Literature Review

Why one state banned corporate ownership of doctors’ officesModern Healthcare; by Michael McAuliff; 6/13/25As private equity investors and large companies such as Amazon and UnitedHealth Group acquire doctors’ offices at a rapid pace, states are considering tougher measures to stem what one senior legislator described as “relentless” consolidation in the healthcare sector. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) enacted a statute on Monday to strengthen the Beaver State’s longstanding “corporate practice of medicine” law. The new law effectively bars private equity firms and other companies from controlling physician offices and mandates that doctors own at least 51% of their practices.

More hospitals turning to nurse practitioners. Here’s whyMedscape; by Roni Robbins; 6/13/25The classic definition of a hospitalist as a primary care physician is rapidly evolving and the vast majority of hospital medicine groups today use advanced practice providers ... for adult care, according to the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM)’s latest industry reports... Physicians and NPs sharing hospitalist responsibilities are learning how to divide their duties, improve their professional relations, and maintain job satisfaction. Medscape Medical News consulted a handful of hospitalists about the pros and cons of the new staffing models.Publisher's note: An interesting article exploring NP roles that similarly applies to hospices.

New online dementia care resources available for assisted living communitiesMcKnight's Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto;6/20/25Kimberly BonvissutoA growing number of people are living with dementia and receiving services in assisted living communities as well as in homes in the greater community. Although some states have requirements, some assisted living communities and home care settings may lack the formal dementia care standards required to be followed by nursing homes, so a nonprofit group has released a new toolkit of online resources to support people living with dementia and their caregivers. “It always bothered me that we were not paying attention to the growing number of people living with dementia outside of nursing homes,” Richard Mollot, executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, said Tuesday during a webinar introducing the organization’s new Dementia Care in the Community toolkit. “Although the nursing home standards do not apply in assisted living and home care, every individual deserves the quality of care and services they need to live comfortably and with dignity.”

As the US ages, a growing movement aims to care for caregiversJAMA Network; by Virginia Hunt; 6/20/25People caring for a family member with special needs such as a disabled child, a convalescing partner, or an aging parent often feel alone—but they aren’t. In fact, up until the COVID-19 pandemic, unpaid family caregivers made up nearly 1 in 5 US adults, or about 53 million people. Experts estimate that this number has since grown. It certainly has for people supporting older adults: between 2011 and 2022, this subset of caregivers increased from 18.2 million to 24.1 million, according to a recent study.

“Her toes fell off into my hand”: 50 moments that changed healthcare workers forever BoredPanda; by Dominyka; 6/18/25 When we go through traumatic events, our brain can shut out feelings and thoughts as a way to protect us from emotional or physical damage. This can make people go numb in stressful situations, so our bodies have time to figure out the best course of survival.  Healthcare workers are frequently exposed to traumatic experiences, so when they were asked what event made them go permanently numb, they shared many devastating stories. Scroll down to find them below, and don’t forget to share similar ones if you have any. 

Short notice, long love: A hospice wedding full of heart Citrus County Chronicle, Inverness, FL; by Mike Arnold; 6/16/25 Brendan Malone and Vanessa Rodriguez made a snap decision that would change their lives – and touch the hearts of everyone around them. The couple were driving up from Estero in the early afternoon of June 5 to visit Malone’s father, Michael “Big Mike” Malone, who had recently moved into Citrus Health and Rehab in Inverness and was also receiving care from Vitas Hospice. [Already engaged,] ... they made the decision to get married the next morning, at Citrus Health and Rehab. There were no tuxedo fittings, no cake tastings, no invitations sent. There was no time. There were flowers, guests, toasts, bubbles – and love. And “Big Mike” had a front row seat. Brendan Malone didn’t want to get married without the man who had been his biggest supporter by his side. ... What followed was a whirlwind of compassion, planning, and action from the staff at the nursing facility and the local hospice team. Within hours, they coordinated decorations, arranged courtyard seating, and made sure Michael could be present in his wheelchair for the ceremony.

‘It was meant to be’: How a haircut became a gift for hospice patients Simple Health - KXAN, Austin, TX; by Esmerald Zamora; 6/15/25 In addition to its clinical care, Blue Water Homecare and Hospice [in Central Texas]also runs a volunteer program designed to enhance patients’ quality of life. Through that program, a new partnership has formed with Maria’s Hair Studio and Barbershop in Round Rock to provide free haircuts to hospice patients in the comfort of their homes. ... Volunteer Coordinator Steve Wanzer said the idea came from a patient request. A social worker reached out to Wanzer, asking if he knew anyone who could provide a haircut. As fate would have it, Wanzer was driving past Maria’s Hair Studio at that very moment. ... Since then, the simple gesture has become a cherished part of the care Blue Water provides. [Bluewater owner Jennifer Prescott said,] “As hospice professionals, we understand how important it is to help people feel good. This small act of kindness goes a long way.”Editor's Note: How beautiful, and so easy to replicate. This brings a smile to me. My Mom was living in our home with hospice care. Confined to an upstairs bedroom, she asked me how she could get a long overdue haircut. She laughed, "I want to look good in my casket!" My longtime hairdresser came to our home, lovingly tended Mom and her hair, and took a now-favorite photo of Mom and me. She died 3 weeks later. Yes--in her casket--Mom was beautiful!

Cincinnati teen in hospice care after battling unknown illness Inside Edition and YouTube; 6/14/25 Dr. Tasha Faruqui's daughter Soraya, is battling an illness doctors haven't been able to diagnose. Soraya's symptoms began shortly after being born, and after years of testing and difficulties, she is now in hospice care. The 13-year-old and her family share their journey on social media, and Tasha has written a book to educate others about anticipatory grief. "I do feel like we can do something with this pain," she told Inside Edition Digital's Andrea Swindall.

The shrinking physician leadership pipeline Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Mariah Taylor; 6/6/25 Leaders across the nation are noticing a new trend — physicians seem less willing and interested in taking on roles beyond their clinical work. Traditionally, physicians have balanced full-time clinical loads with extra responsibility as a leader or educator. “But as people and the workforce have evolved, there’s a growing understanding: if you’re going to commit to something and do it well, you need dedicated time to focus on it,” Michael White, MD, executive vice president and chief clinical officer at Valleywise Health in Phoenix, told Becker’s. ... The increased interest in work-life balance for medical professionals has also contributed to younger physicians declining extra responsibilities. 

Grandad rehearsed his funeral 10 years ago – Now his final wishes come true after his passing Good News Network; 7/28/24; published in our newsletter 8/1/24A British senior who pre-planned his funeral and rehearsed it on TV in 2013, had his final wishes come true after peacefully passing away in June. Malcolm Brocklehurst, who is a renowned aircraft expert, commissioned an orange airplane-shaped coffin ten years ago from Crazy Coffins, an offshoot of a Nottingham-based traditional coffin and urn maker in England that helps people customize their funeral. The grandfather-of-nine was filmed sitting in the coffin on Channel 5’s Bizarre Burials, which also featured a rehearsal of the ceremony that the former aerospace engineer coordinated to the last detail. The plane was aptly called Tango One and numbered with MB 1934—his initials and year of his birth. He also announced that he wanted the funeral procession to leave from the stadium pitch where his favorite football team, Blackpool FC, plays. ... But speaking about the rehearsal in 2013, he said it was all “light-hearted fun.” 

Couple marry in ICU an hour before bride’s father takes his last breath Our Community Now, North Providence, RI; by OCN staff; 8/22/24, published in our newsletter 9/1/24A Rhode Island hospital held an emergency wedding that had to be performed before the bride’s father died from muscular dystrophy. Sabrina Silveira-DaCosta says her father, 58-year-old Frank Silveira, was Portuguese-born and raised, a serious chef and a five-star dad. ... With Silveira’s health rapidly declining, his family realized he wasn’t going to make it his daughter’s wedding on Sep. 7, so plans changed. “Everyone was able to bring the wedding to him in the hospital, and he got to walk me down the aisle,” Silveira-DaCosta said. From his intensive care unit bed, Silveira escorted his daughter down the hospital hallway Monday into the hands of her fiancé, Sam DaCosta. ... Silveira-DaCosta’s father died about an hour after he walked her down the aisle. “It’s very complex. It’s a lot of emotion. Our community hospitals don’t get enough credit because any big hospital couldn’t have done this for us,” she said.

His sick wife asked him to kill her. Now that she's gone, he says the loneliness is worse. USA Today; by Madeline Mitchell; 6/11/25 Ever since his wife died in December, David Cook feels like a stranger in his own home. ... The loneliness “is a problem,” Cook said, and sometimes he slips into dark, depressive episodes he can only shake with sleep. He avoids the living room, with the framed photos of the two of them smiling together, the new plush carpet, the television where they'd watch tennis and golf and the ghost of the recliner she used to sit in. Patricia Cook died there, so for now − maybe forever − it's off limits. ... When she went into hospice in their living room, adamant that she’d die in her own home, the pain was excruciating. “She actually, several times, asked me to kill her," Cook said. "And I didn’t even have to think about it, I just said, ‘I’m sorry.’ I said, 'I just can’t do that.’” “Do you know how hard that is?” Cook said. “When someone asks you to kill them?” ... Editor's note: Spoiler alert. David Cook did not kill his wife. Still, he asks, "What more could I have done?" Read this story to develop your understanding of the profound depths of loss for spouses/partners, especially when they have served as caregiver through challenging needs.

Understanding hospice care: Eligibility, cost and purpose Emmanuel Hospice; 6/5/25 How do you want to live? It may be surprising to learn that’s the first question Emmanuel Hospice asks every new patient. Isn’t hospice about dying? While hospice is often associated with death, Melissa Wedberg will tell you it’s more about living, especially at Emmanuel Hospice, where she serves as vice president of community relations. With more than a decade in the hospice industry, Wedberg has spent years dispelling this and many other myths. Despite having roots in the U.S. dating back to the 70s, there remains a lot of mystery about hospice. Common questions Wedberg hears include: What is hospice and who’s eligible? How does hospice work? How is hospice paid for? Editor's note: This simple question jumps to the core of person-centered care, "How do you want to live?"