Literature Review

Groundbreaking ceremony for new hospice house in Derby CBS WCAX-3, Burlington/Derby, VT; by Hailey Morgan; 5/31/25 ... Marion Dehnke lost her husband Clint Stevens to cancer back in 2013. She says during that time, she was his caregiver, and he had to stay in a nursing home in a tiny room, with one other person. She said it made things very disruptive, and she didn’t get to spend the time she wanted with him, and she doesn’t want that for someone else. ... Community leaders, and members with the Newport Church of God invested in a solution called the Living Waters Hospice House. It is a two bedroom home dedicated to those in need in their final days. The project is worth a million dollars, and is funded entirely by donations. ... Construction for the home, started this past week, the groundbreaking ceremony was held on the church lawn Saturday.

Nonprofit participates in ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Coeur d'Alene / Post Falls Press, Coeur d'Alene, ID; 5/31/25 Hospice of North Idaho took the plunge this week after being nominated by Kootenai Health to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, a viral campaign aimed at raising awareness and funds to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. In a video on social media, Hospice of North Idaho’s Leadership Team and staff sat front and center Wednesday as team members gathered, cheered and doused them with buckets of ice-cold water all in the name of a great cause, Hospice of North Idaho shared in a Friday news release. ... “Hospice of North Idaho is proud to take part in this movement and show our support for those affected by ALS,” Megan Ryan, communications specialist at Hospice of North Idaho.

‘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.

Empath Health to sell service center location Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/29/25  The Florida-based senior care provider Empath Health is selling one of its administrative service centers, located in Pinellas County in its home state. The center was initially established by Suncoast Hospice, which is now an Empath Health affiliate. The sale is part of Empath’s effort to “realign its physical footprint” to invent more directly in home-based, patient-centered care, according to a statement from the organization. “Selling an underutilized administrative building allows us to reinvest in the people, programs and technology that bring comfort, dignity, and support into homes and communities,” said Jonathan Fleece, president and CEO of Empath Health, in the statement. “It’s a return to our roots and a recommitment to the future.”

Five Questions With: Diana FranchittoProvidence Business News, Providence, RI; by Katie Castellani; 2/14/25 Diana Franchitto | CEO, HopeHealth | Chair, National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation 

'Dancing With Our Stars' marks 10 years of hospice fundraising in Marquette County My UP News, Marquette, MI; by Schyler Perkins; 5/22/25 Thursday night marked the grand finale of the tenth annual Dancing with Our Stars - Marquette County Style contest. ... "Tonight, people can expect nothing short of epic performances," said event organizer Lindsay Hemmila. The competition, which began in 2012 to raise funds for UP Health & Hospice, has become a cornerstone fundraising event in Marquette County. ... "When we first started off, I remember thinking like, my gosh, if I could raise like $40,000, which is quite huge. And now we're, you know, doubling or in some years tripling that number," Hemmila said. ... One of the most impactful programs funded through the event is the "Make a Memory" program, where hospice staff meet with patients to help fulfill wishes before they pass away. 

Hospice Buffalo begins $3.5M expansion at Cheektowaga campus  Buffalo Business First, Buffalo, NY; by Tracey Drury; 5/21/25 An end-of-life donation is funding an expansion at Hospice Buffalo's campus in Cheektowaga. Hospice Buffalo has begun a renovation at its Cheektowaga campus to create an education center. The Andrew J. & Mary Ann Dodges Center will include offices, conference rooms and educational space accessible through a dedicated entrance inside an existing 15,000-square-foot patient services building. The $3.5 million construction project includes renovating 6,000 square feet of underutilized space on the campus at 225 Como Park Blvd. Andrew Dodges, then 95, made a pledge of $6 million in 2023 to fund a center. Dodges was a Buffalo resident whose wife received services through the organization in the 1990s. A portion of the gift also funded the Andrew J. and Mary Ann Dodges fund to support hospice care for others in the community.

Transitions LifeCare receives $2.5 million gift to support Transitions Kids Program Tranisitions LifeCare, Raleigh, NC; Press Release; 5/15/25 Transitions LifeCare is honored to announce a generous $2.5 million gift from a family who wishes to remain anonymous. This heartfelt contribution, pledged over the next five years, comes from a family profoundly impacted by the care they received and is designated to support Transitions Kids—our program providing hospice and palliative care for children. “This gift is incredibly moving,” said Dr. Adam Wolk, CEO of Transitions LifeCare. “It reflects not only the power of compassionate care but also the lasting bond that forms between our team and the families we walk alongside. We’re so grateful for this family’s trust and belief in our mission.”

[Modern Healthcare] Best Places to Work in Healthcare - 2025

New York bill aims to ban new for-profit hospices amid fraud concerns CBS WRGB-6, Albany, NY; by Lara Bryn; 5/14/25 A new bill awaiting the governor's signature could ban the establishment of new for-profit hospices in New York, a move lawmakers and industry experts say is necessary to improve care quality and prevent potential fraud. ... The bill has already passed in both the state Senate and House. The push for this legislation comes in part due to findings from national studies by the American Medical Association and ProPublica, which highlighted issues in for-profit hospice care. ... Jeanne Chirico, CEO of the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of New York State, said, "To try and make a quick turnaround of profit either through falsifying eligibility records or by fraudulently submitting records for individuals who never even knew they were on hospice." Chirico noted a case where a New York Medicare recipient was unknowingly enrolled in a hospice-certified program based in California. 

Nonprofit hospice home offers free, 24/7 end-of-life care to unhoused, low income Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, NM; by Gregory Hasman; 5/12/25 Dorothy Marquez has spent the last month with her brother Gerald Moya in a Downtown Albuquerque hospice home, reminiscing about their childhoods or his lime green 1964 Chevrolet Impala lowrider he loved to show off. Moya, 59, is battling stage 4 lung cancer and has days to live. ... Inhora is doing its best to ensure Moya feels comfortable. "I'm very happy because he's not in pain and he's not out there just laying on the road because that's what he'd probably be doing because we don't have a place to go," Marquez said. "We're both homeless." Since April, the hospice home on Tijeras NW, near Seventh Street, has served as a place for people who are unhoused or have low incomes to spend their final days with loved ones. "Our culture throws dying people away and hides them behind closed doors," said Miles Gloetzner, Inhora's founder and executive director. ""And they deserve better. They deserve dignity and compassion, ..."

[New Zealand] Nelson Airport Trees of Remembrance returns with new sponsorship tiers to support Nelson Tasman Hospice Nelson Tasman Hospice, Nelson, New Zealand; Press Release; 5/9/25 The much-loved Nelson Airport Trees of Remembrance activation is returning this holiday season, offering businesses a unique opportunity to give back to the community while boosting their brand visibility during the busiest travel period of the year. This year’s campaign introduces an exciting new structure with three sponsorship tiers—Gold, Silver, and Bronze—allowing even more businesses to take part in this heartwarming tradition that supports Nelson Tasman Hospice. The Trees of Remembrance campaign has been a cherished part of the Nelson Tasman community for over 30 years, offering individuals and businesses a meaningful way to honour loved ones while contributing to free hospice services. Sponsored Christmas trees will once again illuminate Nelson Airport from December 2025 through January 2026, spreading festive cheer to the thousands of locals and travellers passing through during the holiday season.Editor's note: Fall/Winter fund raising plans are surely underway for nonprofit hospices and foundations. What ideas does this article generate? What might you adapt for your community? 

Pine Tree Hospice hosts 29th Annual Variety Show The Piscataquis Observer - The Voice of Rural Maine, Dover-Foxcroft, ME; by Staff; 5/5/25 On a rainy, dreary Saturday in April, the volunteers of Pine Tree Hospice presented the group’s 29th Variety Show and created a little sunshine at the Center Theatre for the 100 attendees. The corps of volunteers ran the show from greeting attendees to taking tickets to selling tickets for the quilt raffle to running the first annual pie faffle. The Annual Variety Show, a major source of funding for the group’s volunteer-based non-medical support services, raised nearly $8,000.