Founder reflects on creation of Blue Ridge Hospice 
The Northern Virginia Daily, Winchester, VA; by Brian Brehm; 11/4/26 
Everything has to start somewhere and, in the case of Winchester-based Blue Ridge Care, that somewhere was England. In the 1970s, a nurse from South Dakota named Helen Zebarth accompanied her husband, Roger, when the U.S. Army stationed him in Germany. While there, she visited England and had the opportunity to tour St. Christopher's Hospice in London, which was established in 1967 as the world's first modern hospice facility. When the Zebarths moved to Winchester in 1978, Helen Zebarth saw first-hand how Winchester Memorial Hospital at 333 W. Cork St. kept its end-of-life patients heavily medicated so they could sleep until slipping away. She much preferred St. Christopher's approach of keeping patients as comfortable, active and alert as possible in their final days.

Cancer Foundation awards $65,000 to two Santa Barbara organizations supporting cancer patients 
Noozhawk, Santa Barbara, CA; by Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara; 11/3/26 
This year, the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara (CFSB) awarded $65,000 in grants to two organizations in Santa Barbara County that provide free or discounted healthcare and support services to local cancer patients: Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics and Hospice of Santa Barbara. ... For the second year in a row, the Cancer Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to Hospice of Santa Barbara to support their Patient Care Services (PCS) program, which offers comprehensive, free-of-charge support services to those with life-threatening illnesses, including 181 cancer patients during the first six months of 2026.

Rural residents faced nearly 3x higher risk of heart attack death before reaching a hospital 
American Heart Association, Dallas, TX; Scientific Sessions 2026, Abstract MDP2406; 11/2/26 
People living in rural areas who experienced a heart attack were nearly three times more likely to die before reaching hospital care, compared to those living in large, metropolitan areas, according to new, independent, preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2026 [Nov. 6-9, Chicago]. ... Previously, there was limited data on exactly which populations and demographics were at greater risk of death before reaching hospital care. This study explored participants’ location at the time of heart attack and death, distance to the nearest hospital and whether deaths differed according to their age, sex, race, Hispanic ethnicity, and urban or rural residency.  

Advocates in Rochester seek to promote neuropalliative care 
Catholic Courier; by Mike Latona; 11/4/26 
Elizabeth Johnston’s mother, Lucia Muñoz, copes with dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Her father, Cecilio, has Alzheimer’s disease. The Muñozes still reside in their city home but can no longer be left alone, so Johnston and her sister serve as their caretakers. To help ease their challenges, the family is working with the Neurology Supportive and Palliative Care Service. An initiative of the University of Rochester Medical Center, the clinic aims to achieve a higher quality of life for patients with chronic neurological diseases.

Home transfusions feasible for hospice patients with blood cancer: first-of-its-kind research could help inform efforts to reimburse hospice agencies for providing blood and platelet transfusions 
The University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK; by April Wilkerson; 11/3/26 
... [For patients with blood cancers who are no longer pursuing aggressive treatment:] The approach allowed patients to receive transfusions for symptom relief without repeated trips to a hospital or clinic, giving them more opportunity to spend time with loved ones. ... The study was a collaboration with Our Blood Institute, based in Oklahoma City, which provided the blood, lab testing and nursing staff to perform transfusions, as well as two local hospices, Integris Hospice and Apex Home Health and Hospice, which oversaw care and collected data.

Hospice SSVI explained: what your score isn’t telling you | part one 
Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Lindsay Doak; 11/4/26 
Your hospice’s SSVI score tells a story—but it may leave out the context that matters most. ...
Five key takeaways:

• A score needs context. ...
• Spending outside the benefit deserves attention. ...
• Care coordination is a leadership responsibility. ...
• Some measures warrant closer scrutiny. ...
• Patient needs should guide improvement. ...

Behind the scenes: how CMS combats hospice fraud 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 11/4/26 
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) is locking horns with scammers, and hospices need a transparent view into the agency’s methods. CMS routinely monitors billing activity, beneficiary complaints and other indicators that may signal potential fraud, an agency spokesperson told Hospice News. When suspicious activity is identified, the agency can take several actions, including suspending payments, revoking Medicare billing privileges and referring cases to law enforcement.

Delegate Tom Hutchinson receives Making a Difference Award 
The Star, Annapolis, MD; 10/31/26 
Maryland State Delegate Tom Hutchinson has received the 2026 Making A Difference Award from the Hospice & Palliative Care Network of Maryland in recognition of his advocacy for hospice and palliative care and his commitment to improving access to quality healthcare across the Eastern Shore. The award was presented at the Network’s annual conference in Linthicum, Maryland on October 1.

8 systems closing, selling home care programs in 2026 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 11/4/26 
Health systems are pushing more care into patients’ homes, but some are closing, selling or suspending home-based care programs. Here are the health systems that have ended, sold or announced plans to exit home-based care programs in 2026, as reported by Becker’s: [go to the article for details]

1. Greensboro, N.C.-based Cone Health is ending its hospital-at-home program ..
2. Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare sold 31 home health and hospice agencies ...
3. Duluth, Minn.-based Aspirus St. Luke’s closed its home health division ...
4. Rockledge, Fla.-based Health First is ending its hospital-at-home program ...
5. Grand Forks, N.D.-based Altru Health System discontinued home health services ... It will continue to offer other home-based programs ...
6. Knoxville, Tenn.-based Covenant Health discontinued its hospital-at-home ...
7. Greenville, N.C.-based ECU Health is selling its home health and hospice business ...
8. Minot, N.D.-based Trinity Health is suspending home health and outpatient hospice service ...

Amid fraud crackdown, home-based care operators look to differentiate 
Home Health Care News; by MK Manoylov; 11/2/26 
Home-based care providers are facing a significant surge in fraud enforcement, but the heightened scrutiny may also provide compliant operators an unexpected way to stand out. To differentiate themselves from fraudulent operators, home-based care providers are placing greater emphasis on documentation, audit readiness, accurate enrollment records and policy reviews to highlight their regulatory compliance, industry leaders said during a FUTURE panel in August.  

Alzheimer's and hospice awareness month 
Central Oregon Daily News; by staff; 11/4/26 
November is Alzheimer's and Hospice Awareness Month. Simeon Rose and Macy McGregor with Bristol Hospice in Bend remind us that Alzheimer's is not the same thing as dementia. Dementia is an umbrella term that covers several types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. While memory loss is a common symptom of Alzheimer's disease, it's not the only symptom; it may also affect things like cognition, movement, language, and vision.

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. ~ Anaïs Nin