Literature Review

Text to Voice OptionsHospice & Palliative Care Today; by Cordt Kassner; 10/8/25Listening to written content can be a great way to stay informed while multitasking. Whether it’s a webpage, article, or email (like Hospice & Palliative Care Today), the following tools can convert text to speech on Chrome, iPhones, and Android devices (click here for additional information).

Wisconsin rarely grants compassionate release as aging, ailing prisoners stress systems Wisconsin Watch; by Mario Koran and Sreejita Patra; 10/7/25 Increased use of compassionate release could ease costs and crowding with minimal risks to public safety, experts say. But it remains off limits to many prisoners. ... Wisconsin grants few applicants compassionate release, leaving many severely ill inmates in short-staffed prisons that often struggle to meet health care needs. Wisconsin courts approved just 53, or 11%, of 489 compassionate release petitions they received between January 2019 and June 2025 — about eight petitions a year, Corrections data show. Courts approved just five of 63 petitions filed in all of 2024. 

Behavioral scientist breaks down what makes a great leader CBS Mornings / YouTube; interview with Jon Levy; 10/6/25 Behavioral scientist and New York Times bestselling author Jon Levy spent the last 15 years meeting with different types of leaders. In his new book, "Team Intelligence: How Brilliant Leaders Unlock Collective Genius," he talks about the preconceived notions of leadership.

Good Samaritan announces transition of hospice services Good Samaritan, Vincennes, IN; Press Release by Good Samaritan; 10/3/25 Good Samaritan [in Vincennes, Indiana] has announced the difficult decision to close its hospice program effective December 31, 2025. The decision, made by the hospital’s Executive Team and Board of Governors, follows a careful evaluation of health care trends and reflects Good Samaritan’s commitment to responsible stewardship and long-term sustainability. “Since its beginning, our hospice team has provided extraordinary, compassionate care to patients and families across our region,” said Rob McLin, CEO of Good Samaritan. “We hold deep respect for that legacy and are committed to supporting our patients, families, and hospice team throughout this transition.” ... Good Samaritan is working closely with regional hospice providers and is actively exploring multiple partnership strategies to ensure hospice care throughout the communities we serve is provided seamlessly. All impacted hospice staff will be offered positions within Good Samaritan, and the organization is committed to supporting each individual through the transition.Editor's Note: Per the National Hospice Locator, over a dozen hospices are named "Good Samaritan"; this is located in Vincennes, Indiana. While such decisions and transitions are surely difficult, Good Samaritan demonstrates excellence  in continuing their mission in how they are tending these transitions. Dare I say, they are providing "a good death"? 

[South Africa] Capturing the comfort and care of palliative care this World Hospice and Palliative Care Day Good Things Guy, South Africa; by Nothando Mthembu; 10/7/25 It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and it is upon this very adage that the Association of Palliative Care Centres (APCC) of South Africa has launched a powerful photographic campaign to capture the dignity, comfort and support that patients facing life-threatening illness receive and deserve through the provision of palliative healthcare services. With the hope of showcasing the impact of palliative care through real-life stories and images, the ‘Through the Palliative Care Lens’ campaign aligns with the theme for World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2025 (WHPCD2025): ‘Universal Access to Palliative Care’.

The CMS activities that will, won’t continue during the shutdown Becker's Hospital Review; by Andrew Cass; 10/2/25 CMS has outlined the activities that will and won’t continue during the federal government shutdown. The federal government shut down at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1 after lawmakers failed to reach a spending deal. CMS is retaining 53% of its staff, 3,311 employees, during the shutdown. Here is what the agency said will and won’t continue during a lapse in appropriations: ... Editor's Note: This adds more detail to what we posted yesterday, from a broader healthcare perspective. As this is a developing story, we will continue to provide timely, relevant updates as they occur. 

Visiting Nurse Association rejects Cape Cod Healthcare's latest contract proposal Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, MA; by Desiree Nikfardjam; 10/2/25 Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod registered nurses have voted "overwhelmingly" to reject Cape Cod Healthcare's contract offer that was proposed on Sept. 11, according to a press release. The offer was the "last, best, and final" from Cape Cod Healthcare, according to the statement. The nurse association members are represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association. ... The Visiting Nurse Association's nurses provide essential home health and hospice care to patients across Cape Cod and the Islands and had previously voted 96% in favor of authorizing a three-day strike if progress at the bargaining table was not made.

Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day - Templates to Support Your Staff Hospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger; 10/8/25 In preparation for tomorrow's World Mental Health Day, Friday, October 10, 2025, we’ve created these sample email and text templates to help you easily share encouragement and support with your employees and volunteers — especially those who provide direct patient and family care. While this year’s worldwide emphasis is on “catastrophes and emergencies,” it relates to hospice work. Each visit a clinician makes has the potential to walk into a patient’s, caregiver’s, or family’s end-of-life “catastrophe” (“she’s dying!”) or “emergency” (pain, terminal restlessness). Supporting your staff through these ongoing, accumulated stresses is essential to sustaining your mission — compassionate hospice care. Click here for these templates for emails or text messages.

Nevada hospital wins half-billion fraud verdict against Universal Health Services Reno Gazette Journal; by Jason Hidalgo; 9/29/25, updated 9/30/25 Saint Mary’s Health Network earned a big win in court after a jury awarded it half a billion dollars in its case against Universal Health Services. A jury in Washoe County awarded the Prime Healthcare affiliate $510 million after it found Universal Health Services liable for fraud against Saint Mary’s during the COVID-19 pandemic. The verdict included punitive damages. "This verdict affirms that the weaponization of corporate power, betrayal of physician trust, theft of proprietary information, and reckless endangerment of patients will not be tolerated,” said Saint Mary’s Health Network CEO Derrick Glum in a statement. “The verdict restores justice and allows our hospital’s mission to serve our community with compassion and dignity to endure.”

Report sounds alarm about private equity’s growing involvement in PACE McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 9/24/25 The Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), a program funded by Medicare and Medicaid, is an increasingly attractive target for private equity investors. This may be a cause for concern, according to a new report by the Private Equity Stakeholder Project. “Private equity sees PACE as a guaranteed revenue stream, not a care model,” Michael Fenne, report author and PESP’s senior healthcare research coordinator, told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse Wednesday in an email. “The result is that PACE, once a nonprofit-driven model focused on keeping seniors healthy at home, is increasingly being treated as a financial opportunity for investors.”

CMS issues memo with contingency plans for state survey & certification activities in the event of federal government shutdown CMS - Center for Clinical Standards and Quality; by CMS Directors, Quality, Safety & Oversight Group (QSOG) and Survey & Operations Group (SOG); 10/1/25 On October 1, 2025, CMS issued QSO-26-01-ALL identifying State Survey and Certification functions that (a) are not affected by a Federal shutdown, (b) excepted functions that are to be continued in the event of a shutdown (also referred to as “essential functions”), and (c) other activities that are directly affected and therefore should not be operational during a Federal shutdown. CMS also clarified that Hospice Surveys funded through the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2021are considered mandatory and are not impacted by the Federal Government shutdown. Work funded under these sources should continue.

[Portugal] End-of-life care in the prison environment (supplement #22) ehospice, republished from by Portual Plus; 9/25/25 “Inmates who are dependent on assistance have a significant need for help from fellow prisoners,” stated Manuel Almeida dos Santos, secretary-general of the Obra Vicentina de Auxílio aos Reclusos (OVAR) [i.e., St. Vincent de Paul Work to Aid Prisoners], citing the lack of nursing aides and other professionals within prisons. “The shortage of human resources is not limited to prison guards. The deficiencies in prisons are even greater in other areas,” he argued. This concern was echoed by Vítor Ilharco, president of the Associação Portuguesa de Apoio ao Recluso [i.e., Portuguese Association for Prisoner Support], who mentioned cases of sick or elderly inmates who are bedridden, with their families paying “fixed amounts” to other inmates for assistance. Editor's Note: Log in to your newsletter account, type "prison" in the "Search" field, and compare this with many articles we've published on this topic; notably, "IL law calls for annual report on prison hospice, palliative care" and "Death and redemption in an American prison."