Literature Review

A natural segue: Retired hospice physician Ralph Caldroney ’72 turns a planned gift into immediate impact with new lecture sponsorship W&L - The Columns, Washington & Lee University, Lexington, VA; by Barbara Elliott; 9/15/25 [Dr. Ralph Caldrony, retired medical director for Hospice of Rockbridge County,] attended several Mudd Center lectures during this past year’s series: “How We Live and Die: Stories, Values and Communities.” ... Impressed by the range and quality of the Mudd Center presentations [at Washington & Lee University], Caldroney previously committed a $250,000 planned gift to the center for his 50th reunion gift in 2022. However, after such a positive experience attending this year’s lecture series, he decided to fast-track his support. For each of the next five years, his $5,000 per-year gift will sponsor an annual lecture. “It was a natural segue,” Caldroney says. “This way, I can enjoy some of the fruits of my labor while I am still alive.”

Hosparus Health breaks ground on region’s first standalone hospice care center Hosparus Health; Press Release; 9/16/25 Hosparus Health proudly announces the groundbreaking of its new Hospice Care Center, the region’s first and only standalone inpatient hospice facility, following the successful achievement of its $9.2 million fundraising goal by raising nearly $9.6 million to launch construction. The Hospice Care Center is a critical expansion of compassionate end-of-life care for families across the region. Designed to serve patients with complex needs in a peaceful, homelike setting, the nearly 30,000-square-foot facility will offer 21 private patient suites, family gathering spaces, a chapel, and serene gardens for quiet reflection. “When families can no longer care for a loved one at home, this facility will offer a supportive space that blends expert care with dignity and comfort,” said David W. Cook, President and CEO of Hosparus Health. 

Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Open House connected to past, present and future Maryland Bay Net, Pasadena, MD; by Hospice of the Chesapeake; 9/13/25 A celebration of past, present and future brought together volunteers, donors, elected officials and community members for Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Community Open House on Sept. 9. The event was held on the nonprofit’s John & Cathy Belcher Campus in Pasadena. It included tours of the four buildings and the many gardens on the 7-acre campus and an opportunity to both reminisce and share new ideas.

The state where all hospitals have perfect health equity scores  Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 9/2/25 Delaware is the only state where 100% of its hospitals scored perfectly on health equity measures, according to CMS data. The agency used hospital commitment to health equity data, such as social determinants of health data, race, ethnicity, language, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation and disability status to determine access to equitable care and coverage. Facilities were ranked on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score. CMS then compiled a ranking of states based on the percentage of facilities that received each score. Data was collected between January and December 2023 and was last updated Aug. 6. 

Fond du Lac 9-year-olds used country club lemonade stand to raise over $1K for hospice care FDL Report, Fond du Lac, WI; by Shelly Haberman; 8/30/25 On a sunny weekend in Fond du Lac, during the bustling member-guest golf tournament at South Hills Golf & Country Club, two young girls turned a simple backyard lemonade stand into a powerful tribute of love and generosity. Olivia Schaeve and Lola Polacek, both Fond du Lac residents, hosted the stand in honor of Olivia’s grandmother, Susanne Stilwell, who passed away in December 2024. ... “My mom was incredibly close to Olivia,” Rachel Schaeve, Olivia’s mother, shares. “As part of our grief journey, we’ve tried to keep her memory alive. The lemonade stand felt like a fun and meaningful way to do that.” The girls, both age 9, embraced the challenge with enthusiasm. “They considered themselves quite the mixologists,” Rachel laughs. “They loved adding extra flavors and chatting with the golfers. As the donations started piling up, they set a goal to raise $1,000 — and they did it!”

When I go, I'm going green KFF Health News; by Paula Span; 9/8/25 More Americans are choosing burials in which everything is biodegradable. ... “Do you see a lot of interest in green burials?” I asked the friendly town cemetery commissioner who was showing me around. “I don’t think we’ve had a traditional burial in two years,” he said. “It’s all green.”

Our Hospice Concert raises $71,000 The Republic, Columbus, IN; by Hallie Gallinat; 9/3/25 Organizers say more than 1,200 people attended the 39th annual Our Hospice Summer Concert Saturday at the Circle K Fieldhouse at NexusPark to listen to the music of Elton John, Billy Joel and The Eagles. This year’s concert raised $71,000 to benefit Our Hospice programs and services. Funds raised from the concert directly support Our Hospice’s mission to provide hospice care, bereavement services and palliative care for patients and families across South Central Indiana.

Christmas for Lorie: Carmel neighborhood lights up August NBC WTHR-13, Carmel, IN; by Scott Swan; 8/21/25 On a warm August night, Christmas lights are twinkling on a street in Carmel. "One of our favorite traditions on Windbush is to decorate every house as much as possible," said neighbor Emily Clem. We may be 125 days away from Christmas, but for the family in this house, the beauty of the holiday needs to happen now. "When I saw the lights go up last Thursday or Friday, my heart sunk because I knew what it was," said Brady Young, who lives nearby. Lorie Graves, a 50-year-old wife and mom, is on home hospice as she battles ovarian cancer. "We did the Christmas decorations in the front yard because we have a very special neighbor right down the road who is battling cancer," said Shane Best. ... And so did the neighbors.

Add your message inside the walls of $3.5M Tri-Cities Hospice remodel Tri-City Herald, Keenwick, WA; by Wendy Culverwell; 8/28/25 Tri-Cities Chaplaincy Hospice House invites supporters to tuck messages inside its walls as it briefly pauses renovation and expansion work this week. The public can visit from 3-5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 29. Hospice House is at 2018 W. Entiat Ave., Kennewick. Laurie Jackson, CEO, traces the idea of leaving messages inside walls before they’re sealed up to the original construction some 30 years ago. ... Jackson said long-time supporters regularly share memories of pounding nails and leaving messages in the unfinished walls nearly 30 years ago. Current leaders decided to recreate the moment when Bouten Construction, the contractor, advised it was almost ready to finish the walls.Editor's Note: This creative, meaningful community engagement can be adapted easily to other hospice construction and renovations. How beautiful, Tri-Cities Chaplaincy Hospice House!

[DRAFT] Today marks the 20th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

NorthStar Care Community announces partnership with Beads of Courage Fox 17 - West Michigan;by Nicole Stoner; 8/19/25 Beads Of Courage is an organization that helps pediatric patients document their health journey through beads of different sizes, shapes, and colors. ... NorthStar Care Community, already established for their compassion in pallative and hospice care, has announced a partnership with Beads Of Courage. This time, the partnership honors patients entering hospice care through their own treatment stages, milestones, and moments of courage. ... In addition, the Carry A Bead Initiative invites the public to support these patients on their journey during end-of-life care by carrying a NorthStar Bead with them, then returning it with a message of encouragement. The bead is then gifted to someone in hospice care, ensuring that these patients are not alone in their health journey.

Addressing hospice care Medicare fraud: Awareness and actionInvestors Hangout; by Lucas Young; 8/18/25 The New York StateWide Senior Action Council (StateWide) is an impactful 53-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to assisting approximately 2.5 million senior citizens. Recently, they have spotlighted a concerning trend in their monthly Medicare Fraud identification: Hospice Care Medicare Fraud. This initiative is part of the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), which equips older adults and their caregivers with the knowledge to detect, prevent, and report healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse. StateWide administers this program for New York State, acting as a crucial resource for senior citizens across the region. [This article provides simple, clear facts for the public.]

Healthy Together Cleveland receives foundation grant [from Hospice of Cleveland County] The Home Page for Cleveland County, North Carolina; Press Release; 8/14/25 The Board of Directors for Hospice Cleveland County Foundation recently awarded a $50,000 grant to support the Everyone Eats Emergency Food Fund Drive, spearheaded by Healthy Together Cleveland (HTC) to combat food insecurity in Cleveland County. "As we continue to face unprecedented challenges, community support is vital. Everyone Eats is a testament to what we can achieve when we come together with a shared purpose. We are delighted to provide this grant to launch the campaign and hope it will inspire others to participate," said Katie Borders, President, Hospice Cleveland County Foundation. Last month, HTC announced that 1 in 6 people in the county are experiencing food insecurity. ... The mission of the Foundation is to strive to maintain the success of the hospice tradition in Cleveland County by supporting efforts to help people lead healthy, productive lives and experience peaceful, dignified deaths. We seek to ensure that all people - especially those with the fewest resources - have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and in life.Editor's Note: May we all learn and live from Hospice Cleveland County Foundation's mission and action. Thank you.