Literature Review

Hospices’ top questions about AI Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/17/26 ... Hospices nationwide are implementing AI solutions to build efficiency and improve workflows, as well as aid in clinical decision making and documentation. ... AI is leading the pack in terms of hospice technology investments in 2026. About 36% of hospice leader respondents to Hospice News’ 2026 Outlook Survey indicated that predictive analytics and AI systems will be their top tech investments this year. This was followed by electronic health records at 30% and patient engagement tools at 11%.

Hospices to face increased scrutiny under new scoring system Harris Beach Murtha Attorneys at Law; by Glenn M. Jones and Roy W. Breitenbach; 4/15/26 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans a new hospice scoring system in fiscal year 2027 . ... CMS announced the service and spending variation index (SSVI) is part of its ongoing efforts to combat fraud and strengthen program integrity. CMS said the system will increase transparency for families, ensure proper care, protect beneficiaries and support providers delivering quality end-of-life care. Details of the proposed rule can be found on the Federal Register. The agency has also published a fact sheet on the proposed rule. The SSVI score will be based on a variety of metrics CMS gathers from hospice claims, including:

Owatonna, Mankato Hospice Supplement Program & caregiver jobs plan launched Marketers Media / NewsNetwork, Owatonna, MN; Press Release; 4/14/26 Freedom Home Care, LLC, in southern Minnesota, announced the update and expansion of its Hospice Care Supplement Program. ... It delivers 24/7 supplemental care, including overnight and live-in options, to cover times when family members or hospice teams are unavailable. Services go beyond medical support to include household assistance such as meal preparation, light housekeeping, companionship, supervision, assistance with transfers and repositioning, and personalized one-on-one attention—ensuring patients are never alone while families can rest, focus on quality time, and avoid burnout. More information at: https://freedomhomecarellc.com/services/hospice-care/

Avow expands hospice services into Glades, Hendry and Lee countiesLake Okeechobee News, Naples, FL; 4/13/26On Monday, April 13 , Avow, a leading nonprofit health care provider based in Southwest Florida, announced its expansion into Glades, Hendry and Lee counties. This expansion extends Avow’s high-quality hospice and comprehensive bereavement support, increasing access and impact for families across the region. ... Over the past year, Avow has expanded its reach and deepened its impact, caring for more than 2,900 hospice patients annually and providing more than 4,000 palliative care visits through its Naples clinic and satellite locations. 

81,000 people shared their dreams for AI. Here’s what HR leaders owe them HR Executive; by Jill Barth; 4/7/26 Over one week, 80,508 people across 159 countries and 70 languages described what they actually want from this technology. The result is what Anthropic is calling the largest qualitative study ever conducted, and the picture it paints of how workers experience AI is both more personal and more urgent than most HR leaders have been led to believe. ... One healthcare worker described receiving 100 to 150 messages a day from doctors and nurses, most of which required documentation. “Since implementing AI, the pressure of documentation has been lifted,” the respondent said. “I have more patience with nurses, more time to explain things to family members.”

Asbury Hospice House breaks ground on expansion in Hattiesburg WDAM-TV 7, Hattiesburg, MS; by Delaney Dukes; 4/1/26 The Forrest Health Foundation broke ground Wednesday afternoon on an expansion at the Asbury Hospice House that will add new spaces designed for comfort and connection. ... The expansion includes larger family areas, a children’s activity space, a larger on-site pharmacy and an outdoor pavilion. ... The Forrest Health Foundation raised more than $3 million to support the expansion.

CHS boosts performance-based exec pay Becker's Hospital Review; by Alan Condon; 4/6/26 Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems is doubling down on performance-based compensation for its top executives, tying the majority of pay to financial and operational results, according to a proxy report filed April 2 with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Private equity, AI, and the future of end-of-life care | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner; 4/1/26 In this thought-provoking episode, Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner unpack some of the most pressing forces shaping the future of end-of-life care—private equity, rising healthcare costs, and the accelerating influence of artificial intelligence. Grounded in real-world stories and industry data, the conversation explores a growing tension between the promise of Hospice as a gold-standard care model and the operational, financial, and expectation gaps that providers and families are increasingly experiencing.

Private equity, AI, and the future of end-of-life care | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner; 4/1/26 In this thought-provoking episode, Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner unpack some of the most pressing forces shaping the future of end-of-life care—private equity, rising healthcare costs, and the accelerating influence of artificial intelligence. Grounded in real-world stories and industry data, the conversation explores a growing tension between the promise of Hospice as a gold-standard care model and the operational, financial, and expectation gaps that providers and families are increasingly experiencing.

QIM26-302: Hospice at the bedside: A Quality Improvement Initiative to improve end of life care and reduce inpatient mortality in a cancer center Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network - JNCCN; by Matthew Murphy, Jacqueline Young, Hardik Thakkar, Sean Powell, Timothy Hembree, and David Buxton; 3/31/26 ...  Patients dying in the hospital may not survive transfer to external hospice units. ...  Integration of GIP Hospice beds into the hospital has streamlined delivery of timely, comprehensive EoL care for patients and bereavement support for families. The collaborative care model allows the hospital-based team to deliver care with active support from the hospice agency. Families express appreciation for the program, especially in situations when the patient is not stable for transfer.  

New program and book examine best practices around end-of-life care for people living with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD) Hospice Foundation of America, Washington, DC; by Lisa Veglahn;3/25/26 Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) will present its 33rd annual Living with Grief® educational program, Best Practices in Hospice Care for Advanced Dementia, addressing optimal care for the fastest growing segment of the hospice population. The program will be held live via Zoom on April 14, 2026, from noon—2 pm ET. According to the National Institutes of Health, researchers estimate that 42% of Americans over the age of 55 will at some point develop a form of dementia, all of which are terminal illnesses. ... In addition to the upcoming program, HFA has published a new volume of scholarly and personal work, Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia: A Guide for Hospice Clinicians, edited by Kenneth J. Doka and Amy S. Tucci. The book offers valuable insights and practical approaches to delivering compassionate, person-centered end-of-life care to individuals with dementia and their loved ones. Editor's Note: Hospice Foundation of America has long defined standards for hospice education, and once again leads at a pivotal moment as dementia impacts Baby Boomers' end-of-life care. From their early satellite broadcasts that convened clinicians nationwide to today’s expansive reach, HFA has consistently translated complexity into practical, practice-changing insight. This work challenges us not only to learn, but to lead—bringing greater clarity, skill, and compassion to those living with dementia and those who walk beside them.

Mercy Hospice House reopens after five month hiatus Durango Herald, Durango, CO; by Elizabeth Pond; 3/21/26 The Mercy Hospice House, an end of life care wing of Mercy Hospital, officially reopened this week after a five-month-long closure, according to a Monday news release by Mercy’s owner, CommonSpirit Health. The hospital wing temporarily closed because of a change in outpatient service ownership and a required licensing review, a CommonSpirit spokesperson told The Durango Herald in November. The facility transferred leadership of outpatient services to its national entity, CommonSpirit Health at Home, on a for-profit basis in October, with inpatient ownership remaining under its original regional leadership and nonprofit model.