Literature Review

Grief experiences among LGBTQ+ populations: a scoping review BMC Palliative Care; by Tamara Rodríguez Pérez, Cristo Manuel Marrero González, Alfonso Miguel García Hernández; 6/23/26 Objective: To explore research published between 2021 and 2026 on grief and bereavement-related experiences among LGBTQ+ adults in healthcare and palliative care settings, identifying the main topics addressed and knowledge gaps relevant to clinical practice. Results: ... Four main themes were identified: minority stress, complexities of disclosure, disenfranchised grief, and gaps in professional training. Critical gaps included underrepresentation of transgender people, a scarcity of quantitative data, an absence of intersectional perspectives, and concentration in Western contexts.

1776-1786: 250 Years - A History of CareHospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger; for 6/10/26Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Leading with care WilmingtonBiz, Wilmington, NC; by Beth A. Klahre; 6/22/26 Following a nationwide search, Karen Brubaker Miller was named president and CEO of Lower Cape Fear LifeCare this spring, becoming just the fourth CEO in the organization’s 46-year history. ... Miller said she plans to continue to grow palliative care services. In addition, with $5 million from the New Hanover Community Endowment, LifeCare will also administer The Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Program, a Medicare initiative launched in July 2024. Looking further ahead, Miller hopes to expand LifeCare’s geographic reach while building on the services in place.

Somerset hospice opening delayed by Medicare move The Tribune-Democrat, Somerset, PA; by Kelly Urban; 6/20/26 Following a ribbon-cutting in May for the reopening of the Somerset inpatient hospice facility, Windber Hospice at Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber has provided an update regarding the facility’s opening timeline. While the facility remains on track to reopen, the opening has been delayed by a recently announced nationwide Medicare enrollment moratorium affecting new hospice enrollments and hospice locations. ... “We know many families have been eagerly anticipating the return of inpatient hospice care in Somerset County, and we share their disappointment in this unexpected delay,” said Richard Sukenik, CEO of Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber. “We are actively working with local, state and federal legislators to seek assistance and ensure they understand the importance of bringing this service back to Somerset County. We will continue pursuing every available avenue to move this project forward while preparing to welcome patients as soon as approval is granted.” [Access to the full article may be limited by a paywall.]

As a doctor and a daughter, finding gratitude amid loss on Father’s Day The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, MD; by Jean Marbella; 6/21/26 As a physician who specializes in palliative care, Dr. Delia Chiaramonte helps patients, families and medical professionals deal with the stresses and demands that come with serious and often terminal illnesses. Then, her own father died. "I thought I knew what this experience would be like," she said. "It is much more nuanced." On this, her second Father's Day without her own father, Chiaramonte taps into both her lived and professional experiences to offer advice on a holiday for those feeling more bereft than celebratory.

Cincinnati Children's opened 6 locations in 2025. Here's why Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, OH; by Carly Gist; 6/12/2026 Cincinnati Children's is expanding its access to care across the region, including in Northern Kentucky. The health system reported in its latest Community Impact Report, released to the public June 9, that six new locations opened in 2025, including facilities in previously underserved communities such as Clermont and Clinton counties. Rural areas often have limited access to specialized and emergency care, placing residents at a higher risk of health challenges and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Father's Day flashback: Son's pitch to ailing dad to take in a game becomes gift for both The Dallas Morning News; by Evan Grant; 6/21/26 I took my father to a baseball game Friday. It was his last. He is 87, dying from congestive heart failure and has been in the care of a hospice nurse for two months. We know what lies ahead shortly. And yet, this is not a sad story. Not in the least. Some 40 years ago, just down the block in what is now a parking lot, my dad introduced me to Major League Baseball. ... He opened a door to a world that has become my passion and my life. I wanted to simply try and repay him by taking him to one game as a way of saying thanks. It was going to be my Father's Day gift to him. Instead, it is about a gift he gave me.

End of life nurse appeals for homemade property bags Nursing In Practice; by Gee Harland; 6/17/26 An end of life nurse is leading an initiative to return patient belongings to families in homemade bags. Lead nurse Debbie Williams at Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust was struck by how ‘awful’ she felt carrying her mother’s belongings home from hospital in a plastic bag after her death in 2014. She was inspired to start an appeal calling for homemade bags to be donated to replace the plastic patient bags – noting how it is the ‘simple things that make the difference.

1776-1786: 250 Years - A History of CareHospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger; for 6/10/26Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Care Synergy Announces Leadership Transition as CEO Tim Bowen Plans Retirement; Tricia Ford Named CEO ElectCare Synergy press release; 6/19/26Care Synergy President and Chief Executive Officer Tim Bowen has announced his plans to retire on March 2, 2027. To ensure a seamless leadership transition, Care Synergy's Board of Directors has named Hospice Chief Operating Officer Tricia Ford as CEO Elect. The transition plan includes Ford immediately assuming CEO Elect responsibilities while continuing to work closely with Bowen to ensure a seamless transfer of leadership. Bowen will retire on March 2, 2027, at which time Ford will become Chief Executive Officer. Care Synergy also plans to begin a search for a new Chief Operating Officer in the near future.

Groundbreaking ceremony held for Julia HouseWJET Erie, Erie, PA; by Bailey Mutschler; 6/18/26 What started as moving dirt on Thursday [6/18] is expected to become a place focused on comfort, dignity and support for families that need it. Project leaders broke ground off of West Road in McKean, officially beginning construction of Julia House, Erie County's first free standing in-patient hospice facility and outpatient palliative medicine clinic. "I saw the very first inpatient hospice facility in Cleveland, and I realized that we didn't have a facility like this here in Erie County," said Christopher Strzalka, the medical director and board president of Julia Hospice & Palliative Care. ... This project has been in the works since the pandemic. After receiving multiple state grants and holding a number of fundraisers, their goal of nearly $6 million has been reached.

Disability-rights advocates sue Illinois over physician-assisted suicide law RegionalMediaNews.com; by The Center Square; 6/18/26 A law that is set to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Illinois is being challenged by disability-rights advocates and organizations in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois.The law, signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last December, is set to go into effect on Sept. 12, but disability rights advocates, which make up the “End Assisted Suicide Coalition,” are seeking to prevent it. Similar laws have been passed in 13 states across the country, with many also being challenged in court.