Literature Review

Interim HealthCare celebrates Midlands ribbon cutting and expanded continuum of care MidlandsBiz, Columbia, SC; Press Release; 6/22/26 Interim HealthCare of the Midlands recently celebrated its ribbon cutting and open house, marking a milestone in the organization’s continued investment across South Carolina. Since expanding into the Midlands in 2021, Interim HealthCare has built relationships with patients, families, referral partners, and community providers throughout the region. The celebration marked the growth of services that allow more families to receive support from a team they know and trust. The event drew a strong turnout of community partners, local leaders, referral sources, and Interim HealthCare team members.  

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.]

Cracks in the AI crystal ball: why clinical prediction tools fall short in the real world Journal of General Internal Medicine; by David Gamble MD, Andrew Wong MD, MS and Amiran Baduashvili, MD; 6/22/26 ... In this issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, Patel and colleagues evaluate the real-world performance of five Epic predictive AI tools: the Deterioration Index, Sepsis Model, Unplanned Readmission Model, End-of-Life Care Index, and Patient No-Show Model. Their systematic review and meta-analysis, encompassing 22 studies and over two million patients, focused on the models’ ability to distinguish between patients who ultimately did and did not experience a specific outcome—a property known as discrimination.

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.

BeLoved Hospice launches new Las Vegas operation Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/16/26 Oregon-headquartered BeLoved Hospice has opened a Las Vegas location even as other local operators shut down due to regulatory scrutiny.BeLoved’s Las Vegas operation opened May 1, just two weeks before the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented a six-month moratorium on new hospice enrollments in Medicare. The establishment of the de novo also occurred prior to a Nevada state moratorium on new hospice licenses. Demographic tailwinds are fueling a robust hospice market in Las Vegas, according to Dr. Steven Lampinen, medical director for BeLoved Hospice. 

The missing middle in healthcare—and why it matters | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Bridget Sumser and Sonya Dolan; 6/20/26 What happens between a life-changing diagnosis and hospice care?  In Part One of this thought-provoking conversation, Chris Comeaux welcomes Mettle Health co-founder Sonya Dolan and Director of Counseling & Programs Bridget Sumser to explore what they call healthcare’s “missing middle.” ... Together, they unpack how Mettle Health was created to provide a different kind of support: one centered on accompaniment rather than treatment, resilience rather than answers, and human connection rather than healthcare transactions.

Celebration of Compassion raises over $100,000 for Hosparus Health Hospice Care Center Hosparus Health, Louisville, KY; Press Release; 6/11/26 Hosparus Health, one of the region’s leading nonprofit providers of hospice and palliative care, hosted its fourth annual Celebration of Compassion on Friday, June 5, at the Kentucky Derby Museum. The inspiring evening, presented by Republic Bank Foundation, honored outstanding caregivers, donors, and community partners, and raised over $100,000 in support of a bold vision: building the region’s first standalone Hospice Care Center – a facility now under construction after breaking ground last fall. ... Becky Tooker, President of Hosparus Health said, “Because of this community, the vision for the Hospice Care Center has progressed from promise to reality—construction is underway, and we look ahead to opening in 2027.” 

Stakeholder perspectives on integrating ADEPT into end-of-life care for nursing home residents with dementia: A qualitative descriptive studyInternational Journal of Older People Nursing; by Susanny J Beltran, Latarsha Chisholm, Emily Jaijairam; 5/26Nursing homes care for a significant proportion of individuals with advanced dementia, yet timely hospice referrals remain a challenge. The Advanced Dementia Prognostic Tool (ADEPT) is a mortality risk score instrument that holds promise for improving care planning by providing a standardised, accessible method for identifying residents at risk of death within 6 months. Current processes for identifying hospice-eligible residents rely on regular assessments and interdisciplinary collaboration but reveal significant gaps, including delays in referrals and inconsistent practices. Participants viewed ADEPT as a promising tool to complement goals-of-care conversations and enhance care planning, rather than exclusively triggering hospice initiation. Implementation barriers included the need for electronic system integration, regulatory compliance and staff education, while facilitators encompassed strong leadership support, interdisciplinary coordination and alignment with existing workflows.

The missing middle in healthcare—and why it matters | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Bridget Sumser and Sonya Dolan; 6/20/26 What happens between a life-changing diagnosis and hospice care?  In Part One of this thought-provoking conversation, Chris Comeaux welcomes Mettle Health co-founder Sonya Dolan and Director of Counseling & Programs Bridget Sumser to explore what they call healthcare’s “missing middle.” ... Together, they unpack how Mettle Health was created to provide a different kind of support: one centered on accompaniment rather than treatment, resilience rather than answers, and human connection rather than healthcare transactions.

The Pennant Group and Hartford HealthCare expand collaboration to advance home-based care in Connecticut Stock Titan; Press Release; 6/4/26 Pennant Group (NASDAQ:PNTG) and Hartford HealthCare are expanding their strategic collaboration to advance home-based care in Connecticut. The partners plan mutual investment and a transition into a unified, forward-looking operating entity.

Pastor-endorsed hospice education increases willingness to accept hospice among African American congregants in rural North Carolina American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Tiffany D. Morris, DNP, MS, Ed, MSN, CNE; 5/28/26 ... This preliminary quality improvement project evaluated a culturally tailored, pastor-endorsed hospice education intervention in two African American Baptist churches (n = 49). Guided by humanistic nursing theory, pastors used the African American Outreach Guide for End-of-Life Care to dispel myths and explain hospice services. Willingness to accept hospice (AARP End of Life Survey) increased from 60.4% to 93.6% (51.7% relative increase), and uncertainty decreased from 39.6% to 6.4% (84.2% reduction).

VITAS Healthcare’s growing Florida footprint Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/4/26 Florida-headquartered VITAS Healthcare is expanding its reach across the Sunshine State. The Chemed Corp. subsidiary recently launched a new inpatient hospice center in Port St. Lucie, Florida, a part of its existing service region since 2019. Meanwhile, VITAS also announced its expansion into Florida’s Gulf Coast region of Manatee County. Both strategic moves are intended to improve access to hospice and palliative care, according to VITAS Executive Vice President Patty Husted.