Unleashing Prosperity through Deregulation of the Medicare Program (Executive Order 14192)- Request for Information 
CMS.gov - Medicare Regulatory Relief; retrieved from the internet 4/29/25
[CMS requests comments regarding this Executive Order] ... We are requesting comments include clear and concise information, and where practical: data, example(s), narrative anecdotes, and recommended action(s). Prior RFI comments submitted have helped better understand specific challenges and experiences and in turn helped inform our work. The targeted topic areas in this request are, in part, based on information from individuals within the populations we serve. You may respond to some, or all of the topics listed in this RFI. As applicable, please specify the care setting, geographic area, specialty (e.g., primary care), and/or specific CMS policy (or policies) referred to in your response. ... Comments received before the close of the comment period may be made available for viewing by the public. Submitters should not include any confidential or personal information. CMS will not respond individually to comments received. ... 
Editor's note: Complaints? Concerns? Support? Use your voice. Comments are due June 10, and must be made via the form at this link, https://www.cms.gov/medicare-regulatory-relief-rfi. Pair this with today's article, "Health sector answers Trump's call for deregulation ideas."

How can hospice and palliative care providers address elder abuse?
AAHPM Quarterly; by Larry Beresford; Fall 2024
In June of [2024], the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), a professional member organization representing established nonprofit hospice and palliative care providers, issued a white paper and resource guide called “Breaking the Silence: Addressing Domestic Violence, Elder Abuse and Neglect.” This release launched a campaign aimed at bringing greater attention to the widespread, underappreciated, and underreported epidemic of elder abuse—in all of its forms but for hospice and palliative care patients in particular. The launch was held in conjunction with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, June 15, created at the United Nations and observed around the world. Collaborating on NPHI’s project is the NO MORE Foundation, which is dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence through allied organizations, international chapters, and grassroots activities. “Breaking the Silence” includes resources on elder abuse and insights into its prevalence and the various forms it takes while encouraging providers to screen for and respond to suspected abuse.

Serving 'em hot at the Hospice House Crawfish Cook-Off 
NOLA.com, New Orleans, LA; by Andrew Canulette; 4/28/25 
The 20th annual Hospice House Crawfish Cook-Off was as big a hit as it's ever been when thousands of people packed into Slidell's Fritchie Park on April 26 for the all-you-care-to-eat affair.  Turns out, no surprise, that folks in south Louisiana can eat a lot of crawfish. More than 40,000 pounds of mudbugs (that's 20 tons, y'all) were boiled up for the hungry crowds. Several dozen teams did their own boils, and the secrets in the seasoning, the soaking and all manner of surprises made each batch taste unique. Still, this was a down-home crawfish boil — the kind the people of St. Tammany Parish are accustomed to attending and one the teams in the Hospice House cook-off do so well. 

Experiences of hospice staff beyond the frontlines during COVID-19: A qualitative secondary analysis study 
Journal of Palliative Care and Social Practice; by Thanga Harini Sundaramoorthy, John I MacArtney, Abi Eccles; 4/12/25
Three main themes were identified: (1) Blurred margins: Participants discussed facing difficulty separating work and home life and taking stresses and thoughts about work home. (2) Isolation, loneliness and social interactions ...  (3) Disruption to family and personal commitments: Some staff felt unable to see or support their parents, partners and children during the pandemic subsequently impacting their psychological and emotional well-being.
Conclusion: Hospice staff compromised aspects of their personal life and family responsibilities during the pandemic to carry out their role at work. Workplaces and organisations should aim to support hospice staff more broadly to help with managing work-related pressures and balancing personal commitments in future emergency periods.
Editor's note: Use this evidence-based research with your Emergency Disaster Preparedness Plans. Click here for the CMS.gov Emergency Preparedness Rule. Click here for Wisconsin's CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule Toolkit: Hospices.

Video: California firefighter ‘Living the best of these last months’ on hospice care 
VITAS Healthcare, Irvine, CA; Press Release; 4/28/25 
“Hospice is not something that means death right away. It means health and happiness,” said Debbie Forrester, spouse and patient caregiver for former firefighter Jim Forrester of Orange County, California. In a new video, launched during Patient Experience Week, VITAS® Healthcare shares the story of a patient with terminal cancer whose life was dramatically impacted by the help of his hospice care team. Within a week of being cared for by the interdisciplinary team at VITAS, Mr. Forrester, who had been depressed and was unable to walk, began enjoying time with his grandchildren and even riding his bike again.

[Australia] New cuddle bed installed at Harden Hospital to support end-of-life care 
Forbes Advocate; 4/20/25 
Harden Hospital’s acute ward has received a new ‘cuddle bed’ thanks to the Murrumburrah-Harden Hospital Auxiliary branch, which recently funded the purchase to support patients and their families during palliative care. ... The cuddle bed was a staff-suggested purchase, designed to provide comfort and dignity in end-of-life situations. The bed can electronically expand from a standard single to a double size at the push of a button. It allows family members to lie beside their loved one during their final moments, eliminating the need to sit upright in a chair or attempt to share a single bed. 

5 things every leader can learn from Pope Francis  
Inc., by Suzanne Lucas; 4/21/25 
He led the world’s largest organization with humility and a willingness to engage with different groups and hear different viewpoints. ...  [Pope Francis' death marks] the end of a papacy that influenced far more than just the Catholic Church. In his 12 years as pope, he led with a style that offers enduring leadership lessons for anyone in a position of authority, especially in business. ... While I’m not Catholic, I have followed his work in the 12 years he’s served as pope, and there are plenty of things you can learn about his leadership of the Catholic Church and apply in your life and business.

• Lead from among, not above. ...
• Listen to diverse voices. ...
• Hold the line when necessary. ...
• Think long-term. ...
• Own your mistakes openly. ...

Health sector answers Trump's call for deregulation ideas 
Modern Healthcare; by Bridget Early; 4/29/25 
The Trump administration wants the healthcare industry to recommend rules and regulations to toss. Trade groups representing hospitals, health insurance companies and others have ideas. The White House, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other parts of the federal government are seeking suggestions to guide President Donald Trump's campaign to radically restructure and diminish the federal government. ... CMS included a request for information in Medicare payment rules the agency proposed this month. Comments are due June 10.

• Deregulation agenda ...
• What healthcare providers want from Trump ...
• What health insurance companies want from Trump ...

Editor's note: Complaints? Concerns? Support? Use your voice. Comments are due June 10, and must be made via the RFI at this link, https://www.cms.gov/medicare-regulatory-relief-rfi. Pair this with today's article, "Unleashing Prosperity through Deregulation of the Medicare Program (Executive Order 14192)- Request for Information."

Trends, patterns, and key comparisons related to new Medicare Hospice Provider Enrollments may indicate the need for further oversight 
HHS Office of Inspector General; 4/29/25 
Federal requirements state that hospices must be certified by CMS and be licensed as required by State and local law. Medicare also requires that hospices meet its Conditions of Participation to receive payment. Our objective is to identify trends, patterns, and key comparisons that indicate potential vulnerabilities related to new Medicare hospice provider enrollments. The data brief may help CMS evaluate the need for additional monitoring and program integrity efforts to ensure that hospices meet all the requirements. ... 

• Announced or Revised: April 2025
• Agency: CMS
• Title: Trends, Patterns, and Key Comparisons Related to New Medicare Hospice Provider Enrollments May Indicate the Need for Further Oversight
• Component: Office of Audit Services
• Report Number: OAS-25-09-034
• Expected Issue Date (FY): 2026

[Canada] Hospice placements provide nursing students new perspectives 
BarrieToday.com; by Marg Bruineman; 4/26/24 
As Georgian College works toward having its first graduating class in its bachelor of science in nursing (BScN) degree program next year, students are moving into practical placements in health care. Among them is a new opportunity to explore opportunities in hospice and end-of-life care – a field that continues to develop to meet the needs of an aging population. ... The response from the hospice community, she says, was encouraging. Georgian now has agreements with all nine hospices in the Simcoe-Muskoka-York area that were approached, including hospices in Vaughan and Richmond Hill. The students work onsite for 72 hours over three weeks allowing them to immerse themselves into the setting.

Covenant Health transaction a growth engine for VITAS 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/28/25 
Vitas Healthcare’s 2024 purchase of Covenant Health and Community Services is helping to drive the company’s growth. VITAS acquired Covenant last year for $85 million. The transaction included Covenant’s hospice assets and marked an important milestone for VITAS, including its entry into the assisted living space and in the Alabama market while expanding its geographic footprint across Florida. 

Assisted dying and the slippery slope argument—no empirical evidence 
JAMA Network Open; Invited Commentary | Ethics, by Luc Deliens, PhD; 4/23/25 
While the social and political debate around assisted dying remains fierce and unremitting, legalization of assisted dying has expanded significantly in Europe, North America, and Australia during the past 20 years. Assisted dying (euthanasia and/or physician-assisted suicide) practices are now legal in more than 30 jurisdictions, increasing the number of people with access to assisted dying to more than 280 million. ... The terms euthanasia and assisted suicide are controversial in most countries, even among proponents of legal regulation. Assisted suicide evokes associations with suicide, and the term euthanasia was used in Nazi Germany to include the murder of people with disabilities. ... A lack of empirical evidence for the slippery slope argument demonstrated by the report of Wels and Hamarat confirms extended evidence from Belgian euthanasia practice published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, JAMA, and BMJ, among others, by the End-of-Life Care Research Group. These studies have never shown that vulnerable people would have easier access to assisted dying in Belgium. 

UVM Health Network employees plant thousands of trees 
VB VermontBiz, South Burlington, VT; by Tim; 4/25/25 
... Each year to celebrate Earth Day, health system employees in Vermont have planted trees at their homes and in their communities to support and celebrate a healthy and vibrant environment. ... This year, that effort grew from employees at two partner hospitals -- University of Vermont Medical Center and UVM Health Network - Porter Medical Center -- to include nearly every organization in the health system:  ...  Home Health and Hospice, ... “We were thrilled to take part,” said Kristin Walsh, RN, CHWC, an employee health nurse at Home Health and Hospice and the organizer of their local effort, which distributed 150 trees and shrubs to employees. “We work tirelessly to take care of others, even in the toughest of circumstances. That’s why we wanted to share local saplings from the Intervale with employees. ..." 

Longmont women celebrate milestone 100th birthdays with community and caregivers 
Longmont Leader, Longmont, CO; by Tricia Stortz; 4/28/25 
Two Longmont women are marking a rare milestone this week as they each celebrate their 100th birthdays surrounded by caregivers, family, and friends who have helped shape their life journeys.Virginia, a palliative care patient at The Peaks Care Center, turned 100 on April 25. Dorothea VanLoo, a hospice patient at McIntosh Skilled Nursing Facility, celebrates her centennial today on April 28. Both women are under the care of TRU Community Care, Colorado’s first hospice organization, which today serves more than 1,300 patients and participants across a range of programs. Their milestone birthdays have inspired a community effort to honor lives richly lived.

April’s ending, and so is my motivation to do spring cleaning. ~ Anonymous