Hospice of the Western Reserve rebrands as Reserve Care 
Reserve Care, Cleveland, OH; Press Release; 2/2/26 
Hospice of the Western Reserve is now operating under a new name, Reserve Care, reflecting the organization’s full scope of services and its role supporting individuals and families across Ohio through caregiving, serious illness and end of life. Founded nearly 50 years ago as a leading nonprofit hospice provider in Northeast Ohio, the organization has served nearly 640,000 patients and family members throughout its history. Over time, it has expanded to offer personalized services across the continuum of care ...

Los Angeles County hospice industry under scrutiny for suspected Medicare fraud 
Santa Monica Observer, Santa Monica, CA; by Chet McSnark; 2/1/26 
With 2,000 hospice agencies, Los Angeles County has more than 36 states combined and 30x more than Florida and New York. ... Recent reports indicate that the county accounts for approximately 18% of the nation's total Medicare billing for these services, despite representing only about 2.5% of the U.S. population. According to statements from CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz ... has estimated that fraudulent activity in Los Angeles County hospice and home health care could amount to roughly $3.5 billion annually. Federal data shows the county hosts nearly 1,923 hospice providers, a number that exceeds the total in many other states combined.

Blaming younger doctors for setting boundaries ignores the broken system 
The Podcast by KevinMD; podcast hosted by KevinMD with Christie Mulholland; 1/31/26 
Palliative care physician and certified physician development coach Christie Mulholland discusses her article “5 things health care must stop doing to improve physician well-being.” Christie challenges the pervasive narrative that younger physicians lack work ethic and argues that their boundary-setting is a rational response to an untenable system. ... Christie explains the double standard where new technology is an investment but physician wellness is expected to prove immediate financial return. 

HopeWest holds 30th annual gala to support new dementia program 
KJCT 8 News - ABC, Grand Junction, CO; by Robbie Patla; 2/1/26 
HopeWest held its 30th annual gala on January 31, bringing community members and partners together to support its new Dementia Support Program, which launched in July 2025. ... "This program really supports the caregiver’s journey and provides them with resources so that they are knowledgeable and have the tools to take care of their loved one,” said Breeana Gumpert, Chief Development Officer for HopeWest. ... Over 520 Grand Valley residents attended the sold-out event, which featured a “Romantic Renaissance” theme and raised funds for the program through ticket sales, a silent auction, and donations.

From new division to new leadership: White House appoints national “Fraud Czar” 
Benesch; by Robert J. Kolansky, Pilar G. Mendez, Briana Cowman; 1/30/26  
The White House has announced the creation of a new senior enforcement role focused on identifying, coordinating and advancing large-scale fraud matters across federal programs and the private sector, signaling a renewed emphasis on centralized fraud enforcement strategy rather than a shift in underlying legal standards. According to recent reporting, the Administration has appointed a seasoned investigator and prosecutor, Colin McDonald to serve in this newly created role, informally described as a national “fraud czar.” 

CMS announces $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program: What providers and states need to know 
JD Supra; by Margia Corner, Alexandria Foster, Kendall Kohlmeyer; 2/2/26
On December 29, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced that it will distribute award amounts to all 50 states under the first year of the Rural Health Transformation Program (the “Program”). ... The Program’s $50 billion in funds will be allocated over five years, with $10 billion available each year beginning in 2026. ... Under Public Law 119-21, funding must be distributed to states as follows: ...

Home Care Sector Update - February 2026: 2025 M&A activity recap & key themes shaping 2026 
Capstone Partners; Press Release; 2/2/26 
As owners evaluate growth, partnership, and exit strategies in 2026, this article provides an update of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity within the Home Care sector, highlighting key themes and summarizing transaction activity across the Personal Home Care, Home Health, and Hospice segments. 

Brookdale Senior Living continues downsizing with focus on owning communities 
McKnights Senior Living; by Lois A. Bowers; 2/2/26
The future, including the future size, of the country’s largest senior living company was brought into sharper focus Friday during Brookdale Senior Living’s Investor Day. In the near term, that future appears to include a more aggressive portfolio pruning than previously announced. In the long term, CEO Nick Stengle didn’t rule out a potential return to the home health and hospice care space, although he said the company has no current plans to do so.

De-mystifying performance measures for hospitalists: Mortality 
The Hospitalist; by Matt Cersale, ND, MPH, SFHM; Kristin Gershfield, MD, FHM; Preetham Talari, MD; Anunta Virapongse, MD; 2/2/26 
Mortality is the ultimate outcome metric for patient care. In the hospital, measuring mortality appears simple and straightforward, but upon considering the layers of attribution and risk stratification, it becomes significantly more complex. Measures of mortality are used in various quality reporting and national ranking programs, making them a common focus of hospital leadership. However, the connection between hospitalists and measures of mortality is not always clear.

How to responsibly use AI in palliative care and hematologic malignancies 
CancerNetwork; podcast by Ram Prakash Thirugnanasambandam, MBBS; 2/2/26 
In a conversation with CancerNetwork®, Ram Prakash Thirugnanasambandam, MBBS, discussed the evolving roles that artificial intelligence (AI)–based tools may play in palliative care and the management of different hematologic malignancies. ... According to Thirugnanasambandam, implementing AI into one’s workflow may help accurately predict disease subtypes and burdens among patients with leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma. ... Thirugnanasambandam also discussed some of the ethical considerations surrounding the growth of AI-based tools, highlighting information privacy concerns and potentially biased datasets as notable issues with these platforms. Although AI may assist with decision-making, Thirugnanasambandam stated that it ultimately cannot replace a human’s nuanced clinical judgment and empathy.

[Worldwide] End-of-life care statistics by care, conditions and illness (2026) 
Market.us Media; by Samruddhi Yardi; 2/2/26 
Each year, an estimated 56.8 million people, including 25.7 million in the last year of life, are in need of palliative care. Worldwide, only about 14% of people who need palliative care currently receive it. ... As society continues to grapple with evolving views on life and death, the commitment to compassionate, personalized, and respectful end-of-life care remains paramount. Embracing this philosophy ensures that every individual is allowed a dignified and meaningful conclusion to their life’s journey.

The mere imparting of information is not education. Above all things, the effort must result in making a man think and do for himself. ~ Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the visionary who gave rise to Black History Month, a century ago

• Remembering Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founder of Black History Month, 100 years later
• WABC-7, ABC, New York; by Chantee Lans, 1/1/26
• Exactly 100 years ago this February, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a historian, author, journalist and educator, launched Negro History Week. ... Born in 1875 in Virginia as the child of enslaved parents, Dr. Woodson went on to become the second person of African descent to earn a PhD from Harvard University after W.E.B. DuBois.
• The history of Black History Month
• www.blackhistorymonth.gov and The National Center for Civil and Human Rights
• The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society.