Literature Review

How Lower Cape Fear LifeCare built its Memory Care affiliate Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/22/25 Lower Cape Fear LifeCare built from the ground up a program dedicated to serving dementia patients. A growing number of operators have developed programs tailored to patients with specific diagnoses, providing specialized care tailored to their specific needs. Examples include dementia, heart failure and other cardiac conditions, as well as diseases of the lungs. At Lower Cape Fear LifeCare, the program started small and rapidly expanded. The North Carolina-based hospice provider six years ago launched a support group for dementia caregivers, called Memory Partners. This over time bloomed into a full-fledged dementia services subsidiary called LifeCare Memory Partners, Evan Dressel, director of strategy, development and innovation at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare said at the Hospice News ELEVATE conference in Orlando, Florida.

“It’s an homage”: Noah Wyle quietly sneaked in a tribute in one of the best episodes of ‘The Pitt’ FandomWire; by Arian Cruz; 4/18/25 In the fourth episode of The Pitt titled 10:00 A.M., Noah Wyle’s Dr. Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch monitored Mr. Spencer during his final hours while dealing with his own thoughts about the death of his beloved mentor, Dr. Adamson. He remembers the advice he received from him and shared it with the children of the dying patient as they waited for their father to pass. The phrases ‘I love you,’ ‘Thank you,’ ‘I forgive you,’ and ‘Please forgive me’ are words that need to be heard when someone is at the end of their life. Wyle revealed that he took these lessons from palliative care physician and author Ira Byock when he was writing the screenplay. Wyle said these short phrases are profound and hold deep meanings beyond their simplicity. He made sure to weave them in on the show while taking inspiration from his own mother for the emotional scenes. He shared via USA Today: "A very similar event had played out with my mother and her brother when saying goodbye to my grandfather. After she shared this with me, I just said ‘Thank you,’ went right back to my typewriter and wrote the scene. It’s an homage to my mother, my uncle and my grandfather.Editor's and Publisher's note: And we thank you, Dr. Ira Byock, for your profound, immeasurable influence for so many of us--professionally with those we serve, and personally with our own families and friends.

Closing the hospice care coverage gap in Florida Naples Daily News, Naples, FL; by Nichole Goble; 4/20/25 For too many Floridians living with serious illness, accessing high-quality hospice care remains a challenge. Families are left struggling to find the support they need, and patients are forced to navigate complex medical decisions without adequate guidance. In Florida, this gap is especially pronounced, leaving thousands without the specialized care that could improve their quality of life. Caregiver Action Network (CAN) is dedicated to advocating for caregivers and their loved ones. ... Living in a rural area, bringing in hospice support to the home ensured that family could more easily be with him on a continuous basis. ... This year, CAN has engaged over 65,000 caregivers across the state of Florida to better understand their priorities when it comes to hospice care and the benefits of integrated health systems, with over 28,000 of those being in Hendry, Lee, Pinellas, Glades, and connected counties.

How physician CEOs are reenergizing later-career cliniciansBecker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 4/9/25 While much attention has been paid to recruiting top talent amid workforce shortages, retaining physicians later in their careers is also a key focus for health systems. Mentorship, flexible scheduling and leadership development opportunities can help energize experienced physicians and reduce burnout in the years leading up to their retirement, health system CEOs told Becker’s. Physician CEOs are uniquely positioned to understand the challenges around burnout and retention. Sunny Eappen, MD, president and CEO of The University of Vermont Health Network in Burlington [described], “Having experience being in front of a patient and having to either have difficult conversations or make difficult decisions is at the core of what we do,” Dr. Eappen said. “People understand that I can really speak from the heart and truly be in their shoes.”

3 major tactics used by hospice scammers Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/18/25 Among the numerous tactics that unscrupulous hospices use to commit fraud, three are rising to the forefront. Four states have garnered national attention as fraud hotbeds — Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. These regions have seen swarms of new hospices emerging and receiving Medicare dollars. Numerous reports of unethical or illegal practices have surfaced, particularly among these new companies. ... One common practice among them is to keep their patient census low to avoid regulators’ attention, Judy Lund Person, principal of the consulting firm Lund Person and Associates, ... Among these providers, three principal tactics are emerging, according to Sheila Clark, president and CEO of the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association. ...

Carolina Caring Foundation’s “Flights & Bites” fundraiser raises over $45,000 for compassionate care Carolina Caring, Hickory, NC; 4/17/25 The Carolina Caring Foundation is celebrating the remarkable success of its 4th annual Flights & Bites fundraiser, which took place on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, at Moretz Mills in Hickory, NC. This year’s event exceeded expectations, raising over $45,000 to support Carolina Caring’s mission of providing compassionate care to patients and families. Guests at the fundraiser were treated to an exquisite culinary experience titled “Passport to Flavor,” featuring tastes from around the world. “Carolina Caring Foundation expresses heartfelt gratitude to all sponsors and donors for their generous support in making our fundraiser a tremendous success,” stated Tara Bland, CFRE, Executive Director of the Carolina Caring Foundation. 

ECHO Health gifts $5 million to Quality of Life Campaign; Center for Community Engagement to be name Hospice of the Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH; Press Release; 4/10/25 Hospice of the Western Reserve has received a historic $5 million gift to its Quality of Life capital campaign from ECHO Health, the Westlake-based company founded by the late Bill Davis. This transformative contribution, the largest single gift in the organization’s history, will accelerate the completion of its new Hospice Care & Community Center on Cleveland’s Lake Erie shore. ... In recognition of this gift, the facility’s Center for Community Engagement will be named in honor of Bill Davis. 

A terminally ill man decided to end his life. This is how he spent his last day alivePeople; By Vanessa Etienne; 4/8/25A California man offered a look at his final day of life as he made the decision to die rather than live with a terminal illness. Wayne Hawkins, an 80-year-old from San Diego, was diagnosed with terminal heart failure. He’s also suffered from a slew of other health issues including prostate cancer, liver failure and sepsis. "Some days the pain is almost more than I can handle," he told BBC in an interview published April 3. Hawkins told the outlet that he watched two relatives die "miserable" and "heinous" deaths from heart failure, and knew he didn’t want to die that way. "I hate hospitals, they are miserable. I will die in the street first," he said.Publisher's note: Two considerations: 1) Are there opportunities for hospice in similar situations? 2) This story ran in People magazine...

Hospice M&A sees uptick in Q1 2025Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/10/25Hospice acquisitions saw a gentle rebound in Q1 2025. Deal volume is up relative to 2024’s slump, but activity has not reached the boom levels of 2020 and 2021. The M&A market’s rejuvenation extends across a range of home-based care industries, according to a new report from the M&A advisory firm Mertz Taggart. The “tides have turned,” with a total 29 home-based care transactions during Q1, the most active quarter since 2023, the report indicated... Some of the more significant disclosed deals included the following:

Nathan Adelson Hospice finalizes affiliation with Chapters Health SystemChapters Health System press release; 4/10/25Chapters Health System, the nation's premier not-for-profit chronic illness care organization, has finalized an affiliation with Nathan Adelson Hospice, based in Las Vegas. This marks a significant milestone for the newly established Chapters Health West division and represents a powerful alignment of two mission-driven organizations — both recognized as 2025 Top Workplaces USA award recipients.

A hospice nurse made a promise—and found homes for 1,300 pets  Miami Herald, Miami, FL; by Jen Reeder; 4/7/25Working as a hospice nurse, Joanne Bonicelli spent years offering comfort to dying people. Then, in 1998, a request from one patient changed her life. A young woman in her 40s had a fluffy white dog named Jasper, who never left her side while she was at Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  One day, the woman called Joanne to her bedside. “I don’t know where Jasper will end up or who will care for him when I am gone…it’s just too painful to bear,” she told Joanne as tears streamed down her face. “I can’t die in peace worrying what will happen to him…can you euthanize him in my arms as I pass?” The heart-wrenching request stunned Joanne. She asked a veterinarian about what they could do, and after meeting Jasper, the vet’s eyes welled with tears at the prospect of putting down a healthy dog. There has to be a better way, they both agreed. [Continue reading ...]

How hospices can leverage social media marketing Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/7/25 Social media has emerged as a crucial engine for hospice marketing, allowing them to reach consumers directly rather than through a referral source. Unsurprisingly, the use of social media is skyrocketing worldwide. As of 2023, nearly 94% of people in the United States have internet access, according to data from Statista. By 2029, more than 342 million of those users are expected to belong to at least one social media platform. ... [Continue reading ...]

Las Vegas’ non-profit urges families to research hospice care after facilities see surge of transfers, neglect Fox-5 KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV; by Jaclyn Schultz; 4/9/25 The Las Vegas Valley’s only non-profit hospice is among many facilities urging families to thoroughly research their choice of hospice care, after doctors see a rise in patients seeking transfers after suffering from neglect or poor care somewhere else. FOX5 told you how numerous doctors called for tougher hospice care standards across Nevada, as Assembly Bill 161 progresses through the Legislature. Nathan Adelson Hospice tells FOX5, from 2022 to 2024 alone, the non-profit took in more than 150 transfers from other facilities across the Las Vegas Valley. The rise coincides with another trend: more than 250 new facilities opening up across the Las Vegas Valley, as other neighboring states enact tougher regulations. [Continue reading ...]