Literature Review

Hospice advocates push back on CMS’ proposed program integrity scoring system McKnights Home Care; by Liza Berger; 6/3/26 In recent comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, hospice advocates criticized the new scoring system, the Service and Spending Variation Index, or SSVI, that CMS put forth in its fiscal year 2027 hospice proposed rule in April to curb fraud in the sector. They cited a flawed methodology underlying the scores and called for CMS to take down two years of publicly posted data. ...The National Alliance for Care at Home pointed to inaccurate scoring in publicly posted data. “This data could cause substantial reputational harm to hospices for mistakes made by CMS in file construction and assigning scores,” Jennifer Sheets, CEO said.LeadingAge said the nonhospice spending measure “lacks transparency, disregards the influence of size and scale, includes questionable data, and is entirely inactionable for hospices.” Such a measure could target the wrong providers, LeadingAge argued. Editor's Note: Explore details from The Alliance, LeadingAge, and NPHI.

Welcome to the 2026 GHPCO Quality Awards Program Georgia Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (GHPCO); Call for Nominations; retrieved 6/2/26As regulators and providers work to address fraud, waste, and abuse in hospice care, the Georgia Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (GHPCO) is highlighting organizations and individuals who demonstrate excellence, integrity, and quality care. GHPCO has announced its 2026–2027 Quality Awards Program, with nominations opening July 20, 2026, and award recipients to be recognized in February 2027. Categories include organizational and individual awards that celebrate leadership, clinical excellence, workforce development, community impact, and specialized care.Editor's Note: Recognition shapes culture. Review how your organization celebrates excellence. Use this model to strengthen quality, accountability, and care.

Volunteer gardeners raise funds for care of the gardens and meadow at Community Hospice House in Merrimack The Cabinet Press, Merrimack, NH; by Loretta Jackson; 6/1/26 "Gardeners and shoppers braved unseasonably cold, wet and windy weather for the display of beautiful native plants grown in New Hampshire,” said Barb Young, co-leader of the garden team, along with Jeanne Abramson. Proceeds from the sale go directly to the CHH garden fund ...” The Community Hospice House, built in 2000 and operated by the nonprofit Home Health & Hospice Care, based in Merrimack, has expanded in recent years to 16 suites. The CHH gardens with new plantings, new benches, a supportive irrigation system and other enhancements have developed into a lovely enclave of respite, ... tended by more than 20 volunteer gardeners, ... with visibility from each patient's room and common areas.Editor's Note: Hospice care extends beyond clinical services. This volunteer-led effort shows how community support can help create and sustain comforting spaces for patients and families, while preserving resources for direct patient care.

More Modern Healthcare Awards, "Best Places to Work in Healthcare 2026"Editor's Note: In addition to the organizations named in our 6/2/26 post, "Awards and Recognitions May 2026," we add these to the list. If we have inadvertently ommitted anyone, please email jberger@hospicepalliativecaretoday.com. 

Lawmakers boost grant awards for local nonprofits The Honolulu Star, Honolulu, HI; by Andrew Gomes; 6/1/26 About 170 Hawaii nonprofits providing food, healthcare and other services are slated to share $40 million in legislative grants this year. ... ... This year, the biggest award was $1 million for Hospice of Hilo [doing business as Hospice of Hilo] ...  in part to help the organization build a workforce training center in Hilo that would help turn out a new generation of palliative care professionals to serve more Hawaii island community members.

The secret to great leadership from a Chick-fil-A executive — part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); pocast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Mark Miller; 5/27/26 What does it take to build a leadership culture that scales across generations, industries, and millions of customer interactions? In this powerful conversation, Chris Comeaux sits down with Mark Miller — former Vice President of High Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A and bestselling co-author of The Secret and Lead Every Day— to explore the principles behind extraordinary leadership. ... Throughout the episode, Mark unpacks the foundational leadership framework behind the acronym SERVE: See the Future, Engage and Develop Others, Reinvent Continuously, Value Results and Relationships, and Embody the Values.  He explains why leadership is ultimately about service — not position ...

Adoration Home Health and Hospice and At Home Care Hospice celebrates ribbon-cutting in Henrico, VA BrightSpring Health Services; Press Release; 5/28/26On Tuesday, May 19, Adoration Home Health and Hospice and At Home Care Hospice, an Adoration Partner, hosted an open house and ribbon cutting celebration for the opening of their new location at 8751 Park Central Drive. 

HopeHealth Hospice & Palliative Care 50th Anniversary Gala raises over $410K to support care for all who need it HopeHealth, Providence, RI; Press Release; 5/27/26 HopeHealth, the second oldest hospice in the country, today announced that it raised over $410,000 during its 50 Years of Hope & Gratitude gala on May 21. Celebrating HopeHealth’s extraordinary 50 years of care at the WaterFire Arts Center were 400 supporters, community leaders, and advocates, including Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed. The event also marked the public launch of HopeHealth’s The Gift of Hope campaign, which supports the organization’s growth and investment in three strategic priorities: providing support for seriously ill patients and their caregivers; expanding outreach to underserved communities; and providing hospice access through the Arthur S. Robbins Hope Fund, named in memory of the beloved community leader and former HopeHealth board member. Campaign Tri-Chairs Ruth Fain, Jonathan Fain, and Christopher Marsella announced that the campaign has quietly raised $4.2 million to date. 

The secret to great leadership from a Chick-fil-A executive — part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); pocast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Mark Miller; 5/27/26 What does it take to build a leadership culture that scales across generations, industries, and millions of customer interactions? In this powerful conversation, Chris Comeaux sits down with Mark Miller — former Vice President of High Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A and bestselling co-author of The Secret and Lead Every Day— to explore the principles behind extraordinary leadership. ... Throughout the episode, Mark unpacks the foundational leadership framework behind the acronym SERVE: See the Future, Engage and Develop Others, Reinvent Continuously, Value Results and Relationships, and Embody the Values.  He explains why leadership is ultimately about service — not position ...

SOS – Should there be a six-month moratorium on new hospices and changes in majority ownership (CIMO) across the United States?Substack; by Joan Teno; 5/26/26A temporary nationwide moratorium on new hospices and changes in majority ownership could give regulators time to strengthen oversight, stop bad actors from reentering the system, and rebuild public trust in hospice care. Supporters argue that a pause would help address fraud, weak enforcement, and quality concerns before more providers enter the market. Key to this policy being effective is implementation that avoids penalizes good hospice providers... So, for me, the right policy needs thoughtful implementation to avoid unintended consequences.

Center for Hospice Care hosts 41st Helping Hands Awards Dinner GreatNews.Life; by Bennett Silveus; 5/22/26 Community members from across Michiana gathered at South Bend’s Gillespie Conference Center for a night of celebration and fundraising at Center for Hospice Care’s 41st Helping Hands Award Dinner on Wednesday, May 6. ... The event wrapped up with fundraising for Center for Hospice Care, resulting in more than $500,000 raised for the organization.

Lawsuit claims new Iowa hospice unfairly competes for patients and caregivers VoiceofAlexandria.com, Alexandria, MN; by Clark Kauffman; 5/21/26A West Des Moines man is being sued for establishing a hospice program that allegedly competes with his former employer for increasingly scarce healthcare workers. Abode Healthcare Inc., an affiliate of BrightSpring Health Services, is suing Rick W. Breuss III of Sacred Encounter Hospice of Central Iowa in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. ... In August 2025, Abide alleges, Breuss resigned from Abode – six months after he formed Sacred Encounter, a competing hospice care provider.