Literature Review

New Job Board Posting: Chief Executive Officer, Hildegard House, Louisville, KY Hildegard House | Ashley Rountree and Associates; Executive Job Posting; 3/9/26 Hildegard House (HH) is Kentucky's first and only Comfort Care Home. Through the support of our community and with the help of many volunteers, we provide a home and compassionate care for individuals at the end of life who have no home or loved ones to care for them, allowing each of them to die with dignity. ... The next CEO of Hildegard House (HH) will step into a pivotal leadership role at a moment of stability, growth, and meaningful transition. ... The retirement of the founding CEO creates a unique opening for a visionary leader to build upon a decade of mission driven success and to chart the organization's future direction.

Critical hospice facility reopens in Somerset County WTAJ Altoona, Somerset County, PA; by Colin Day; 3/6/26 Windber Hospice announced the reopening of its Somerset inpatient hospice facility on Friday. The facility has been closed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving elderly residents in the community void of essential care. After re-establishing ownership of the property, the “Children’s Aid Society Foundation” asked Windber Hospice to reopen and staff the facility for its intended purpose. The hospice will reopen on June 1, once final approvals from Medicare and the Pennsylvania Department of Health are confirmed. 

Demystifying the end: Hospice care impact on the Black community Word In Black | Houston Defender; by Laura Onyeneho; 3/2/26 ... For African American, Afro-Caribbean and African immigrant families, generational trauma and a lack of trust in the healthcare system often lead to delayed decisions about hospice care. “There’s been a historical gap in access and trust,” said [Monica James, Community Engagement Coordinator for Houston Hospice]. “Our goal is to show up consistently, to listen and to let these communities know they have options and that they’re not alone.” ... “For communities of color, we have to meet people where they are. That means understanding family dynamics, faith and what dignity means to different people,” she said. 

Duxbury, Norwell groups have rebranded. Why the name changes? The Patriot Ledger, Su Cheible; 3/3/26 I recently learned that the former Norwell Visiting Nurse Association (NVNA) and Hospice had in December taken a new name, Croí Health. Croí is an Irish word for heart, chosen to reflect the agency's patient-centered mission. I also noticed that the Duxbury Senior Center is now called The Center, has a tag line: "Live Well. Age Strong." It also notes that it is "still powered by the Duxbury Council on Aging." Its newsletter has a stylish new design and name, The Current, replacing the former name Duxbury Doings. ... Why senior centers are changing their names: In their names and their branding, the centers are switching to what they see as more active, more inclusive and more modern ideas. It is described as part of being age friendly, attracting younger seniors and moving away from negative associations and stigma still attached to growing older.

Hospice care around the world: How other cultures approach end-of-life care - Gilchrist and Nkoaranga Palliative Care ehospice; by Gilchrist Hospice; 2/25/26 ... What began as a knowledge and skill-sharing partnership became something even greater: when Nkoaranga lost its main source of financial support in 2011, Gilchrist stepped up to fully fund the program’s annual operating budget. Today, through this enduring partnership, Gilchrist provides the $80,000 per year that allows Nkoaranga’s dedicated team to deliver life-changing care to patients and families who would otherwise go without. ... In 2024 alone, Nkoaranga’s small but mighty team conducted over 170 home visits and served 123 additional patients and families beyond their monthly caseload.

Choices Healthcare CEO Michael Link eyes growth, innovation while staying true to hospice mission LNP | Lancaster Online; by Rachel Curry; 3/1/26 Michael Link always admired the loyalty it took for a long, stable career — in terms of being loyal to the company and vice versa. In October 2025, Link became CEO of Choices Healthcare, the parent company of Hospice & Community Care, where he began working as an IT trainer in 2001. ... For Link, it was quickly apparent that the work he found himself in was meaningful, and staying within the organization afforded him the opportunity to work across all kinds of departments. In 2024, Hospice & Community Care merged with Hospice of Central PA to form Choices Healthcare. Together, they provide care across 11 Pennsylvania counties. The organization also operates the Pathways Center for Grief & Loss in Mount Joy. Much of Link’s new role involves maintaining a strong legacy of care.

Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske: Hospices facing ‘huge pendulum shift' Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 2/27/26 The hospice space has seen waves of regulatory changes in recent years that are affecting sustainable access, according to Meg Pekarske, partner at the law firm Husch Blackwell. Ensuring program integrity and quality will take an overhaul of hospice regulation. Pekarske, a hospice and health care attorney, is retiring with more than 25 years of legal experience, effective March 31. She recently sat down with Hospice News to reflect on the most significant regulatory changes impacting the future scope of hospice care delivery. Greater consideration is needed around a potential revamp of the Medicare Hospice Benefit, Pekarske said.

Chapters Health System announces agreement with Housecall Providers Chapters Health System, Temple Terrace, FL; Press Release; 2/24/26 Chapters Health System ... announced today that the Board of Directors of Housecall Providers and its parent company, CareOregon, has submitted a definitive agreement for Housecall Providers to become part of Chapters Health. Pending approval of the Oregon Health Authority's Health Care Market Oversight program, this agreement will further expand the Chapters Health System's presence in the Pacific Northwest and align two nonprofit organizations committed to providing high-quality, community-based chronic illness care.

HopeHealth CEO: Hospice in ‘significant growth’ period Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 2/19/26 Hospices need an adaptive approach to meet an evolving range of diverse needs among terminally ill patients and their family caregivers. This is according to HopeHealth President and CEO Diana Franchitto. HopeHealth provides home care, hospice, palliative and dementia care, as well as caregiver and grief support services. The nonprofit health system serves Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.  ... Hospice News sat down with Franchitto to uncover the most significant trends impacting hospice care delivery as HopeHealth commemorates its 50th anniversary. ...

Letter to the editor: Thank you for your support of Hospice of the Plains Special to Journal-Advocate, Sterling, CO; by Hospice of the Plains; 2/17/26  On behalf of the entire Hospice of the Plains, Inc team, our hearts are full as we reflect on the incredible outpouring of support for this year's Fryin' and Buyin' Hometown Hospice Auction and Benefit. Thanks to the generosity, kindness, and community spirit of so many, this year's event was a remarkable success, raising around $48,500 to support compassionate hospice care right here at home. This auction was so much more than a fundraiser. It was a heartwarming celebration of community, connection, and shared purpose. [The rest of this letter may be limited to a paywall.]

Trinity Health announces suspension of hospice services KFYR TV / KMOT TV, Minot, ND; by Kyona Rivera; 2/12/26 Trinity Health in Minot announced Thursday that its Home Health and Outpatient Hospice services are suspended. A statement provided to Your News Leader from Trinity Health indicates the provider is looking at other ways to transition these services. The decision came after careful consideration and a thorough review of current operations, according to the statement. Trinity said the timeline for the change will be announced when plans are finalized. 

This American Heart Month, Carolina Caring elevates cardiac care for serious illness Carolina Caring, Newton, NC; Press Release; 2/9/26 February is American Heart Month, a national effort to raise awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. As of 2025, 6.7 million Americans over the age of 20 are living with heart failure (Heart Failure Society of America, 2025). ... In response, Carolina Caring’s Advanced Cardiac Care program provides effective, tailored support to patients with chronic heart conditions. As the first cardiac care program of its kind in North Carolina, Carolina Caring combines nationally recognized standards of care with a home-based hospice approach. 

'My wedding dress funded care for dying children' BBC News, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom; by Grace Wood; 2/14/26 As any bride-to-be knows, wedding dresses can come at a terrifying cost, with the average price sitting at around £1,500. But at one specialist charity shop in West Yorkshire brides can not only pick up a dress at a fraction of the cost, but also give something back. Situated on the top floor of the Forget Me Not Children's Hospice store in Huddersfield, Holmfirth Bridal Suite is not your normal charity shop. Instead of the usual array of second-hand clothes the rails are lined with hundreds of pre-loved or donated wedding dresses. ... "Your average wedding dress is thousands of [dollars] and you wear it for one day, and then it goes in a box, and thankfully people are donating them here to be able to sell on and make more money for the hospice" ...