Hospice AI
A Hospice & Palliative Care Today compilation; 5/5/25
We've seen several recent articles discussing the benefits of additional AI integration into hospice services.

• 4 Ways AI Technology is Elevating Hospice Outcomes; by Shea Swenson, Maxwell Healthcare Associates; 4/15/25. [Includes:] 1) Optimized care support; 2) Predictive analytics; 3) Operational Efficiency; 4) Financial impact.
• The use of artificial intelligence in hospice & palliative care programs; Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Matthew Gonzales, Amy Baughman, Kathleen Strand, Anant Vasudevan, Kerry Son; 5/25. [Includes:] 1) Enhance patient care and operational efficiency; 2) Predictive analytics; 3) Chatbots; 4) AI can improve decision-making, personalize treatment plans, and streamline administrative tasks, ultimately improving patient outcomes and experiences.
• Five ways hospice agencies are using AI; Alora Home Health Software; 10/15/24. [Includes:] 1) Personalized care plans; 2) Scheduling optimization; 3) Human resources; 4) Prior authorizations; 5) Reducing hospital admissions.
• The future of AI in hospice care; by Elizabeth Ecker, Hospice News; 11/13/24. [Includes:] 1) Provide patient care; 2) Supports hospice professionals and patients in several other important ways, from reducing hospitalizations to providing scheduling efficiencies for staff and providing significant time savings; 3) It can even be a key to providing the right care at the right time, and improved accuracy of patient data; 4) Monitoring risk; 5) Overcoming AI challenges.
• 5 Ways hospice agencies can use AI; by Tess Bower, Hospice & Home Care Webinar Network; 3/31/23. [Includes:] 1) Predictive modeling; 2) Personalized care; 3) Voice recognition; 4) Remote monitoring; 5) Resource optimization.

Empath Health’s new One Hospice Model a ‘blueprint’ for scalable growth 
Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 5/5/25 
Empath Health on Monday integrated its seven hospice brands under one umbrella. ... The Florida-based nonprofit’s seven brands collectively care for one-in-five hospice patients statewide and include Empath Hospice, Hospice of Marion County, Suncoast Hospice, Suncoast Hospice of Hillsborough, Tidewell Hospice and Trustbridge (also Hospice by the Sea and Hospice of Palm Beach County). ...The new One Hospice Model is structured to provide more direct referral and community access to Empath Health’s overall network of services/ entire continuum of care. ... The new model is designed to strengthen the outlook of hospice care delivery as providers face myriad sustainability challenges, according to Empath Health. Rising demand, workforce shortages, program integrity and regulatory challenges, economic pressures and a shifting hospice marketplace are just some of the leading issues among today’s leaders.

Dombi: At-home care providers must overcome ‘self-inflicted challenge’ to flourish 
Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 5/2/25 
Despite operating on razor-thin margins and facing persistent reimbursement challenges, some home-based care providers are setting themselves apart by leaning into innovation. By embracing alternative payment models, virtual health and opportunities like hospital-at-home programs, providers can save themselves from home-based care’s “self-inflicted challenge” of not capitalizing on the industry’s evolving opportunities, according to Bill Dombi, senior counsel for Arnall Golden Gregory law firm. He also formerly led the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), which following a merger is now the National Alliance for Care at Home. While workforce shortages, potential Medicaid cuts and unsustainable payment rates threaten the industry, opportunity awaits those willing to evolve, Dombi said.

Executive Personnel Changes - 5/2/25

• Interim Healthcare Inc. has appointed Jeff Chapuran as General Counsel.
  
  
• Traditions Health, a multi-state provider of home helath, hospice and palliative care,  announced the addition of Miriam Campbell, who joins the team as a Vice President of Sales for the hospice service line.

[France] Deputies approve bill creating Right to Assisted Dying 
Time.News; 5/3/25 
Is the right to die a fundamental human right, or a risky step towards devaluing life? France is grappling with this profound question as a new bill edges closer to legalizing aid in dying. the implications could ripple far beyond French borders, influencing the debate in the United States and around the world. The bill, initially presented by President Emmanuel Macron in March 2024, faced delays due to the dissolution of the National Assembly. Now,revived and championed by Prime Minister François Bayrou,the executive text has been divided into two separate legal proposals. One focuses on enhancing palliative care, while the other addresses aid in dying.

• The French Bill: A Closer Look ...
• Key Provisions of the Bill ...
• The Road Ahead: Debates and Potential Amendments ...
• The American Perspective: Echoes of the Debate ...
• Ethical Considerations: A minefield of Moral Dilemmas ...
• The Role of Palliative Care: A Crucial Component ...
• Future Scenarios: What Could Happen Next? ...

American Nurses Enterprise celebrates the power of nurses during National Nurses Week, May 6-12 
American Nurses Enterprise: American Nurses Association - American Nurses Credentialing Center, American Nurses Foundation, Silver Spring, MD; newsroom@ana.org; 4/20/25 
Today, the American Nurses Enterprise — encompassing the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the American Nurses Foundation (ANF) — kicks off National Nurses Week (May 6–12) with a powerful message: The Power of Nurses™. This year’s campaign shines a national spotlight on nurses as the driving force behind compassionate care, innovation, and transformative changes in healthcare. From coast to coast, the enterprise is launching a series of high-impact events — including a national press conference, educational webinars, landmark light-ups, and direct engagement with policymakers—to celebrate the unparalleled contributions of nurses and call on the public to honor their essential role in shaping a healthier future for all.
Editor's note: For more, explore "National Nurses Week History" and our "Today's Encouragement."

NPHI Honors Visionary Leaders and Organizations at 2025 Annual Summit 
National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), Washington, DC; Press Release; 5/6/25 
The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) proudly recognized three outstanding leaders and organizations during its 2025 Annual Summit, honoring their profound contributions to end-of-life care. These annual awards celebrate those who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to innovation, compassion, and person-centered care in the hospice, palliative, and advanced illness care field.  

• Samira K. Beckwith, Executive Vice President of Public Policy, Chapters Health, was honored with the 2025 Lifetime in Excellence Award. 
  
  
• Dr. Bethany Snider, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Hosparus Health, received the 2025 Chirag Patel Legacy Award.
  
  
• The 2025 Healthcare in Action Innovation Award was presented to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Dr. Arif Kamal, Chief Patient Officer of the American Cancer Society, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.  
  
  

• Carole Fisher, President of NPHI, added:

  “These awards remind us what’s possible when we lead with heart, stay mission-driven, and continue to challenge the status quo in pursuit of quality care. We’re grateful for the opportunity to celebrate these trailblazers who are making a meaningful difference every day.” 

‘I want to pat dogs until I die’: End-of-life planning should be more than just Living Wills 
Healthy Debate; by Kathy Kastner; 5/4/25 
France Légaré, Canada Research Chair in Shared Decision-Making and Knowledge Mobilization, wants to have stimulating conversations and be able to move around with her dog until she dies. Daneil Martin, the Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Women’s College Hospital, wants to “smell chocolate until I die.” The two doctors are among the 200+ who took the time to fill in the blank on a whiteboard, “I WANT TO__ UNTIL I DIE,” an initiative I undertook after tuning in to a hospice and palliative care medicine Twitter chat in the good old days of Twitter. As a layperson who became an entrepreneur in the health space, I was intrigued by the lament of health-care professionals on the chat: If only people talked about end-of-life wishes more, much grief could be avoided. 

The Big Bend Hospice linen drive brings comfort to patients in rural communities: Addressing a critical need in underserved areas 
ABC WTXL-TV 27, Tallahassee/Monticello, FL; by Lentheus Chaney; 4/30/25 
In Jefferson County, kindness sometimes comes in the form of cotton. Big Bend Hospice is collecting linens here to help patients face their final days with dignity. Big Bend Hospice just launched a linen drive. It's asking neighbors to donate new Twin XL-sized bed sheets. They'll be used for patients across Jefferson, Madison, and Taylor counties. The drive's goal is to ensure no one spends their final days without the comfort of clean sheets—something most of us take for granted. The  need is especially great in rural areas. According to state data, hospice use in parts of North Florida lags behind the statewide average—just 57%. That's compared to nearly 66% across Florida. That gap means fewer resources in the places that need them most.
Editor's note: Typically, we don't post donor-related articles until after completion. However, this unique community outreach by Big Bend Hospice raises our awareness of practical, simple, meaningful outreach in underserved rural areas. What practical, affordable, meaningful outreach does this spark for your hospice's rural--or other underserved--patients?

Private equity in health care
AMA Journal of Ethics; 5/25
One way private equity differs from other for-profit investments is by aiming to maximize profitability while minimizing long-term holdings in such investments. Valuation for private equity acquisitions in health care has grown to over 150 billion dollars since 2020, and expansion continues. One reason private equity investment in the health sector deserves close ethical attention is that private equity firms are, generally, not interested in managing patient panels, clinician personnel, or making service delivery streams work for patients. Another reason is that influx of private equity investment in health care tends to consolidate markets for health services, undermining competition and driving up costs for patients. This theme issue considers which criteria should be used to determine whether, when, and for whom buying and selling of private equity in health care stands up to ethical, clinical, and legal scrutiny and considers how to better guide and regulate private equity transactions in health care.
Publisher's note: This entire journal issue (14 articles) focuses on the role of private equity in health care.

Haven Hospice's [FL] E.T. York Hospice Care Center implements "Christmas Room"
Haven Hospice press release; by Hailey Reidy; 4/3/25
Haven Hospice's E.T. York Hospice Care Center in Gainesville has created a Christmas Room to allow their pediatric patients to celebrate with their families. The room came to be at the wish of these patients wanting to celebrate Christmas one last time which their care team and other member of Haven's team supported. The Haven Women of Philanthropy group also supported the room, covering the cost and gathering supplies.
Article posted in Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association's newsletter The Hospice Professional.

Trailor for "The Chaplain & The Doctor" 
Reel Medicine Media; retrieved from the internet 5/5/25
This video premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival April 21st and 23rd. Two unlikely allies work to bring curiosity, connection, and compassion to a broken healthcare system, one patient at a time. Betty Clark is an 80-year-old, African American chaplain on staff at The Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus, the level-one trauma center in Oakland, California. Jessica Zitter is a white, Jewish physician who has been Betty’s colleague on the Palliative Care service for over a decade. The two women are an unlikely team: chaplains and doctors do not usually pair up within the hierarchical and siloed halls of the hospital. ... But with time, the two women’s shared values and history overcome the forces that keep them apart, and they go on to do their best work together. Under Betty’s guidance, Jessica begins a journey to understand the barriers and biases that doctors like herself often bring to the bedside. As Betty starts to face her own health challenges, Jessica takes over her care through a deeply personal lens, witnessing more intimately the experience of patients of color in America’s hospitals – this time, with someone she’s grown to love.

To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow. ~Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings