Literature Review

5 Leadership trends that will help to shape 2025Forbes; by Sally Percy; 12/19/24In our fast-moving world it’s impossible to know what next year will bring. But here are five important trends for leaders to look out for in 2025:

10 headwinds for health systems in 2025Becker's Hospital Review; by Laura Dyrda; 12/23/24Healthcare executives are preparing for 2025, a year likely filled with profound challenges and big opportunities. From workforce shortages to financial pressures, technological advances, and policy uncertainties, 74 health system executives and leaders shared their biggest headwinds heading into next year. The big themes include:

Hospice in Branford receives $25k grant from CT Health Foundation Patch, Branford, CT; by Rich Kirby; 12/27/24 The Connecticut Hospice Inc., the Branford-based nonprofit organization which provides hospice and palliative care to patients suffering from irreversible illness, has received a $25,000 grant from the Connecticut Health Foundation. ... Connecticut Hospice will use the grant money to evaluate the efficacy of a bilingual community health worker in underserved communities to support the work of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience program. ... "We know community health workers are extremely valuable when it comes to improving health outcomes, ... said Connecticut Health Foundation President and CEO Tiffany Donelson in a news release. "Expanding community health worker services in public settings can help the state make even more progress toward eliminating health disparities."

Statement on the passing of former President Jimmy Carter National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), Washington, DC; by Matt Wilkinson; 12/29/24 With profound sadness, Tom Koutsoumpas, CEO of the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the leading advocate for not-for-profit advanced illness, hospice, and palliative care providers, today released the following statement on the passing of former President Jimmy Carter: “With heavy hearts, NPHI joins the nation in mourning the passing of former President Jimmy Carter — an incredible statesman and humanitarian. His long and impactful life, spanning almost a century, is reflective of a steadfast dedication to service. As a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, he will be remembered for his persistent efforts in seeking peaceful solutions to conflicts, advancing democracy and human rights, and promoting economic and social development. When President Carter chose to receive hospice care in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, he and his family made the decision that countless others do — to receive care in the comfort and solace of their homes, surrounded by the love and support of family. President Carter’s nearly two-year journey in hospice care highlights its profound value, challenging the misconception that hospice is solely for the final days of life. His experience illustrates how hospice can provide comfort, dignity, and compassion for those navigating life’s final chapter. Our heartfelt condolences are extended to the entire Carter family and to those who drew inspiration from his life’s extraordinary work.” 

The HAP Foundation partners with Communities in Schools of ChicagoHAP Foundation press release; 12/16/24The HAP Foundation has partnered with Communities in Schools of Chicago to fulfill the need for grief workshops for students in Chicago Public Schools. Through HAP’s Missing Pieces program, we have provided support for nearly 10 students and families that have experienced a death of a sibling or friend through this partnership. Missing Pieces provides grief navigation support for families who experience the loss of a child. This year, over 350 families have been served.

Monroe Clinic & Hospital Foundation supports hospice home with financial gift The Monroe Times, Monroe, WI; 12/25/24 The Monroe Clinic & Hospital Foundation, a member of SSM Health, recently presented the SSM Health Monroe Hospice Home with a donation of $120,000. The annual support of $120,000 fulfills the gift the Foundation Board pledged to give every year upon the opening of the hospice home. This gift is primarily comprised of dollars raised at the annual “Little Golf” & Grill event, as well as memorials and other hospice gifts throughout the year. “Gifts given to hospice through the Foundation help provide a continued option for end-of-life patients who wish to be close to their families but are unable to remain in their home,” said Jane Sybers, Monroe Clinic & Hospital Foundation Executive Director. “This cumulative gift reflects the strong support and love our community has for local hospice care, which we are so grateful for.” 

Gilchrist’s 39th annual Taste of Howard County raises $230,000 for local hospice care Maryland The Daily Record; by Daily Record Staff; 12/23/24 Gilchrist, Maryland’s leading nonprofit provider of serious illness and end-of-life care, raised more than $230,000 at its 39th annual Taste of Howard County on Oct. 20 at Turf Valley Resort. Over 400 guests attended the 1950s-themed fundraiser, which benefits Gilchrist Center Howard County, the county’s only hospice center. The event featured live and silent auctions led by guest auctioneer Creig Northrop, an appearance by Miss Maryland, and culinary offerings from more than 20 local restaurants.

CMS names first Hospice Special Focus Program Cohort, delays list of future candidates Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/23/24 Finalized in the 2024 home health payment rule, the program is designed to identify poor performing hospices, mandate quality improvement and in some cases impose additional penalties. However, stakeholders in the hospice space have contended that the agency’s methodology for selecting hospices for the program is deeply flawed. For this reason, they have argued that the list of operators should not be made public. Though CMS published the list, it delayed the release of a second that would point to future candidates for the program. “CMS has also generated a list of future SFP candidates. We are not publishing the candidate list at this time, but we are sharing the underlying data used to create both lists to allow for external review, thereby ensuring transparency in the process by which low-performing hospices are identified,” the agency indicated on its website. “We will continue to work with providers, patients and their families, and industry, to improve hospice care across the nation.” Stakeholders applauded the delay, including the National Alliance for Care at Home. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Foundation raises money for Hospice Home Campaign, Patient Needs Fund WBBJ-TV ABC & CBS 7 Eyewitness News, Jackson, TN; by WBBJ Staff; 12/20/24 West Tennessee Healthcare presented two checks through its Hope and Healing Foundation Friday.  The foundation hosted a ‘Sip and Savor’ event to raise funds for the Hospice Home Campaign and the Patient Needs fund. The Hospice Home Campaign plans to build a space where hospice patients can obtain enhanced end-of-life services for patients and their families. Through this fundraiser, each campaign was presented a $64,000 check. This was made possible through numerous donations and support.

Delaware Hospice to move to scattered bed model at Saint Francis in Jan. Delaware Live; by Jarek Rutz; 12/19/24 Just two months after celebrating its 100-year anniversary, Wilmington’s Saint Francis Hospital is making a logistical shift for its hospice patients. This week, Delaware Hospice announced it will shift its Saint Francis-based operations from a centralized In-Patient Unit (IPU) to a scattered bed model.  The move is to increase both patient and hospital flexibility as well as create more financial and operational efficiency. A scattered bed model involves distributing General Inpatient (GIP) Hospice Care across various rooms within the hospital rather than maintaining a centralized unit. Closing the IPU means Delaware Hospice continues to live its mission of providing compassionate, expert care without the costs of maintaining a centralized unit. 

House of Goshen makes history as Chicago’s first black-owned independent inpatient hospice house G20 News Today, Flossmoor, IL; 12/21/24 House of Goshen, a state-of-the-art inpatient hospice facility and the first Black-owned independent hospice center in the Chicago Southland area, is now officially accepting patients. Located at 19810 Governors Highway in Flossmoor, the center represents a pivotal advancement in equitable, compassionate end-of-life care in Chicagoland, the South Suburbs and beyond. The 14,000-square-foot facility offers 14 private suites designed to provide comfort, dignity, and peace for patients and their families. ... “Our goal is to create a sanctuary where every patient and family member feels supported, seen, and cared for,” said Sade Bello, co-founder of House of Goshen. “Being the first Black-owned hospice center in the region comes with immense pride and responsibility. We are committed to setting a standard of care that reflects the diversity and humanity of the communities we serve.”

EverHeart Hospice expands and offers growth in the community Mercer County Outlook, Mercer County, OH; 12/19/24 EverHeart Hospice is thrilled to announce the opening of its newly expanded Inpatient Care Center. This significant milestone marks a new chapter in their commitment to providing compassionate care to patients and families experiencing life-limiting illnesses. The grand opening event, held in their new space on the 3rd floor of Wayne HealthCare, was a resounding success, bringing together community members, healthcare professionals, and local dignitaries. Attendees had the opportunity to tour the new space, which featured enhanced patient rooms, advanced medical equipment, and comfortable family areas designed to create a serene and supportive environment.

Mom, 26, dies days after choosing to enter hospice following 13 years of living with kidney failure (exclusive) People; by Zoey Lyttle; 12/18/24 Though she left behind a 4-year-old daughter, Sara Long told PEOPLE her feelings about death were "more certain" than they'd ever been when she started end-of-life care. “I think a lot of people spend a lot of time thinking about what it means to have a good life. And don't get me wrong, I did that too,” Sara Long, 26, told PEOPLE over the phone just shy of a week before she died at the hospice facility into which she had just recently moved. ... Long said she’s spent “the last two or three years” deliberating about her idea of a “good death.” She decided that it wasn’t just about how she would experience these last expected few weeks of her life in hospice. What Long really wanted was to be surrounded by her most precious loved ones — including her husband Justin, 32, and their 4-year-old daughter Riley Jean — but she didn't want them to watch her die while intubated and attached to hospital equipment as she was half of her life. “I just feel like if I pushed it any harder, then I was going to get to a place where it was going to be outside of my control,” said the mom of one. “I was going to wind up dying in a hospital alone, afraid, full of tubes, scared. My daughter wouldn't be able to be part of the process, and it would just be really lonely, and that's really not the goal.” Detached from the familiar yet foreign medical equipment, Long told PEOPLE she was freed from fear knowing she would only survive another couple of weeks in hospice. (She died with a week less than anticipated.) Editor's note: This another follow-up post to this profound young woman's story that we post on