Literature Review

The Alliance champions community-based solutions at Senate palliative care briefing National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 6/4/25 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) played a lead role in [Wednesday's] Senate Comprehensive Care Caucus briefing, which focused on expanding access to palliative care services for patients with serious illness. The bipartisan event, hosted by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Barrasso (R-WY), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Deb Fischer (R-NE), underscored the need for innovative models that deliver person-centered care in the home and community. Hillary Loeffler, Vice President of Policy & Regulatory Affairs for the Alliance, moderated the panel discussion, guiding thoughtful conversation on access, workforce, and innovation in care delivery. 

MorseLife: Pay to nonprofit's top executives draws community, donor scrutinyThe Palm Beach Post; by Alexandra Clough; 6/3/25The controversy began in January when an anonymous letter was sent to the leadership board at the respected health care facility. To this date, it is not known — at least publicly — who authored the two-page salvo that first raised alarms about executive pay, tax law compliance and potential for a whistleblower complaint. Specifically, the letter flagged the payment of top MorseLife executives' compensation to a for-profit company called Amplifii Management LLC. Amplifii is owned by MorseLife Chief Executive Keith Myers and Chief Financial Officer Randy Wolan, according to federal and state public records.

Missoula community celebrates opening of Hope Hospice Center NBC-KULR, NonStop Local Billings, MT / Missoula, MT; by Taylor Richardson; 6/3/25 The Hope Hospice Center celebrated its opening with a ceremony in Missoula, marking a significant milestone for elder care in Western Montana. The new facility will provide critical end-of-life care for people across the region. The state-of-the-art center spans 15,200 square feet and offers 24-hour end-of-life services. It includes 12 private patient rooms, spaces for family visits, and areas for religious and cultural practices. Amanda Yeoman Melro, Executive Director of Partners Hope Foundation, expressed her excitement about the center. "I think it has exceeded our wildest dreams of what a hospice center could possibly be," she said. The facility was made possible through community fundraising efforts led by the Partners Hope Foundation, which raised more than $15 million. 

Hospices facing a US caregiving ‘crisis’ Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/2/25 Family caregivers in the United States are being challenged by a swelling aging population inneed of greater support and stronger policy infrastructures. Much room for improvement exists at both state and federal levels when it comes to recognizing the important roles that family caregivers play, according to Steven Lee, co-founder and CEO of ianacare, a Boston-based patient and caregiver resource company. More innovative care models and disease-specific reimbursement options have widened pathways for hospice providers to improve family caregiver support, Lee said in a recent Hospice News Elevate podcast. But these fall short of addressing the diverse scope of practical, emotional and financial needs, he stated. Editor's note: This article has an excellent map of US states with caregiver categories for "Well-Supported," "Safe for Now," "High Risk," and "Critical" (courtesy of Otsuka America Pharmaceutical). Additionally, our sponsor Hospice Analytics provides the National Hospice Locator, for caregivers/families to find hospices that serve in each US county, and sorted by their quality scores. And, our sponsor Composing Life equips hospice organizations with caregiver/family video libraries that span the continuum of serious illness, hospice, and grief care. 

Sioux Falls VA Healthcare System opens hospice cottage Dakota News Now, Sioux Falls, SD; by Dakota News Now staff; 5/30/25 The Sioux Falls VA Healthcare System has cut the ribbon and opened the newest facility on its campus, a hospice cottage. The 10,000-foot facility with 10 beds is meant to give veterans and their families a high level of care and a peaceful environment that allows them to spend time together. The VA says the cottage is the perfect setting for end-of-life care for veterans, treating them with dignity. ... "We are here for the veterans, and we complete that circle. The time they gave, and now we’re giving back to them at the end of their life,” said Sioux Falls VA Hospice Nurse Manager Cami VanWyhe.

Saugus nurse arrested in FBI raid for alleged part in $2.5 million Medicare [hospice] fraud KHTS - Santa Clarita News, Santa Clarita, CA; by Jade Aubuchon; 5/30/25 Jessa Zayas, aka Jessa Contreras, a vocational nurse, is believed to have committed medicare fraud through two different hospice providers, submitting more than $2,500,000 in fraudulent claims to Medicare. Zayas is the Chief Executive Officer of two hospice providers, Healing Hands Hospice Inc. and Humane Love Hospice. From June 2023 through February 2025, she caused Healing Hands and Humane Love to bill Medicare for millions of dollars’ worth of hospice services that were not medically necessary, not authorized by a physician, and were not actually provided to the patients. ...

OP-ED: How hospice care falls short for people living with dementia Being Patient - Alzheimer's News, Advice, Stories & Support; by Maria J. Silveira; 5/30/25Only 12 percent of Americans with dementia ever enroll in hospice. This may be due to how hospice is structured and paid for in the U.S., explains University of Michigan associate professor of internal medicine Maria J Silveira. ... In contrast to the former president [Jimmy Carter's extended hospice care], his wife, who had dementia, lived only nine days under hospice care. Palliative care physicians like myself who treat both conditions are not surprised at all by this disparity. ... Strikingly, only 12 percent of Americans with dementia ever enroll in hospice. Among those who do, one-third are near death. This is in stark contrast to the cancer population: Patients over 60 with cancer enroll in hospice 70 percent of the time.

‘The whole family is the patient’: Children’s hospice program in Raleigh receives $2.5 million gift CBS WNCN-17, Raleigh, NC; by Maggie Newland; 5/28/25 Memories of Eliza Craven fill every corner of her family’s home. “She loved art, she loved reading, she loved learning, she loved being outside,” mother Amanda Hayes Craven said. Said father Lee Craven, “She loved her brothers, loved them both fiercely.” In the spring of 2020, that smart, sweet rough-and-tumble 7-year-old got a diagnosis that left her entire family reeling: a brain tumor.  ... The family began receiving services through Transitions LifeCare’s Transitions Kids program in Raleigh.  ...  “The night that she died, it was a weekend night,” Hayes Craven continued. “It was a Friday night. It was after midnight. We expected one nurse and we got an army of people here to support us.” ... While the Craven family wouldn’t wish their pain on anyone, they are grateful that other families facing similar situations can find help through Transitions Kids, which recently received a 2.5 million dollar anonymous gift.

CMS’ TEAM Payment Model: What hospices need to know Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/30/25 A forthcoming alternative payment model for hospitals focuses on discharge planning and ensuring effective post-acute care, including hospice and palliative care when appropriate. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) late last year unveiled its new Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM). Participation in the model will be mandatory for select hospitals. The program is set to launch on Jan. 1, 2026 and run through Dec. 31, 2030. CMS designed the program based on lessons learned from previous episode-based payment models, as well as input from stakeholders in response to a Request for Information published in 2023.  

Capito sees earmark results in hospice renovations CBS 13 WOWK, Charleston, WV; by Sarah Davis; 5/28/25 U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) visited the Hubbard Hospice House in Charleston Wednesday to see her congressionally directed spending in action. The senator got an exclusive tour of the renovations being made, including a new roof, HVAC system and a fresh paving job on the facility’s parking lot. The construction project is supported by Capito’s 2024 congressional directed spending, also known as an earmark, which she said is a necessary investment for the welfare of West Virginians.

Hospice El Paso to receive over $100K from Marathon Petroleum Corporation KTSM, El Paso, TX; Press Release; 5/28/25 Hospice El Paso will receive a $174,000 donation from Marathon Petroleum Corporation this week, which includes the gift of a fully equipped ambulance to support the organization’s patient transportation needs. The donation will be held on Thursday, May 29, the organization said. ... The donation will enable the organization to “provide timely and compassionate transportation for patients requiring specialized end-of-life care, ensuring they receive the support they need with dignity and comfort,” read the news release by the organization. ... “We are deeply grateful to Marathon Petroleum for their unwavering commitment to our community,” Dr. Jim Voiland, CEO of Hospice El Paso, said.

Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes ABC News WFTS, Tampa Bay, FL; by Gulfside Healthcare; 5/27/25 Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes serves a greater purpose than providing affordable gently used goods: all net proceeds fund charity care for hospice patients. Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes has a new and improved online shop for easy access and including shipping. To learn more about Gulfside Hospice, visit Gulfside.org. To shop Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes online visit gulfsidethrift.myshopify.com/ or stop by one of four convenient locations in New Port Richey, Hudson, Dade City or Zephyrhills. Follow Gulfside on social media for updates and sales.Editor's note: This online access opens up a world of engagement with those who cannot visit the shop in person, especially long distance donors and family members/friends acquainted with Gulfside Hospice. 

57 ways healthcare teams may evolve in 2 years Becker's Hospital Review; by Randi Haseman; 5/27/25 Question: How do you see your teams evolving in the next two years? What roles and/or skills will you focus on and what will fade? [Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.]