Literature Review

SOS Y1 A31 – How many hospices are there in the USA???Substack; by Joan Teno; 9/21/26This analysis asks how many hospices listed in federal data appear to be functioning, “real” hospice programs. Although 6,669 hospices were listed in the August 2026 refresh, many lacked patient experience data, had very small numbers of deaths, or were not shown in PECOS as able to bill Medicare. The biggest concern is the large group of unrated hospices with fewer than 50 deaths, especially because many are for-profit and concentrated in a few states such as California and Texas. Using several screening rules, the estimate of likely real hospices may be substantially lower than the total number listed, potentially closer to 3,600–5,200 depending one of my 3 proposed rules. Overall, the findings suggest that public hospice listings may include many programs that are inactive, questionable, or no longer able to participate meaningfully in Medicare.

Empassion CEO: MA Can Help with Hospice Program Integrity Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/13/26Structures like Medicare Advantage (MA) can help improve hospice program integrity and reduce the health care spend, according to Robin Heffernan, CEO of Empassion Health. Empassion Health operates in 45 states... Hospice News sat down with Heffernan to discuss past program integrity issues within the home health benefit, how MA may have helped and what this means for hospices.

BJC HealthCare to build 1st dedicated hospice house in St. LouisBecker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 10/7/26St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare plans to open the first dedicated hospice house in the city on its Barnes-Jewish Hospital campus. Evelyn’s House will be a 12-bed hospice house that builds on the system’s original model, which launched in 2017... Construction is expected to begin in 2027, and the facility is expected to open in 2028.

A new question for health system C-suitesBecker's Hospital Review; by Laura Dyrda; 9/30/26For years, hospitals across the country aimed to be the one-stop shop for all healthcare needs. They owned every part of the care journey, including hospitals, physician practices, imaging centers and labs. The instinct was to build or acquire capabilities internally, on the assumption that ownership was the only reliable path to quality and control. But C-suites are now focused on a different question. Executives across system types have stopped asking “can we build this?” and instead posing the question: “who is the best in the world at this, and how do we build a deep relationship with them?”Publisher's note: How might this same question apply to hospice leaders?

BlackDoctor launches first-ever medical advisory board  BlackDoctor, Chicago, IL; Press Release by BlackDoctor; 10/1/26 BlackDoctor, the leading health and wellness platform for Black America, today announced its first Medical Advisory Board. The board brings together eight physicians from across the country. They will help inform the company’s product and content development strategy for clinicians, advance its health education efforts, help shape new products and tools and facilitate strategic engagements across the healthcare ecosystem. ...  It gives the company, which reaches 30 million people each year, a formal layer of clinical oversight from physicians who understand the challenges facing Black patients and clinicians with specialities spanning cardiovascular health, cancer, mental health, kidney disease, clinical trials, dermatology and vision care.

The annual journey plan —turning strategy into an organizational rhythm Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); by Chris Comeaux; 10/1/26A great year is not created in the final quarter. It is created through a disciplined rhythm of listening, deciding, executing, learning, and renewing. A great year is not created in the final quarter. It is created through a disciplined rhythm of listening, deciding, executing, learning, and renewing. Consider a liturgical calendar. It does more than mark dates. It gives a community a shared rhythm with seasons for preparation, reflection, renewal, celebration, and recommitment. Each season has meaning because of what came before it and what follows. The calendar keeps people oriented to what matters most, even when daily life competes for attention.

Dr. Martin McCormack: The healthcare leader connecting education, governance and a safer world Global Healthcare Magazine; September 2026 issue Long before he held a title [Chief Executive Officer of the College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland], ... Dr. Martin McCormack sat with families in the hardest hours of their lives, [as a palliative care physician, trauma counselor with patients and families in intensive care, supervising a team of 36 medical social workers, developing bereavement services. ... He measures his own leadership less by what has been delivered in any one period than by the capability it leaves behind. ... Dr. McCormack has been asking some version of the same question that has remained consistent throughout his career: What does this person need from the system around them, and how do we build it so it holds?

Recruiters say health systems must define the mandate before searching for a chief AI officer Complete AI Training; 9/25/26 Only 6 of the top 100 health systems had a dedicated chief AI officer in 2024, though that number is now growing fast as organizations weigh hiring one or folding AI oversight into existing roles. Health systems are formalizing AI leadership as adoption accelerates, with many weighing whether to hire a dedicated chief AI officer or fold the responsibility into existing roles. ... Recruiters say the mandate must be clear before the search begins, because the pool of qualified candidates remains small and the role is still taking shape.

The critical competencies hospice leaders must build for value-based care cuccess | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Dr. Jessica Hubbs; 9/16/26 Value-based care isn’t just changing how hospice gets paid—it’s redefining what hospice leaders must be capable of delivering. In Part One of The Critical Competencies Hospice Leaders Must Build for Value-Based Care Success, host Chris Comeaux sits down with Dr. Jessica Hubbs, Chief Clinical Officer at Advanced Care Innovations, to explore the accelerating shift from fee-for-service healthcare toward models built around outcomes, total cost of care, and coordinated care delivery.  Dr. Hubbs explains why emerging models such as LEAD (Long-term Enhanced ACO Design) matter to hospice and palliative care leaders—and why the movement upstream into serious illness and home-based care could represent both a competitive headwind and an extraordinary opportunity.

Hospices’ top legislative priorities Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 9/18/26As the midterm elections approach, hospices have unfinished business in the halls of Congress. Providers have identified several high priority pieces of legislation they would like to see passed before this Congress ends in December, according to healthcare leaders attending the National Alliance for Care at Home’s Advocacy Week on Capitol Hill. Most of these are oriented around the common theme of preserving access to home-based care. “Care at home already has bipartisan support and recognition as a cost-effective, patient-preferred solution,” said Jennifer Sheets, CEO of the Alliance, in a statement. “As demand continues to grow, we are committed to being a strong partner with Congress to help federal policy grow with it.”

The strategic trifecta: Aligning AI, data and cybersecurity for real outcomes McKnights Senior Living; by Adam Arker; 9/16/26 The use of artificial intelligence is the No. 1 topic in the senior living industry these days, and for good reason. AI is positioned to transform our world more than any previous technological revolution, including both electricity and the internet. ... If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: The goal for senior living providers related to AI should be to build the data discipline and security foundation that lets AI work safely, consistently and at scale. Organizations that get those fundamentals right will move faster in the long run, and they’ll be able to adopt new tools with confidence instead of constantly starting over and losing money on failed experiments.

Every nurse is an advocate ONS | Voice; by Brenda Van Sambeek; 9/15/26 ... Advocacy happens when we raise a safety concern, help a patient overcome barriers to treatment, mentor a new colleague, or suggest a better way to deliver care. Most nurses advocate regularly; we simply may not think of those actions as advocacy.Why Nurses Needs a Seat at the Table ...

LeadingAge CEO to step down in 2027 Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 9/15/26 LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit and mission-driven providers of aging services, today announced that President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan will step down, effective March 31, 2027. Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, will step down effective March 31, 2027. Smith Sloan has led the association of nonprofit aging services providers since 2016. She previously served as LeadingAge’s COO, beginning in 2002. To date, the organization has not named a successor.