Literature Review

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. ~ Wayne Gretzky

The Alliance and the Research Institute for Home Care release 2025 Hospice Chartbook National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 2/19/26 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) and The Research Institute for Home Care (the Institute) are excited to announce the release of the 2025 Hospice Chartbook. Highlighting the vital role that hospice plays in caring for an aging demographic, the Chartbook provides a look at the patients being served in hospice, who they are demographically and clinically, and more.  Now in its second year, the 2025 Hospice Chartbook, co-sponsored by the Alliance, provides an overview of national patient and workforce data with an emphasis on state-specific information and trends, including key data on hospice patients and providers, Medicare spending on hospice, and more. 

Artificial intelligence-powered predictive tools to improve end-of-life decision-making: mini-review British Medical Journal (BMJ) Supportive & Palliative Care; by Abdullah Alabbasi, Muhanad Alzahrani, Faris Sultan and Mohammed Sayes; 2/18/26 Results: ... Preliminary qualitative work indicates that AI-generated summaries may assist communication among healthcare teams, though concerns persist regarding transparency, bias and over-reliance on algorithms. Conclusions: AI-driven prognostic models show promise in improving risk identification and facilitating earlier engagement with palliative care. Nonetheless, the current evidence base is preliminary. Future research should include prospective trials and strengthened ethical frameworks to ensure that the integration of AI-based prognostic tools into end-of-life decision-making is both safe and equitable. 

Choice Health at Home acquires Alliant Home Health, Palliative Care, Hospice Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 2/17/26 Choice Health at Home has acquired Alliant Home Health, as well as Alliant Palliative Care and Hospice. Financial terms of the deal were undisclosed. The two acquired businesses were part of Colorado-based Alliant Living, which provides hospice, home health and palliative care. Alliant Home Health’s services include occupational and physical therapy, as well as skilled nursing care for patients post-acute and chronic conditions. The acquisition expands Choice Health at Home’s existing geographic presence in the state. The transaction was recently completed following its closure on November 12, 2025.

Medicare crackdown on hospice affiliations threatening providers Bloomberg Law; by Patric Hooper, Jordan Kearney, and Maydha Vinson; 2/18/26 A new federal enforcement trend is sending shockwaves through California’s hospice sector and beyond. Health care providers are discovering that their Medicare enrollment, and often their entire practice, can be jeopardized simply because of whom they once worked with, not because of anything they personally did. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services calls it affiliation. Under federal regulations, CMS or its contractors can revoke a provider’s Medicare enrollment if the agency determines that an affiliation poses an “undue risk” of fraud, waste, or abuse. 

Is your ladder leaning against the wrong wall? Richard Mobley on leadership and calling | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); hosted by Chris Comeaux with Richard Mobley; 2/18/26 What if you spend decades building a successful career—only to realize you were climbing the wrong ladder?  In this episode of TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership, executive leadership coach Richard Mobley, Founder and Principal of the Seven Four Group, Inc. and the Be Far More! System, joins Chris Comeaux to explore one of the most important questions leaders face: What comes after success? For CEOs, healthcare executives, and Hospice leaders approaching retirement or transition, this conversation centers on the critical shift from achievement to lasting significance—and what it truly means to finish well. 

Directors and Boards: Executive session, Episode 37: Lisa Piercey, Venita Fields and Charles Elson Executive Session, The Directors & Boards podcast; with Lisa Piercy, Venita Fields and Charles Elson; 2/17/26 This episode explores composition on health-related boards, the role of the board in capital investment and allocation, and director compensation. ... In this episode of Executive Session, the official podcast of Directors & Boards, we speak with Lisa Piercey, director of National HealthCare Corporation, about the importance of having entrepreneurial clinicians on health-related boards. In our second interview, Venita Fields, director of Superior Group of Companies, examines the board’s role in capital investment and allocation. And in our final discussion, Charles Elson, director of Enhabit Home Health & Hospice and executive editor at large of Directors & Boards, dives into the principles that should guide director compensation.

Sage Park Austin establishes community partnerships to offer inpatient hospice services to residents LongTermCareProvider.com, Vero Beach, FL; Press Release; 2/3/26 Sage Park Austin Senior Living Community is honored to announce the establishment of multiple community partnerships to offer General Inpatient (GIP) hospice services within their community. Sage Park Austin has partnered with Tree Oaks Hospice and Summit Home Health and Hospice offering varying levels of hospice care for appropriate patients. Services include, but are not limited to, extended nursing support, pain and symptom management, and interdisciplinary hospice support in a residential setting. 

Behind every flawless performance is a thousand falls on the ice.

Bono residents donate blood in honor of boy battling cancer KAIT-8 News, Bono, AR; by Alejandra Hernandez; 2/16/26 A community blood drive honored 7-year-old Jacob Garland, who is battling cancer and currently in hospice care. ... Doctors told the family they had done everything possible, but the cancer was too aggressive. Jacob is now in hospice care at home. ... While hospitalized, Jacob received nearly one blood transfusion per week. ... Several family members would travel to Memphis to donate blood, even though not all of the blood would go to Jacob directly—it was still helping a patient who needed it. ... Garland’s aunt, Sharon Hill, approached the family about hosting a blood drive, and they agreed. “There’s a lot of people out there that need life-saving blood, so if it helps other families,” Garland said. “Se’re happy to be here and support that need.”

This American Heart Month, Carolina Caring elevates cardiac care for serious illness Carolina Caring, Newton, NC; Press Release; 2/9/26 February is American Heart Month, a national effort to raise awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. As of 2025, 6.7 million Americans over the age of 20 are living with heart failure (Heart Failure Society of America, 2025). ... In response, Carolina Caring’s Advanced Cardiac Care program provides effective, tailored support to patients with chronic heart conditions. As the first cardiac care program of its kind in North Carolina, Carolina Caring combines nationally recognized standards of care with a home-based hospice approach. 

The Winter Olympics prove that strength can shine even in the harshest conditions.

Little houses of support for hospice care popping up NOLA.com, Slidell/New Orleans, LA; by Suzie Hunt; 2/17/26 A new public arts project in starting in Slidell will soon see a plethora of festive-themed tiny houses spread throughout the city and surrounding area, all to support end of life care for patients in St. Tammany parish. The Hospice Hope House Project is taking off through the efforts of local businesswoman and artist Connie Born and a team of volunteers. Proceeds will benefit the work done at the Hospice House.