Literature Review

Let whoever is in charge keep this simple question in her head (not, how can I always do this right thing myself, but) how can I provide for this right thing to be always done? ~ Florence Nightingale, Notes on Nursing: What It Is, and What It Is Not

Group estimates 7.2M US residents have Alzheimer's disease: Cases rise as Alzheimer's research funds are halted  MedPageToday; by Judy George; 4/29/25 The number of people with Alzheimer's dementia in the U.S. exceeded 7 million for the first time, new data from the Alzheimer's Association showed.An estimated 7.2 million Americans ages 65 and older now have Alzheimer's dementia, up from 6.9 million last year, according to the 2025 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures. Nearly three-fourths (74%) of that group are 75 and older. While prevalence studies of dementia in young people are limited, researchers estimated that approximately 110 of every 100,000 people ages 30 to 64 -- or about 200,000 Americans in total -- have young-onset dementia, the Alzheimer's Association said.

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

Little girl receiving hospice care comes home to hero’s welcome in ClaytonJohnston County News [NC]; by Maggie Newland; 4/19/25A 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.

Optum names new CEOBecker's Hospital Review; by Jakob Emerson; 4/30/25UnitedHealth 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.

UnitedHealth Group, Amedisys to offload sites to BrightSpring, Pennant GroupMcKnight's Home Care; by Liza Berger; 5/2/25UnitedHealth 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.

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

Confronting racism at Duke University: 2017-24: The clash of expression and protection in an elite universityPersonal communication; by Donald H Taylor Jr; 5/2/25Confronting 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.

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:

Private equity in health careAMA Journal of Ethics; 5/25One 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.

Hunterdon Health Auxiliary’s Splash of Sparkle raises $47,000 for Hunterdon Hospice Hunterdon Health, Flemington, NJ; Press Release; 4/22/25 On April 6th, the Hunterdon Health Auxiliary brought together supporters of Hunterdon Hospice for its signature event, Splash of Sparkle, held at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club. Guests gathered for an afternoon filled with bubbly, brunch, and giving back—raising $47,000 to support compassionate end-of-life care for patients and families across our region. ... One of the most meaningful moments of the afternoon came when Jean Hewens, a longtime friend of hospice, shared her family’s journey. Her husband, Dr. Jeremy Hewens, was a beloved family physician with Hunterdon Family Medicine at Delaware Valley for many years. ...

NPHI opens 10th Annual Summit in Las Vegas, celebrating a decade of impact National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI)m Washington, DC; Press Release; 4/29/25The 10th Annual Summit of the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) officially kicks off this morning, April 29, at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas. This milestone Summit, themed “A Decade of Impact,” brings together hospice and palliative care leaders from across the nation to celebrate ten years of remarkable achievements and to explore the innovative strategies that will drive the future of high-quality, community-based care. ... Key topics include advancing policy solutions to prevent fraud and abuse in hospice, harnessing artificial intelligence to improve care, exploring international hospice, elevating outreach and communications, and strengthening the quality and consistency of services across the board. During the summit, NPHI will also debut a newly developed Cancer Clinical Provider Guide—designed to help members deliver the highest standards of cancer care. ... “As we mark a decade of impact, this summit is not only a time to reflect on the extraordinary progress we’ve made, but an opportunity to be forward thinking and anticipating what comes next,” said Tom Koutsoumpas, NPHI CEO. [NPHI is a sponsor of our newsletter.]