Literature Review

Medicare cuts & tech gaps drive home health nurse exodus Access Newswire - Regulatory; by Black Book Survey; 9/16/25 Black Book Research today released 2025 survey findings from U.S. home health executives, finance leaders, and clinical directors showing that technology inefficiencies are a primary driver of nurse attrition. Respondents also warn that proposed Medicare home health payment reductions totaling 6.4% over 2026-2027 will intensify workforce pressure unless agencies can invest in modern IT.Key 2025 Survey Findings (U.S. Home Health & Hospice):

UnitedHealth expands in North Carolina with $3B deal Triad Business Journal - Health Care; by Zac Ezzone; 9/15/25 UnitedHealth is making a major move in the home care space in North Carolina. UnitedHealth gains 20 Amedisys N.C. facilities, including five in the Triad. One of the largest healthcare companies in the US has grown its footprint in North Carolina through a multibillion dollar deal. United Health Group Inc. has completed a $3.3 billion acquisition of Amedisys, which operates home health and hospice sites throughout the country. The deal closed.

Hosparus Health breaks ground on region’s first standalone hospice care center Hosparus Health; Press Release; 9/16/25 Hosparus Health proudly announces the groundbreaking of its new Hospice Care Center, the region’s first and only standalone inpatient hospice facility, following the successful achievement of its $9.2 million fundraising goal by raising nearly $9.6 million to launch construction. The Hospice Care Center is a critical expansion of compassionate end-of-life care for families across the region. Designed to serve patients with complex needs in a peaceful, homelike setting, the nearly 30,000-square-foot facility will offer 21 private patient suites, family gathering spaces, a chapel, and serene gardens for quiet reflection. “When families can no longer care for a loved one at home, this facility will offer a supportive space that blends expert care with dignity and comfort,” said David W. Cook, President and CEO of Hosparus Health. 

An artisan gifts her time and talents to hospice Parkview Health, Fort Wayne, IN; by Alison Eckert; 9/14/25 ... At [her hospice volunteer] orientation, Barbara Wyatt decided to share one of her favorite pastimes. "I do stained glass as a hobby," she said. ... She brought four of her stained-glass angels to give to members of the hospice team. They eagerly accepted the gifts and her offer to make similar keepsakes for hospice patients and their loved ones. From that point on, Barbara would have no trouble finding new homes for her handcrafted guardians. ... Barbara believes that although not everyone is religious, many people are spiritual. In her experience, angels serve as a universal symbol of guidance and peace. ... Since starting her volunteer role in 2024, Barbara has created more than 250 stained glass angels to share with patients and their loved ones. 

Digital twins give cyber defenders a predictive edge siliconANGLE.com; by Isla Sibanda; 9/13/25 The front line of cybersecurity has always been uneven. Attackers innovate with speed, testing new exploits daily, while defenders struggle to keep up with outdated playbooks. What enterprises lack isn’t more tools — it’s foresight.  Digital twins, virtual replicas that learn and evolve in real time, are giving security teams a way to see threats before they strike. For the first time, organizations can stage tomorrow’s attacks today, turning defense from a reaction into a rehearsal. 

[United Kingdom] Skydiving 95-year-old among local heroes honoured BBC News; 9/14/25 A skydiving 95-year-old, a cycling fundraiser and even a rescue dog were among the winners at an award ceremony celebrating people who had made life better for others in their communities.

Top ten tips palliative care clinicians should know about intentionally interprofessional collaboration Journal of Palliative Medicine; by Michelle M Milic, DorAnne Donesky, Naomi Tzril Saks, Rebecca Cammy, Constance Dahlin, Susan DeSanto-Madeya, Tracy Fasolino, Seiko Izumi, Amanda Kirkpatrick, Joshua R Lakin, Vickie Leff, Kashelle Lockman, Jennifer Walter, William E Rosa, Cara L Wallace; 9/9/25 This article supports individuals to practice at the top of their education, clinical training, and scope of practice while maximizing the functionality of the palliative care team as a whole. We intentionally use the term interprofessional rather than interdisciplinary to clarify that we are focused on collaboration of team members who represent multiple professions or occupations that require specialized training and meet ethical standards (e.g., nursing, chaplaincy, social work, medicine, and pharmacy) rather than interactions among specific fields of study (e.g., cardiology, nephrology, and oncology).

Has human life expectancy already peaked?Vice; by Luis Prada; 9/10/25 For most of the 20th century, human life expectancy skyrocketed. Advancements in hygiene science, a wide variety of medical innovations and discoveries ... have all helped our collective life expectancies tremendously. According to a new study, however, we may have topped out. In the study, published in PNAS and spotted by Science Alert, an international team of researchers crunched the numbers on people born between 1939 and 2000 in 23 high-income countries, using six different forecasting models.Editor's Note: I recall a hospice CE conference around 2005, where a healthcare data statistician presented projections on mortality trends. Based on the previous century’s gains, the data suggested that babies born then could live well past 100—with 120 years as a realistic possibility. This new study raises the provocative question of whether those optimistic forecasts may already have reached their limits.

New Salem-based hospice opens with focus on nursing staff wellness Salem Reporter, Salem, OR; by Hailey Cook; 9/11/25 After 12 years working as a hospice nurse, Christie Rivelli reached her breaking point. The pressure had built since the pandemic, when her workload went from 15 patients at a time to 28. ... By opening a new, locally-owned hospice company, they’re bucking a trend. ... Solterra currently has a staff of 19, with a range of one to three decades of experience in hospice care. As a nurse herself, Rivelli said she’s prioritized her staff’s workload and benefits. Everyone starts by getting training about post-traumatic stress disorder, and she said new hires have had trouble adjusting to a slower pace of work. ... Rivelli said. “Downtime in your workday should be built in … but boy, that’s not how it’s been in hospice.” She said some companies will assign 40 patients to one nurse, which forces the nurses to do pop-in check-ups rather than getting to know their patients. It can also mean the patient will see a rotation of unfamiliar faces rather than one nurse.

Hospice AI - Summarize national and state hospice utilization trends over the past 10 yearsHospice & Palliative Care Today staff; 9/15/25Today we asked ChatGPT to summarize hospice utilization trends over the past decade. One "key takeaway" was that growth is slowing nationally, suggesting hospice has matured in penetration, though opportunities remain in underutilizing states. Click here for the 4-page detailed summary, including AI-generated charts. Of note, while the AI-generated charts were correct, the accompaning text was incorrect - reinforcing the need for humans to double-check output!

COUNTDOWN: 14 Days Until HOPE Tool Starts, October 1, 2025 

‘A playbook for best practices’: ASCO and COA release updated Oncology Medical Home Standards The ASCO Post; by ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology); 9/10/25 ASCO and the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) have released updated standards for its Oncology Medical Home (OMH) certification program, which were initially codified and published in 2021. The 2021 systematic literature review focused on the topics of OMH model of care, clinical pathways, and survivorship care plans. Among the 2025 updates are new standards that address “just culture” and safety in oncology, multidisciplinary team management, and geriatric assessment.

A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open. ~ Frank Zappa