Literature Review

Awards and Recognitions: August 2025

Letter: A strategic path forward for hospice and palliative care must focus on equity: A response to ByockPalliative Medicine Reports; by Karen Bullock, Ramona L. Rhodes, Marisette Hansan, Kimberly S. Johnson; 8/21/25In a letter to the editor critiquing Ira Byock’s recent white paper, the authors say: “one of the most urgent uncomfortable truths is briefly and incompletely acknowledged in the article. That is, not only do historically marginalized communities face unequal access to the benefits and progress of our field; they endure a disproportionate share of practices that lead to poor quality care, including many of the challenges that Byock highlights.” While applauding the article’s call to action, they caution that:

Hospice was meant to offer dignity in death - but it fails the most marginalized. We need hospice programs that go to the streets, into shelters, behind barsSTAT; by Christopher M. Smith; 8/26/25I’ve spent more than a decade in hospice care, sitting at the bedsides of people facing the final days of their lives. I’ve held hands in hospital rooms, in tents, in prison cells, and in homes that barely qualify as such. And over time, I’ve come to see that dying in America is not just a medical event - it’s a mirror. It reflects everything we’ve failed to do for the living. Hospice was created to bring dignity to the dying - to manage pain, provide emotional and spiritual support, and ease the final passage for people with terminal illness. But the systems surrounding hospice care are riddled with inequity. The very people most in need of compassion - the unhoused, the incarcerated, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities - are systematically excluded, underserved, or erased. Access to a good death is too often reserved for the privileged, while everyone else is left to navigate a system that wasn’t built for them - or worse, actively works against them... The truth is, hospice care cannot achieve its mission unless it actively addresses the inequities built into the structures around it. We need hospice programs that go to the streets, into shelters, behind bars. We need training rooted in cultural humility, in antiracism, in trauma-informed care. We need to reimagine what it means to offer dignity to someone whose life has been defined by abandonment. That work won’t come from quarterly board meetings or compliance audits. It will come from listening - really listening - to those most affected. It will come from rethinking how we define “home,” “caregiver,” and “worthy.” It will come from a shift in focus: from profits to people, from efficiency to empathy, from “standard of care” to standard of justice... Because dying is universal. But justice, even at the end of life, is still not.Publisher's note: STAT also references Dr. Ira Byock's article "The hospice industry needs major reforms. It should start with apologies, 8/22/23".

Social Media Watch 8/22/25

Lessons from U.S. Army Special Ops on becoming a leaderHarvard Business Review; by Angus Fletcher; 8/19/25In today’s volatile and uncertain world, leadership skills have become more crucial than ever, yet many organizations struggle to train their managers to lead effectively. But experiential learning and failure-based training, as practiced by U.S. Army Special Operations, can transform managers into leaders who excel in high-pressure situations. By focusing on initiative, emotional confidence, imagination, and strategic vision, the Special Ops curriculum offers a unique and effective approach to leadership development that can be adapted to various industries and organizational contexts. This method has shown remarkable success in both military and business settings, making it a valuable resource for companies looking to cultivate strong leaders in times of uncertainty.

Amid growing 'scandal' of elder homelessness, health care groups aim to help NPR, Bristol, RI; by Felice J. Freyer; 8/16/25 At age 82, Roberta Rabinovitz realized she had no place to go. A widow, she had lost both her daughters to cancer, after living with one and then the other, nursing them until their deaths. Then she moved in with her brother in Florida, until he also died. ... Rabinovitz joined the growing population of older Americans unsure of where to lay their heads at night. But Rabinovitz was fortunate. She found a place to live, through what might seem like an unlikely source — a health care nonprofit, the PACE Organization of Rhode Island.

NorthStar Care Community announces partnership with Beads of Courage Fox 17 - West Michigan;by Nicole Stoner; 8/19/25 Beads Of Courage is an organization that helps pediatric patients document their health journey through beads of different sizes, shapes, and colors. ... NorthStar Care Community, already established for their compassion in pallative and hospice care, has announced a partnership with Beads Of Courage. This time, the partnership honors patients entering hospice care through their own treatment stages, milestones, and moments of courage. ... In addition, the Carry A Bead Initiative invites the public to support these patients on their journey during end-of-life care by carrying a NorthStar Bead with them, then returning it with a message of encouragement. The bead is then gifted to someone in hospice care, ensuring that these patients are not alone in their health journey.

Reflections on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina - from Jamey Boudreaux, Executive Director for the Louisiana-Mississippi Hospice & Palliative Care OrganizationSpecial Guest Reflections for Hospice & Palliative Care Today; by Jamey Boudreaux; 8/28/25

Social relationships and end-of-life quality among older adults in the United States: The impacts of marital, kinship, and network tiesThe Journals of Gerontology; by Kafayat Mahmoud, Deborah Carr; 7/25We examine marital status differences in recent decedents’ end-of-life care and gender differences therein, and the role of other social ties (children, siblings, network members) in influencing the quality of end-of-life care. Divorced decedents fared poorly on multiple outcomes, being less likely than married or widowed persons to receive excellent care and to have personal care needs met. Divorced and widowed decedents were less likely to receive respectful treatment relative to married decedents. We found no significant gender differences in these patterns. Persons with more siblings and network members had superior pain management. Hospital patient advocates could also aid those who lack close kin at the end of life.

BrightSpring taking modest approach to M&A in 2025 Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 8/15/25 BrightSpring Health Services (Nasdaq: BTSG) is taking a slow and steady look at acquisition opportunities through the remainder of the year. The company is allowing the dust to settle on the divestiture of its community living business to Setiva for $835 million before once again investing heavily in acquisitions, according to CEO, President and Chairman Jon Rousseau. The divestiture is expected to close in the fourth quarter. But that doesn’t mean that BrightSpring is out of the market for deals. 

Addressing hospice care Medicare fraud: Awareness and actionInvestors Hangout; by Lucas Young; 8/18/25 The New York StateWide Senior Action Council (StateWide) is an impactful 53-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to assisting approximately 2.5 million senior citizens. Recently, they have spotlighted a concerning trend in their monthly Medicare Fraud identification: Hospice Care Medicare Fraud. This initiative is part of the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), which equips older adults and their caregivers with the knowledge to detect, prevent, and report healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse. StateWide administers this program for New York State, acting as a crucial resource for senior citizens across the region. [This article provides simple, clear facts for the public.]

Pennant Group expands through Amedisys acquisition Pulivarthi Group; 8/12/25In a significant shift within the healthcare landscape, the Pennant Group has announced its intention to acquire home health and hospice agencies presently owned by Amedisys and UnitedHealth. This move marks an essential strategic expansion into the Southeast U.S., a region already experiencing increasing demand for quality home health services. ... This post provides an in-depth analysis of the home health acquisition landscape while addressing key challenges such as reimbursement issues, staff retention, and access to care for vulnerable patients.

Caregiver-reported barriers and facilitators to hospice enrollment for persons with dementia: A systematic review of qualitative evidencePalliative Medicine; by Oonjee Oh, Connie M Ulrich, Lauren Massimo, George Demiris; 7/25Despite the increasing prevalence of dementia, persons with dementia often receive suboptimal care near the end of life. Dementia caregivers experience intrapersonal, interpersonal, emotional, logistical, and physical challenges in ensuring quality end-of-life support for their loved one (e.g. limited understanding of end-stage dementia, gatekeeping providers, and family conflicts). The unique needs of caregivers caring for a seriously ill family member with dementia are not being fully addressed by the current available services and policies.