Literature Review

[Portugal] International differences in the technical qualities of place of death classifications and data: A survey of researchers' perspectivesPalliative Medicine; by Mayra Delalibera, Sílvia Lopes, Inês Dias da Silva, Barbara Gomes; 9/26Place of death is a key population-level indicator for palliative care and health services planning. However, substantial international variation in how it is recorded limits cross-country comparisons and health system evaluations. This is the first study to assess place of death classifications and data from researchers' perspectives. Findings highlight critical limitations in current classification systems and provide guidance for developing an international classification aligned with UN and WHO recommendations. This will enable more meaningful cross-country comparisons and strengthen evidence to inform palliative care and health services planning worldwide.

If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.  ~Milton Berle

Medicine on screen: 10 films doctors may want to rewatch Medscape; by Medscape's editorial team; 8/24/26 Cinema has long portrayed medicine through many different lenses: from the perspectives of doctors and patients to those of friends and family, whether set in hospital wards or research laboratories. This curated selection of classic and contemporary films explores care, illness, and hospital life from strikingly different angles — some realistic, some visionary, and others deeply unsettling. Together, they aim to refocus attention on medicine not only as a science, but as a profoundly human experience. 10 Films Every Doctor Should (Re)Watch:

Evasiveness in everyday hospital palliative care practice: a focused ethnography Journal of Clinical Nursing; by Carolien van Leussen, Evelien Kuip, Renske Kruizinga, Els van Wijngaarden; 9/2/26 Conclusion: This study shows how evasiveness in hospital-based palliative care is produced and sustained through biomedical routines, organizational pressures and professional and personal orientations. These factors make it difficult to realize the holistic ideals of palliative care in everyday practice. As a result, patients' fears, uncertainties and end-of-life wishes often remain insufficiently explored, whereas organizational routines shape what is considered appropriate and possible in clinical interactions.

Labor Day Weekend: Celebrate the worker, not just the weekend.

Celebrating Connie Fox: 96 years young and 25 years of giving backHERLIFE Magazine; by HERLIFE Magazine; 9/1/26This year, we proudly celebrate Connie Fox, our oldest active volunteer, as she turns 96 years young. Connie began volunteering with Hospice of San Joaquin in 2001, after our hospice cared for her husband. ... When asked why she continues to volunteer, Connie’s answer is simple. “The satisfaction. I’ve loved every minute of it. ... We are family. I love Hospice of San Joaquin.” The feeling is mutual. ... At 96, Connie continues to embrace life with enthusiasm. ... She firmly believes that staying involved and positive is the key to a fulfilling life.

National Alliance VP: palliative care should occur throughout continuum Hospice News; podcast hosted by Jim Parker with Katie Wehri; 9/3/26 Palliative care should be offered via home health, but not only through home health. This is according to Katie Wehri, vice president for regulatory affairs, quality and compliance at the National Alliance for Care at Home. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently clarified in a proposed rule that palliative care is available via the home health benefit. Hospice News recently sat down with Wehri on the Elevate podcast to discuss the implications of this clarification for providers, as well as other avenues CMS could consider to expand palliative care.

Sagility volunteers host back-to-school Event for Hospice El Paso's Butterfly Program Cision PRWeb, El Paso, TX; by Sagility; 9/3/26 Sagility, a leading tech-enabled healthcare operations and transformation company, recently hosted a volunteer-led back-to-school picnic for children and families connected to Hospice El Paso's Butterfly Program. The event brought together local families, community partners, and Sagility employees to help students prepare for the upcoming school year. ... Hospice El Paso's Butterfly Program provides specialized pediatric and perinatal hospice care, emotional support, and resources for families facing serious illness, end-of-life care, or loss. Hosting the event reflects Sagility's broader dedication to giving back to the regions where its employees live and work.Editor's Note: A back-to-school picnic sounds simple — until you consider that these children and families are living with serious illness, end-of-life care, or loss through the Butterfly Program's pediatric and perinatal hospice care. Sagility's volunteers didn't just fund it; they showed up, in person, restoring an ordinary joy that grief so often steals. Which local employer in your community could become this kind of partner — not just a donor, but a familiar face at your next family event?

Mercy Hospice change in operator created conditions that posed ‘immediate jeopardy’ to patient well-being, state regulators say The Journal; by Jessie Bowman; 9/1/26 The ownership transition of Durango’s hospice program created serious problems in patient care and organizational oversight, according to state inspections that found multiple deficiencies and twice determined patients were at immediate risk of serious harm or death. In October 2025, the for-profit arm of the national CommonSpirit Health system – CommonSpirit Health at Home – took over ownership of the Mercy Hospice program. CommonSpirit assured the community the quality of care would not decline as a result of the transition. ... However, in May, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment conducted two concurrent relicensing inspections that found the ownership transition created system-wide deficiencies that led to clinical care practices and poor organizational oversight that put patient health and safety at serious risk. 

Alzheimer’s blood test gets FDA clearance, but not CMS coverage Inside Health Policy, Washington, DC; by Jessica Karins; 9/2/26 A blood test aiming to help with early identification of Alzheimer’s disease, including in primary care settings, by detecting buildup in the brain of the key Alzheimer’s biomarker amyloid beta plague, has been cleared by FDA, but the test and others in its category are not yet covered by CMS or any Medicare Administrative Contractors, its developer confirmed, with MACs having to make an individual determination for each patient of whether payment for the test is appropriate.

Stillwater Hospice brings palliative care to rural populations Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 9/2/26 Indiana-based Stillwater Hospice recently completed a rural palliative care pilot that the nonprofit plans to extend into a long-term program. The program’s roots were planted in October 2025. It emerged from a collaboration with Cameron Health, a community hospital in Angola, Indiana. ... Through the program, seriously ill patients who have been recently discharged from Cameron have access to a nurse practitioner for symptom management, patient and family education and goals-of-care conversations. Patients receive a phone call within three days of discharge and a visit within a week, ...

Alliance submits comments in response to CY 2027 Home Health Proposed Rule National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA; Press Release; 9/1/26 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) has submitted comments in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate and Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies Competitive Bidding Program Updates proposed rule.  The letter notes that the Alliance appreciates that, for the first time since CY 2022, CMS proposes a full annual payment update, does not propose to apply a new permanent adjustment, [and ...] However, the comment also emphasizes that these decisions do not undo the harm already built into the payment rate, nor do they do enough to protect access to care across the country.