Literature Review

How can we cultivate happiness in medicine? The Hospitalist; by Nikhil Sood, MD and Marjorie Bessel, MD; 2/3/25 Burnout has led to early physician retirements and clinicians leaving the profession, resulting in an unprecedented physician shortage and access challenges. This jeopardizes our ability to meet the community’s needs and fulfill our mission of making healthcare more accessible to improve quality of life. The question is, how can we, as a healthcare system, tackle this issue head-on? ... The CHIM strategy is a comprehensive, evidence-based approach, driven by clinicians, that supports wellness from an individual and organizational perspective. ... The six dimensions of the strategy include the following:

US flu cases are peaking for a second time this season. Now you can test for the virus at home CNN; by Neha Mukherjee; 2/5/25 The United States is seeing a second peak in flu cases this season. After doctor’s office visits for flu dipped early this year, they jumped past the previous season peak at the end of last month, with a 30% test positivity rate — and there are still months to go. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there have been at least 20 million cases and 11,000 deaths from flu so far this season. Hospitalizations are rising too, with an estimated 38,255 hospitalizations from flu last week alone. It’s not the only illness spreading, either ... But there are some new tools to help this respiratory virus season: over-the-counter tests that can identify whether an illness is Covid-19 or influenza. The tests are available for purchase at most pharmacies or online ... The tests won’t check for every respiratory virus, but they mark the first time the public can test for flu at home.  

16 states where virus activity remains high: 5 updates Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Alexandra Murphy; 1/27/25 The CDC is reporting high levels of respiratory virus activity across the U.S. While respiratory syncytial virus levels are beginning to peak in many areas of the country, flu-related emergency department visits are at very high levels and are still rising, according to the latest data. Thirteen states are experiencing "high" respiratory virus activity: Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Minnesota, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Hawaii and Washington, D.C. Three states are experiencing "very high" levels: New Hampshire, New Jersey and Wisconsin. [Click here for the CDC's "Respiratory Virus Activity Levels," with more detailed data and maps for all 50 states.]

Thinking innovatively about your nursing career development Minority Nurse; by Keith Carlson, BSN, RN, NC-BC; 1/27/25 Your nursing career is yours to create, and with proper care, your path can be unique, innovative, and idiosyncratic. At the same time, your many obligations and responsibilities can steer you away from your uniqueness and leave you in a rut of choosing the path of least resistance. There are many strategies for choosing a career journey that fits your vision of who you want to be as a healthcare professional, and it’s worth exploring those strategies for the ones that can most readily move you forward. ... Thoughtful questions are a good place to begin your self-assessment. ... 

Kaiser Permanente physicians negotiate new labor agreement Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 1/27/25 Resident physicians at California-based Kaiser Permanente have recently negotiated a new agreement that includes compensation increases and expanded mental health and wellness employee benefits. The agreement came after months of negotiations and included salary increases over the next three years, along with more paid time off and enhanced financial support for resident physicians. It also included roughly $40,000 to fuel an annual patient-project fund.

Red Cross urging blood donations amid severe weather, wildfires ABC News 27 WKOW, Madison, WI; by Chad Thompson; 1/22/25 The American Red Cross is encouraging donors to give blood or platelets as winter storms and California wildfires have impacted blood supply. Donors of all blood types – particularly type O negative blood donors and those giving platelets – are needed to help save lives this month, according to a press release. "As dangerous snow and ice continue to sweep across the country, and wildfires in Southern California continue to burn and impact air quality, Red Cross blood drive cancellations have grown into the hundreds," the release stated. Red Cross said those events have resulted in more than 12,000 uncollected blood and platelet donations in January. More winter storms are forecast for this week could further strain the blood supply.Editor's note: Does your agency partner with your local Red Cross? The hospice I served regularly used our Community Room for Red Cross blood donations, a couple of times each year. These interactive experiences fostered great morale and humanity across all roles--side-by-side--giving "life" in a practical, affordable, meaningful way.

Care Dimensions receives $10,000 grant from ACM Lifting Lives to support music therapy program MassNonprofit News; 1/22/25Care Dimensions, the largest hospice and palliative care provider in Massachusetts, is proud to announce receiving a $10,000 grant from ACM Lifting Lives®, the philanthropic partner of the Academy of Country Music. ... “Dealing with memory loss can be such an unmooring experience,” noted Care Dimensions Creative Arts Therapy Coordinator Li Kynvi, who is a board-certified music therapist. “One of the magical things about music therapy, especially for those with dementia, is that music lives in them in a whole different way than even the last five minutes does, which enables them to not only engage with a song, but engage with the person sharing it, and delivers a feeling of connection and competence often difficult for dementia patients to experience.”Editor's note: Providing patient care from a board certified music therapist is far superior to simply having a musician perform. Music therapy focuses on the person: physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, spiritually. Music therapy engages memories and meanings for the present moment, and ahead. For more information, examine the Certification Board for Music Therapy. Click here for their directory.

If you’ve overcome these 9 challenges in life, you’re more resilient than you think Personal Branding Blog; by Lucas Graham; 1/21/25 Resilience isn’t always about being unshakable or invincible. Sometimes, it’s just about surviving the chaos, picking yourself up after the mess, and somehow finding the courage to keep going. In the moment, it’s hard to see how strong you really are—you’re just trying to make it through. But when you pause and look back, you realize the grit it took to get here. ... [If] you’ve been through these nine challenges and made it out, you’re way more resilient than you give yourself credit for.

2025 ushers new era in physician unions Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 1/17/25 While unionization among healthcare workers and professionals is a familiar phenomenon, resident physicians and fellows joining unions has only grown in recent years. Indeed, since the start of 2025 alone, at least five groups of resident physicians and fellows have opted to form unions at their health systems. "Physician unionization has massively increased since 2020, especially among interns and residents," Rebecca Givan, PhD, associate professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers in New Brunswick, N.J., told Becker's. ... Dr. Givan pointed to an increasing number of staff physicians unionizing as well. In 1998, the American Medical Association estimated that between 14,000 and 20,000 physicians belonged to unions. That number grew to 46,689 in 2014, and reached 67,673 in 2019. 

Internal communication examples: Top strategies for 2025 lumapps; by Jade Burens; 1/13/25 In the dynamic world of business, the significance of effective internal communication cannot be overstated. The shift towards remote and hybrid work models has underscored the necessity for robust, captivating internal communication strategies. This goes beyond merely sharing information; it's about nurturing a culture where employees feel valued, listened to, and acknowledged. Organizations that excel in internal communications witness improved employee engagement, productivity, and satisfaction. ...

Medical schools report steep drop in enrollment of Black and Hispanic students after Supreme Court ruling STAT; by Usha Lee McFarling; 1/9/25Enrollment of Black and Hispanic students in medical schools dropped precipitously last year after the Supreme Court banned the consideration of race in admissions, according to data released Thursday by the Association of American Medical Colleges. The number of Black enrollees fell by 11.6% compared to last year, while the number of Hispanic enrollees decreased 10.8%. The numbers were even starker for Indigenous students; the number of American Indian or Alaska Natives dropped by 22.1%, while students who were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders dropped by 4.3%. 

4 new healthcare laws in 2025 Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 1/3/25 Through recently passed ballot initiatives and legislation, states across the U.S. are implementing healthcare and workforce-related changes in 2025.

What does a hospital chaplain do for patients seeking health care in Connecticut? Shelton Herald; by Jordan Nathaniel Fenster; 12/29/24 Rev. ReBecca Sala described her work as “archaeology of the soul.” Her first masters’ degree, long before she became a hospital chaplain, was in museum administration of archeological collections. She doesn’t see the two roles as very different.  “I've been a searcher my whole life,” she said. In the same way that an archaeologist gently brushes away the silt and stone of centuries, Sala said she attempts to gently allow emotions and spirituality to emerge from patients and their families receiving care at Stamford Hospital.  ... “That people even allow me to be there with them is humbling.” ... “It's meeting the patient where they are, not where I want them to be, what we as chaplains want them to be. It's finding out what's most important to them in that moment,” she said. .. Sala said if there was a bridge between the physical and the spiritual, it would be palliative care. The goal of palliative medicine is to improve the quality of a patient’s life physically, emotionally and spiritually.