Literature Review

Hospice centers: Balancing comfort and controversy Crossroads Today, Victoria, TX; by Amaya Norman; 1/9/25 Hospice centers play a critical role in providing care for patients with terminal illnesses, focusing on comfort, dignity, and peace during life's most challenging moments. These centers are designed to support both patients and their families, but public opinions about their services often vary. ... While many see hospice centers as an essential support system offering much-needed relief and care, others express concerns about the quality of services or the emotional toll they can bring to families. These differing perspectives have sparked ongoing discussions about the role and perception of hospice care in society.

Health systems: It's time to break up with short-termism Becker's Hospital Review; by Molly Gamble; 1/10/25Health systems begin 2025 emerging from a half-decade of crisis management. Now is the time for executive teams to lift their heads from quarterly survival and make bets on their long-term future. ... In recent years, a number of leaders, including those within health systems, openly declared their departure from 10-year strategic plans. Even five-year outlooks are considered ambitious, some argued. Agility and short-term performance is sometimes hailed as the hallmark of savvy leaders, while long-term vision risks being dismissed as impractical or naive. This mindset may have served its purpose during the stop-and-go nature of the pandemic, but risks leaving organizations flat-footed and without a defined strategy for what could come next. Teams may feel the shift. The return of competitive, distinct and long-term plans will require systems' executive teams and boards to revive organizational muscles that may have lain dormant through years of crisis response. 

No place like home: Oscar the pug reunites with owner in hospice KOAT 7 Action News, Albuquerque, NM; by Cristiana Ramos; 1/8/25 It was all smiles and licks Wednesday at Veteran Affairs in Albuquerque. Bob Knevitt, a Marine veteran and his pup, Oscar, reunited after Knevitt suffered a brain bleed during Christmas. Knevitt has been in hospice ever since. He recently had to do the unimaginable and put Oscar up for adoption. "It's hard to lose a dog, but in my situation, I had no choice, and I'm glad he's going to a good family," he said. ... It was a friendship too strong to break. Although Oscar has a new family now, he still comes to visit his dad ...

Iowa Finance Authority okays more than $500,000 for North Iowa homeless assistance [$66k to Cedar Valley Hospice] KIMT3 News, Des Moines, IO; by Mike Bunge; 1/9/24 Over $500,000 in grants from the Iowa Finance Authority is going to homeless assistance programs that cover North Iowa. $18,189 will go to Community Kitchen of North Iowa, Inc. in Cerro Gordo County.  Cedar Valley Hospice covering Allamakee, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, Fayette, Floyd, Grundy, Howard, Mitchell, and Winneshiek counties will receive $66,565.  $474,108 will go to Primary Health Care covering [28 counties] ...

Hospice Insights Podcast [The Law and Beyond] - A year in review: Reflections and hopes for the future JD Supra; by Husch Blackwell LLP; 1/8/25 It’s our first podcast of 2025 and we wanted to start the year out with some reflections. Join Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske and Bryan Nowicki as they each share their biggest surprises and victories of 2024 and what is on their wish list for 2025. 

Peter Yarrow, iconic Peter, Paul and Mary singer and former Connecticut Hospice board member, dies CT Insider; by Andrew DaRosa; 1/7/25 Peter Yarrow, one-third of the iconic folk troubadours Peter, Paul and Mary, has died at the age of 86 ... “Our fearless dragon is tired and has entered the last chapter of his magnificent life. The world knows Peter Yarrow the iconic folk activist, but the human being behind the legend is every bit as generous, creative, passionate, playful, and wise as his lyrics suggest,” Yarrow's daughter, Bethany Yarrow, said in a statement to the Associated Press. ... Yarrow frequently performed in Connecticut and was scheduled to play with Stookey in July at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook. Yarrow also performed at Connecticut Hospice in Branford, where his mother had stayed, according to a 2017 interview with Compassion and Choices. He served on the board for Connecticut Hospice for a number of years. 

2025 begins with growth: NPHI adds Hospice of Hope and North Hawaii HospiceNational Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), Washington, DC; 1/7/25The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the voice for nonprofit hospice and advanced illness care, is thrilled to commence 2025 by announcing the addition of two new outstanding members to our compassionate, mission-driven community: Hospice of Hope and North Hawaii Hospice.  ... Tom Koutsoumpas, NPHI CEO remarked: “We are thrilled to welcome Hospice of Hope and North Hawaii Hospice to our mission-driven, innovative community. Their commitment to delivering compassionate, high-quality, community-based care reflects the core values of NPHI, and we’re excited to join forces in advancing innovative care for patients and their families.” 

Top news stories of the month December 2024 - TCN podcast Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux; 1/8/25 In this episode of TCNtalks, Chris Comeaux, Mark Cohen, and Cordt Kassner discuss the top news stories in hospice and palliative care for December 2024. This episode marks the end of Mark’s two-year run of partnering with Chris to review the month’s top stories, with Cordt taking on that role going forward, along with his colleague at Hospice & Palliative Care Today, Joy Berger. Mark takes a deeper dive into three big news events in December, Cordt looks at the most-viewed articles from both December and all of 2024, and Chris, as usual, highlights articles of particular import to hospice C-Suites.  

Humana's 2024 in 10 headlinesBecker's Payer Issues; by Rylee Wilson; 12/31/24Here are the 10 biggest stories about Humana Becker's covered in 2024:

St. Petersburg doctor coerced minors into producing child sex abuse material, feds sayTampa Bay Times; by Emily Wunderlich; 1/7/25 A St. Petersburg doctor who is the husband of the chief administrative officer of the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County is facing charges that he coerced minors into producing child sexual abuse material and even directed a girl to hang herself, federal prosecutors announced this week. ... Court records show Leedy was indicted on Oct. 24 and arrested Dec. 20. He is being held in federal custody in Atlanta. He is facing three counts of production of child sexual abuse material and two counts of coercing or enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted on all counts, he faces up to life in federal prison.

Middle manager burnout, layoffs, and the search for solutions HR Query; 1/6/25Middle managers are facing unprecedented pressure. As organizations streamline communication, this critical layer is often caught in the crossfire, with layoffs impacting one-third of this group in 2023.A recent study revealed that 75% of middle managers report experiencing burnout, and 40% are actively seeking new opportunities. This alarming trend poses a significant risk to organizations, as middle managers play a vital role in driving revenue, fostering employee growth, and ensuring operational success. ... Dana Rogers, VP of People at O.C. Tanner, shares valuable insights on the critical role of middle managers in organizational success, strategies for HR teams to rebuild trust and support with middle managers, and leveraging employee appreciation tactics to reduce burnout and boost confidence. Her first tip? HR leaders should be loud with appreciation.

Winter snow storm slams into over a dozen states in the East, Midwest USA Today; by Julia Gomez; 1/6/25 The Central Plains and Midwest are getting slammed by a winter storm , according to officials, and it's leaving over a dozen inches of snow in some places. Here's a look at what the storm is leaving behind. Over 60 million people in the Central Plains, Midwest and along the East Coast are being bombarded by heavy snowfall because of the "disruptive" winter storm moving through the area, according to the National Weather Service. Some areas could see snowfall anywhere between 8 to 14 inches. The storm is also expected to impact travel in Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Cincinnati and bring the cities to a standstill.Editor's note: Are you ready for emergencies in your service areas? Click here for the CMS.gov Emergency Preparedness Rule. Click here for Wisconsin's CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule Toolkit: Hospices.

Now open: VITAS Healthcare inpatient hospice unit in Fort Worth South Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report; by cfelixcpa; 1/3/25Easier access to compassionate end-of-life care is now available for patients and families in Fort Worth and surrounding communities. The new freestanding VITAS Healthcare Inpatient Hospice Unit (IPU), located within five miles of the medical district, provides high-quality hospice services in a homelike environment for patients nearing the end of life. The IPU is expected to care for more than 500 patients each year, particularly those whose pain and symptoms cannot be managed effectively at home. A grand opening celebration was held to commemorate the addition to the Fort Worth community.