Literature Review

Only one in five U.S. young adults with advanced cancer receive palliative care as part of treatment, study shows American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA; Press Release; 7/23/26 Young adults with advanced cancer face unique challenges that make palliative care especially important. This population often experiences physical, emotional, and social needs while undergoing treatment, related to their developmental and life-stage transitions. However, a new study by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) reveals that despite a small increase in use over time, only 18.3% of young adults in the United States with advanced cancer received palliative care as part of treatment in 2023. The study is published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open. 

Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power. ~ Lao Tzu

This global healthcare lesson could change America | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Dr. Mark Stoltenberg; 7/22/26 Some of the most innovative solutions to America's healthcare challenges aren't being developed in the world's wealthiest hospitals—they're emerging from communities with the fewest resources. What can American healthcare learn from global healthcare?  In our latest episode, Dr. Mark Stoltenberg, Harvard Medical School professor and Massachusetts General Hospital physician, joins Chris Comeaux to explore global healthcare, palliative care, hospice leadership, healthcare innovation, and the future of serious illness care in America. ... Drawing from his work leading global palliative care programs throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and other underserved regions, he shares how resource-limited healthcare systems are pioneering solutions that can improve American healthcare, strengthen the healthcare workforce, and restore compassionate, person-centered care.

Will Hyder Hospice reopen in Dover? Strafford County, MGB in talks Foster's Daily Democrat, Dover, NH; by Karen Dandurant; 7/22/26 Hyder Family Hospice House remains closed as talks to reopen it continue between Strafford County commissioners and Mass General Brigham. A spokesperson for Mass General Brigham provided a statement in response to questions from Foster's Daily Democrat. “Mass General Brigham agrees this is a vital community resource, and we have been talking with county officials to learn more," the statement reads. "No decisions have been made at this time.” Strafford County Commission Chair George Maglaras said the commissioners remain confident an agreement will be reached. 

What does Medicare actually cover in a best-rated memory care facility?U.S. News & World Report; by Vanessa Cacers; 7/21/26 |Memory care facilities offer a safe, supportive environment for those with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, but care can be costly. Learn what memory care services Medicare will pay for. |Key Takeaways

Ramped up federal fraud prevention efforts potentially complicate service provision to assisted living residents McKnights Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 7/21/26 Expanding the use of “exclusion authority” will enable the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Department of Health and Human Services inspector general to remove — and potentially ban — “bad actors” from federal healthcare programs, federal officials said Tuesday. The move, on top of recent deferrals of more than $1 billion in federal Medicaid payments to two states, threatens to make providing services to hundreds of thousands of assisted living residents more difficult for the providers that do so.

Nevada hospice industry under scrutiny as families navigate quality care gaps KTNV-13 ABC, Las Vegas, NV; by Abel Garcia; 7/21/26 ... As I've continued to look into hospice care and concerns in Southern Nevada, one issue kept coming up: How do you navigate those decisions? To get a better idea, I spoke to a local family about their experience with hospice care: Mikiya Davis found herself navigating hospice care for the first time when her mother, Deborah Johnson, suffered a stroke, and Davis moved her from California to Las Vegas to care for her, herself. Davis says she eventually realized how much the quality of care, staffing, and support can vary depending on the provider. "I didn't know my rights. It was my first time on hospice, and If you don't know, you just don't know," she said. Without naming the hospices involved, Davis tells me she saw major differences between the provider she started with and the one she transferred to after just a few weeks. ...

Ask the expert: Who are hospital ethics consultants? Michigan State University; by Zach Phelps and Dalin Clark; 7/21/26Hospitals are places of incredible hope and healing, but they are also where some of life’s toughest decisions are made. When families and medical teams find themselves at a crossroads with no obvious right answer, trained experts can quietly help evaluate the options. Hospital ethics consultants don’t perform surgery or prescribe medication. Instead, they wield a different kind of superpower: the rare ability to bring insight and clarity to moments of deep uncertainty. When the best path forward isn’t on a medical chart, these guides step up to support families and healthcare teams.

The evolving role of hospice CMOs Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/21/26 For hospices, the role of the chief medical officer is expanding beyond the role of overseeing the medical staff and into the regulatory and business operations arena. CMOs in 2026 need a broader skill set than clinical knowledge, according to Dr. Martha Presley, CMO of Alive Hospice. After a previous stint as a medical director for Alive Hospice. Pressley returned as CMO in March 2025 upon the retirement of Dr. David McRay. “Historically, chief medical officers have been very focused on the management of other clinical staff. This is becoming a more operational role than I think it has ever been in the past,” Presley told Hospice News. ... The role of a hospice CMO increasingly blends advanced medical practice with executive leadership, including clinician oversight, handling quality and compliance, administrative operations, building community and referral partnerships and mentoring staff.

Agrace expands hospice services into Dubuque Associated Press | PR Newswire, Dubuque, IA; 7/21/26 Local residents who are in the final months of life have a new choice for high-quality, in-home hospice care. Agrace, the largest Wisconsin-based nonprofit hospice, has expanded west of the Mississippi River for the first time, bringing its services to patients in the city of Dubuque, Iowa. For nearly 50 years, Agrace Hospice Care has provided compassionate end-of-life care to people of all ages across southern Wisconsin, with its headquarters located in Madison. Now, Dubuque-area residents can also choose Agrace for hospice care that comes to them where they live—in private homes, long-term care facilities or any other place they call home. Agrace has opened a local office at 300 Main Street in Dubuque, strengthening its commitment to serving patients, families and health care partners in the community.

Wabash Valley Sewing Connection donates quilts to veterans in hospice care WTWO/WAWV Terre Haute, Terre Haute, IN; by Noah Gastineau; 7/20/26 Veterans can sometimes feel left out or forgotten, especially those in Hospice care, but one group is thanking local veterans for their service one quilt at a time. The Wabash Valley Sewing Connection is donating 44 quilts to the VNA and Hospice of the Wabash Valley to be given to veterans at the facility. The group has been doing this for years, but this year is extra special as it coincides with America's 250th birthday. ... It took approximately 1,100 hours to quilt all 44 quilts together before they were donated to the VNA and Hospice of the Wabash Valley. 

The post-AI era of healthcare: why technology alone won’t transform care Health IT Answers; by Cheryl Cruver; 7/20/26 For the better part of the last three years, healthcare has been fascinated by artificial intelligence (AI). Conferences, board meetings, and strategic plans have all focused on AI’s capacity to reshape everything from clinical documentation to revenue cycle management. At this year’s HFMA Annual Conference, however, something interesting happened. The conversation matured. The discussion was no longer about whether healthcare should adopt AI. ... Instead, healthcare leaders spent much of their time discussing something more practical and arguably more important: how organizations operationalize AI to improve patient experiences, reduce costs, and create sustainable change. 

CMS to give 60 days notice if it opts to extend six-month moratoriumMcKnight's Home Care; by Liza Berger; 7/13/26According to Jeneen Iwugo of CMS, the agency will provide at least 60 days’ notice if it extends the six-month national moratorium on new Medicare home health and hospice enrollments. The statement was made during a panel at the National Alliance for Care at Home’s Finance and Technology Summit last Monday... Officials also emphasized that CMS is shifting from recovering improper payments after claims are paid to using data analytics and artificial intelligence to stop suspicious payments earlier. However, AI only identifies potential concerns; payment suspensions and provider revocations remain human decisions.Publisher's note: The moratorium began 5/13/26 and is scheduled to end 11/13/26; 60 days prior to 11/13/26 is 9/14/26. Source article may have restricted access; summary above from Homecare & Hospice Association of Colorado newsletter.