Literature Review

National Alliance: Proposed 2.4% hospice payment update would create shortfall Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/11/25 The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed 2.4% hospice base rate increase is woefully inadequate, and new physician attestation requirements may place undue burdens on providers, according to comments from the National Alliance for Care at Home. The Alliance on Tuesday released its public comments on the 2026 hospice payment rule, which stated that the proposed increase will not adequately cover hospices’ rising costs for supplies, labor, travel and other expenses. 

20 tools to stay organized and prevent leadership burnout Forbes; by Expert Panel for Forbes Business Council; 6/3/25 ... 20 Forbes Business Council members each share one tool or habit they recommend leaders adopt to stay organized and prevent burnout as a leader.

The two kinds of people in the world--and why it matters for leadership Fast Company; by Robert E. Siegel; 6/3/25 Hard-nosed leadership and compassionate leadership aren’t opposites. The best leaders embrace both. One provocative assertion I often make when teaching is that there are two kinds of people in the world: those who have hearts and those who don’t. ... I then share that many leaders look at changing technology and changing markets and realize that a lot of jobs in their companies will inevitably be eliminated within the next few years, and it’s not hard to predict which jobs will go away. The question is how the executives react to this realization. ... For the purposes of Systems Leadership, it doesn’t matter which type of person you are in my (admittedly reductive) shorthand. You need to invest in your people whether you have a heart or not, for at least three major reasons.

A special tribute given to a special nurse Scottsdale Progress, Scottsdale, AZ; by Lin Sue Flood; 6/7/25 One of the original founders of Hospice of the Valley back in 1977 recently received an extraordinary visit from the Arizona Nurse Honor Guard, an organization that honors fellow nurses who have dedicated their lives to the profession. “I am just flattered and overwhelmed,” said Mary Audrey Mellor, who turns 92 in July. “Hospice of the Valley has always had my heart because it’s so compassionate and caring and loving.” Friends and family gathered together at her home at Vi at Silverstone in Scottsdale as she received a Florence Nightingale coin symbolizing comfort, gentleness, courage and an unwavering devotion to duty. Nurse Honor Guard volunteer Cindy Loucel then presented her with a second gift. “We have a quilt to cover you with our love and gratitude and to recognize all those patients you covered in kindness,” she said. “May it bring you comfort, as you gave so many others comfort.”

Alive welcomes local healthcare leader as new CEO Alive Hospice; Press Release; 6/4/25 Alive, Middle Tennessee’s only nonprofit provider of hospice, palliative care and end-of-life services, today announced Amir Hamad as the organization’s new president and chief executive officer. He will begin his new role on June 30. A healthcare executive with more than 20 years of experience, Hamad comes to Alive from Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West where he served as Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer overseeing over 1,800 employees and managing operations for one of the state’s top acute care hospitals. Hamad’s hiring comes as the beloved organization is gearing up to celebrate its 50th Anniversary in November. Alive was the first hospice established in America’s heartland and the third in the nation in 1975. 

TCN/HPC Today: Storm clouds on the horizon for reimbursement - Top news stories, May 2025 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner, 6/4/25 What happens when artificial intelligence meets end-of-life care?  How do we reconcile private equity's profit motives with hospice's mission-driven ethos?  These questions took center stage in this month's roundup of hospice news with host Chris Comeaux and guest Cordt Kassner. The May edition of TCNtalks' top news stories reveals a healthcare sector at a fascinating crossroads.  AI has emerged as both a tantalizing promise and a practical challenge for hospice providers.  ... In this episode of TCN Talks, hosts Chris Comeaux and Cord Kassner reflect on Memorial Day and discuss significant news stories from May, including the complexities of thanking veterans for their service, the role of artificial intelligence in hospice care, and the importance of honest conversations about racism in healthcare.Editor's note: This monthly podcast combines quantitative data and qualitative discussion from articles gleaned from the 400+ posts we provide each month. Do you seek to make sense of it all? Tune in and learn. We welcome your feedback via our newsletter's Contact page. 

Empathetic AI policy example: A framework for the human impact on AI Solutions Review; by Tim King; 5/30/25 ... Empathetic AI is our organizational pledge to place people at the center of our AI strategy. It means prioritizing the dignity of work, the stability of our workforce, and the fair treatment of all individuals impacted by automated systems. It means actively supporting those whose roles may be transformed or displaced and investing in their future through retraining, redeployment, and transparent communication. Our core principles are as follows:

Saugus nurse arrested in FBI raid for alleged part in $2.5 million Medicare [hospice] fraud KHTS - Santa Clarita News, Santa Clarita, CA; by Jade Aubuchon; 5/30/25 Jessa Zayas, aka Jessa Contreras, a vocational nurse, is believed to have committed medicare fraud through two different hospice providers, submitting more than $2,500,000 in fraudulent claims to Medicare. Zayas is the Chief Executive Officer of two hospice providers, Healing Hands Hospice Inc. and Humane Love Hospice. From June 2023 through February 2025, she caused Healing Hands and Humane Love to bill Medicare for millions of dollars’ worth of hospice services that were not medically necessary, not authorized by a physician, and were not actually provided to the patients. ...

Jewish hospice volunteer goes beyond ‘Shabbat blessings’ with ‘Froth and Bubble’ Jewish News; by Shannon Levitt; 5/20/25 Jeff Lewis, 71, had about 100 boxes of books with him when he moved to the Valley from California more than a decade ago. Surprisingly, those books became his first link to Hospice of the Valley (HOV), an organization that would become very important to him through the years. ... Thus, when he decided to retire from his photography business but wanted to stay busy, his friend again nudged him toward HOV and its Shabbat Blessings volunteer program. ... As a Shabbat Blessings volunteer, Lewis, a member of Temple Solel in Paradise Valley, offers hospice patients a small Shabbat service, including lighting Shabbat candles, saying the Hamotzi and Kiddush blessings and offering small prayers. [Story of patient financially choosing between medicine and food.]  ... [Lewis} started buying $75 grocery gift cards to give away. [This developed into] The Froth and Bubble Foundation for Food Assistance. Editor's note: This inspirational Shabbat blessings story tells the rich background behind our 3rd top-read story from last week, Hospice volunteer donates 10,000 gift cards to cancer patients. Scroll to the end of this story for the meaning behind the name "Froth and Bubble." 

Five Questions With: Diana FranchittoProvidence Business News, Providence, RI; by Katie Castellani; 2/14/25 Diana Franchitto | CEO, HopeHealth | Chair, National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation 

57 ways healthcare teams may evolve in 2 years Becker's Hospital Review; by Randi Haseman; 5/27/25 Question: How do you see your teams evolving in the next two years? What roles and/or skills will you focus on and what will fade? [Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.] 

UAB resident leaders complete Chief Residents Leadership Development Workshop UAB Medicine - The University of Alabama at Birmingham; by Katherine Gaither; 5/19/25 Fourteen UAB chief residents recently completed the Chief Residents Leadership Development Workshop. The program, presented by the UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office, was held on May 9, 2025. The Chief Residents Leadership Development Workshop is focused on helping chief residents from core residency programs build their leadership competencies. The sessions include small-group breakout sessions that provide chief residents with the tools, skills, and learning opportunities to enhance their understanding of interpersonal communication and group dynamics, which are critical to success and satisfaction as clinical leaders.

Longtime Delaware Hospice CEO Susan Lloyd to retire Delaware Business Times, Milford, DE; by Jennifer Antonik; 5/21/25 Susan Lloyd says the team at Delaware Hospice took a chance on her 38 years ago when the young nursing administrator became its newest CEO. Now, she’s gearing up for a new challenge – retirement. Delaware Hospice first began offering services in the First State just five years before Lloyd took the role over after several organizational changeovers in that short amount of time. “There was a lot of nervousness about, ‘Is this CEO going to stay?’ I think I added some stability and home health care knowledge which I knew about from a previous position. This was a brand-new concept here and Delaware Hospice was just getting started. It was just a tremendous opportunity to grow hospice services throughout the state,” Lloyd recalled. ... Over the course of those 38 years of stability, the nonprofit she grew to love and cherish grew along with her, now boasting around 400 volunteers, more than 300 employees and programs going far beyond home-based hospice care to include a standalone hospice facility in Milford, as well as cardiac care, palliative care, dementia care, advance care planning and grief support.Editor's note: Susan, we thank you for your immeasurable contributions to the evolution and growth of hospice and palliative care. As you move into this new life-chapter, may we continue to learn from you and the excellence you ensured through Delaware Hospice.