Literature Review

Concordia Hospice of Washington Donnell House closes Observer-Reporter, Washington, PA; by Karen Mansfield; 8/3/26 For nearly 25 years, Concordia Hospice of Washington Donnell House has helped patients and their families through life’s hardest moments. Now, the hospice facility in Washington has closed its doors. “Concordia Hospice of Washington can confirm that inpatient hospice services are no longer being provided at the Donnell House,” the company said in a statement. “This change reflects a continuing decline in the need for inpatient hospice care as more patients and families choose to receive hospice services in the comfort of home, supported by advances in community-based care.” The hospice team continues to provide in-home care and support to patients and families throughout the region, according to a spokesman.

Voices: Ryan Krout, PharmD, Vice President of Clinical Account Management, Dragonfly HealthHospice News; by Mick Stahlberg; 6/30/26 In this Voices interview, Ryan Krout, Vice President of Clinical Account Management at Dragonfly Health, shares how his role has evolved within the newly unified organization, why connected data matters for hospice operators and how unified care models will shape the year ahead.

Why traditional primary care fails frail elders and the future need for specialized models | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Dr. Bethany Snider; 7/29/26 Traditional primary care wasn't designed for today's frail elders—and that gap may be one of healthcare's greatest challenges. As America's population ages, healthcare leaders face an urgent question: Is the traditional primary care model enough to care for frail older adults with complex medical, functional, and social needs?  In Part One of this thought-provoking conversation, Chris Comeaux welcomes Dr. Bethany Snider, Chief Medical Officer of Everent Health, to explore why the future of serious illness care requires a fundamentally different approach. Together, they unpack the emerging concept of the frail elder practice—a longitudinal, interdisciplinary model that extends beyond office visits to meet patients where they are, both physically and emotionally.

Grant supports hospice and home care in Juneau Juneau Empire, Juneau, AK; by Juneau Empire Staff; 7/29/26 A funding boost has provided a lifeline for home health and hospice care in Juneau. The Foundation for End of Life Care provided a $21,643 grant to Bartlett Regional Hospital to support critical equipment and staff training needs for home health and hospice patients and families. Bartlett Regional Hospital controller Andrew Erikson said Home Health and Hospice at Bartlett has relied on a medical equipment distributor to provide essential equipment for home health and hospice patients.

Hospice care helps patients stay connected to themselves  Portland Press Herald; by Carol Weir; 7/27/26We must look past the fraud and incompetence of a few bad actors and recognize the vital role played by trusted, dedicated hospice providers. [Story about caring for 14-year-old boy Jacob] I share this story because I feel strongly that hospice care in America has been dealt a rough hand recently. Outlier examples of fraud and abuse in the news overshadow the exceptional, professional, compassionate and personalized care hospice programs provide day in and day out. Without a doubt, bad actors should be eradicated from the Medicare program, and government oversight reforms are needed ... No legitimate or credible providers dispute that. But we must not lose sight of the quality care patients like Jacob are receiving from skilled, reliable, warm, nurturing and empathetic hospice teams in every corner of our country.

Navigating AI & change management: the evolving landscape of leadership in the age of continuous disruption Recruit-Talent.com | Leadership & Management; 7/24/26|... The Dawn of AI Change Leadership: Redefining Transformation AI change leadership is defined as the practice of facilitating the adaptation of individuals, teams, and entire organizations to the relentless pace of AI-driven transformation. Unlike traditional change management, which typically focuses on discrete initiatives with defined endpoints, AI change leadership grapples with ongoing technological disruption, the dynamic evolution of workforce skills, the complex interplay of human-AI collaboration, and escalating concerns surrounding trust and ethical implications. For decades, leadership research has underscored a fundamental tension inherent in successful change: the coexistence of stability and change. ... However, AI change leadership fundamentally disrupts this established paradigm. 

Sterling Hospice home to close, expected to reopen under new ownership KWQC-6, Sterling, IL; by KWQC Staff; 7/22/26 The Rock River Hospice & Home is closing Aug.1, officials announced Wednesday. The organization, which has been serving people throughout the Sauk Valley area for over 40 years, is closing due to longstanding financial challenges, officials said in a media release. “Changes in healthcare reimbursement, increasing operating costs, and other economic pressures have made it increasingly difficult for standalone hospice providers to remain financially sustainable,” officials said. However, officials said care will continue to be available in the community. 

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.

Mercy Hospice House renamed Garden B; some criticize lack of transparency The Durango Herald, Durango, CO; by Jessica Bowman; 7/20/26 Mercy Hospice House was renamed Garden B after the for-profit arm of CommonSpirit Health Network, Health at Home, assumed responsibility for outpatient hospice services. The name change was required by state regulations, according to Wendy Hockett, the Health at Home representative who spoke with local hospice volunteers during a meeting Wednesday at the hospice offices in Three Springs. Because Mercy Hospital no longer holds Colorado's hospice license, the building can no longer legally be called a "hospice house," she said. The hospice license is now held by CommonSpirit Health at Home. The hospice team will continues to care for patients who are in one of the eight Garden B beds, but Mercy Hospital nurses, trained in both hospice and non-hospice care, will also provide bedside care, she said.

CTOs say human alignment is key to cyber resilience SC World US Media | CyberRisk Alliance; by LevelBlue; 7/17/26 ... CTOs identify human misalignment as a key shortcoming in the cyber resilience strategy.CTOs believe that greater collaboration could improve the effectiveness of their cyber resilience strategies. Only slightly over one quarter (27%) say their enterprise displays very close alignment, compared with about a third who say they are very competent in areas relating to cybersecurity and cyber resilience. LevelBlue’s data indicates that 75% of CTOs (compared with 61% of the overall sample) say lack of clarity around responsibility for cyber resilience often impairs strategy. A lack of clear ownership blurs accountability, delays incident response, and disconnects cyber decisions from business risk appetite. Despite strong technical defenses, this leaves organizations more exposed.

What hospices can learn from Netflix Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/15/26 Netflix has infiltrated many of our homes, and hospices can learn a lesson or two from that company’s history of innovation. Many commentators have held up the streaming and entertainment company as a pillar of innovation, repeatedly reinventing itself as market conditions change. The company is adept at riding the “S-curve,” which models growth and progress for a business over a period of time. To form the “S,” a company must pass through three phases: slow initial growth (the base), rapid acceleration (the middle) and eventual leveling off (the maturity phase). Hospice businesses, for profit and nonprofit, must also ride this curve to succeed. This could require stepping outside their comfort zone, according to Agrace President and CEO Lynne Sexten.

Savings in Medicare hospice payments for care provided in nursing homes U.S. HHS-OIG; Project Number OEI-02-26-00180; 7/15/26 The fixed daily rates that Medicare pays hospices for routine home care provided in a nursing home include personal care services.  However, nursing homes are already required to provide personal care services to their residents.  Paying the hospice the full routine home care rate that covers personal care services when these services are already required from the nursing home can undermine the efficiency of Medicare payments and add to the incentives that bad actors have to exploit the program.  This review will determine Medicare payments for routine home care provided to hospice beneficiaries in nursing homes, estimate potential cost savings from reducing the payment to address the inefficiency in the payment structure, and examine practices of hospices with a high percentage of their beneficiaries in nursing homes.

Hospice should offer dignity, not deception | Your turn VC Star, Ventura County, CA; by Molly Corbett; 7/11/26 Not long ago, a Ventura County family called Livingston for help. Their loved one was enrolled with another hospice but had not received a visit from one of its nurses in more than three weeks. Consider what those weeks must have felt like. The family had made one of the most difficult decisions it would ever face. Instead of focusing on their loved one, they were left wondering when help would come and whether anyone was paying attention. That’s the human cost of hospice fraud and neglect. It’s not only money improperly billed to Medicare. It’s pain that may go unmanaged, calls that go unanswered and precious time consumed by fear and frustration.