Literature Review

Private equity, AI, and the future of end-of-life care | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner; 4/1/26 In this thought-provoking episode, Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner unpack some of the most pressing forces shaping the future of end-of-life care—private equity, rising healthcare costs, and the accelerating influence of artificial intelligence. Grounded in real-world stories and industry data, the conversation explores a growing tension between the promise of Hospice as a gold-standard care model and the operational, financial, and expectation gaps that providers and families are increasingly experiencing.

The corporate brand, culture, and the CISO: Why understanding the business is non-negotiable Halcyon; by Gary Hayslip; 3/30/26 Over the course of my career as a Chief Information Security Officer, I have come to a conclusion that many of my peers eventually reach, though sometimes the hard way: if you do not understand your company's brand and culture, you will never build a security program that is truly aligned to the business. ... This is not a soft topic. It is foundational. The relationship between corporate brand, internal business culture, and cybersecurity strategy is one of the most underappreciated dynamics in our profession, and I believe it deserves far more attention than it typically receives.

[Portugal] Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the care of terminally ill patients Healthcare (Basel); by Florbela Gonçalves, Margarida Gaudencio, Sofia B Nunes, Francisca Rego, Rui Nunes; 2/27/26 Conclusions: AI-based technologies hold significant potential to address contemporary challenges in PC, including inequitable access, workforce strain, and the need for more efficient service delivery. Nevertheless, their implementation raises substantial ethical concerns related to autonomy, transparency, data governance, and the preservation of human dignity. AI should therefore be understood as a complementary tool that supports-but does not replace-the human dimension of PC.

AI in hospice: What every leader needs to know | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Ernesto Lopez; 3/11/26 Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering healthcare, but what does it really mean for Hospice leaders?  In this episode of TCN Talks/Anatomy of Leadership, host Chris Comeaux sits down with Ernesto Lopez—founder and CEO of 1520 AI and a longtime Hospice executive—to unpack the opportunities, risks, and realities of AI in Hospice. Drawing on his background as a registered nurse, healthcare executive, and Harvard Business School–trained data analyst, Ernesto explains how artificial intelligence is evolving and why Hospice organizations must approach it with both curiosity and caution. 

Nursing's moral agency cannot be outsourced to AI, study warns Medical Xpress; by University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing; 3/10/26 As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly integrates into clinical settings—from predicting patient outcomes to deploying humanoid "robotic nurses"—an article published in the Hastings Center Report warns that the core of nursing, its moral agency, must remain a human-driven responsibility. The article, What Does Moral Agency Mean for Nurses in the Era of Artificial Intelligence?, explores the growing tension between advanced algorithmic capabilities and the ethical obligations of the world's most trusted profession. While AI systems can now simulate empathy and generate context-aware responses, Penn Nursing's Connie M. Ulrich, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, the Lillian S. Brunner Chair in Medical and Surgical Nursing, Professor of Nursing, and Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, and her co-authors argue that AI lacks sentience, intentionality, and accountability. The authors define a moral agent as a person capable of discerning right from wrong and being held accountable for their actions.

Why Baylor Scott & White opted for an access redesign Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 3/2/26 Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest nonprofit health system in Texas, has been undergoing a consumer-focused transformation aimed at expanding access. ... “One thing we heard consistently through all of that is just a need for more access,” Rob Watson, MD, chief clinical operations officer, told Becker’s. “Not just traditional access through what we would consider our large hospitals and clinics, but expanded options like digital and virtual as well as when they had an urgent need or an emergent need, more physical locations as well.”

Let's talk about robotics in nursingHealth Leaders; by G Hatfield; 3/2/26... CNOs who want to incorporate robotics into nursing workflows must focus on adapting care models and staffing to maintain quality and continuity. According to Wills, staffing models may shift towards stronger roles in pre-admission testing, nurse navigation, virtual check-ins, and ambulatory recovery support. "I think CNOs need to think beyond the walls of the hospital, and this means redesigning care models that emphasize preoperative education, care coordination, and postoperative discharge follow-ups," Wills said.Editor's Note: Is this a wave of the future? Typically, hospice organization's join healthcare's technology later rather than sooner. Values of "humanity," "empathy," and "compassion" take precedence. This article is posted for your awareness. What are potential settings? Uses? Pro's and con's? Implications for care with persons experiencing dementia? More questions abound.

The trends—and traps—shaping 2026 JD Supra; by Morgan Lewis; 2/24/26 The global business landscape in 2026 is marked by accelerating political realignments, intensifying regulatory oversight, rapid technological maturation, and shifting market expectations. In this year’s report, our lawyers assess the trends and emerging risk areas that organizations across industries and regions are likely to encounter in 2026 and beyond. Drawing on insights from a dynamic array of developments—from the business repercussions of geopolitical recalibration to the continued expansion of transformative technologies—this compilation delivers a forward-looking perspective designed to support informed strategy and purposeful decision-making for businesses worldwide.

Weaving a unified fabric of care will heal the patient-provider relationship MedCity News; by Sachin K. Gupta; 2/20/26 Healthcare can transform only when strategy, workflow, data, and human connection operate together with a single purpose: strengthen the relationship at the center of care. The healthcare industry is under strain. ... At the core of these problems is the strained patient-clinician relationship. Healthcare is losing the very relationship it was built on. This is one of the prime problems that we need to solve to build a stronger healthcare industry, and AI is the instrument. ... Healthcare can transform only when strategy, workflow, data, and human connection operate together with a single purpose: strengthen the relationship at the center of care.

Factoring in the human side of robotics The Journal of Healthcare Contracting; by R. Dana Barlow... If incorporating robots in supply chain becomes the norm, and many believe it will be the case, then supply chain executives, leaders, managers and professionals must come to grips with any reservations they might have. How to accomplish that depends on the individual and the corporate culture in which he or she serves and works. ... “We’re in healthcare. Continuous improvement and innovation are a big part of the Memorial Hermann culture,” he told The Journal of Healthcare Contracting. “We have our caregivers, physicians, nurses. They’re always looking for new, innovative ways to deliver great patient care. ..."Editor's Notes: Are supply chain executives admonished to "come to grips with any reservations they might have," or should they--do they--listen, learn from, and incorporate valid reservations into their development and use of robotics? I do not assume to have answers--for the sake of delivering "great patient care"--I simply ask the glaring question.

Can AI hear when patients are ready for palliative care? Researchers use AI to analyze patient phone calls for vocal cues predicting palliative care acceptance Penn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; by Hoag Levins; 2/24/26 A new study suggests artificial intelligence (AI) may help clinicians identify which seriously ill patients are ready for palliative care — by analyzing the energy, pitch, and other subtle vocal cues in recorded group phone conversations among patients, caregivers, and health care providers. The new work by a team led by LDI Senior Fellow and Penn Nursing School Assistant Professor Jiyoun Song, PhD, APRN, is the first to use speech processing to identify palliative care preferences during discussions and decision-making in managed long-term care (MLTC), a type of Medicaid-managed care for community-dwelling patients that need home and community-based services.

Reimagining Hospice with Agentic and Generative AI1520ai press release; by Ernesto Lopez; 1/8/26...Agentic AI moves beyond task automation. It introduces systems that can reason over time, track evolving conditions, and coordinate actions across clinical, operational, and compliance domains. In a hospice setting, this means AI can move from being a documentation assistant to functioning as a continuous support layer. An agentic system can review clinical documentation as it is created, recognize patterns that suggest risk or change in trajectory, and surface insights proactively. It can coordinate care activities, prompt timely follow-up, and support consistency across interdisciplinary teams.Publisher's Note: An interesting article introducing AI terminology from a hospice perspective.