Literature Review

CAPC tools and events to help address disparities and improve outcomes Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC); email and webpage; 2/2/26 February 2026 marks 100 years of Black History Month. As we reflect on a century of honoring the history and contributions of Black Americans, CAPC’s Project Equity initiative focuses on turning that reflection into action by providing practical tools, innovative practices, and training to help palliative care teams effectively advance health equity for patients living with serious illness. 

O&I Subcommittee holds hearing on ongoing fraud in Medicare and Medicaid programs Energy & Commerce - Chairman Brett Guthrie, Washington, DC; Press Release; 2/3/26 Today [2/3], Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led a hearing titled Common Schemes, Real Harm: Examining Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. ... Watch the full hearing here. [Key excerpts:] ... Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01): “Auditors found 112 hospice providers operating out of a single physical address. 112...holy cow. As a result, hospice agencies in LA County alone likely overbilled Medicare by $105 million in just one year. […] It looks like it’s a problem in a lot of different places. 

Sheinelle Jones honors nurses who cared for her late husbandTODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle; YouTube segment from tv show; 2/4/26 TODAY's Sheinelle Jones pays special tribute to the nurses and caretakers who looked after her husband Uche Ojeh while in hospice and not only made the time he had left more comfortable, but also supported her and the whole family during their most difficult moments. "The only reason I even have the strength to talk about it, is because I believe that they're our heroes. They deserve all the love and attention we can give them," she says. Then, the care team, Jazzie Stickle, Denise James Wright, Nykyra Owens, Chanel Duff and Jessica Goldstein, get a special surprise.Editor's Note: This segment on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle honored Uche's birthday, the first birthday Sheinelle and her family are experiencing since his death from brain cancer in May 2025. Hudson Valley Hospice provided hospice care, and beautifully represented the best of hospice care's philosophy and care. In addition to nurses and aides, Sheinelle especially thanked Uche's speech pathologist who helped him voice "I love you." I invite you to watch this and be inspired:  Sheinelle Jones' late husband Uche relearned to say 'I love you' in hospice. And she has the video.

[United Kingdom] Winner's £25k hospice donation matched by lottery BBC News; by Rebecca Kenyon; 1/27/26 A lottery winner who donated £25,000 of her prize to a Kent hospice which cared for her late husband says she is "thrilled" her donation has been matched by the company which ran the draw. Linda Styles donated the money to the Heart of Kent Hospice in Aylesford in August after winning £250,000 in the People's Postcode Lottery. ... It costs £7.6m a year to provide services at the hospice but only 20% of that funding comes from the government. The hospices says this means it relies on voluntary donations for the other 80%.

Many in Pacific Northwest delay end-of-life paperwork, expert says NonStop Local Tri-Cities/Yakima, WA; by NonStop Local; 1/21/26 Experts are saying the beginning of the year is a great time to break the silence around one of life's most important, yet most avoided conversations: our wishes for the end of life. Research reveals that only one in three people have completed necessary paperwork like advanced directives, according to Meagan Williams of Compassion and Choices. This national nonprofit focuses on end-of-life healthcare planning and options. 

Sanofi Collective - Foundation S stands behind transformative children's palliative care project in Kenya Global Treehouse Foundation; Press Release; 1/27/26 A significant grant from the Foundation S - the Sanofi Collective will enable a transformative three-year project delivering comprehensive grief and bereavement care to families affected by childhood cancer in Kenya. This is about more than funding: it’s about ensuring families are seen, supported and not left to navigate their most challenging moments alone. Foundation S’s investment is a significant milestone in integrating grief and social-emotional support into healthcare systems - an area too often overlooked, yet essential to the dignity and well-being of children and those who love them.

Fighting hospice fraud an OIG priority Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/26/26 The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has identified hospice fraud among top management and performance challenges. This is according to an annual document that OIG prepares, a statutory requirement that is designed to help HHS improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its operations. A major challenge for HHS is the “sizable” reduction in workforce and a slew of program changes instituted by the Trump Administration, the report indicated. “Effectively managing a changing organizational and workforce environment is itself a significant management challenge,” OIG said in the report. 

Nonprofit donates $100,000 to UVA Health to establish endowment for pediatric palliative care WVIR 29 News, Charlottesville, VA; by Kate Neuchterlein; 1/23/26 The University of Virginia’s Children’s Hospital has received a $100,000 donation from Olivia’s Light, a nonprofit that supports children living with rare diseases and their families. Co-founders Jenna and Ben King named the nonprofit after their daughter, Olivia, who was hospitalized at UVA soon after her birth and diagnosed with a rare and fatal neurodevelopmental disorder. Olivia was sent home at two-and-a-half months old, where she passed away just seven weeks later. 

Stroke survivors in DFW find new hope with Sovereign Hospice Home Care Holliston Town News, Aubrey, TX; by Sovereign Hospice; 1/26/26 Stroke survivors and their families often encounter unexpected challenges ... Sovereign Hospice in Aubrey, Texas, addresses these complex needs through targeted palliative care programs designed specifically for post-stroke complications. ... Post-stroke pain affects approximately 30% of survivors, manifesting as headaches, muscle spasticity, or neuropathic sensations. Fatigue represents another common issue, with many patients reporting exhaustion after minimal activity. Depression occurs in roughly one-third of stroke survivors, creating additional barriers to recovery. 

WHO statement on notification of withdrawal of the United States World Health Organization; 1/24/26 As a founding member of the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States of America has contributed significantly to many of WHO’s greatest achievements, including the eradication of smallpox, and progress against many other public health threats including polio, HIV, Ebola, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety and more. WHO therefore regrets the United States’ notification of withdrawal from WHO – a decision that makes both the United States and the world less safe. The notification of withdrawal raises issues that will be considered by the WHO Executive Board at its regular meeting starting on 2 February and by the World Health Assembly at its annual meeting in May 2026.

A legacy of compassion: Sargent family dedicates the Aroostook House of Comfort dining room The County, Presque Isle, ME; 1/15/26 The Aroostook Hospice Foundation is honored to announce a $25,000 gift from the Sargent family, made in loving memory of Iffy Sargent, who passed away on Jan. 14, 2025. This generous gift dedicates the Family Dining Room at the Aroostook House of Comfort, a central gathering space within the home. The Family Dining Room offers patients, families, and staff a place to gather, share meals and experience comfort and connection during life’s most tender moments. Designed to feel like a real home rather than a medical facility, the space supports essential, everyday moments of normalcy — conversation, shared meals and quiet time together. 

Retirement for Beth Dorsk: Her day is her own Jewish News; by Terri Denison; 1/15/26 A Virginia Beach native, Beth Koonan Dorsk retired as a hospice nurse in 2025.  She agreed to share with Jewish News some of her reasons for retiring and how it’s working out.Editor's Note: True to hospice and palliative care's core principle for personalized choices, explore others' choices in today's post, "I'm still working in the medical field at 83. My husband doesn't need me at home staring at him all day — I want to be productive."