National Alliance for Care at Home | Strategic Plan (2026-2029)
National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release / email; 4/20/26 
The National Alliance for Care at Home has finalized its Strategic Plan for 2026–2029. This plan is the result of deep reflection on the challenges facing care at home providers today, the opportunities we believe are ahead, and the role the Alliance must play to help you navigate both. It is organized around four commitments:

• Advocate ...
• Connect ...
• Strengthen ...
• Grow ...

Hosparus Health names Becky Tooker as President 
Hosparus Health, Louisville, KY; Press Release; 4/20/2026 
Hosparus Health, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit providers of hospice and serious illness care, has named Becky Tooker as President, effective April 6. Tooker brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in hospice, home health and post-acute care and a strong commitment to patient-centered care. Most recently Tooker served in a senior leadership role with St. Croix Hospice, where she oversees statewide operations including clinical quality, regulatory compliance and performance improvement. ... David W. Cook, CEO of Hosparus Health, said he looks forward to partnering with Tooker as the organization continues expanding services for patients and families across Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

FAIRHOPE Hospice & Palliative raises record amount at annual event 
Lancaster Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce, Lancaster, OH; Press Release; 4/16/26 
FAIRHOPE Hospice & Palliative Care raised nearly $100,000 in donations from their annual FAIRHOPE Celebrates Life event, benefiting their Memorial Fund. This beloved downtown gathering honors the legacies of loved ones who were patients of FAIRHOPE. Award winners are recognized for representing the integrity and caring spirit of FAIRHOPE’s mission. The sold-out event was attended by many local business professionals, community members, as well as family and friends of former FAIRHOPE patients. 

Suncoast Hospice co-founder Mary Jean Etten passes away 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/20/26 
Mary Jean Etten, co-founder of Suncoast Hospice, reached the end of her life on April 17. Suncoast is an affiliate of Florida-based Empath Health, which announced her death on Monday. Suncoast in 2015 reorganized to create Empath as a new parent company. The hospice was established in 1976. “Mary Jean helped build the foundation of hospice care in our region,” said Jan Miller, board chair of Empath Health, said in a statement. “She was a founder, a teacher, and a trusted guide who believed deeply in the mission — and in the importance of doing this work with excellence, dignity, and heart.” 

3 Wishes Program humanizes end-of-life care 
University of Washington Department of Medicine; by Vishva Nalamalapu; 4/15/26 
In hospitals, healthcare teams tend to zero in on patients’ conditions and treatments. When patients are nearing the end of their lives, however, it’s important for them to feel like their whole selves. Matthew Smith, a physician assistant at UW Medical Center – Montlake in Seattle, founded the hospital’s 3 Wishes Program to create experiences and keepsakes that recognize the patient’s personality. Wishes commonly fall into one of three categories: humanizing the room, connecting with loved ones and creating keepsakes for them. Costs for attaining these wishes tend to be minimal and covered by donations. Since it began in 2022, the program has fulfilled about 1,500 wishes for more than 600 patients. 

Children supported by hospice remembered in songs 
Europe Says, Oxford, UK; Press Release; 4/19/26  
Ten children who were cared for in a hospice have been honoured with a collection of specially commissioned songs. The bereaved families of the children worked closely with musicians on The Keepsake Circle project at Helen and Douglas House in Oxford. ... The families taking part in The Keepsake Circle project shared stories about their children and what made them unique. The deeply personal songs for the families have been written and produced by singer Kiki Deville and songwriter Angus Powell, with instrumentalist and producer Gregor Gergő Petri also joining the team. 

End-of-life nurse's top things terminal patients wish they knew earlier: pearls of wisdom from people in their final days have been revealed 
Wales Online; by Samantha Leathers; 4/17/26 
End-of-life care specialists at Marie Curie have revealed the most precious wisdom shared by dying patients in their final months, weeks and days, urging others to focus on what genuinely matters. Living in the moment, letting go of grudges and embracing life without fear were among their top recommendations. Multiple nurses and care assistants also revealed that among the most common regrets voiced was missing family gatherings due to work obligations. This ranks alongside worrying excessively about money, with numerous patients advising their loved ones to invest in memorable moments instead of saving for potential emergencies.

Kelly, DelBene introduce Concurrent Care for Comfort Act 
U.S. Representative Mike Kelly, Washington, DC; Press Release; 4/20/26 
Today, U.S. Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), a member of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health, and Suzan DelBene (D-WA) introduced the Concurrent Care for Comfort Act, legislation that seeks to improve patient care and outcomes for Americans on Medicare who receive dialysis treatment. Currently, Americans living with end stage renal disease (ESRD) are not permitted to continue their dialysis treatment under Medicare to enter palliative hospice care. This legislation would amend Medicare policy to allow for Americans to continue their treatment, enter hospice, and be with their family pain-free.

Medical ethics unpacked: clinical ethics consultation in practice 
Consultant Live; by Dominic Sisti, PhD and Aliza Narva, JD, BSN, MS; 4/20/26 
In this episode of Medical Ethics Unpacked, Dominic Sisti, PhD, a bioethicist from Penn Medicine, speaks with Aliza Narva, JD, BSN, MSN, director of ethics at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, about the practical realities of clinical ethics consultation. ... Common consult themes include end-of-life decision-making, surrogate disputes, and clinician moral distress. She emphasizes that ethics consultants are often called when clinicians feel constrained or uncertain about next steps.

Supporting family caregivers at work benefits employers too, report offers 
McKnights Home Care; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 4/17/26 
Few employers are doing anything to support workers who are family caregivers, despite sometimes seeing the effects unpaid caregiving has on the workplace, such as absenteeism and underperformance, according to a report from CareBenefits by Care.com, published Wednesday [4/15]. The business implications are becoming clear, the authors said, adding that employers can support workers by offering family caregiving-related benefits.

Physician pay gaps by gender, race 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 4/16/26 
Gender pay gaps continue to widen between male and female physicians, and physicians by race, Medscape’s Physician Compensation report found. ... The survey found that the gender pay gap has widened since 2023, going from men making $91,000 more per year than women to $102,000 more per year in 2025. This means men make about 31% per year more than women physicians. ... There are also substantial pay gaps based on race. White physicians make about $8,000 more than Asian Americans, the next highest paid group and $49,000 more than Black physicians, the lowest paid group. 

On with the dance, let joy be unconfined is my motto, whether there’s any dance to dance; or any joy to unconfine. ~ Mark Twain