Literature Review

Local philanthropy ensures dignified death for allThe Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, CO; by Jace Dicola; 8/8/26It’s no surprise that the majority of Americans want to die in their home, comfortable and without financially burdening others. Satisfying all three criteria can be easier said than done; however, end-of-life care providers are a reliable solution for most people, since they typically deliver care in-home, focus on patient comfort and accept most insurance. But when it comes to people who are unhoused or uninsured, hospice care is often far from guaranteed. ... That reality looks different in much of western Colorado, primarily because of hospice and palliative care provider HopeWest.

The healthcare partnership nobody is talking about: hospice + FQHCs | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Kyle Ahlenstorf; 8/12/26 What if one of hospice’s most valuable community partners has been hiding in plain sight? In Part One of The Healthcare Partnership Nobody Is Talking About: Hospice + FQHCs, Chris Comeaux sits down with Kyle Ahlenstorf, CEO of Infinity Health, to explore the largely untapped opportunity for hospice and palliative care organizations to build meaningful partnerships with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).  Kyle brings more than a decade of clinical and executive healthcare experience, with a particular focus on rural healthcare, access, and sustainable patient-centered care. Kyle breaks down what FQHCs actually are, whom they serve, and why their mission aligns so naturally with hospice and palliative care.

There's nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as  laughter and good humor. ~ Charles Dickens

New York clarifies Medicaid moratorium and ownership changesJD Supra; by Abygail Hoey, Max Lubin, Joseph Parise, Steven Schnelle; 8/11/26 Following the publication of McDermott Will & Schulte’s August 4, 2026, client alert, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) announced that it had received approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement a plan (the DOH Medicaid Plan) to revamp New York’s Medicaid provider enrollment and revalidation processes in order to improve oversight of the New York Medicaid program. The DOH Medicaid Plan contains information regarding, among other things, new risk designations for certain types of providers, a new Medicaid revalidation process, and the moratorium on Medicaid enrollment for certain types of providers.

Flight of the Dove marks 21st year with 204 riders and more than $50,000 raised Laurens County Buzz, Laurens, SC; by Staff; 8/10/26 Laurens County’s 21st annual Flight of the Dove drew 204 registered riders to Clinton on Aug. 1 and raised more than $50,000 in support of hospice care in Laurens County. Riders traveled from six states to take part, including South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Illinois and Texas. The oldest registered rider was 83 and the youngest was 20. Of those registered, 150 were men and 54 were women. The ride was supported by 51 volunteers stationed at the stadium and at rest stops along the route, along with 26 volunteer motorcycles.

Chapters Health System announces expansion of care in Sarasota County PR Newswire, Temple Terrace, FL; by Chapters Health System; 8/11/26 Chapters Health System announced that it received another certificate of need to develop a Chapters Health Hospice program in Sarasota County in Florida. The award expands the organization's footprint and offers the chance to bring industry-leading chronic illness care to the Sarasota community. ... Chapters Health provides hospice care for more than 21,000 individuals each year across Florida through its comprehensive care model, ...  Thanks to the support of the Chapters Health Foundation, the organization also provides more than $10 million in charitable and uncompensated care each year to those in need.

3 big questions to ask your aging parents Morningstar; by Amy C. Arnott, CFA; 5/5/26 One of the toughest things to go through as an adult is helping your parents as they get older. The elephant in the room is that life is finite, and both you and your parents might be reluctant to talk about what type of support they might need as they get older. But as difficult as these conversations can be, it’s important to make time for them. Eldercare attorney Harry Margolis recommends age 75 as the best time to start talking to your parents about finances and caregiving issues. ...

Revisiting mastering the art of re-entry: the key to a less-stressful return from vacation Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); by Chris Comeaux; 8/11/26 Now that it is midsummer, have you followed my advice in my previous blog, Work-Life Harmony and taken your vacation? Stephen Covey coined the phrase, “Sharpening the saw,” many years ago and that age-old wisdom applies even more today than when he first wrote about it over thirty years ago. Taking time off is essential to live a high-performance life. But I have noticed a disturbing trend amongst my peers and team members. They are taking time off, but about a week into their return, they comment, “that is so far in the rearview mirror because I am so far behind that I am working twice as hard to catch up.” ... It's time to break free from this vicious cycle by incorporating a crucial new competency: planning your re-entry.Editor's Note: Translate this to your interdisciplinary team professionals for whom--during their vacations--patients have died, their family conflicts have escalated, and newly admitted patients have been added to their caseloads. What systems do you have for smooth, supportive transitions for IDG members when handing off caseloads when leaving, and picking them up on return?

Judge denies states’ motion to postpone Medicaid work requirement STAT, Boston, MA; by Anil Oza; 8/30/26 [On 7/30] a federal judge denied 26 states’ request to postpone the implementation of Medicaid work requirements announced in June. The case seeks to alter a piece of one of President Trump’s biggest legislative priorities. The suit is focused on the implementation of a work requirement for people who receive Medicaid, the details of which were issued in June with the target of implementing the changes by Jan. 1. But states must also communicate with Medicaid recipients by Aug. 31 regarding how the changes may affect those enrollees.

How California’s hospice industry spiraled out of control — and cost millions in fraud Los Angeles Daily News, Los Angeles, CA; by Jason Henry; 8/9/26 A quiet change in California law in 2018 unleashed a deluge of new hospices and spurred millions of dollars in Medicare fraud that state and federal authorities are still trying to unwind. ... It all started with three paragraphs added, at the request of the California Department of Public Health, to the end of an omnibus bill in 2018. CDPH had a backlog of 72 applications for hospice licenses at the time and wanted legislators to provide an alternative to a major bottleneck: its own inspectors. Under SB 1495, hospices could choose to pay a third-party accrediting organization for the inspection needed for a license, instead of waiting weeks or months for the next available state employee. ... Unlike a restaurant, which must undergo fire, building and health inspections, the vast majority of hospices in California could suddenly obtain a license, and even approval to bill Medicare, without a public employee stepping foot on the property. ...

AMOREM receives $35k grant from Broyhill Family FoundationAshe Post & Times, Hudson, NC; Staff Reporter; 8/9/26 AMOREM, a local nonprofit hospice provider, has four inpatient hospice facilities throughout its service area. Recently at AMOREM’s Jack and Shirley Robbins Center campus in Hudson the commercial hot water heater stopped working, requiring the organization to purchase meals from outside sources for the patients and their families being served at the Forlines Patient Care Unit at that time. ...  The cost to purchase and replace the dysfunctional equipment was $35k, and needed to continue preparing around 6,000 meals annually in that commercial kitchen. The locally-based Broyhill Family Foundation (of the Broyhill Furniture Industries) graciously donated funds to immediately order new equipment, to be installed before the end of the month.

Hospice acquisitions by certain firms and corporations were associated with reductions in care intensity, 2010–21 Health Affairs; by Jiebing Wen, Alexander Soltoff, Mark A. Unruh, David G. Stevenson, and Robert Tyler Braun; 8/3/26 ... We linked a national PE and PTC acquisition database to Medicare claims for a beneficiary sample for the period 2010–21 and used a difference-in-differences event study to compare acquired versus nonacquired for-profit hospices on process-based quality measures and Medicare reimbursement. After PE acquisition, registered nurse, social worker, and home hospice aide minutes per thirty days declined 5.14 percent, 12.32 percent, and 6.62 percent, respectively; after PTC acquisition, registered nurse and home hospice aide minutes per thirty days declined 4.63 percent and 9.09 percent. Declines in visit minutes also were observed in the last seven days of life. Reductions in visit minutes were driven by four large acquirers. These findings highlight the need for increased transparency and oversight policies, as well as payment reforms that align reimbursement with care intensity and quality.

The top hospitals by state, per Forbes Becker's Hospital Review; by Molly Gamble; 7/29/26 Forbes rated the country’s hospitals state by state for 2026, with 259 earning the top mark of five stars. The Forbes Top Hospitals by State list, published July 14, draws on the national Forbes Top Hospitals 2026 ratings, which score general acute-care hospitals on measures pulled from the CMS Provider Data Catalog across four areas: patient outcomes (weighted at 55%), hospital best practices (20%), value (15%) and patient experience (10%). Each hospital lands on a single Forbes Overall Hospital Quality Rating of one to five stars.