Literature Review

Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties receives $10,000 donation from Elan Charitable Giving Program Mid-Hudson News; 1/31/25 Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties has received a $10,000 donation from the Elan Charitable Giving Program. This contribution is part of Elan Credit Card’s nationwide philanthropic initiative, which has awarded $250,000 to 25 community organizations across the country. 

Organic growth top of mind for hospice providers in 2025Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/31/25 Hospices in 2025 are laser-focused on organic growth rather than other tactics like acquisitions. Among 112 hospice professionals who responded to the 2024 Outlook Survey by Hospice News and Homecare Homebase, 60% said that expanding current locations would be the growth tactic they plan to use the most during 2025. About 64% of the respondents were c-suite leaders, VPs and directors. “Organic growth remains a top priority for providers, with 60% of respondents focusing on expanding within their existing locations,” the survey report indicated. “Referrals from senior living and assisted living facilities, hospital systems and palliative care programs are also expected to significantly drive growth.”

Father keeping a promise to son to 'never miss a baseball game' despite entering hospice Fox 13 - Tampa Bay, FL; by Briona Arradondo; 1/30/25 A father diagnosed with cancer left hospice Thursday to spend the evening making final memories with his family on a baseball diamond in Tampa. Family and friends surrounded Steve Uhal and his wife Amy with love and support as he arrived to see his 9-year-old son Charlie play one last game.  ... 

Sons of the American Legion donates $14K to Hospice HouseOwatonna People's Press, Owatonna, MN; 1/29/25 On Saturday, Jan. 18, the Owatonna Sons of the American Legion presented their donation of $14,063 to members of the Homestead Hospice House Board. This generous donation was made possible by raising the proceeds from their 2024 raffle ticket sales and a match in proceeds from the Owatonna Legion Post members. Kasy Kamholz stated that the Homestead Hospice House is nearly ready to open as they have met their fundraising goals. He stated that they are currently negotiating the final details on a contract with Seasons Hospice out of Rochester. 

Followup: Helene and hospice care in the western North Carolina mountains Hospice & Palliative Care Today; summary from a meeting between Vern Grindstaff (CEO, Compassionate Care Western North Carolina), Chris Comeaux and Tina Gentry (Teleios Collaborative Network), Cordt Kassner and Joy Berger (this newsletter); 1/28/25 Hospice recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina's mountains have been massive, with extensive longterm needs ahead. Vern Grindstaff, CEO of Compassionate Care Western North Carolina described the "new normal" they are experiencing.  Photos of this hospice and its service vividly demonstrated the state before, soon after flood waters receded, and current recovery status. Key topics included unthinkable patient care challenges with practical, creative solutions, financial implications amounting to a $350,000 deficit for repairs, and the trauma experienced by staff—both professionally and personally. Discussions highlighted the importance of long-term recovery strategies, including the involvement of larger trusts for sustained funding, while also recognizing community support efforts by organizations like Cajun Navy and Samaritan's Purse. Additionally, Chris Comeaux is presenting to hospice organizations about Emergency Disaster Management, equipping leaders to learn from this tragedy. Editor's note: Click here (or the title's link) for a map of Compassionate Care Western North Carolina's service area (CCWNC). Click here to donate to their ongoing recovery. We thank our readers for your previous support to this other hospices affected by emergency disasters. Additional resources: CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule; Wisconsin's CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule Toolkit: Hospices; "Community Crisis and Grief" public service education, designed for hospice organizations. Disclosure: CCWNC is member of Teleios Collaborative Network and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation, both sponsors for our newsletter. "Community Crisis and Grief" is from our sponsor Composing Life Out of Loss.

Polsinelli attorney: Expand access to capital for hospice, health care providersHospice News - Executive Perspectives; by Jim Parker; 1/28/25 Private equity in health care has come under fire in recent years, but the regulatory environment leaves few other options for raising capital. This is according to Bobby Guy, an M&A attorney and shareholder in the law firm Polsinelli. Guy posits that regulation of publicly traded markets have pushed business owners towards private equity and reduced transparency when it comes to corporate funding. ... The question should not be whether PE is good or bad for health care. The question should be, “How are we going to fund health care?” That’s the real question.Editor's note: This is an "Executive Perspective." Adding another perspective, I invite you to apply this proposed "real question" across the board to all potential payment sources. Are fraud and abuse payments ok, as long as they pay the bills? When you are dying--whether in hospice or not--will the quality of health care you receive matter? If the hospice patient is your child, your spouse, your parent, does the "good or bad" of the health care provided matter? I do not determine the answers for you. I re-ask the question, inviting readers to examine (1) the core purposes and values of hospice care and (2) its expansive body of clinical research data. 

3 things leaders should prioritize in 2025World Economic Forum; by Madeleine North; 1/28/25 At the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2025, what did leaders from different industries view as the priorities for the coming year? Over the course of the event, cooperation and adaptability emerged as key themes for addressing challenges in a rapidly evolving global landscape. ... Here are three lessons for the year ahead from seven leaders in their field.

Vermont Mutual grants $10,000 to CVHHH through Charitable Fund Vermont Mutual Insurance Group; by Tim; 1/28/25 Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice (CVHHH) received a $10,000 grant from the Vermont Mutual Charitable Giving Fund. ... “We are honored to award this grant to Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice,” said Sarah Young, executive director of the Vermont Mutual Charitable Giving Fund. “Their unwavering dedication to providing compassionate care and support for individuals and families during life's most challenging moments is truly inspiring.

What can we learn from the dying? Newscastle's News Letter Journal (NLJ), Newcastle, WY; by Kelly Evans-Hullinger, MD; 1/26/25 For the last five years, I have had the great privilege of serving my local health system as Medical Director for Home Hospice. Every week I sit in a meeting with the multidisciplinary caretakers on this team ... Patients facing their own deaths want to talk about their lives. Our staff frequently tries to facilitate what they call a “life review” in which a patient can openly talk about their childhood, family, career, service, and sometimes their regrets. This is therapeutic for the dying patient and their loved ones.  ... I have recently thought about this particular human need – to reflect and remember one’s life. I take this as a reminder to both seek those stories from my own loved ones (I wish I had asked my grandmother more questions about her life) and, perhaps, to tell and write about the things in my own life I would want to be remembered after I am gone. For if there is another thing I’ve learned serving patients on hospice, it is that my death is also inevitable; but, I think, life’s finality is what gives it beauty and meaning. 

We need to talk about hospiceMedCity News; by Skelly Wingard, Asher Perzigian and Elizabeth Annis; 1/28/25 In the quiet corners of healthcare, there’s a conversation that needs to be had. It’s a conversation about hospice — a critical yet often misunderstood part of end-of-life care. ... Nearly three-quarters of hospice care agencies are for-profit ownership. ... The impact of these acquisitions on the industry is complex. ... On the one hand, these investments can bring valuable resources to hospice care, funding geographic expansion, scaling technological infrastructure, improving facilities and enhancing services. On the other hand, a strong focus on efficiency and optimization has led to challenges such as staff burnout, higher turnover, and decreased patient satisfaction when compared with non-profits. Coupled together, this complexity can contribute to reduced quality of care due to cost-cutting measures, aggressive marketing leading to overuse of services, increased billing and fraud and a lack of community investment. Not all for-profit hospices operate this way. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

[Hospice of the Western Reserve Volunteer] WWII veteran celebrates 100th birthday, years of service Fox 8 WJW-TV Cleveland, OH; 1/24/25 What were you doing on this day 100 years ago? Well, if you were World War II Veteran Bob Zonneville, you were saying “hello” to the world! On Thursday, many of his friends and family got together at David Simpson Hospice House to celebrate this incredible accomplishment. Hospice of the Western Reserve hosted the event, which had a very special meaning to both the organization and Zonneville.  Over the years, not only has this World War II veteran offered tireless support to the Hospice program, but he’s also responsible for raising nearly $100,000. Zonneville has been a passionate Hospice volunteer for decades. According to Hospice of the Western Reserve, Zonneville received the prestigious Chair’s Award for his extraordinary contributions to the hospice community in 2008. ...

Hospice of Savannah awarded grant for safety improvements NBC WSAV Savannah News, Savannah, GA; by Eric Dorsch; 1/27/25 Hospice of Savannah Inc. (HSI) has announced it has been awarded a grant for repairs and home modifications. HSI will receive $1,999,111 in Older Adults Home Modification Program grant funding to complete safety and functional home modifications and limited repairs in the primary residences of two hundred eligible homeowners and renters over age 62 with low income. The work aims to improve general safety, increase accessibility, reduce falls, and improve residents’ functional abilities in the home for their safe and successful aging in place.