Literature Review

N.J. actor from ‘Lassie’ and ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ dies at 91 NJ.com; by Amy Kuperinsky; 1/24/25 Jack De Mave, a New Jersey native who enjoyed an acting career of more than 40 years, has died. On TV, De Mave, 91, was known for his roles in shows like “Lassie” during the 1960s and ’70s, as well as for portraying The Lone Ranger in commercials for Frito-Lay. The actor, who was in hospice care in Macon, Georgia, died Jan. 16 after he had a heart attack on Thanksgiving, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Leading nursing facility cuts turnover by 50% with DailyPay Benefit for employees HealthCareDive, New York; Press Release from DailyPay; 1/30/25 The Springs Arkansas, the leading skilled nursing provider across Arkansas, is celebrating three years of partnership with DailyPay – a worktech platform and leading provider of earned wage access. Throughout this partnership, The Springs Arkansas is empowering employees with the ability to access their earned pay on their own timeline. ... Since implementing DailyPay into their benefits offerings, they have seen a 74% participation rate, and in 2024 reduced turnover by 50%. Headquartered in Little Rock, AR, The Springs Arkansas operates over 20 skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities, offering a wide range of care services, including skilled rehab, long-term care, memory care, and hospice care. ... The Springs Arkansas introduced DailyPay in January 2022 to better support its dedicated workforce. 

Valentine’s snacks show love to Hospice supporters The Morgan Messenger, Berkeley Springs, WV; by Hospice of the Panhandle; 1/29/25 Hospice of the Panhandle’s Education Center once again this year will turn into a Valentine snack center. And the result will be that thousands of snacks, ranging from granola bars to raisins to potato chips to candy, will be distributed to Hospice providers and supporters as a thank you during Valentine’s season this year. A project that began more than 30 years ago, Valentine Treat Week is a big hit in the local community. 

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. 

Falls Quilt Guild celebrates “Adopt A Bear” 25th birthday Times-Leader, Great Falls, MT; by the Falls Quilt Guild; 1/24/25 ... Kevin Sukut from Benefis Peace Hospice and Children's Bereavement Coordinator thanked guild members for the donation of quilts that accompany bears with adoption papers. It is a powerful and emotional experience participating in the gifting part of healing so many young hearts. These are given to children who accompany grieving families at Hospice. These quilts become a security blanket that brings joy to children’s faces. Kevin partners with Torene Marcum to set up and distribute bags throughout Benefis and to Choteau and Fort Benton. Torene states it is amazing how the bear and quilt makes treating children easier.

Red Cross urging blood donations amid severe weather, wildfires ABC News 27 WKOW, Madison, WI; by Chad Thompson; 1/22/25 The American Red Cross is encouraging donors to give blood or platelets as winter storms and California wildfires have impacted blood supply. Donors of all blood types – particularly type O negative blood donors and those giving platelets – are needed to help save lives this month, according to a press release. "As dangerous snow and ice continue to sweep across the country, and wildfires in Southern California continue to burn and impact air quality, Red Cross blood drive cancellations have grown into the hundreds," the release stated. Red Cross said those events have resulted in more than 12,000 uncollected blood and platelet donations in January. More winter storms are forecast for this week could further strain the blood supply.Editor's note: Does your agency partner with your local Red Cross? The hospice I served regularly used our Community Room for Red Cross blood donations, a couple of times each year. These interactive experiences fostered great morale and humanity across all roles--side-by-side--giving "life" in a practical, affordable, meaningful way.

Residents share video of Spring Grove Area guidance counselor, now in hospice after Jan. 1 collapse York Dispatch, York, PA; by Meredith Willse; 1/14/25 As news spread of a Spring Grove Area High School guidance counselor’s collapse after a run on Jan. 1, friends and former students shared a video she made — dancing in her office. Carrie Schmoyer collapsed Jan. 1 after a run. After being hospitalized for nearly two weeks, her family moved Schmoyer to a hospice center. The video, from the 2014-2015 school year, shows high schoolers and staff dancing in the hallways, offices, the auditorium and outside the school to “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. Among other school staff members, Schmoyer is seen dancing in her office. ... While sharing the video, the residents shared their memories of Schmoyer, how they loved her, how she helped them and the GoFundMe account, which has raised close to $50,000 since it started Jan. 6. Editor's note: This touching tribute reminds us that each person receiving hospice is connected to a much larger community of people who are impacted by this person's living and dying. 

If you’ve overcome these 9 challenges in life, you’re more resilient than you think Personal Branding Blog; by Lucas Graham; 1/21/25 Resilience isn’t always about being unshakable or invincible. Sometimes, it’s just about surviving the chaos, picking yourself up after the mess, and somehow finding the courage to keep going. In the moment, it’s hard to see how strong you really are—you’re just trying to make it through. But when you pause and look back, you realize the grit it took to get here. ... [If] you’ve been through these nine challenges and made it out, you’re way more resilient than you give yourself credit for.

2025 ushers new era in physician unions Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 1/17/25 While unionization among healthcare workers and professionals is a familiar phenomenon, resident physicians and fellows joining unions has only grown in recent years. Indeed, since the start of 2025 alone, at least five groups of resident physicians and fellows have opted to form unions at their health systems. "Physician unionization has massively increased since 2020, especially among interns and residents," Rebecca Givan, PhD, associate professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers in New Brunswick, N.J., told Becker's. ... Dr. Givan pointed to an increasing number of staff physicians unionizing as well. In 1998, the American Medical Association estimated that between 14,000 and 20,000 physicians belonged to unions. That number grew to 46,689 in 2014, and reached 67,673 in 2019. 

UnitedHealth mounts full defense of its business in wake of Thompson’s killingSTAT; by Bob Herman, Tara Bannow; 1/16/25In UnitedHealth Group’s first public appearance since the killing of top exec Brian Thompson, leaders acknowledged the public’s discontent with the health care system and defended the company's business. “Fundamentally, health care costs more in the U.S. because the price of a single procedure, visit, or prescription is higher here than it is in other countries,” UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty said on the earnings call, where the company touted more than $400 billion of revenue and $14.4 billion of net profit. “The core fact is that price, more than utilization, drives system costs higher.”

Climb aboard that jungle gym: Career path need not be linear to be successful The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, IN; by Theresa Laxton; 1/10/25 In today’s ever-evolving professional landscape, more women are realizing that their careers don’t have to follow a linear path. Instead, they’re embracing the concept of a career jungle gym, a metaphor introduced by Sheryl Sandberg in her book “Lean In.” Unlike a ladder with one direct route, a jungle gym allows for lateral moves, creative pivots and even deliberate pauses, all of which can lead to success. For women, and nurses in particular, this mindset is transformative. ...

Sierra Hills strike ends, negotiations ongoing with parent company Wyoming Tribune Eagle; by Noah Zahn; 1/9/25 Employees of Sierra Hills Assisted Living concluded their strike on Jan. 2, and on Tuesday, the union met with Edgewood Healthcare, which owns Sierra Hills, for another contract bargaining session. ... Throughout the strike, employees said they were fighting for a better contract primarily for the health and safety of the residents and the employees, claiming the existing working conditions are unsafe. ... Wilkinson said the primary concern of the employees is safety issues that result from employees performing out-of-scope duties. ... For Sierra Hills staff, [being required to provide out of scope care] began when Edgewood introduced hospice care at Sierra Hills a few years ago, shortly after the pandemic. There are hospice nurses who are at the facility a couple of hours per week to care for the residents, but the rest of the time, the burden of care often falls to the CNAs and RNs on the clock. In situations where timely care is needed, employees have said it can be difficult to get the help of a hospice nurse in time.