Literature Review

Innovations in serious illness care with Bree Owens Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux; 2/19/25 In this episode of TCNtalks, host Chris Comeaux interviews Bree Owens, a licensed clinical social worker and co-founder of The Holding Group.  They discuss Bree’s journey in the healthcare field, particularly in Palliative Care. Bree shares insights on learning the importance of meaningful conversations with patients and their families about care options, which led her to the unique model of The Holding Group.  Her organization has created space, hence the name The Holding Group, for a patient-centered approach, helping patients and their families find the right care at the right place and at the right time.  Bree emphasizes the significance of informed consent and the role of social workers in facilitating these discussions to enhance patient outcomes and satisfaction.

The talk nurses don't talk about enough: Death and dying Nurse.org - Nurse Converse podcast; by "Courtney" DNP, APRN, AGNP-C; 2/11/25 ... Nursing and medical curricula extensively cover subjects such as pathophysiology, pharmacology, and anatomy, yet they often fail to provide structured training on effective communication regarding death and dying. In the podcast, the hosts recall their own educational experiences, noting that they were not equipped with the tools or frameworks necessary to engage in these sensitive discussions. One telling example from a medical course on difficult conversations revealed that when students were asked if they had received any training on the subject, not a single hand was raised. 

Avow completes $35,000 training grant provided by FutureMakers Coalition Florida Weekly - Fort Myers Edition, Fort Myers, FL; 2/12/25 Avow recently completed the Healthcare Leadership course as part of a $35,000 grant awarded by FutureMakers Coalition at Collaboratory. Made possible by nearly $23 million in federal funding from the Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge, FutureMakers Coalition connects those who need to reskill and/or upskill any, including underemployed and unemployed, Southwest Florida residents with training for industry-recognized credentials and, ultimately, careers with local employers committed to this partnership.

At-home care providers focus on unlocking worker potential, learn from failed initiatives Home Health Care News; by Audrie Martin; 2/11/25 With ongoing caregiver staffing and retention challenges, at-home care organizations are looking to leverage the employees already on the payroll, maximizing their potential in order to benefit from the full range of their skills. ... “At the end of the pandemic, we were experiencing high levels of burnout,” John Gochnour, president and COO of Pennant, said ... “We asked employees what we needed to focus on as an organization, and our focus became how we develop C-suite level leaders. We started the tagline 100 CEOs. We’ve expanded that now to include chief clinical officers (CCO) and chief business development officers.” ... “We looked at our clinical workforce,” he said. “It’s filled with people who go out every day and change the lives of their patients. And the question we asked was, how do you ensure those people are led by leaders who inspire them, motivate them and help them live up to their potential?” ...

Researchers outline new research priorities in neuropalliative care UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC; by Winnie K. Lau, MD and David Y. Hwang, MD2/7/25... An emerging field, termed “neuropalliative care,” has taken shape over the past few years to help provide impactful, holistic care for patients with serious neurological disease. And now, experts in the field are seeking ways to improve the overall wellbeing of their patients and loved ones through the power of research. ... A special communication in JAMA Neurology, first-authored by Winnie K. Lau, MD, a neurocritical care physician and associate professor of neurology and senior-authored by David Y. Hwang, MD, professor of neurology and division chief of neurocritical care, describes needed research that can help advance patient care, including:

Special Series: Betty Ferrell Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; 1/25, reposted in our newsletter from our Saturday Research Issue, 2/1/25 [A wonderful collection of articles honoring Betty Ferrell, including:]

Does confronting mortality make our lives more meaningful? | The Ethical Life podcast SC Now, Florence, SC; podcast hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada; 1/29/25 Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss how our awareness of mortality shapes the way we live. Kyte begins by discussing how ancient philosophers, particularly the Stoics, believed we should keep death constantly in mind, [helping] us avoid self-deception about our mortality and the tendency to become overly attached to material possessions and markers of success. Later, the hosts discuss how major religions have grappled with the question of what happens after death. ... Rada and Kyte share their personal reflections on mortality. ... Kyte says he ponders it daily, not in a morbid way, but to remind himself to use his finite time wisely. They discuss how people near the end of life often shift their priorities to relationships, forgiveness and small joys. 

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

Stories of bereavement: Examining medical students’ reflections on loss and griefOmega-Journal of Death and Dying; Johanna Shapiro, Nicholas Freeman, Alexis Nguyen, Nancy Dang, Yasaman Lorkalantari; 12/24Medical students in this study reported similar reactions to personal and professional loss, with some expected differences, such as students who experienced professional loss more often noting compassion for others and more frequently discussing managing the feelings of others, the importance of skill acquisition, processing personal emotions and team support. Students experiencing personal loss understandably appeared more focused on their own grief and more often commented about feelings of helplessness and numbness. Students in both groups reported little about how they coped with their grief or about receiving either informal or institutional support. The similarity of the essays, while due to many factors, may suggest internalizing pressures to conform to socially desirable narratives. Medical educators and clinical supervisors should help students develop effective coping skills in response to loss, provide better institutional support, and encourage students to tell authentic stories about their experiences of loss and grief. 

The 'paradigm shift’ of hospice service diversification Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 1/17/25 Some hospices have delved deeper into service diversification to improve timely access and expand their patient reach, while others remain focused on end-of-life care delivery. The decision to launch into new service realms can come with a range of operational and reimbursement questions. Among the keys to diversifying services is establishing a business infrastructure that allows for innovative growth based on communities’ needs, according to Leslie Campbell, COO of Touchstone Communities. The San Antonio, Texas-headquartered company provides hospice, home health, veterans services, assisted living and skilled nursing services. ... Hospice leaders need to ensure that both back-office administrative and interdisciplinary teams are educated on how business growth impacts them, particularly when it comes to quality and compliance across the care continuum, Campbell stated.

What is a Chief Learning Officer? CLO role explained Forbes; by Melissa Daimler; 1/12/25 A Chief Learning Officer is a strategic C-suite executive who develops leadership and technical skills in alignment with strategic priorities and cultural behaviors. Reporting directly to the CEO or CHRO, the CLO operates as a peer to other senior executives, participating in strategic decisions that shape organizational direction. Over the past thirty years, corporate learning has evolved from training delivery to building organizational capabilities. No role embodies this evolution more than the Chief Learning Officer (CLO), though even this title understates the role's current scope. 

American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Next Gen Scholars for Equity in Hospice and Palliative Medicine Program receives grant from Adtalem Global Education Foundation PR Newswire, Chicago, IL; by American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM); 12/30/24 The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) is grateful to receive support from the Adtalem Global Education Foundation for the Next Gen Scholars for Equity in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. The Foundation supports programs and partners like AAHPM that strengthen the healthcare workforce, expand access to quality education and address healthcare disparities. The Foundation's sole member is Adtalem Global Education, the number one provider of healthcare education in the U.S. In May 2023, led by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, AAHPM launched the inaugural Next Gen Scholars for Equity in Hospice and Palliative Medicine Program. This program was initiated as a response to the growing demand for HPM practitioners and the need to increase representation in the field. 

Muslim community-engaged research highlights Muslim Americans' end-of-life-healthcare gaps and needs WisconsinMuslimJournal.org; by Sandra Whitehead; 12/20/24 Few Muslim Americans use hospice care, despite its posited benefits. A multi-sectoral team of academicians and community leaders in southeastern Wisconsin decided to find out why. ... Muslims are one of the fastest-growing religious communities in the United States, numbering between 3 to 5 million, with projections it will double by 2050. “With an aging Muslim population, there is a growing need for specialized healthcare services like hospice and palliative care,” the team’s research explains. ... Through a qualitative descriptive study with a Muslim patient and 10 family caregivers, the research team identified their perceptions of hospice care, ethical concerns and experiences. Among their varied perceptions, many saw it as useful only in the last hours of life. Participants also had ethical concerns about the use of sedative medication and with cessation of feeding terminally ill patients. Some had concerns about how hospice care might lead to unnecessary interventions or even hasten death. ...  The team is developing an informational resource, Islamic Bioethical Considerations for the End of Life: A Guide for Muslim Americans, to help Muslims who struggle when thinking about death and dying.