Literature Review

Hospitalists should champion hospice as ‘life with dignity’ Medscape; by Julie Peck; 5/29/25 If anyone can put a positive spin on the end of life, it’s Charles Vialotti, MD, director of Hospice Care at Holy Name Medical Center’s Villa Marie Claire in Bergen County, New Jersey. Violotti, who at the age of 80 lives at the 20-bed Villa Marie Claire to serve its residents full-time, says the hospice industry needs hospitalists’ help with sort of a rebrand, one that will almost certainly have a positive effect on patient and family satisfaction. “Providers used to stress offering people death with dignity. And if you think about that, who is ever going to choose anything that offers death? Death in any form is still death,” Vialotti said. “So, we really like to focus on offering people life with dignity, giving people back choice, giving them the option to structure their final days, weeks, or months the way they would most like to see it happen."

66 top hospitals for patient experience, safety: Healthgrades Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 5/14/25 A total of 66 hospitals received both Healthgrades’ Outstanding Patient Experience and Patient Safety Excellence awards. Healthgrades released its 2025 Outstanding Patient Experience Award, which recognizes hospitals that provide top-quality care while ensuring a positive healthcare experience for patients. The company analyzed data from 3,059 hospitals that submitted at least 100 patient experience surveys to CMS between January and December 2023. It used 10 metrics from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems patient survey data. ... Read more about the methodology here. For patient safety, Healthgrades analyzed 14 patient safety indicators using inpatient data from the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review file and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Patient Safety Indicators Technical Specifications and AHRQ WinQI software. Read the methodology here. ...

Health systems need radical transformation. Are C-suites ready? Becker's Hospital Review; by Laura Dyrda; 5/21/25Health systems faced with ever-thinning margins and uncertain financial future may be tempted to double-down on cost cutting as an immediate option relief. But for most, that’s not the best option. ... “Amid unprecedented volatility, resource constraints, and technological disruption, how can healthcare executives rapidly adapt and transform their organizations to sustainably deliver high-value care, optimize operational efficiency, and preserve workforce resilience and empathy?” posed Craig Albanese, MD, CEO of Duke University Health System in Durham, N.C. The question is urgent and complex. Hospital leaders are searching for connecting points with old friends, rivals, community organizations and other stakeholders to problem-solve together. They’re also pursuing larger strategic changes instead of small fixes to truly build sustainable organizations for the future. ...

The government should invest now in healthcare cybersecurity, says HSCC Healthcare IT News / HIMSS Media; by Andrea Fox; 5/20/25 Financially-constrained hospitals and health systems need federal funding and support to augment their cybersecurity workforces, according to a Health Sector Coordinating Council report to HHS. Funding shortfalls and workforce shortage leave small, rural and resource-constrained healthcare providers especially vulnerable to ransomware attacks that disrupt care delivery. That's a reality that cannot be ignored, according to a new report, prepared for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, by the Health Sector Coordinating Council's Cybersecurity Working Group. 

New palliative care unit at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield WWLP Springfield, MA; by Kayleigh Thomas; 5/15/25 Mercy Medical Center in Springfield has just opened its new Palliative Care Unit, the first in western Massachusetts. This unit is named after the late Andy Yee, a well-known local restaurant owner. It serves as a tribute to his legacy and dedication to the community. ... To honor his memory, Mercy Medical Center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new palliative care unit named after him. “My dad is extraordinary. He always took care of others. He always showed up when it mattered most. And this space here, this unit embodies that spirit,” said Andy Yee’s daughter, Bella Yee. 

AHA makes 100 suggestions for Trump administrationBecker's Hospital Review; by Paige Twenter; 5/13/25 The American Hospital Association, which represents about 5,000 hospitals and healthcare organizations, sent the Trump administration 100 recommendations on reducing regulatory burdens. In a May 12 letter to the Office of Management and Budget, HHS and CMS, the AHA said administrative tasks required by these burdens are exorbitant and contribute to more than one-fourth of all healthcare spending. The suggestions revolve around billing and other administrative requirements, quality and patient safety, telehealth and workforce. Some of the most prominent suggestions are: 

Roughly 40 percent of nurses plan to leave profession within 5 years, survey finds McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 5/13/25 The nursing workforce today is more stable than it was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a significant share of nurses still plan to leave the profession behind in the next five years, according to the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey published in the Journal of Nursing Regulation. ... Approximately 40% of RNs, LPNs and LVNs surveyed said that they planned to leave nursing sometime in the next five years. In 2022, roughly 26% of nurses said the same. The most common reasons nurses cited for wanting to leave their jobs included retirement, stress or burnout, workloads and pressures caused by understaffing, the report noted.

'Patients just get violent' | Louisville healthcare workers describe attacks on the job, calling it a crisis ABC WHAS-11, Louisville, KY; by Shay McAlister, Joseph Garcia, Phillip Murrell, and MIchelle Zelli Right now Louisville’s nursing community is facing a crisis, saying they are under attack while on the job.  Since March, police have been called to three different Louisville hospitals after a nurse was assaulted. But those are only the attacks that are reported, several nurses told WHAS11 they face dangerous situations daily without the necessary support. ... The three incidents of violence against nurses sit on a map of hundreds of crimes reported at or near Louisville hospitals and nearby parking garages over the last year. According to LMPD’s crime data portal, 17 assaults were reported at Norton Hospital, 10 at Jewish Hospital, and 28 at the UofL Hospital parking garage over the last 12 months. ... “Many healthcare professionals that are harmed don't report it, and they don't report it because they don't think anybody will listen. And then there are others who think that it's part of the job. It is not part of the job,” CEO of the Kentucky Nurses Association Delanor Manson said. In 2023, Manson worked with lawmakers to formalize language requiring healthcare facilities to track incidents of violence and implement violence prevention strategies. It's a crisis for the career field. 

How a Butler University and Community Health Network partnership helped save 420 lives and $4.3 million Butler Stories, Indianapolis, IN; by Katie Palmer Wharton; 4/30/25 For healthcare professionals, data is more than just numbers—it is the foundation of better patient care, smarter decisions, and more efficient hospitals. But for many, data can feel overwhelming and difficult to use effectively. That’s why Butler University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education teamed up with Community Health Network to create a hands-on professional development course that demystifies data and equips healthcare workers with practical analytics skills. Since launching in spring 2022, the program has empowered 185 Community Health Network professionals to break down data barriers, make informed decisions, and drive meaningful change in their organization. ... Armed with new data skills, Community Health Network employees built a dashboard to streamline the process. The results were nothing short of remarkable:

100 academic medical centers to know | 2025 Becker's Hospital Review; by Anna Falvey; 4/29/25 Academic medical centers combine exceptional patient care with cutting-edge research and groundbreaking medical advancements. The 100 institutions [listed] are renowned for their clinical excellence, innovative programs, research leadership, educational impact and commitment to patient satisfaction. Becker’s Healthcare developed this list based on editorial research. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of included academic medical centers. Organizations cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Organizations are presented in alphabetical order. 

Understanding Conservatory Care Services: A comprehensive overview Articlescad.com; by Jonassen Randall; 4/27/25 As the population ages and healthcare requires evolve, conservatory care services have become a crucial part of the continuum of care for numerous individuals. Unlike standard medical treatment environments, conservatory care services focus on supporting people with persistent conditions or impairments, providing a holistic technique that promotes self-respect and quality of life. This short article will explore what conservatory care services entail, who can benefit from these services, and the various kinds they can take.

Opening the door to wholistic patient care: Results from a nationally representative database on the use of spiritual and religious counselingHealth Services Insights; Peter J. Mallow, Pierson Savarino; 4/25The introduction of the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) code Z71.81 in 2015 enabled the systematic documentation of spiritual and religious counseling (SRC) in hospital settings, opening avenues for research into its effect on patient outcomes and healthcare resource utilization. Religion and spirituality are integral to many patients’ lives, influencing their well-being, recovery and health outcomes. SRC is primarily utilized in complex, high-mortality cases, underscoring its role in holistic care for severely ill patients. The disparities observed highlight the need for standardized SRC documentation and equitable access to SRC. Future research should investigate the clinical and economic impacts of SRC to enhance patient-centered care in alignment with value-based care practices.

26 rural hospitals band together as national trend emerges Becker's Hospital Review; by Alan Condon; 4/18/25 Twenty-six rural hospitals across Ohio and West Virginia have partnered to form the Ohio High Value Network — a clinically integrated network aimed at strengthening care delivery, improving outcomes and reducing costs for patients. The collaborative includes 25 Ohio hospitals and care sites in more than 115 cities and towns across 37 counties, along with one hospital in West Virginia. Together, they serve a population of more than 2.5 million patients. The network is structured as a CIN and is designed to support both clinical and operational collaboration across its members. Its formation reflects a growing national trend of rural hospitals banding together to preserve independence, drive value-based care and weather increasing financial and regulatory pressures. “We believe that strong collaboration is the best way to sustain high-quality care in our communities,” Myron Lewis, OHVN board chair and CEO of Blanchard Valley Health System in Findlay, Ohio ...