Dr. Steve Landers to step down as National Alliance CEO, succeeded by Jennifer Sheets 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 2/11/26 
Dr. Steve Landers is stepping down as CEO of the National Alliance for Care at Home effective Feb. 9. Former President and CEO of Caring Brands International and Interim HealthCare Jennifer Sheets will succeed him. Landers led the organization through its integration period. The Alliance is the result of a 2024 merger between the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice. Sheets will become the Alliance’s new top executive as of Feb. 17. She will also serve as president of the Alliance’s affiliate Research Institute for Home Care.

Oregon lawmakers consider tightening hospice oversight over fraud, abuse concerns 
The Lund Report; by Lynne Terry; 2/10/26
For the second year in a row, Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill designed to tighten state oversight of the hospice industry, which has been rife with fraud and abuse. Senate Bill 1575 aims to block new hospices from Oregon that have committed fraud or neglected patients in other states. It would require the Oregon Health Authority to review the past history of companies seeking to operate new hospices, ensure they have enough financing to serve patients for about a year and run criminal background checks on the proposed administrator, medical director and any owners with more than a 5% stake in the company.
Editor's Note: Barb Hansen, Executive Director of the Oregon Hospice & Palliative Care Organization, Iria Nishimura, Executive Director of Willamette Vital Health, and Dr. Linda De Sitter, former Medical Director of palliative care for Providence in Oregon, expressed concerns about fraud happening in other states and trying to prevent it in Oregon. Dr. Cordt Kassner, publisher of this newsletter and CEO of Hospice Analytics, contributed information about Oregon's hospice provider growth and comparisons with nearby states.

First union contract ratified for UVM hospice workers 
ABC22/FOX44, Burlington, VT; Press Release; 2/10/26 
UVM Home Health and Hospice workers have ratified their first union contract. The vote was 72-1 to ratify the contract, more than six months after employees first voted to form a union in June. They named their union “Hospice United.” ... According to AFT Vermont, which represents 11,000 workers in healthcare and higher education, the agreement will mean a 17% increase in wages over the two and half years of the contract, and also makes accommodations for the rest of UVM Home Health potentially choosing to unionize in the future.

New Jersey's new Community-Based Palliative Care Medicaid (CBPC)  
State of New Jersey - Department of Human Services - Division of Medical Assistance & Health Services; email and website notifications; 2/9/26 
Community-Based Palliative Care is a benefit available to NJ Family Care members, starting April 1, 2026. The benefit was signed into the law by Governor Murphy on December 21, 2023, underscoring the state's commitment to supporting residents facing serious illness. Community-Based Palliative Care (CBPC) is designed to support people living with serious health conditions by helping manage symptoms, coordinating care, and making the healthcare system easier to navigate. You can receive CBPC while continuing your current treatments. CBPC is not hospice; a terminal diagnosis is not required. It is designed to give you extra support alongside the care you already receive.

Hawaiʻi Care Choices is expanding services, care options to North Hawaiʻi this month 
Big Island Now; Press Release; 2/11/26 
Hawaiʻi Care Choices is expanding its palliative care program to North Hawaiʻi, ... Beginning this month, the Kupu Palliative Care Program will be available through a dedicated clinic space within the North Hawaiʻi Hospice office, extending palliative care services to residents of Hāmākua, Waimea, North Kohala, and South Kohala. ... “This partnership with Hawaiʻi Care Choices expands the support available to our community,” said Faye Mitchell, executive director of North Hawaiʻi Hospice. ... “We are both honored and excited to bring Kupu Palliative Care to North Hawaiʻi and to work with a trusted organization that shares our values of compassion, dignity, and community,” said Brenda Ho, CEO of Hawaiʻi Care Choices.

Emotional Intelligence mediates empathy and caring ability among oncology nurses 
Oncology Nurse Advisor; by Jessica Nye, PhD; 2/10/26 
A cross-sectional study found that oncology nurses had a moderate level of caring ability and that emotional intelligence mediated the relationship between empathy and caring ability. The study findings were published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing. In oncology, nurses need to provide humanistic care in addition to basic nursing. This study sought to test whether emotional intelligence mediated the association between empathy and humanistic caring ability.

Valentine’s Day can be difficult for those missing a spouse or significant other: Tips for those missing a loved one, and how to comfort those in grief 
Santa Barbara Independent; Santa Barbara, CA; by Hospice of Santa Barbara; 2/10/26 
...[For] those who are coping with the loss of a partner or loved one, Valentine’s Day can trigger overwhelming feelings of loneliness, grief, and isolation, with seasonal décor serving as a constant reminder of the loss. Valentine’s Day can be particularly challenging for someone who is grieving the loss of a partner or spouse because the day is designed around devoting energy and time to that particular person. ... Hospice of Santa Barbara suggests these tips to help cope when missing that special someone on Valentine’s Day:

• Appreciate friendships ...
• Do something for others ...
• Treat yourself ...

Here are some ways to offer comfort and express your sympathy on Valentine’s Day:

• Reach out ...
• Spread the love ...
• Don't be pushy ...

FWA Insights: The top fraud schemes of 2025 
COTIVITI | Fraud, Waste, and Abuse; by Erin Rutzler, AHFI, CFE, CHC, CPC; 2/10/26 
Throughout 2025, federal and state authorities uncovered schemes involving everything from unnecessary lab tests to fraudulent telehealth services and hospice care. These cases highlight the evolving tactics bad actors use to exploit vulnerabilities—and the urgent need for payers to stay vigilant. While the methods vary, the goal is the same: profit at the expense of patients and payers. In our latest edition of FWA Insights, we break down three major categories of FWA—lab testing, home health and hospice, and telehealth—with real-world examples from 2025 and recommendations for mitigating these risks.

EMS at 60: The past, present, and future of our profession 
Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS); by David Ferris; 2/10/26 
This year, 2026, marks sixty years since the birth of organized national EMS in the United States, and I’ve been fortunate—or maybe stubborn—enough to ride in the back of an ambulance for more than half of that history. For 34 years I’ve carried a radio, a drug box, and the weight of responsibility that comes with being a paramedic. In that time, I’ve watched EMS evolve from the Wild West of guesswork and tradition into a profession grounded in evidence, outcomes, and community health. What follows isn’t just a timeline of milestones; it’s the story of EMS through my own eyes, ...
Editor's Note: Whose life—in your own story—has been saved or profoundly altered by Emergency Medical Services? When I pause to remember, gratitude rises quickly. In hospice and palliative care, we often focus on avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and emergency calls. Yet today I’m mindful of the countless moments when EMS professionals stood between crisis and catastrophe—mitigating suffering, stabilizing the fragile, preserving possibility. Whatever your setting, join me in honoring the 24/7 vigilance, skill, and steady courage that make so many second chances possible.

MedBetterHealth expands into New York with CMS Dementia GUIDE Model through partnership with Continental Home Care 
Small Businesses in the News, Queens, NY; Press Release; 2/9/26 
MedBetterHealth, a leading provider of comprehensive dementia care under the Medicare CMS GUIDE Model (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience), today announced a major expansion of its services into the state of New York through a strategic partnership with Continental Home Care, a New York State licensed and Medicaid-approved home care agency.

[Hong Kong] HKUMed building chatbot for end-of-life comms training 
MobiHealth News; by Adam Ang; 2/10/26 
Powered by conversational AI, the tool aims to plug Hong Kong's palliative care workforce gap – with fewer than one specialist per 100,000 people – as advance medical directive legislation takes effect in May 2026. University of Hong Kong researchers are developing an AI-powered chatbot for training healthcare professionals in facilitating end-of-life communications at scale, ahead of new legislation making advance medical directives legally binding across the city of Hong Kong. 

"Mom and Dad, this one is for you." ~ Maxim Naumov, 2026 USA Olympic figure skater, honoring his parents in his Olympic debut one year after they died in the Potomac River crash