Literature Review

‘I’m kinder and more compassionate’: actor Greg Wise on men and grief The Guardian, by Tim Jonze; 3/24/24 How the tragic death of his beloved sister, Clare, gave Greg Wise a new outlook on navigating the end of life.  ... Wise is best known as an actor. He met [his wife, Emma] Thompson on the set of 1995’s Sense and Sensibility and has notched up more than 30 years in film and TV. But these days he has carved out a niche for himself as someone who wants to change the way we think, and talk, about the end of our lives. “Not having a proper relationship with one’s grief is one of the great ills of the world,” is how he puts it. "[Without] witnessing and accepting our own pain, we can’t have empathy – proper empathy. I don’t think we can see someone else’s suffering until we can see our own.”

Thank a social worker this month The Alpena News; 3/22/24 March is National Social Worker Month, and we encourage anyone who knows a social worker to take the opportunity to thank him or her for all they do. ... There are more than 700,000 social workers across the U.S., more than 30,000 of them in Michigan, working in all kinds of fields, from child advocacy and protection to behavioral health to hospitals and hospice. “Our mission is to help the vulnerable,” Karen Wagner, a social worker with Hospice of Michigan’s Alpena team, told News staff writer Mike Gonzalez for a recent story. 

8 likely next in-demand nursing roles, per Tampa General's chief nurse Becker's Clinical Leadership, by Laura Dyrda; 3/15/24 ... "In the next two to three years, the nursing team may require new roles and skills to adapt to the changing healthcare landscape," said Wendi Goodson-Celerin, DNP, APRN, senior vice president and chief nursing executive at Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital. Dr. Goodson-Celerin outlined potential roles and skills that may be in demand over the next two to three years:

Meet the 'Flower Lady': Crafting bouquets of comfort and compassion for hospice patients NBC 5 On Your Side, by Mike Bush; 3/19/24 In the heart of Evelyn's House, a hospice facility dedicated to providing comfort in life's final moments, resides 79-year-old Anne Hensley, affectionately dubbed the "flower lady" by staff and patients alike. ... Her lifelong passion for floral artistry has since blossomed into a symbol of solace and compassion within the halls of Evelyn's House. ... For Anne, her role as the "flower lady" is more than just arranging bouquets; it's a labor of love rooted in empathy and understanding.

Legendary healthcare researcher John E. Wennberg, who shaped efforts to reform the nation’s healthcare system, dies at 89Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, by Susan Green; 3/18/24John E. (Jack) Wennberg, MD, MPH, founder and director emeritus of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, the Peggy Y. Thomson Professor in the Evaluative Clinical Sciences Emeritus at the Geisel School of Medicine, and founding editor of the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care, died March 10, 2024. He was 89 years old. “His work pioneered a field that has grown into an entirely new academic discipline in medicine,” Duane Compton, PhD, Geisel School of Medicine dean, says. ... Wennberg focused on improving decision quality by combining better clinical evidence with informed patient preferences. The introduction of shared decision-making between clinicians and patients to preserve warranted variation due to patient preferences is now embedded in health policies across the globe.

'Living well, leaving well': Yishun end-of-life art exhibition allows seniors to demystify death, document life Today, by Nikki Yeo; 3/18/24, updated 3/19/24 A senior-led exhibition [in Singapore], Tides, features a group of eight women and their reflections on end-of-life matters. ... The project engaged seniors in the Yishun community over nine months to form art works based on "living well" and "leaving well." ... The pictures [of family foods] are overlaid with handwritten messages exchanged between Madam Devi and her grandchildren. ... Her grandchildren calls her "atha", or grandmother, and have written, "I love you so much", "from young I’m eating your food", "I’m so grateful to you".

Art Ellison has one dying wish: Feed all New Hampshire students Concord Monitor, by Michaela Towfighi; 3/15/24 Art Ellison isn't one to mince words. With red blanket over his lap and a "support public education" t-shirt on, he has one final request as he rests at the Granite VNA hospice house. ...

Workplace Violence Prevention Plan Implementation: Answers to Frequently Asked QuestionsLCW, California Public Agency Labor & Employment Bolg; 3/13/24With the enactment of [California] Senate Bill (“SB”) 553, the legislature amended Labor Code section 6401.7 and added Labor Code section 6401.9, requiring employers to adopt and implement a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (“WVPP”) and corresponding training for their employees by July 1, 2024. ... Since the enactment of the bill, employers have had questions regarding the WVPP and the training requirements. Below are some common questions and the responses to them: ... [Click on the article's title to view]

Death Cafes in Duluth aim to make end of life something more normal to talk about ABC WDIO; 3/11/24 Talking about death can be difficult and daunting. A Duluth woman who’s an estate attorney wants to change that. Amy Kuronen just hosted her first Death Cafe. Nine people attended, and it was an open ended conversation without an agenda. ... It’s not a grief support group, although you can mention your grief. It’s more about connecting and sharing. Editor's Note: Are you aware of Death Cafes in your area? Do their representatives have relevant information about your hospice and palliative care services?

How NYC Health + Hospitals is reining in travel nurse expenses Becker's Hospital CFO Report, by Mackenzie Bean; 3/7/24 NYC Health + Hospitals has made progress in decreasing its dependence on travel nurses, though staffing expenditures still exceed the public health system's allocated budget, executives told New York City Council leaders during a preliminary budget hearing March 5.

Detroit Lions fan who dyed his hair blue during playoff run has died CBS News 11 Detroit, by Sara Powers; 3/11/24A Detroit Lions fan in hospice care, who dyed his hair blue during the team's playoff run, has died.  Larry Benjamin, 83, of Saginaw, went viral after he dyed his hair Honolulu blue to support the Lions. He was inspired by Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who dyed his hair blue before the team's playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. Editor's Note: We ran a couple of updates to this story during the NFL playoffs. 

100+ hospitals, health systems among Newsweek's greatest workplaces for women Newsweek / Becker's Hospital Review, by Kelly Gooch; 3/7/24 Newsweek has published its 2024 "America's Greatest Workplaces for Women" ranking, which includes hospitals and health systems. ... The best companies in the tiers of large companies (5,000+ employees), mid-size companies (1,000 to 4,999 employees) and small companies (500 to 999 employees) were recognized among the 1,000 greatest workplaces for women.  ... [Click on the link above to the list gleaned by Becker's of hospitals and health systems.]  

Beloved teacher dies of rare illness, students raise enough money to put her children through college NBC News 10, Rochester, NY; by Jennifer Lewke; 3/6/24 A school of students, devastated by the sudden loss of a favorite teacher, worked together to ensure her legacy lives on. Emily Casey died less than a month after being diagnosed with a rare and frightening disease. In the two weeks since she passed, her students at Our Lady of Mercy School have raised more than $150,000 in her memory.