Literature Review

From panic to purpose: Tulane student’s bell project brings hope to cancer patients nationwide CBS WWL-4, New Orleans, LA; by Meg Farris; 9/8/25 A little girl whose mother was diagnosed with a very serious illness could have never dreamed that several years later, she'd be helping patients across the country and beyond. ... Belle Spar vividly remembers, ... “I had a panic attack, hysterically crying. I thought I was going to lose my mom. I was 12. I was terrified ...” Belle Spar, 21. [The ritual of ringing the bell at the end of cancer treatment became a symbol of hope.] That 12-year-old ... is now a senior at Tulane University. During those nine years as an adolescent, she and her sister, Alexa, accomplished something remarkable. They have raised money to donate 130 bells, so far, to radiation and transplant centers around the U.S., and even in South America.

This is the one question leaders need to ask themselves: To avoid burnout, leaders need to pay attention to their energy levels Forbes - Work Life; by Tim Jack Adams; 9/1/25 You’ve carried the weight of big decisions, the pressure to perform, to lead and deliver, all despite what’s happening behind the scenes. You’ve navigated through uncertainty and change, providing the space for everyone else to thrive. It’s a feeling that the most capable leaders feel. It’s not quite burnout, but a kind of dullness. A slow drain. A fog that creeps in quietly and makes it harder to stay clear, connected, and grounded. ... It's not about time, it's about energy. ...Editor's Note: Twenty years ago, this concept revolutionized my workday, productivity, outcomes, and overall well-bing, via the book The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, by Jim Loehr, published 2003. This author's content is fresh, dated September 2025.

How to create meaning in every season of life with Dr. Trisha Welstad Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Trisha Welstad; 8/27/25 In this conversation, Dr. Trisha Welstad shares her philosophy on leadership, highlighting the importance of healthy leaders who can heal the world, demonstrating how personal pain can shape a person's purpose, and highlighting the value of reflection in leadership. Dr. Trisha Welstad explores how purpose emerges from our deepest wounds and why healthy leaders can heal the world through their wholeness.  She shares her belief that purpose isn't a luxury, but a necessity for our identity, one that develops throughout all stages of life.

PEOPLE's 100 Companies that Care in 2025 People; by Brendan Le; 8/20/25 In collaboration with Great Place to Work, a global authority on workplace culture, PEOPLE surveyed companies across the U.S. to find the businesses that best demonstrate outstanding respect, care and concern for their employees, communities and the environment. The ninth annual list is based on 1.3 million responses and data from companies representing over 8.4 million employees. 

Process & outcome evaluation of a rural health network to assess effectivenessJournal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice; by Sarah Mollman, Kelly Boyd, Charlene Berke, Mari Perrenoud, Vonda Reed, Carol Stewart; 8/19/25Background: Rural residents face many health disparities and challenges. Rural health networks form to address the specific needs of a community by bringing together multiple individuals and organisations; however, there is limited literature on the evaluation of these networks. Objective: To evaluate a network's effectiveness in three areas: (1) capacity to achieve change in palliative care education, (2) key results of collaborative efforts, and (3) extent to which grant activities were implemented.Results: The network was proficient or excelling in all 15 areas of a Network Organisational Assessment and represented all 38 key sectors representing the focus of network (palliative care). 

This test tells you more about your heart attack risk KFF Health News; by Paula Span; 8/1/25 A long list of Lynda Hollander’s paternal relatives had heart disease, and several had undergone major surgeries. ... A cardiologist told Hollander that based on factors like age, sex, cholesterol, and blood pressure, she faced a moderate risk of a major cardiac event, like a heart attack, within the next 10 years. ... Her doctor explained that a coronary artery calcium test, ... could provide a more precise estimate of her risk of atherosclerotic heart disease. “The test is used by more people every year,” said Michael Blaha, co-director of the preventive cardiology program at Johns Hopkins University. Calcium scans quadrupled from 2006 to 2017, his research team reported, and Google searches for related terms have risen even more sharply. Yet “it’s still being underused compared to its value,” he said. One reason is that although the test is comparatively inexpensive ...Editor's Note: Good news. This test predicts and protects heart health, potentially providing extra years of good (or at least better) quality of life. Bad news. It is "being underused compared to its value," partly because "the test is comparatively inexpensive"? Bad news. What does the low-cost factor say ethics, choices, and quality of life? Good news. Because of my family's cardiac history, my physician recently recommended I take this test. I did, and received great results! I move into the future with greater confidence, less fear, and more gratitude for the some 100,00 heartbeats we each experience, each day.

Insurance companies’ Medicare pullback is here: Insurers are planning to scale back benefits, trim plans and exit from markets. Investors are cheering The Wall Street Journal; by David Wainer; 8/5/25 Many seniors enjoy the perks that come with Medicare Advantage. But those extras—like dental coverage and free gym memberships—are being scaled back. Insurers are cutting benefits and exiting from unprofitable markets, and Wall Street is cheering them on. Once rewarded by investors for rapid expansion in the lucrative privatized Medicare program, companies are now being applauded for showing restraint amid rising medical costs and lower government payments.

Health systems tap into Gen Z’s most-desired benefits Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 7/14/25 Generation Z healthcare workers prioritize financial wellness and mental health support — and hospitals and health systems are responding. Given changing demographics and labor shortages, organizations across the U.S. are focused on recruiting and retaining the newest generation to enter the workforce. Gen Z employees include new college graduates and those with a few years of professional experience, with the oldest members age 28. Becker’s connected with human resources leaders from five organizations — ranging from large academic health systems to community hospitals — to learn how they are tailoring benefits to meet workforce demands. ...

How do you value your life? Sandusky Register, Sandusky, OH; by Sue Daugherty; 7/7/25 According to the Pew Research Center, the U.S. has the second-highest number of centenarians, 108,000. Japan has the most, 146,000. As time passes, the projections are that the population of those who are age 100 and older will continue to get larger. If you are an older American who is motivated by the number of years you get to remain on this Earth, this is good news for you. If you are motivated by the quality of your life while you remain on this Earth, then you ought to become more knowledgeable about advanced directives and palliative care.

Regret is the price of playing it safe. Personal perspective: We wait too long to live with purpose.Psychology Today; by Jordan Grumet; 6/26/25Key points:

Hospice a saving grace during our hardest time Pikes Peak Courier; by Mary Lovato; 6/11/25 ... I recently lost the two most important men in my life. My husband passed away from bladder cancer and within 6 months, my brother passed away from COPD. The individuals who worked for Hospice and helped us deal with the end of life of each of these loved ones were amazing. It wasn’t just the medical personnel, it was also the person who came to the house to set up the required equipment, it was the person who bathed the patient, it was the social worker, it was the person who offered spiritual guidance, it was even the person who in an emergency, delivered medicine in the middle of the night.

20 tools to stay organized and prevent leadership burnout Forbes; by Expert Panel for Forbes Business Council; 6/3/25 ... 20 Forbes Business Council members each share one tool or habit they recommend leaders adopt to stay organized and prevent burnout as a leader.