Paul Ledford: Program integrity should strengthen — not undermine — access to hospice care in Florida 
Florida Politics; by guest author Paul Ledford, president and CEO of the Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association; 5/18/26 
Few places in America are as closely tied to retirement and aging as Florida. [Background information on the recent CMS Hospice and Home Health Moratorium] ... CMS has previously acknowledged that targeted, geographically focused enforcement is the most effective way to combat localized fraud. A nationwide moratorium contradicts that approach. Rather than protecting patients, it risks cutting off access for the very people hospice is designed to serve. The right solution is targeted enforcement — cracking down on criminal networks in the specific communities where abuse is documented, without penalizing high-performing states and the families who rely on their care.

Family Hospice expands compassionate care with new Greenwood, South Carolina location 
NEWSnet; by EIN Presswire; 5/18/26 
Family Hospice is proud to announce the opening of its newest location in Greenwood, South Carolina. This expansion strengthens the organization’s presence across the state and increases access to high-quality hospice services for individuals and families throughout Greenwood and the surrounding communities. The new location builds on Family Hospice’s established presence in the Upstate, including its Greenville and Spartanburg offices.

Calvert youth generosity celebrated at annual ‘Boots & Bling’ event 
Maryland BayNet, Prince Frederick, MD; by Hospice of the Chesapeaker; 5/19/26
The can-do spirit of Calvert County’s 4-H youth helped make “Boots & Bling: A Culinary Experience” a fundraising success for Hospice of the Chesapeake. ... One of the evening’s featured moments focused on the story of the Hospice Hog, shared by T.J. Ireland. In 2019, Ireland and his brother, Colby Ireland, donated proceeds from the sale of one of their 4-H market hogs to honor their grandmother and support Hospice of the Chesapeake. Their first hog, Harry, raised $7,000 at the Calvert County Fair. After the Ireland brothers aged out of 4-H, the Said family continued the tradition. Together, the families have raised more than $150,000 through the sale of home-raised hogs. ... Ireland said the Said family plans to continue the tradition until Lena turns 19.
Editor's Note: Do you need some inspiration? Read this. For context, revisit the 2026 "Boots & Bling" story we posted on 5/18/26 and celebrate this behind-the-scenes story of family tribute to a beloved grandmother. 

Research spotlight: characterizing patient perceptions of palliative care in surgical settings 
Mass General Brigham | Patient Care; by Claire Morton, MD and Zara Cooper, MD, MSc; 5/19/26 
... Question: What did you find?
Generally, patients were not familiar with palliative care. If they had heard of it, they often equated it with hospice or end-of-life care, leading to misconceptions about its scope and purpose. However, our observations revealed that patients frequently initiated discussions about concerns relevant to palliative care, such as social or psychological burdens they were experiencing during their visits with surgeons. This indicated an underlying interest in these domains, even if they were not explicitly aware of how palliative care could address them. ...
Question: What are the real-world implications, particularly for patients? ...

HealthView CEO Steven Gonzalez announces Inc. articles on why presence beats certainty — and why it matters even more in the age of AI 
Associated Press, Cerritos, CA; 5/19/26 
Steven Gonzalez, President & CEO of HealthView Home Health, Hospice & Palliative Care, announces the publication of his latest Inc. article, “Certainty Is Overrated. Presence Is Underrated,” now live on Inc.com. ... In the published article, Gonzalez challenges a long-held leadership myth: that strong leaders must always project confidence, clarity, and absolute answers. Instead, he makes the case that presence, consistency, and authenticity matter more than false certainty in times of rapid change. When leaders remain visible, grounded, and human, they build the trust and stability that carry teams forward — even in the middle of ambiguity.

The future of hospice: how HOPE will transform reimbursement & care | part one 
Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Andrea Hale and Raianne Melton; 5/20/26 
In this Part One episode of The Future of Hospice: How HOPE Will Transform Reimbursement & Care, healthcare leaders and hospice professionals, Andrea Hale, CEO of Valley Hospice and Raianne Melton, Director of Clinical Services of Professional Services for Axxess, explore how CMS hospice changes will impact hospice operations, compliance, documentation, and outcomes-based reimbursement models. We take a deep dive into one of the most significant changes facing hospice providers in decades—the implementation of the Hospice Outcomes & Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool.  

Loving Hands Hospice challenges Medicare payment suspension, cites due process concerns amid California hospice enforcement actions 
TMX Newsfile | Newsfile Corp., Los Angeles, CA; Press Release; 5/19/26 
Loving Hands Hospice, a women-owned hospice care provider based in Los Angeles, California, has announced that it is currently involved in a legal dispute connected to Medicare payment suspension measures and related allegations under review (Reference Number: PSP-260330-00042). ... Loving Hands Hospice, which has provided hospice services to patients and families in the Los Angeles area for approximately five years, says it supports enforcement actions where legitimate fraud is identified. However, company leadership states that broad enforcement measures applied across California's hospice sector may not adequately account for differences in individual provider circumstances, patient populations, and compliance histories.

CMS’s nationwide moratorium on new hospice and home health enrollments: operational, transactional, and enforcement risks for existing providers, healthcare organizations, and investors
Clark Hill; by Jose Vela Jr.; 5/19/26 
... Key Takeaway: The larger issue may no longer be whether fraud exists within isolated hospice or home health agencies. ... Healthcare organizations, investors, healthcare professionals, and operational leaders affiliated with hospice and home health providers may wish to evaluate ownership structures, pending transactions, enrollment status, billing practices, referral relationships, operational controls, reimbursement exposure, and existing government scrutiny before operational disruptions, payment suspensions, recoupment activity, or enforcement actions arise.

Each May, Kennedy students raise money against cancer 
KELO Pierre, SD; by Bob Mercer; 5/18/26 
Students at Kennedy Elementary School in Pierre are learning a valuable lesson. Giving can be the greatest gift of all. There was a friendly competition again during the first two weeks of May between the school’s 19 classrooms to see which one could raise the most money for a life-saving cause. It’s called Kennedy versus Cancer. Their goal was to raise $7,500 — and they’ve reached it once again. ... The money goes to Countryside Hospice. ... Kennedy Elementary students have been raising money to help the fight against cancer since their school opened in 2015. ... So far, more than $60,000 has been brought in.

Addus HomeCare says license moratorium won’t slow personal care growth, M&A 
Transcript Daily; by Lauren Steadman; 5/19/26 
Addus HomeCare (NASDAQ:ADUS) executives said a new federal moratorium on certain home health licenses should have little effect on the company’s growth plans, while highlighting continued improvement in personal care services trends and ongoing acquisition opportunities.

Readers write: When CIOs need to be in the room with patient engagement technology in new construction projects 
HIStalk - Healthcare IT News & Opinion; by Brad Storm; 5/18/26 
Installing equipment may seem like the end goal at the start of a new construction project. But there’s so much more involved, especially when it comes to patient engagement technology for your new facility. As an IT professional, you need to be in the room during four key steps of the process.

1. Focusing on why before what ...
2. Bringing in the nurses ...
3. Connecting the dots ...
4. Planning for the future ...

The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praised than saved by criticism. ~ Norman Vincent Peale