Literature Review

Stroke survivors in DFW find new hope with Sovereign Hospice Home Care Holliston Town News, Aubrey, TX; by Sovereign Hospice; 1/26/26 Stroke survivors and their families often encounter unexpected challenges ... Sovereign Hospice in Aubrey, Texas, addresses these complex needs through targeted palliative care programs designed specifically for post-stroke complications. ... Post-stroke pain affects approximately 30% of survivors, manifesting as headaches, muscle spasticity, or neuropathic sensations. Fatigue represents another common issue, with many patients reporting exhaustion after minimal activity. Depression occurs in roughly one-third of stroke survivors, creating additional barriers to recovery. 

WHO statement on notification of withdrawal of the United States World Health Organization; 1/24/26 As a founding member of the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States of America has contributed significantly to many of WHO’s greatest achievements, including the eradication of smallpox, and progress against many other public health threats including polio, HIV, Ebola, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety and more. WHO therefore regrets the United States’ notification of withdrawal from WHO – a decision that makes both the United States and the world less safe. The notification of withdrawal raises issues that will be considered by the WHO Executive Board at its regular meeting starting on 2 February and by the World Health Assembly at its annual meeting in May 2026.

A legacy of compassion: Sargent family dedicates the Aroostook House of Comfort dining room The County, Presque Isle, ME; 1/15/26 The Aroostook Hospice Foundation is honored to announce a $25,000 gift from the Sargent family, made in loving memory of Iffy Sargent, who passed away on Jan. 14, 2025. This generous gift dedicates the Family Dining Room at the Aroostook House of Comfort, a central gathering space within the home. The Family Dining Room offers patients, families, and staff a place to gather, share meals and experience comfort and connection during life’s most tender moments. Designed to feel like a real home rather than a medical facility, the space supports essential, everyday moments of normalcy — conversation, shared meals and quiet time together. 

Retirement for Beth Dorsk: Her day is her own Jewish News; by Terri Denison; 1/15/26 A Virginia Beach native, Beth Koonan Dorsk retired as a hospice nurse in 2025.  She agreed to share with Jewish News some of her reasons for retiring and how it’s working out.Editor's Note: True to hospice and palliative care's core principle for personalized choices, explore others' choices in today's post, "I'm still working in the medical field at 83. My husband doesn't need me at home staring at him all day — I want to be productive."

I'm still working in the medical field at 83. My husband doesn't need me at home staring at him all day — I want to be productive. Business Insider; as told to Noah Sheidlower by Barbara Ford; 1/15/26 This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Barbara Ford, an 83-year-old registered nurse and patient advocate for a healthcare company. Ford's husband worked into his 80s until some health issues led him to retire. Editor's Note: For more, visit a compilation of Noah Sheidlower's similar interviews, "Read Business Insider's stories and watch our video after nearly 200 interviews with workers over 80." Also, pair this with today's post, "Retirement for Beth Dorsk: Her day is her own."

Alliance responds to MedPAC vote on home health and hospice payment recommendations National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 1/15/26 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is alarmed by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC) vote today to approve draft recommendations that would significantly reduce home health payment rates by 7% for calendar year 2027 and eliminate payment updates for hospice care in fiscal year 2027.  ... For hospice, the elimination of payment updates would reduce spending by $250 million to $750 million over one year and between $1 billion and $5 billion over five years. Editor's Note: Pair this with another post in our newsletter today, "AMA ‘disappointed’ in MedPAC for backing off deeper Medicare pay reform."

All hands on deck: A case report of an interdisciplinary team preventing elder financial abuse at a skilled nursing facilityCureus; by Grace Yi, Nicholas S. Cho, Karen Galvez-Maquindang, Christine Sun, Navid Darouian; 12/25Elder financial abuse (EFA) is a common but under-reported form of maltreatment among elderly individuals. This case describes an 84-year-old woman with cognitive deficits residing in a skilled nursing facility (SNF), who was exploited by a purported friend who took funds, important documents, and attempted to designate herself as the patient’s power of attorney. The situation was quickly identified by the multidisciplinary care team at the SNF and mitigated through early action and collaboration. The case emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary efforts to identify at-risk patients and the establishment of protocols surrounding abuse identification and reporting to protect elderly patients from financial exploitation and preserve their autonomy, dignity, and quality of life.

AMA ‘disappointed’ in MedPAC for backing off deeper Medicare pay reform Becker's Hospital Review; by Alan Condon; 1/15/26 The American Medical Association expressed disappointment after the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission voted Jan. 15 to recommend only a modest update to Medicare physician payments for 2027, backing away from more robust reforms it had previously supported. ... “The AMA appreciates that last year’s reconciliation bill provided a temporary 2.5 percent update for 2026; however, that increase expires in 2027,” David Aizuss, MD, chair of the AMA Board of Trustees,” said in a news release shared with Becker’s. Editor's Note: Pair this with another post in today's newsletter, Alliance responds to MedPAC vote on home health and hospice payment recommendations.

[Spain] Why primary care is central to better end-of-life care Medscape; by Eva Farina; 1/9/26 Primary care professionals should play a proactive role in caring for patients at the end of life, according to family medicine specialists at the National Congress of the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC) held in Madrid, Spain. ... According to the SUPPORT study, dying in a hospital is often associated with avoidable suffering, excessive use of technology, limited communication, and insufficient care planning. 

Finding solutions: Augusta nurse opens new end-of-life care facility WRDW/WAGT News Stations, Augusta, GA; by Zayna Haliburton; 1/12/26 A hospice nurse is opening Augusta’s first inpatient hospice home, giving families a new option for end-of-life care. Stacia Sirull, a hospice nurse, is opening the Augusta Inpatient Hospice Home. The facility will feature hummingbird decorations throughout. “My sister passed away a couple of years ago. She died in a hospice house in Kentucky and loved humming birds. When I decided to do this I was like we are just going to put humming birds everywhere,” Sirull said. ... The Augusta Inpatient Hospice Home will have six rooms added to the existing building. Sirull said there will always be one bed available for someone who doesn’t have the finances or insurance to cover the stay.

Updated Information Gathering Report for Hospice Quality Reporting Program Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; by Abt Global; 1/9/26 CMS has released the Hospice Quality Reporting Program 2025 Information Gathering Report.  This report provides information from literature reviews and supports an understanding of current trends in hospice care. It includes findings related to hospice use, hospice care delivery, and caregiver support. 

How to build an AI-augmented workforce: The CIO's guide TechTarget; by Kinza Yasar; 1/5/26 As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries, forward-thinking CIOs are shifting their strategies from automation-first to augmentation-first. Their goal is to equip employees with AI tools that strengthen their judgment, spark creativity and boost productivity. In an AI-augmented workforce, humans and AI systems work collaboratively, not competitively. Rather than replacing employees, AI is used to enhance human capabilities, automate routine tasks and provide insights that help people make more informed decisions and focus on higher-value work. 

Alliance joins Dr. Oz, CMS leadership, to strengthen program integrity in home health and hospice National Alliance for Care at Home; Press Release; 1/9/26 On January 9, the National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) continued its collaboration with CMS by attending a listening session in Los Angeles, CA, with Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Kim Brandt, Deputy Administrator Chief Operating Officer, and Director of the Center for Program Integrity for CMS, and Chris Klomp, Deputy Administrator for CMS and Director of the Center for Medicare, to discuss fraud, waste, and abuse in home health and hospice. ... View the full letter for a detailed list of recommendations.