Literature Review

Why introverted leaders outperform extroverts by 28% Forbes; by Cynthia Pong, JD; 12/8/24 Move over, charismatic showboats—introverted leaders drive 28% higher productivity from proactive, engaged teams compared to their extroverted counterparts, according to research by Adam Grant from Wharton, Francesca Gino from Harvard Business School and David Hofmann from UNC-Chapel Hill’s Business School. The finding runs counter to conventional wisdom about what makes an effective leader. While extroverts often steal the spotlight at work, introverted leaders are quietly revolutionizing modern workplaces by demonstrating how thoughtful competence can outshine performative leadership any day of the week. ... The secret sauce to introverted leaders’ success? They’re mastering:

20th Annual Festival of the Season rakes in $15k Pahrump Valley Times, Las Vegas, NV; by Robin Hebrock; 12/11/24 ... One of the largest annual fundraising initiatives for Nathan Adelson Hospice’s Pahrump operation is the Festival of the Season, once known as the Festival of Trees, an event that brings supporters together for an evening of holiday cheer. This year, the event marked a big milestone and the 20th Annual Festival of the Season was once again declared a resounding success. ... With ticket sales and auction proceeds accounted for, the 20th Annual Festival of the Season managed to raise $15,000 to help Nathan Adelson Hospice continue its mission of compassionate care right here in the valley. 

Bridgeport WWII vet who fought at Iwo Jima begins home hospice with 'no regrets' News 12 Connecticut; by Frank Recchia; 12/10/24 Stew Lahey, 98, of Bridgeport, says he's not a hero -- but his life experiences tell a different story. "I'm one of the last surviving veterans who fought at Iwo Jima during the Second World War," the proud great grandfather told News 12 Monday. "I joined the Marine Corps when I was 17. I didn't wait to enlist because it was 1943 and they needed me," Lahey said. The longtime Bridgeport resident began home hospice this week, surrounded by his family. "We love him so much and we are so proud of what he did for our country," said granddaughter Mikela Lahey. "When he began home hospice, ... we all started to cry -- but he didn't want that. He wants us to smile and be happy with him at the end," she said. "He keeps saying he has 'no regrets' -- and we are so grateful to have the chance to be here with him at the end," she said.

Gentiva Hospice sues Bristol Hospice over noncompete violations in Maine PressHerald.com; 12/7/24 Gentiva Hospice has filed a federal lawsuit against Bristol Hospice, claiming that a former employee shared confidential information to help Bristol establish a competing operation in Bangor, Maine. The lawsuit alleges violations of noncompetition and confidentiality agreements.

Fierce 50 Award presented to NPHI CEO at New York Gala National Partnership for Healtcare and Hospice Innovation - NPHI, Washington, DC; Press release; 12/9/24The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) and Tom Koutsoumpas, CEO, were honored with a Fierce 50 Award at the 2024 Fierce 50 Awards Gala in New York City on December 5. Hosted by Fierce Life Sciences and Fierce Healthcare, the event celebrated fifty trailblazers—individuals and organizations driving transformative change in healthcare, biopharma, and biotech. NPHI and Tom were recognized in the Innovation category for a bold commitment to healthcare innovation and for leadership in hospice, palliative, and advanced illness care through NPHI’s network of mission-driven, nonprofit providers. ... “It was such an honor to be in New York to celebrate this outstanding achievement, and to be surrounded by other major innovators across healthcare,” said Tom Koutsoumpas, NPHI CEO who gave an acceptance speech. “This recognition reflects the passion and dedication of our nonprofit members in setting standards of quality for hospice and end-of-life care. It was inspiring to share the evening with leaders who, like us, are deeply committed to transforming healthcare to better serve patients, families, and communities.” Editor's note: NPHI is a sponsor of our newsletter.

Hospice Care of The Lowcountry rebrands as MiraSol Health Cision PRWeb; by Hospice Care of the Lowcountry; 12/9/24 Bluffton, SC: Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, a leading nonprofit provider of compassionate end-of-life care, palliative and grief care services in Beaufort, Jasper, Colleton, and Hampton counties, proudly announces its rebranding as MiraSol Health. This new name reflects the organization's growing range of services unified under one umbrella as it redefines its care delivery approach to support patients facing serious illness, terminal diagnosis, or grief, while also providing vital support to caregivers. ... Today, MiraSol Health serves over 3,200 community members annually and encompasses four distinct programs: Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, Lowcountry Palliative Care, Rays of Hope Behavioral Health and The Maggie Clark Volunteer Program. The organization is supported by a dedicated team of 55 physicians, nurses, employees, and counselors, along with more than 200 volunteers. This rebrand signals a renewed commitment to delivering compassionate, innovative, and comprehensive healthcare in the Lowcountry.

A call to action for business leaders in health care: Prioritizing employees’ mental health is a necessity Las Vegas Sun - Veagas Inc; Guest column by Karen Rubel; 12/9/24 As mental health continues to be recognized as a vital component of overall well-being, businesses—especially those in health care—must stay vigilant and proactive in addressing mental health challenges within the workplace. The importance of this issue has never been greater,  ... In a hospice setting, the emotional toll on caregivers is significant. Health care workers often form close bonds with their patients and their families, and the loss of a patient can be deeply affecting. At Nathan Adelson Hospice, our teams regularly come together to review patient care plans, but they also take time to discuss their personal experiences and challenges. These discussions provide an opportunity for our staff to offer mutual support and care. This peer-to-peer connection fosters a sense of community and helps staff process their emotions in a healthy way. ...

Embracing well-being at the end of life Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Crematorium; by Phaneuf; 12/5/24At the 29th Annual Fall Hospice & Palliative Care Conference, Dr. Ira Byock delivered a thought-provoking keynote challenging the misconceptions surrounding hospice and palliative care and illuminating a brighter path forward for individuals, families, and caregivers. ... Far too often, hospice and palliative care services are seen as a last resort or equated with “giving up.” Dr. Byock pushed back against this notion, emphasizing that hospice and palliative care are not about death but about life. “Hospice and palliative care are about living as fully and as well as possible through the end of human life,” Dr. Byock said. Rather than signifying the end of healthcare options, palliative care provides comfort, dignity, and even joy for individuals facing life-limiting conditions. Dr. Byock shared that families often express relief and gratitude after beginning hospice care, lamenting that they hadn’t learned about it sooner. These experiences highlight a common issue: Hospice care is often introduced too late, preventing families and patients from reaping its full benefits. 

The ISNP opportunity for hospice providers  Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/5/24 Hospice providers can collaborate with institutional special needs Medicare Advantage plans (ISNP) to reach patients who reside in long-term care facilities. ISNPs restrict enrollment to MA eligible individuals who, for 90 days or longer, have had or are expected to need the level of services provided in a long-term care (LTC), skilled nursing facility, a LTC nursing facility, intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IDD), or an inpatient psychiatric facility. The nonprofit senior services organization Empath Health, which operates several hospices, recently partnered with the MA organization American Health Plans to bring their services to ISNP-enrolled patients.

New alliance steps up as voice for providers & patients HomeCare; by Hannah Wolfson; 12/3/24 Stopping Medicare cuts, ensuring Medicare Advantage beneficiaries have good access to care, passing groundbreaking hospice legislation and bringing homecare into the forefront are all priorities for the newly-formed National Alliance for Care at Home, said CEO Steve Landers. “We’ve got to start improving access to home health care, and the way that we do that is we end this march of payment cuts that are being set forward by Medicare,” Landers said at the Alliance’s Homecare and Hospice Conference and Expo, which was held in October in Tampa, Florida. ... The alliance has automatically enrolled members of both legacy organizations, but Landers said that for renewals or new members, participants will be required to sign an attestation that says they have a program in place for quality and compliance, that they monitor the Office of Inspector General’s expulsion list and don’t take referrals or staff from organizations on that list and that they strive to participate in Medicare’s quality reporting programs.

Aging and unhoused: What end-of-life care looks like Next Avenue; by Terry Ann Donner; 12/2/24 Karen Robyn is a 62-year-old homeless woman on disability; ... she fears dying alone on the streets or in a hospital hooked up to machines she doesn't want to use. ... For the 138,098 people aged 55 and older experiencing homelessness and 5 million older adults living below the poverty level, dying alone and unhoused is a real concern.  ... However, a viable solution has been quietly growing in communities across the country. Small nonprofit community homes provide hope for terminally ill people who do not have a reliable caregiver or a stable living environment. These small homes, usually caring for up to 4 to 10 guests at a time, provide "family" caregivers and a safe place to receive end-of-life care. They are developing outside of the health care system and receive no federal or state funding. Kelley Scott, executive director of the Omega Home Network and Clarehouse in Tulsa, Oklahoma, explains that the network's mission is to "foster the development of nonprofit community homes for people who are dying and have no caregiver support" due to a lack of family, homelessness or family dysfunction. The network has 135 members with 55 homes providing care and another 70 to 80 homes in development.

TCMH Hospice of Care auction breaks all-time record, raising over $38,000 Houston Herald, Houston, TX; by Helenia Wulff, TCMH; 12/3/24, updated 12/4/24 The TCMH Healthcare Foundation announced that the 2024 Hospice of Care online auction broke an all-time record, raising $38,053.21 in money and donated items. The funds will directly benefit the TCMH Hospice of Care program, which provides compassionate end-of-life care to patients and their families in the Texas County area. “We are beyond thrilled with the outcome of this year’s auction,” said Jeff Gettys, president of the TCMH Healthcare Foundation. “The incredible generosity of our donors and bidders demonstrates how much this community cares about supporting local hospice services. Every dollar raised will make a meaningful difference in providing comfort and dignity to patients and their loved ones.” Editor's note: TCMH stands for Texas County Memorial Hospice. Access to the full article might require registration.

Residential Hospice brings hospice care to eastern Kansas and western Missouri PR Newswire, Kansas City, MO; by Residential Home Health and Hospice; 12/4/24 Tutera Senior Living & Health Care (Tutera) and Residential Home Health and Hospice (Residential) have expanded their partnership and service offering, Residential Hospice is now acting as the preferred provider of hospice services. Tutera and Residential have been in a partnership since May 2022 with Residential providing home health care in their Kansas City market. "The focus of our partnership with Residential is to support patients at every stage of care in the communities we serve," said Randy Bloom, President/COO Tutera Health Care Division. "By expanding the partnership with Residential, we increase access to care and are better able to meet the healthcare needs of our community."