Literature Review

How can more efficient data sharing improve patient care plans? HealthTech; by Christopher Mills; 4/8/26 The effective participation in health information exchanges requires a focus on data governance, interoperability and organizationwide buy-in. Health information exchanges are steadily gaining traction as healthcare organizations look for ways to improve care coordination, reduce costs and meet regulatory expectations. Organizations are seeking ways to use data to make better decisions, which reduces costs and increases revenue. This is especially important for health systems as the federal government cuts funding across the board.

Seniors who say they’re “not afraid of death” often still carry these quiet worries they don’t talk about Bolde; by Julie Brown; 4/1/26 My grandmother said it so matter-of-factly that it almost stopped the conversation. ... "I'm not afraid of it," she said. "I've had a very good life. When it's time, it's time." And she meant it. I believed her completely. But then, a few minutes later, she mentioned almost in passing that she hoped she wouldn't "get confused" at the end.

Free webinars: Pediatric concurrent hospice care miniseries, guidance for clinicians: A compassionate, coordinated, and compliant approach National Allliance for Care at Home; Press Release; 3/23/26 This Virtual Training will provide a practical, relevant, and comprehensive overview of Pediatric Concurrent Hospice Care as an approach that allows children and adolescents to receive ongoing disease-directed therapies alongside hospice services. Participants will learn the foundations of Concurrent Hospice Care under Section 2302 of the Affordable Care Act including eligibility criteria, planning and coordination requirements, and interdisciplinary collaborative strategies.

Northern Counties Health delivers care, access over 50 years Caledoninan Record, Vermont; 3/27/26 Northern Counties Health Care, Inc. is marking a golden milestone this year, celebrating five decades of providing primary care, dental care, and home health and hospice services across Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. The nonprofit traces its roots to a citizen-led effort to improve access to care and now operates a regional network designed around local needs. The organization’s origins date to 1976, when community leaders formed a board to continue the work of the Northern Counties Comprehensive Health Planning Council and established what became Vermont’s first federally qualified health center. ... The network today includes seven community health centers, two walk‑in primary care locations under the Northern Express Care banner, three dental centers, and a certified home health and hospice division.

‘No silver bullet’: The iterative staffing strategies home-based care providers need Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 3/26/26 The home-based care staffing landscape is undergoing a shift, as worker demographics, desires and motivations evolve. ... [There] there is no single technique that serves as a panacea, and providers must continually iterate their strategies, according to Kerin Zuger, the chief operating officer at Caretech. “There is no silver bullet,” Zuger said on a recent Home Health Care News webinar. “What do we need to do with our recruiting and onboarding strategy so that we can hire more caregivers and get them to stay? The answer is, everything. The answer is, try it all and then try it again. 

Medicare plan switching and hospice care among decedents with advanced cancer JAMA Network Open; by Xin Hu, Changchuan Jiang, Youngmin Kwon, Fangli Geng, Qinjin Fan, Kewei Sylvia Shi, Zhiyuan Zheng, Jingxuan Zhao, Joan L Warren, K Robin Yabroff, Xuesong Han; 3/2/16Importance: Hospice ... is an excluded benefit under Medicare Advantage (MA), with coverage instead provided by traditional Medicare (TM). With growing MA penetration, more beneficiaries also switch between MA and TM for financial protection and physician access considerations, although less is known about how different Medicare programs and plan switching behaviors affect EOL care for patients with advanced cancers.Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study of Medicare decedents with advanced cancers, continuous MA enrollees were most likely to receive hospice at home, while those who switched from MA to TM more frequently received hospice care in nursing homes. Plan switching near the EOL may reflect access barriers, highlighting the importance of addressing care coordination to improve EOL care.

VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region Vermont celebrates 80 years Bennington Banner, Bennington, VT; by Mark Rondeau; 3/22/26 [Historic photo shows workers with the Rutland Area Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice, a predecessor to VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region, in the 1970s.] VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region, founded in 1946, is celebrating 80 years of service to the community and compassionate care. “Our agency is celebrating 80 years of providing home health services in the community this year,” VNAHSR said in a statement. “We started as just a small group of community members that gathered to create an organization that would provide skilled nursing in the home with a mission to promote health and independence.Editor's Note: Timeline shows this VNA's beginnings as a "Certified Home Health Agency" to merging with Rutland Area Hospice in 1996, and more.

Sovereign Hospice guides Dallas-Fort Worth families through hospital discharge The Malone Telegram, Aubrey, TX; by Baaba Sampson; 3/12/26 Families facing hospital discharge for a loved one with a terminal illness often feel overwhelmed by the sudden shift in care responsibilities. Sovereign Hospice addresses this challenge by providing seamless coordination between hospital teams and home-based hospice services. The organization serves all counties within the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, offering same-day admission and round-the-clock support.

[United Kingdom] Specialist palliative care has the potential to reduce costs by up to £8,000 per person and improve quality of life, according to new research published in Palliative Medicine Innovation News Network; by Megan Traviss; 3/10/26 Led by researchers at King’s College London, the research considered two modes of palliative care for those living at home and for those in acute hospital settings. As well as significantly reducing the overall cost of care per person, specialist palliative care delivered at home and in the hospital was associated with improved quality of life for patients in their final months. Peter May, Senior Lecturer in Health Economics at King’s College London and lead author of the study, stated: “This is the first study to estimate the economic impact for England.

Palliative care and its importance on Block Island The Block Island Times, Block Island, RI; by Laurie Anderson, APRN-C, CDOE; 3/6/26 ... On Block Island, [Rhode Island,] palliative care is a cornerstone of a plan to allow residents to age in place. ... On Block Island, the importance of palliative care is magnified by geography. With no inpatient hospital and limited access to specialty services, island residents often rely on local care combined with strong coordination to meet complex health needs. ... One of the most meaningful local commitments to palliative and end-of-life care on Block Island is the Livesey Endowment for Palliative and End of Life Care, established through Block Island Health Services. ... In our small, close-knit island community, palliative care also serves a broader social purpose. It helps preserve independence, reduces unnecessary hospital transfers, and honors patients’ wishes to remain connected to their homes, families, and community. 

Residential Home Health and Hospice acquires Covenant [Home Health in Pennsylvania] Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 3/10/26 Residential Home Health and Hospice has acquired Covenant Home Health in Pennsylvania for a confidential amount. Covenant provides home health, private duty and supportive services throughout nine counties in its home state. The transaction will bring Residential’s footprint to two new counties and add density in seven others. ... Residential provides skilled home health, palliative and hospice care in communities across Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Duxbury, Norwell groups have rebranded. Why the name changes? The Patriot Ledger, Su Cheible; 3/3/26 I recently learned that the former Norwell Visiting Nurse Association (NVNA) and Hospice had in December taken a new name, Croí Health. Croí is an Irish word for heart, chosen to reflect the agency's patient-centered mission. I also noticed that the Duxbury Senior Center is now called The Center, has a tag line: "Live Well. Age Strong." It also notes that it is "still powered by the Duxbury Council on Aging." Its newsletter has a stylish new design and name, The Current, replacing the former name Duxbury Doings. ... Why senior centers are changing their names: In their names and their branding, the centers are switching to what they see as more active, more inclusive and more modern ideas. It is described as part of being age friendly, attracting younger seniors and moving away from negative associations and stigma still attached to growing older.

Responsive emergency assessment and community team: an acute palliative medicine virtual ward with emergency department in-reach BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care; by Emily Holdsworth and Clare Rayment; 3/2/26 Objectives: More than 50% of people who die in England and Wales use an ambulance at least once in their last 3 months of life, and around 50% attend the emergency department (ED). In Bradford, an estimated 1000 patients a year are not recognised as being within the last year of life and do not access palliative care services. ... Methods: We created the Responsive Emergency Assessment and Community Team (REACT), comprised of both ED palliative medicine in-reach and a community virtual ward. The virtual ward accepts patients as ‘step-down’ from the hospital and ‘step-up’ from primary care to avoid hospital admissions through intensive holistic support.