Literature Review

The Handbook of LGBTQIA-inclusive Hospice and Palliative Care, 2nd edition Review in Ageing & Society, published online by Cambridge University Press; book authored by Kimberly D. Acquavia, review authored by Luis Stoisser; 1/23/25 The Handbook of LGBTQIA-inclusive Hospice and Palliative Care is a comprehensive guide to providing inclusive palliative and hospice care to everyone, regardless of their self-identification. Following the author's belief that LGBTQIA+ hospice and palliative care requires change at three levels - individual, institutional and systemic - the book extends state-of-the-art palliative and hospice practices (US focused) by including LGBTQIA+ perspectives. Such a rethinking educates hospice and palliative care practitioners on how to provide person-centered care, how to be self-reflexive on a daily basis and how to handle their own stereotypes and stigmas. [This book is available via Columbia University Press and Amazon.]

How to prioritize AI initiatives: A strategic framework for maximizing ROI CIO; Opinion, by Santhosh Gottigere; 1/28/25 ... AI is highly disruptive and rapidly evolving at breakneck speed. Advanced versions of large language models (LLMs) are coming out at regular intervals with improved compute power capabilities. Those LLMs are also achieving the kind of increased accuracy scores on the MMLU benchmark leaderboard that have become synonymous with the version upgrade cycles we are all accustomed to with SaaS product releases like clockwork. ... Developing a clear and comprehensive strategic vision is the starting point of prioritizing AI initiatives with business goals. Answering the question “Why” sets the tone. Will AI — and specifically generative AI (genAI) — assist in your customer experience and retention efforts?  Are you hoping it will open up or drive new lines of revenue? Or is it a “we’re not sure, but we don’t want to be left behind” situation? ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Carlsberg A/S: Supplier & licensee Code of Conduct MarketScreener Blog; by the Carlsberg Group; 1/28/25 ... As a UN Global Compact signatory, we are committed to its four pillars: human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. The Code aligns with international stand- ards, such as the UN Global Compact's Ten Principles, the Base Code of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), the principles of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and ISO 14001. [Click on the title's link for the sample "Code of Conduct."]Editor's note: What ethics policies do you have in place for the suppliers and other vendors with whom you partner? How does this sample Code of Conduct align--or not--with your organization's ethics and conduct?

Wellesley couple has donated more than $3M toward palliative care at local hospital WickedLocal.com, Newton, MA; by Beth McDermott; 1/29/25 A Wellesley couple recently committed $1.6 million to support palliative care at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, bringing their total contribution to more than $3 million. In a press release, hospital officials said the latest donation from Steve and Rebecca Sullivan will fund a palliative care nurse navigator position to benefit the entire hospital, especially its emergency department. The role is expected to improve the quality of care for seriously ill patients, streamline patient flow and support care teams. A previous $1.5 million gift from the Sullivans, in 2021, endowed the Sullivan Family Chief of Palliative Care position, held by Dr. Kosha Thakore.

The Dorion Family Pediatric Center breaks ground in Mandarin Jacksonville Daily Record, Jacksonville, FL; by Dan Macdonald; 1/28/25 The hospice center is designed to expand care and convenience for children and their families. The Foundation of Community Hospice & Palliative Care broke ground Jan. 27 on the Dorion Family Pediatric Center, a pediatric hospice center in Mandarin. ... The space will allow for an expanded range of therapies and support services in a dedicated, pediatric-friendly setting. The facility will provide a centralized location that reduces travel time for the clinical team. Currently, caregivers travel to patients’ homes, the release said. ... The Dorion Family Pediatric Center is named in honor of the Dorion family, who are advocates for compassionate care. The family helped establish the organization. 

Cyber Threats 2025 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); by Joel Garr; 1/28/25One of the biggest worries hospices face today is the threat of a cyberattack. ... Experts say there are four steps to developing the plan.

How a St. Louisan helps her community navigate death by filling out advance directives NPR - St. Louis on the Air; by Jada Jones; 1/28/25 When Vivial Lopez’s grandmother was on life support, her family was faced with many difficult decisions. Her grandmother did not have an advance directive, so her family did not know her final wishes. The experience of navigating her grandmother’s end-of-life plan without any direction led Lopez to advocate for families to prepare advance directives - especially those in Black and brown communities. Approximately only on ein three adults complete an advance directive for end-of-life care. Lopez works with the Gateway End-of-Life Coalition to empower members of the St. Louis community to navigate death through quality end-of-life care.  Editor's note: Click here for AARP - Find Advance Directives Forms by State, also available in Spanish.

Vermont Mutual grants $10,000 to CVHHH through Charitable Fund Vermont Mutual Insurance Group; by Tim; 1/28/25 Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice (CVHHH) received a $10,000 grant from the Vermont Mutual Charitable Giving Fund. ... “We are honored to award this grant to Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice,” said Sarah Young, executive director of the Vermont Mutual Charitable Giving Fund. “Their unwavering dedication to providing compassionate care and support for individuals and families during life's most challenging moments is truly inspiring.

Homecare industry facing crisisWFMZ-TV 69 News, Allentown, PA; by Christina Lengyel; 1/28/25 ...  [Providers] across the state are struggling to hire enough staff to cover the needs of the state’s 300,000 homecare recipients. Unable to offer comparable hourly wages, the industry is losing its potential recruiting pool to gig work and jobs in the service industry. “We are in crisis. The crisis isn’t coming. We are not planning for it. It’s actively here,” said Mia Haney, CEO of the Pennsylvania Homecare Association at a meeting of the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee. The average hourly wage for homecare workers in the state is between $13 and $14, making it hard to compete with other industries. Even within healthcare, counterparts performing the same tasks from within care facilities earn more. Home care advocates say the discrepancy doesn’t add up given the value of homecare.

We need to talk about hospiceMedCity News; by Skelly Wingard, Asher Perzigian and Elizabeth Annis; 1/28/25 In the quiet corners of healthcare, there’s a conversation that needs to be had. It’s a conversation about hospice — a critical yet often misunderstood part of end-of-life care. ... Nearly three-quarters of hospice care agencies are for-profit ownership. ... The impact of these acquisitions on the industry is complex. ... On the one hand, these investments can bring valuable resources to hospice care, funding geographic expansion, scaling technological infrastructure, improving facilities and enhancing services. On the other hand, a strong focus on efficiency and optimization has led to challenges such as staff burnout, higher turnover, and decreased patient satisfaction when compared with non-profits. Coupled together, this complexity can contribute to reduced quality of care due to cost-cutting measures, aggressive marketing leading to overuse of services, increased billing and fraud and a lack of community investment. Not all for-profit hospices operate this way. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Thinking innovatively about your nursing career development Minority Nurse; by Keith Carlson, BSN, RN, NC-BC; 1/27/25 Your nursing career is yours to create, and with proper care, your path can be unique, innovative, and idiosyncratic. At the same time, your many obligations and responsibilities can steer you away from your uniqueness and leave you in a rut of choosing the path of least resistance. There are many strategies for choosing a career journey that fits your vision of who you want to be as a healthcare professional, and it’s worth exploring those strategies for the ones that can most readily move you forward. ... Thoughtful questions are a good place to begin your self-assessment. ... 

Main Line Health cuts 200 administrative roles Becker's Health IT; by Naomi Diaz; 1/22/25 Bryn Mawr, Pa.-based Main Line Health has eliminated approximately 200 administrative and management positions, including roles in IT, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Jan. 22. The majority of the cuts targeted administrative support areas such as information technology, finance, human resources, revenue cycle, and accounting, according to Main Line Health CEO Jack Lynch. "The landscape in healthcare is awful, and it's only getting worse," Mr. Lynch told the publication. He cited several factors driving the decision, including inadequate payment increases from Medicare and Medicaid — which account for 65% of the system's patient coverage — rising insurance denials, and the delayed arrival of $25 million in federal COVID-19 aid.