought went unsaid but was clear: “If you’re not going to do what I recommend, I can’t do anything for you.” [Limited access to STAT with three stories per month.]

Pallitus Health Partners receives CHAP Accreditation for Adult Palliative Care and Pediatric Care Certification for Kourageous Kids Pallitus Health Partners, Louisville, KY; Press Release; 7/8/25 Community Health Accreditation Partner, Inc. (CHAP) has awarded Care Guide Partners, Inc. (dba Pallitus Health Partners) CHAP Accreditation under the CHAP Palliative Care Standards of Excellence. The nonprofit also received certification for its Kourageous Kids (KKids) palliative care program. CHAP Accreditation demonstrates that Pallitus Health Partners meets the industry’s highest nationally recognized standards. The rigorous evaluation by CHAP focuses on structure and function, quality of services and products, human and financial resources, and long-term viability. Simply stated, adherence to CHAP’s standards leads to better quality care. ... Pallitus Health Partners, an affiliate of Hosparus Health, offers comprehensive palliative care for serious illnesses in Kentucky and Indiana. Editor's Note: Congratulations to Pallitus Health Partners and Hosparus Health! This accreditation marks yet another milestone of excellence this organization—originally founded as Hospice of Louisville—which pioneered one of the nation’s first pediatric hospice teams in 1980. I had the privilege of serving on the Pediatric Team of Hospice & Palliative Care of Louisville from 1997 to 2001. Profound experiences with these children, their parents, siblings, grandparents, our dedicated team members, and community partners are forever embedded in me. They continue to shape my perspective and purpose in my role as editor in chief of this newsletter.

Virginia Cancer Specialists expands and rebrands its Palliative Care Program to support patients through every step of cancer treatment PR Newswire, Fairfax, VA; Press Release; 7/8/25 Virginia Cancer Specialists, the largest private cancer practice in Northern Virginia, named #1 practice in cancer care and all medical specialties by Castle Connolly in 2024 and 2025, is proud to announce the rebranding and expansion of its former Palliative Care Program – now called Supportive Cancer Care – to deliver more comprehensive, integrated support services to help patients better maintain quality of life throughout the treatment process. Virginia Cancer Specialists designed this newly enhanced program with 3 key objectives: