Literature Review

Iconic gay congressman Barney Frank passed away at age 86 [with hospice care] LGBTQNation; by Greg Owen; 5/20/26 He served for 32 years in Congress and was the first U.S. congressman to come out voluntarily and to marry someone of the same sex ... has died. He was 86. Frank is survived by his husband, Jim Ready. Frank had been in hospice care near his home in Ogunquit, Maine, for the past few months, receiving treatment for congestive heart failure. His family said he passed away Tuesday night [5/19/26].

"Taps" Bugle Call: USMC Drum & Bugle Corps [YouTube]YouTube, filmed at the National Mall, Washington DC, retrieved from the internet 5/22/25Editor's note: We invite you to start this Memorial Day with this reflective playing of "Taps," with backdrops of the Washington Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and more. Ongoing, we share with you these resources below for the veterans and their families whom you serve.

Official Federal Register document with "Announcement of Nationwide Temporary Moratorium on Enrollment of Hospices" Federal Register National Archives; 5/14/26 [On Thursday, 5/14/26,] This document is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on 2026-05-15 and available online at https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-09718, and on https://govinfo.gov.

10 of the biggest regrets nurses hear from dying patients SavingAdvice.com; by Amanda Blankenship; 5/15/26 ... Hospice nurse Bronnie Ware famously documented several of the most common regrets she heard from patients nearing death, including working too much and failing to stay close to loved ones. These end-of-life regrets offer important lessons for anyone hoping to live with fewer disappointments and more peace.

Berkshire Health Systems CIO says AI must show measurable results to justify adoption at rural hospitals Complete AI Training | Healthcare; 5/16/26 Berkshire Health Systems CIO William Young demands AI prove its worth through time saved and waste cut-not features. The rural Massachusetts health system pilots AI carefully, measuring outcomes before any wider rollout.  ... Does it save time? Does it cut waste? Does it help a rural hospital system survive?

Michael Jordan shares emotional FaceTime moment with former teacher in hospice: "They laughed, reminisced, picked at each other" Basketball Network; by Bjorn Del B. Deade; 5/17/26 Nowadays, Michael Jordan only makes headlines because of the success of his NASCAR Cup Series team ... However, the news cycle recently took a refreshing turn after Jordan’s kind gesture toward one of his former teachers at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. The teacher, Ms. Etta, is currently a patient at Lower Cape Fear LifeCar, which is located in his hometown. And as she recounts her tales about Laney High School, she has repeatedly said she wanted to reconnect with the Chicago Bulls legend. So, Jordan did what he could to make it happen. The non-profit hospice shared its unforgettable interaction on its social media.

HealthView CEO Steven Gonzalez announces Inc. articles on why presence beats certainty — and why it matters even more in the age of AI Associated Press, Cerritos, CA; 5/19/26 Steven Gonzalez, President & CEO of HealthView Home Health, Hospice & Palliative Care, announces the publication of his latest Inc. article, “Certainty Is Overrated. Presence Is Underrated,” now live on Inc.com. ... In the published article, Gonzalez challenges a long-held leadership myth: that strong leaders must always project confidence, clarity, and absolute answers. Instead, he makes the case that presence, consistency, and authenticity matter more than false certainty in times of rapid change. When leaders remain visible, grounded, and human, they build the trust and stability that carry teams forward — even in the middle of ambiguity.

How to transform a health system’s organizational culture and hardwire it for the futureNEJM Catalyst; by Brian Carlson, Nancy M. Lorenzi, Paul Sternberg, Jr., Cassandra Hennessy, Dandan Liu; 4/26Organizational culture is a critical driver of workforce and patient experience, yet health care institutions often struggle to sustain their desired culture over time. In 2017, Vanderbilt Health identified inconsistencies in expected workforce behaviors through patient feedback, prompting the creation of a strategic cultural renewal initiative. The resulting program, Defining Personalized Care, had a 4-year road map of seven e-learning modules designed to reinforce core values and improve interpersonal behaviors across the workforce. This single-center pre–post study revealed statistically significant improvements in patient experience scores, particularly in the communication and courtesy domains. The initiative demonstrated that engaging, relevant content combined with visible support from leadership can drive voluntary participation and generate measurable outcomes. This case study offers a replicable framework for health care organizations seeking to hardwire their cultural expectations and align workforce behaviors with patient-centered care goals.

Potential adjunctive role of osteopathic manipulative medicine in the management of cancer-related bone pain: A narrative reviewCureus; by Ambrose Loc T. Ngo, Niki Gharavi Alkhansari, Chi Pham, Hong Nguyen, Monica Rubi, David Tanner; 4/26Osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) is known for its therapeutic potential on the musculoskeletal system, and its emerging role and potential benefits in oncology care are gaining attention. Patients with primary and metastatic bone cancer tend to experience pain, restricted movement, and lower quality of life due to the pathology and its treatment. This narrative review examines the mechanistic rationale and available clinical evidence supporting the use of OMM in the management of pain and functional impairment among patients with bone malignancies. Limited clinical studies suggest that select OMM techniques, including myofascial release (MFR), gentle soft tissue methods, and lymphatic approaches, may contribute to improvements in pain perception, mobility, and fatigue in oncology populations.

The state of hospice: Impacts on equity, quality, and nursing-An AAN consensus paperNursing Outlook; by Laura Fennimore, Kathleen O Lindell, Marjorie M Godfrey, Melissa Reider-Demer, Patrick J Coyne, Ronda G Hughes, Sharon Kozachik, Masako Mayahara, Patricia L Thomas, Nelson Tuazon, Polly Mazanec; 4/26Hospice care has been an integral component of the United States healthcare system for over fifty years. Hospice has transitioned from a volunteer activity supported by philanthropy to a highly sophisticated business funded by Medicare, increasingly offered by for-profit and private equity companies. This consensus paper examines the current state of hospice care in the US and the impact of changing hospice business models on health equity, healthcare quality, and nursing practice. Recommendations include updating policies to account for private equity involvement, evaluating current quality measures, addressing the existing Medicare Hospice Benefit, ensuring transparency and oversight for hospice agencies, and ensuring patient and caregiver education about hospice services. These recommendations aim to preserve the fundamental values of hospice, supporting compassion, dignity, and comfort while ensuring the quality of care to patients and families in need.