Inside the Medicare Advantage Reform Act 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/28/25 
A bill currently before Congress seeks to overhaul aspects of the Medicare Advantage program. Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) recently introduced the Medicare Advantage Reform Act. If enacted, the bill, numbered H.R. 3467, would make wholesale changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA). A key provision of the bill is a proposed requirement that MA plans pay for hospice care. Hospice is currently “carved out” of Medicare Advantage. The potential impacts of moving hospice into MA at this time would be “devastating,” according to the National Alliance for Care at Home. ... [Other] changes to MA included in the text could have serious implications for hospices and other providers that also offer home health, palliative care or other services. ...

57 ways healthcare teams may evolve in 2 years 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Randi Haseman; 5/27/25 
Question: How do you see your teams evolving in the next two years? What roles and/or skills will you focus on and what will fade? [Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.] 

• Judd Hollander, MD. Senior Vice President of Healthcare Delivery Innovation at Thomas Jefferson University Health: We (my team) believe the most important thing about building a team is to have engagement of people who are passionate about the mission and possess complimentary skill sets that allows the team to grow. ...
• Bryan Graven. CIO and Executive Director ITS at Waterbury Health and Eastern CT Health Network: Over the next two years, we’re focused on growing roles in automation, data science and AI-driven workflow optimization. ...
• Rajiv Pramanik, MD. CIO and Chief Health Informatics Officer at Contra Costa Health: We aim to replicate what we have done in the clinical space with our EHR and develop a platform across our other business functions, relying more on information security, workflow informaticists and process improvement professionals. 
• [Continue reading, with responses from 57 healthcare leaders.]

Find greater resilience by avoiding these 3 leadership blind spots 
Forbes; by Chris Westfall; 5/26/25 
Over 96% of organizations have experienced disruption in the last two years, according to a global resilience survey from PwC. Resilience - the dynamic capacity to anticipate, adapt to and recover from adversity - is what allows companies and individuals to bounce back after a challenge. Difficulty, change and loss comes to everyone (and every organization) to varying degrees. But, as Jeff Golblum’s Dr. Ian Malcolm said in Jurassic Park, “Life finds a way.” ... Being resilient is the key. However, there are three blind spots that often show up inside of organizations, and individuals, when the going gets tough. Here’s how to turn resilience into a competitive advantage, no matter what you’re up against.

1. Human Beings are "Anti-Fragile": ...
2. We are Built for Resilience: ...
3. "That's Just How I Am" Isn't Always True: ...

Five Questions With: Diana Franchitto
Providence Business News, Providence, RI; by Katie Castellani; 2/14/25 
Diana Franchitto | CEO, HopeHealth | Chair, National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation 

1. What do you hope to accomplish as the new chair of the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation? As the nation’s population ages, so is demand for the type of services we provide. As the nation’s health care space is overtaken by private equity and publicly traded companies, communities still need access to organizations that prioritize patients over profits. ...
2. Why did you want to take on this role? I have seen firsthand how hospice and palliative care can play a critical role during a family’s most vulnerable moments, yet the benefits of this care are often misunderstood. ...
3. How do you plan to improve access for care for Rhode Island’s aging population? Access begins with meeting people where they are – raising awareness about what hospice and palliative care offer, and ensuring these services are available earlier in the care continuum.
4. What shifts in health policy are you expecting this year? When it comes to health care policy, change is a constant – and it is hard to predict what this year will bring for hospice and palliative care. ...
5. What shifts in health policy are you expecting this year? When it comes to health care policy, change is a constant – and it is hard to predict what this year will bring for hospice and palliative care. ... 

Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes 
ABC News WFTS, Tampa Bay, FL; by Gulfside Healthcare; 5/27/25 
Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes serves a greater purpose than providing affordable gently used goods: all net proceeds fund charity care for hospice patients. Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes has a new and improved online shop for easy access and including shipping. To learn more about Gulfside Hospice, visit Gulfside.org. To shop Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes online visit gulfsidethrift.myshopify.com/ or stop by one of four convenient locations in New Port Richey, Hudson, Dade City or Zephyrhills. Follow Gulfside on social media for updates and sales.
Editor's note: This online access opens up a world of engagement with those who cannot visit the shop in person, especially long distance donors and family members/friends acquainted with Gulfside Hospice. 

All You Need is Love 
The Republic; by Sharon Mangas; 5/28/25
The call came in at 4:00 a.m., waking me from a deep sleep. It was the kind of call that puts you on high alert; like when you have a teenage driver at home, or a mother-in-law on hospice care. ... “Hello. Is this Sharon Mangas? I’m calling from the hospice center. I wasn’t able to reach Mike. I’m sorry to share this news…your mother-in-law, Carmen, passed away a few minutes ago.” ... To the best of my knowledge, I was privy to her last spoken words to family. After Mike and I helped Carmen settle in at the Hospice Center near midnight Saturday, May 3—barely 24 hours before she passed—I bent over to tell her we’d see her in the morning. She looked deeply into my eyes and said, “I love you, Sharon.” I took her hand gently and said, “I love you, too.” ... As the first daughter-in-law in Carmen’s orbit, the two of us had occasional dust-ups and misunderstandings that challenged our family bond. But we shared a lot of love, too, and love is healing. 

CMS: Kidney Care Choices (KCC) Model 
CMS.gov - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 5/27/25 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing a coordinated set of changes to the Kidney Care Choices (KCC) Model starting in performance year 2026 that are expected to improve the model test by adjusting the financial methodology and participation options to improve model sustainability. In addition, the model is being extended by one year for continuation of quality care to beneficiaries through 2027. For more information, please visit KCC Model Performance Year 2026 Updates. 

‘A missed opportunity’ for small systems needing nurses 
Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Mariah Taylor; 5/8/25  
In February, South Dakota officials approved the state’s first registered nursing apprenticeship program through Huron Regional Medical Center. The apprenticeship is designed to attract English-as-a-second language nurses into the field, Sioux Falls Live reported May 7. The program was started by Norma Torres Ortiz, RN, a travel nurse contracted with Avera Health who works part time at the Huron Regional Medical Center. Ms. Ortiz is originally from Puerto Rico where she worked as a nurse. When she moved to the U.S., she found herself struggling to pass the NCLEX and find a nursing job due to language barriers. ... Large systems are building international nursing programs that recruit and hire nurses through work visas; however, smaller systems don’t have the funds to hire large numbers of international nurses through an agency. This is where a nurse apprenticeship program can fill the gap. Huron Regional Medical Center launched its practical nursing apprenticeship in 2018. ...

[UK] Students face the realities of hospice care in powerful visit
DevonLive; by Lewis Clarke; 5/27/25 
A visit to Exeter Hospice gave South Devon UTC students a moving insight into care careers—and the deep compassion behind them. Students from South Devon UTC in Newton Abbot have been given a rare glimpse into the realities of end-of-life care during a visit to Exeter Hospice, in what educators described as an eye-opening and inspiring experience. The visit formed part of the students’ health and social care curriculum and broader enrichment programme. Involving pupils from Years 10 to 13, the day provided an in-depth look at the range of careers within the hospice setting—from nursing and palliative care to occupational therapy, physiotherapy, counselling, and volunteer coordination.

Valir PACE acquires Cherry Blossom PACE in Alexandria, Virginia - expanding quality senior care in Northern Virginia
KTLA-5 Los Angeles and CISION PR Newswire, Oklahoma City, OK; by Valir PACE; 5/22/25
Further expanding its footprint in the senior care market, Valir PACE, a recognized leader in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), has acquired Cherry Blossom PACE from One Senior Care. This strategic acquisition strengthens Valir PACE's commitment to providing high-quality, comprehensive care to seniors in Northern Viriginia.

Assisted living facility where woman was fatally beaten operated out of 'pure greed:' Suit 
Delaware New Journal; by Isabel Hughes; 5/20/25 
The family of an 83-year-old woman who was fatally beaten by another resident at The Summit assisted living in North Star has accused the facility and its parent company of "pure greed," claiming in a recently filed lawsuit that the previously violent assailant was not removed from the facility because he brought in nearly $400,000 for the company. The family of Shyuan Hsia who was attacked and left to suffer in her room for hours on the night of Aug. 5, 2024 filed the 84-page suit in New Castle County Superior Court in late April. ... Discovery Senior Living, the lawsuit says, "recklessly failed to remove" him, "because if they did so, they stood to lose approximately $370,000 in revenue." That number was derived from:

• The $84,000 per year the assailant paid to reside at The Summit.
• Another $84,000 per year from a resident he had referred to the facility.
• A potential $84,000 from any additional seniors he referred.
• The $120,000 per year Hsia's family paid The Summit for her housing and care.

[Access to this full article is behind a paywall.]

AI readiness isn’t a new challenge — it’s a familiar one
Becker's Health IT; by Polly Parrent; 5/28/25
As AI sweeps across healthcare headlines, it’s tempting to view it as a brand-new frontier, something fundamentally different from previous health IT efforts. But in reality, AI is not a departure from the digital transformation journey we’ve already been on; it’s a continuation. A recent survey from Nordic and Modern Healthcare on AI readiness in healthcare brings this full circle: the same foundational elements that enabled the introduction of electronic health records (EHRs) — infrastructure, governance, data, and workforce training — are the same critical elements for successful AI adoption.

I quit my healthcare job to take care of my grandmother. It’s a mix of happy and sad moments, but ultimately has been life-changing for us. 
DNYUZ; "as-told-to essay based on a coversation with Kristina McDonald"; 5/26/25
My grandmother is 80, and my grandfather is 83. I quit my full-time job to care for my grandmother as I noticed that her undiagnosed dementia was worsening. ... 

• That's when I decided to make the switch ...
• Just getting gram out of the house leads to probably some of my happiest times with her ...
• It’s been amazing to be able to care for a family member who’s so near and dear to me ...
• One of the things that I wish people would definitely know is how difficult it can be to care for a loved one ...

This article appeared first on Business Insider.

WHO unveils new guideline to improve global access to controlled medicines 
World Health Organization; by Departmental update; 5/26/25 
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a rapid communication outlining its comprehensive new guideline on balanced national policies for controlled medicines. The guideline’s recommendations were officially presented during a high-level side event at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly on Friday 23 May 2025. It is designed to support countries in ensuring safe, equitable and affordable access to essential controlled medicines which are critical for treating acute and chronic pain, mental health conditions, substance use disorders and other serious health issues.

Try and fail, but don't fail to try. ~ Stephen Kaggwa