The EndWell Summit brought together more than 700 caregivers, clinicians and advocates to discuss end-of-life care and grieving, creating an atmosphere that balanced laughter and tears. "Being around death makes you really appreciate life," death educator Gail Rubin said of the event.

Radical bravery: The summit's theme -- radical bravery -- "is not about being fearless, but staying present even when dark clouds form above you," writes David Oliver.

Join CAPC's interactive workshop for practical, evidence-based guidance on using buprenorphine to manage pain in patients with living with a serious illness and substance use disorder. Open to all, CEs available.

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Franklin County Big Bend Hospice in Apalachicola, Fla., has placed three Trees of Remembrance to honor loved ones who have died. People can donate or buy an ornament to place on the trees, which are located at the county courthouse and two health care facilities.

Recent studies highlight trends in hospice awareness, telehealth utilization, family satisfaction with end-of-life care and state palliative care legislation. A study in BioMed Central found grief was a key factor in family satisfaction with hospice and palliative care, and families that reported receiving high quality care reported lower levels of grief.

Roundup: Other studies and reports showed the need for greater awareness of palliative care; cooperation among health systems to understand telehealth use patterns; and a rising number of states are passing laws related to palliative care.

A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology found that only 32.5% of patients with sickle cell disease received opioids within the recommended 60 minutes during emergency department visits for acute pain. The study, which analyzed nearly 400,000 ED visits, found higher guideline adherence for the initial dose among younger patients, at age 19.

A growing demand for home health care is leading to more people providing end-of-life care for loved ones at home. A New Orleans-based nonprofit called Wake is helping to fill the knowledge gap by offering end-of-life care workshops to train caregivers.

Chester Freeman, who has chronic lymphocytic leukemia and idiopathic thrombocytopenia, writes about how the Japanese art of flower arrangement, or ikebana, can be a metaphor for a patient's cancer journey. Freeman writes that both involve adapting to change and creating beauty from what is available.