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.

Confronting racism at Duke University: 2017-24: The clash of expression and protection in an elite university
Personal communication; by Donald H Taylor Jr; 5/2/25
Confronting Racism at Duke University, 2017-24: The Clash of Expression and Protection in an Elite University is my story of serving in two university leadership posts that required me to pay attention to campus issues that I had avoided during my first two decades as a professor. Doing so helped me understand two interconnected realities: that race is the most persistent idea that has shaped my life, from growing up in rural eastern North Carolina to being a leader at an elite university, and that racist incidents disrupt the normal intellectual debate and dialogue of a University campus like nothing else. The word confronting in the title signifies a double meaning. This is a memoir of my coming to understand the power of race in my life, including realizing how incomplete was the version of U.S. history I learned in and out of school. The second meaning acknowledges the repetitive nature of high-profile racist events that disrupted the Duke community during the seven-year period recounted, and our efforts to combat them.
Publisher's note: Many readers will recogize Dr. Taylor's work to improve access to quality, cost-effective hospice services.

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.

UnitedHealth Group, Amedisys to offload sites to BrightSpring, Pennant Group
McKnight's Home Care; by Liza Berger; 5/2/25
UnitedHealth Group and Amedisys this week entered into agreements to divest certain care, home health and hospice care centers to affiliates of home care firms BrightSpring Health Services and The Pennant Group, according to an 8-K filing dated Thursday. The divestitures are contingent on the completion of UnitedHealth’s acquisition of Amedisys. The acquisition, which has been in the works since 2023, has been beset by federal antitrust scrutiny. Earlier this month, court documents revealed that a lawsuit filed by the United States Justice Department to block the acquisition is set for mediation on Aug. 18.

Optum names new CEO
Becker's Hospital Review; by Jakob Emerson; 4/30/25
UnitedHealth Group has named Patrick Conway, MD, current Optum Rx CEO, as the new CEO of Optum, effective May 6. Current Optum CEO, Heather Cianfrocco, has been named UnitedHealth’s executive vice president of governance, compliance and information security after serving in her role for just over one year. Dr. Conway has served in various leadership roles at UnitedHealth since 2020 and was named CEO of pharmacy benefit manager Optum Rx in 2023. He was president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina from 2017 to 2019 and served in several top positions at CMS under the Obama administration, including chief medical officer, director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and acting administrator.

Inside Heart to Heart Hospice’s palliative care growth strategy
Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 4/29/25
Heart to Heart Hospice’s return on investment in its community-based palliative care service line has come in the form of improved quality and financial outcomes. The Texas-based hospice’s InHome Connect Palliative Care brand has led to significant declines in capitated per member per month (PMPM) costs and positive trends in timely access. The results are a product of the hospice’s recently formed value-based partnership with a leading unnamed Medicare Advantage plan in its home state.

Little girl receiving hospice care comes home to hero’s welcome in Clayton
Johnston County News [NC]; by Maggie Newland; 4/19/25
A little girl battling a devastating disease received a hero’s welcome in Clayton Saturday. For nearly a year, Noelle Franklin has battled an aggressive bone cancer. Now, she is back home receiving hospice care, and her community came together to show their love. As cheers and bubbles filled the air, people lined Main Street in Clayton to catch a glimpse of a hero.

Hospice of Davidson County’s golf tournament raises over $20,000
The Dispatch [NC]; by staff; 4/22/25
Hospice of Davidson County held its 16th annual golf tournament fundraiser on April 17 at Sapona Golf, Swim and Tennis Club and raised more than $20,000 for patients with serious illness and individuals seeking grief and bereavement counseling.

What not to say to patients with serious illnesses 
Medscape; by Lambeth Hochwald; 4/30/25 
Robert Den, MD, a radiation oncologist in Philadelphia, constantly reminds himself that while he’s in the ‘cancer world’ every minute of the day, his patients aren’t. “As oncologists, we may be meeting with the third patient that day with a newly diagnosed metastatic cancer, but for this individual, this is their first time hearing news like this,” Den told Medscape Medical News. That’s just one reason Den says words matter. ... [He identifies] "Five Things Docs Shouldn't Say" ...

• 'Everything is going to be okay.' ...
• 'It might be time to get your affairs in order/take that dream trip.' ...
• 'We definitely found cancer during your scan.' ...
• 'You have X months to live.' ...
• 'I wish you had done something differently.' ...

[Palmetto] Hospice Coalition Questions and Answers: March 6, 2025
Palmetto GBA press release; 4/18/25
The March 6, 2025, Hospice Coalition Meeting Minutes are now available. Please review this information and share it with your staff.

RFK Jr. is gutting minority health offices across HHS that are key to reducing health disparities 
NBC New York 4, in partnership with CNBC; by Annika Kim Constantino; 4/30/25 

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s overhaul of the Department of Health and Human Services involves deep cuts to several divisions that help protect and improve the health of minority and underserved populations and eliminate health disparities in the U.S., CNBC has learned.
• Kennedy's cuts have hit at least seven minority health offices across HHS, which in many cases laid off most or all of their workers, including directors, people familiar with the matter told CNBC. [These include:] the HHS Office of Minority Health and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, or NIMHD. The cuts also hit offices with similar functions at the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, ...
• Health policy experts said deep cuts to those offices could widen existing disparities in access to insurance and care in the U.S., undoing years of progress toward addressing them.

How a Butler University and Community Health Network partnership helped save 420 lives and $4.3 million 
Butler Stories, Indianapolis, IN; by Katie Palmer Wharton; 4/30/25 
For healthcare professionals, data is more than just numbers—it is the foundation of better patient care, smarter decisions, and more efficient hospitals. But for many, data can feel overwhelming and difficult to use effectively. That’s why Butler University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education teamed up with Community Health Network to create a hands-on professional development course that demystifies data and equips healthcare workers with practical analytics skills. Since launching in spring 2022, the program has empowered 185 Community Health Network professionals to break down data barriers, make informed decisions, and drive meaningful change in their organization. ... Armed with new data skills, Community Health Network employees built a dashboard to streamline the process. The results were nothing short of remarkable:

• 20 percent decrease in time to complete the procedure
• 100 percent increase in the volume of Watchman devices placed
• $4.3 million in savings for the network
• Most importantly, 420 lives saved

Cybersecurity in Mergers and Acquisitions 
CybersecurityNews.com; by CISO Advisory; 4/30/25 
Cybersecurity in mergers and acquisitions is crucial, as M&A activities represent key inflection points for organizations, offering growth opportunities while introducing significant security challenges. In today’s threat landscape, cybersecurity has become a decisive factor in M&A success, with studies showing that over 40% of deals face serious cybersecurity issues post-acquisition. 

U.S. Attorney announces $202 million settlement with Gilead Sciences for using speaker programs to pay kickbacks to doctors to induce them to prescribe Gilead’s Drugs
DOJ - NY Office press release; 4/29/25
Gilead admits to paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to high prescribers of Gilead’s HIV drugs to serve as speakers at programs and to holding programs at luxury restaurants.

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt