Literature Review

Poverty, food insecurity, and housing instability among US health care workersJAMA Network; by Anthony Zhong, Chloe Gao, Donald Szlosek, Dang Nguyen, Maelys J. Amat, Russell S. Phillips; 10/22/25The US health workforce faces projected shortages of more than 180 000 physicians and 200 000 registered nurses in the next decade. Burnout, poor working conditions, and inadequate wages have been cited as key drivers of these shortages. However, the prevalence of financial hardship can affect worker retention and job performance. This study evaluated rates of poverty, food insecurity, and housing instability among US health care workers... Rates of financial hardship varied by occupational group. Direct care/support workers reported the highest rates of financial hardship across all measures, including poverty (9.63%), food insecurity (24.50%), and housing instability (13.64%).Publisher's note: An interesting question - do we know these rates among hospice workers?

Exploring the mix of hospice program expansions, closuresHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 10/22/25Some hospices have recently launched new facilities and grown their geographic service reach as others shutter and transition ownership of their programs amid financial struggles. [Including:]

How Optum’s Amedisys deal could shake up the hospice marketHospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/21/25The acquisition of the home health and hospice provider Amedisys by the insurance mammoth UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) has far-reaching implications for the hospice community. The UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Optum, in June 2023 inked its agreement to acquire Amedisys in an all-cash transaction of $101 per share, or about $3.3 billion. After leaping a series of regulatory hurdles, including a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit, the deal closed in mid-August... The merger likely makes UnitedHealth Group one of the largest hospice providers in the United States.

How leaders can learn to listen: Emotional intelligence and aligned purpose can transform the way teams communicate and get results Comstock's Magazine; by Laurie Lauletta-Boshart; 10/20/25 ... Jessica Kriegel, who has a Ph.D. in human resources development and educational leadership and management, ... worked with Joshua’s House Hospice, a Sacramento nonprofit organization that provides hospice care to terminally ill homeless men and women, to determine the best way to hire employees who would stay long term. “They were looking to attract the right talent, but also wanted to retain that talent and make sure they were motivated and fulfilled in their work,” says Kriegel. Instead of a culture fit, Kriegel and her team advanced a purpose fit, where the organization’s purpose and the personal purpose of those they hired were aligned.

Heritage Hospice spreads smiles with ‘Scattering Kindness’ project The Advocate-Messenger, Danville, KY; 10/17/25 Heritage Hospice, Inc. volunteers spread cheer across four counties recently through a community outreach effort called “Scattering Kindness,” which delivers handmade seasonal crafts and treats to local nursing homes and assisted living residents. The project, coordinated by Heritage Hospice Volunteer Services, began earlier this year with the idea of using creativity as a way to bring comfort and connection to patients in care facilities. The first celebration took place in February, when volunteers marked Valentine’s Day with heart-themed gifts — setting the tone for what would become an ongoing series of seasonal outreach events.

Visiting Nurse Association rebrands as Blue Water Home Care & Hospice Times Herald, Port Huron, MI; by David DeMille, reporter assisted by AI; 10/18/25 After more than 70 years serving the Blue Water Area, Visiting Nurse Association & Blue Water Hospice has officially changed its name to Blue Water Home Care & Hospice, according to a community announcement. The nonprofit agency remains locally governed and independent, continuing to provide home health, private duty home care, and hospice services to residents in St. Clair, Sanilac, Lapeer and Macomb counties.

Center provides hospice care options The Laker / Lutz News, New Port Richey, FL; Press Release; 10/15/25 Gulfside Healthcare Services celebrated the opening of its newest inpatient care facility Sept. 19 in New Port Richey. Guests not only toured patient rooms and family areas but also applauded the announcement of a gift by Dr. Jay Weil. The new care center will be called the Dr. Jay Weil Center for Hospice Care in honor of his generosity. Gulfside Healthcare Services celebrated the opening of its newest inpatient care facility Sept. 19 in New Port Richey. Guests not only toured patient rooms and family areas but also applauded the announcement of a gift by Dr. Jay Weil. The new care center will be called the Dr. Jay Weil Center for Hospice Care in honor of his generosity.

HHAC welcomes new Executive Director and association management partnerHHAC blog; 10/15/25The Home Care and Hospice Association of Colorado (HHAC) is proud to announce that Matt Hansen has been appointed executive director, marking an exciting new chapter in the association’s leadership and advocacy for home-based health and hospice care across the state. HHAC has also partnered with The Solution, an association management firm founded in Colorado, to provide association management and administrative services.

Celebrating the Guernsey Center for Caring groundbreaking in Arlington, VA ABC 7, Arlington, VA; by Good Morning Washington; 10/13/25 Diane and David Guernsey, longtime community supporters and advocates for hospice care, joined Capital Caring Health to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Guernsey Center for Caring in Arlington, Virginia. Their generous gift made the renovation possible, helping expand access to compassionate, nonprofit hospice care across the region. 

Central Coast VNA & Hospice expands registered nursing care for hospice patients in Monterey County US National Times, Monterey, CA; 10/13/25 In response to increasing community needs, Central Coast VNA & Hospice has announced expanded support for registered nursing care and interdisciplinary hospice services across Monterey County, Salinas, Hollister, Santa Cruz, and surrounding Central Coast regions. The organization continues its mission to provide home-based, compassionate care through its nonprofit model serving families navigating complex health challenges, including terminal illness.

Dallas looks at hospice care, shelters and tiny homes as potential homeless solutionsThe Dallas Morning News; 10/8/25; by By María Ramos PachecoHospice house care, temporary shelters and tiny homes are all potential solutions coming to Dallas as the city looks for short- and long-term solutions to address homelessness. On Tuesday, the City Council’s homeless solutions committee held a special-called meeting to hear from three different organizations on their efforts to provide housing for the homeless in other cities and how this approach could be applied in Dallas... Chris Kulac, CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association, presented plans for the new hospice house for homeless individuals in Dallas... The hospice house will be a small, licensed assisted-living facility in the Wilson Historic District of Old East Dallas, offering five rooms for individuals requiring end-of-life care who have no home.

‘Lack of urgency’ a top cause of hospice admissions delays, industry consultants say McKnight Home Care; by Adam Healy; 10/9/25 Hospices’ delays in admitting patients can bog down operations and stifle growth. To avoid holdups, providers should act with urgency and prioritize outside-the-box thinking, industry consultants at Transcend Strategy Group recommended. ... Transcend Strategy Group recently released a new insights guide titled “Driving Sales and Admissions Success in Hospice Care.” The guide reveals hospice providers’ top reasons for admissions delays, the problems caused by these delays, and the strategies providers can use to clear bottlenecks. The insights guide noted that admissions delays are problematic for both providers and their clients. ... Hospices should get creative to solve admissions problems, Transcend’s experts agreed. Rather than look for a tool or technology to help speed up operations, look internally to identify practices that prevent care from being delivered, they said.

Hog Town donates $6,000 to United Hospice Service Aspire Rural Health System, ; 10/8/25 Following the 20th annual Hog Town Run, members of Hog Town Inc. presented United Hospice Service (UHS) of Aspire Rural Health System with a generous donation of $6,000. Held on August 9, the event drew participation from motorcyclists across Michigan who gathered in support of a worthy cause. This year, 155 registered bikes joined the run, helping to continue a tradition of giving that has spanned nearly two decades. With this year’s contribution, Hog Town Inc. has donated more than $224,500 to the hospice program since the event’s inception. ... UHS is a non-profit hospice serving Sanilac, Lapeer, Huron, Tuscola, and St. Clair counties [Michigan].