Live Oak Bank $300k grant supports Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Hospice nurses, addresses growing care shortage in North Carolina 
Business Insider, Wilmington, NC; Press Release; 3/31/26 
Live Oak Bank is highlighting the impact of a $300,000 grant to the Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Scholars program. LifeCare Scholars is designed to recruit, train, and retain registered nurses in hospice and palliative care, strengthening the essential healthcare workforce across southeastern North Carolina. LifeCare Scholars offers a six-month residency to new graduate nurses, blending classroom learning, mentorship, and hands-on clinical experience to help registered nurses transition into hospice and palliative care at no cost to participants. [Launched in 2021, read more for "Proven Impact an Measurable Outcomes"]

Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care achieves highest quality score in organization’s history 
Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care, Colorado Springs, CO; Press Release; 3/27/26 
Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care has earned its highest quality ranking ever — a score of 94 out of 100 — on the National Hospice Locator, a nationwide directory that evaluates hospice providers using publicly available quality data. The National Hospice Locator compiles information from Medicare data files, public websites, and direct surveys of hospice providers. Using multiple weighted quality metrics, the platform evaluates thousands of hospice programs across the United States and allows users to compare providers based on quality rankings. With a national average score of approximately 67, a score of 94 places Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care well above the national benchmark and among the highest-rated hospice organizations in Colorado.
Editor's Note: What are your organization's publicly reported quality scores? Explore more at the National Hospice Locator. [Disclosure, NHL sponsors this newsletter.]

Homecare & Hospice 'thrilled' with community support of fundraiser 
The Batavian; Batavia, NY; Press Release; 3/31/26 
The HomeCare & Hospice Foundation is thrilled to celebrate the success of its annual bouquet sale fundraiser, which once again brought the community together to support compassionate hospice care. This year, a total of 882 18-stem bouquets and 80 nine-stem bouquets were sold, raising critical funds to support patients and families in our region. ... Pop-up sales were held at nine locations, staffed by a dedicated team of 51 volunteers and staff.

Hospice of Amador & Calaveras addresses statewide hospice fraud concerns, reaffirms commitment to ethical, community-based care
Ledger News; Press Release; 3/30/26 
In response to recent national media coverage highlighting concerns regarding hospice fraud in California, Hospice of Amador & Calaveras (HOAC) is reaffirming its commitment to ethical, transparent and compassionate care for patients and families across Amador and Calaveras counties. ... “Hospice care is built on trust, dignity and compassion,” said Samantha M. Lukow, Executive Director of Hospice of Amador & Calaveras. “While the reports are deeply concerning, it is important for our community to know that not all hospice providers operate in this manner. The vast majority of hospice organizations, including ours, are dedicated to providing ethical, patient-centered care.” 

The corporate brand, culture, and the CISO: Why understanding the business is non-negotiable 
Halcyon; by Gary Hayslip; 3/30/26 
Over the course of my career as a Chief Information Security Officer, I have come to a conclusion that many of my peers eventually reach, though sometimes the hard way: if you do not understand your company's brand and culture, you will never build a security program that is truly aligned to the business. ... This is not a soft topic. It is foundational. The relationship between corporate brand, internal business culture, and cybersecurity strategy is one of the most underappreciated dynamics in our profession, and I believe it deserves far more attention than it typically receives.

Top ten tips palliative care clinicians should know about wound care 
Journal of Palliative Medicine; by Nicole Dussault, Jared Morphew, Veronica Nwagwu, Brittany Gatta, Angela Richardson, Nancy Payne, E Foy White-Chu, Lidiette Wilson, Heather Dalton, Christopher E Winstead-Derlega, Katherine Ramos, Christopher A Jones; 3/30/26 
... In this article, we outline key tips for assessing and managing wounds, including understanding prognosis and goals of care, evaluating care settings, tailoring management to the underlying disease process, and addressing symptoms such as pain, odor, and psychosocial distress. A thoughtful, interdisciplinary approach is essential to reduce the physical and emotional burden wounds place on patients and caregivers.
Editor's Note: As CMS implements the HOPE (Hospice Outcomes & Patient Evaluation) Tool as of October 1, 2025, skin and wound assessment becomes a visible quality marker in hospice—requiring structured documentation, ongoing reassessment, and clear alignment with patient goals. 

Neenah pastor finds deeper calling after brother’s hospice journey 
WFRV Green Bay, WI; by Breanna Reinhart; 3/30/26 
For the Reverend Niveen Ibrahim Sarras, walking with people through their final moments of life is more than a calling. It’s deeply personal. ... For years, Sarras has guided families through grief, offering prayers and presence at the end of life. But last summer, she found herself navigating that journey from a different perspective. Her brother, Odeh, traveled from Palestine to visit after a long battle with cancer. Just days later, doctors delivered devastating news. “The doctor, after having a CT scan, told me my brother was dying, and I shouldn’t let my brother go back,” Sarras said. Her family turned to hospice care, ... Through language barriers, cultural differences and grief, a team of local caregivers stepped in to help. What followed was a shared experience of compassion and learning. “I just want people to know that with hospice we are there to support you wherever you are at, no matter the cultural background,” said ThedaCare hospice nurse Briana Eggert.
Editor's Note: To what extent does your hospice put this into action—supporting persons “no matter the cultural background”? Whatever your strengths, where are your cultural gaps, and how can you better align commitments with action through training, access to translated materials, interpreters, and community partnerships? Additionally, pair this with today's post, "Language preference is associated with goals-of-care communication and end-of-life care in dementia."

Cleaning reframes end‑of‑life care for mental health 
The Philadelphia Tribune, Philadelphia, PA; by Lynn Akesson; 3/28/26
... At its core, death cleaning is a decluttering practice: going through one’s belongings with the intention of reducing what survives us. But its appeal lies less in organization than in its promise of emotional relief. By transforming an abstract fear — leaving chaos behind — into a meaningful act of care, death cleaning reframes preparation for death as a process that can support psychological well-being in life. 
Editor's Note: For a related caregiving video specific to bereavement, visit "Re-Membering: Scrap 'Em, Store 'Em, or Stitch 'Em Together, by Composing Life Out of Loss (disclosure, a newsletter sponsor)

Language preference is associated with goals-of-care communication and end-of-life care in dementia 
Journal of General Internal Medicine; by Lauren R. Pollack MD, MS, Lois Downey MA, Ruth A. Engelberg PhD, James Sibley BS, Linda K. Ko PhD, Kimiko Domoto-Reilly MD, MS, Lyndia C. Brumback PhD, Annie T. Chen PhD & Rashmi K. Sharma MD, MHS; 3/30/26 
Background: People with dementia and preferred language other than English (PLOE) in the United States may face communication-related barriers to high-quality end-of-life care.
Objective: Compare end-of-life care characteristics among people with dementia and PLOE versus those preferring English. ... [Efforts] to improve end-of-life care for those with PLOE might prioritize ED and hospital-based interventions, recognizing their critical safety-net functions, as well as ensure that people with dementia and PLOE and their families have sufficient cultural and linguistic support to engage in high-quality end-of-life communication with their healthcare providers.
Editor's Note: Pair this with today's post, "Neenah pastor finds deeper calling after brother’s hospice journey."

Free webinars: Pediatric concurrent hospice care miniseries, guidance for clinicians: A compassionate, coordinated, and compliant approach 
National Alliance for Care at Home; Press Release; 3/23/26 
This Virtual Training will provide a practical, relevant, and comprehensive overview of Pediatric Concurrent Hospice Care as an approach that allows children and adolescents to receive ongoing disease-directed therapies alongside hospice services. Participants will learn the foundations of Concurrent Hospice Care under Section 2302 of the Affordable Care Act including eligibility criteria, planning and coordination requirements, and interdisciplinary collaborative strategies.

• April 9, 2026 | Guidance for Clinicians: A Compassionate, Coordinated, and Compliant Approach 
• April 23, 2026 | Guidance for Hospice Administrators: A Compassionate, Coordinated, and Compliant Approach

Canyon acquires Columbine Poudre Home Care, Bloom at Home 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 3/31/26 
Colorado-based Canyon Home Care & Hospice has acquired Columbine Poudre Home Care and its affiliate Bloom at Home. The transaction extends Canyon’s footprint across northern Colorado. Financial terms were undisclosed. Columbine employees were offered positions at Canyon. In addition to home health and hospice, Canyon offers skilled nursing services; physical, occupational and speech therapy; cardiac and pulmonary care; neurorehabilitation; wound care; disease and pain management; infusion services and durable medical equipment. 
Clarification: Bloom at Home operates as a non-medical home care provider in northern Colorado and is distinct from Bloom Hospice, which is a separate entity. The deal highlights ongoing diversification across the home-based care continuum, aligning medical and non-medical services under one umbrella. This strengthens Canyon’s regional presence while enhancing care coordination and referral continuity.

The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool. ~ William Shakespeare
Happy April Fools Day!