Literature Review

Hospice & Palliative Care of the Piedmont announces Dr. Nancy Hart Wicker as chief executive officer and chief medical officer Index Journal; by Staff Writer; 7/2/26Hospice & Palliative Care of the Piedmont [Charlottesville, VA] has appointed Nancy Hart Wicker, MD, FAAHPM, as chief executive officer and chief medical officer, effective immediately. Hospice & Palliative Care of the Piedmont is the only locally governed, nonprofit hospice in the region with a CMS five-star rating, indicating the highest quality of care. The organization brings 45 years of service, clinical expertise, and community-based decision-making from its clinical staff, leadership, and volunteer board of directors.

Empath Health expands hospice support for Jewish communities Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 7/13/26 Empath Trustbridge Hospice has established a formal partnership with Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services (JFS) to expand access to end-of-life support. The partnership with JFS is aimed at improving access to culturally responsive care provided by Empath Trustbridge Hospice’s Tikvah Jewish Care & Support Program. The program provides faith-based support, honors Jewish traditions and holiday observances, as well as kosher dietary coordination. The two organizations launched the partnership after years of relationship-building and a mutual commitment to honoring the Jewish community through every stage of life. 

The corporatization of medicine, in salaries and beds MedPageToday's KevinMD.com; by Brian Hudes, MD; 7/11/26 In the 1970s, the American hospital was, in the industry’s own language, an “open workshop.” ... The doctor made the medical decisions; the administrator kept the lights on and the ledgers balanced. It was an arrangement with obvious flaws (fragmentation, duplication, uneven quality), but it rested on a clear premise: Medicine was practiced by physicians, and the institution existed to support that practice. That premise has quietly inverted. ... It is a corporation that employs them. The practice down the street has been acquired, rebranded, and folded into a system with a marketing department, a real-estate strategy, and a chief executive whose compensation would have been unimaginable to the physicians of the open-workshop era. The people who now set the direction of American medicine are, increasingly, not the people who see patients.

Nonprofit-private equity joint ventures worth scrutiny, PESP report says Fierce Healthcare; by Anastassia Gliadkovskaya; 7/7/26 At least 568 healthcare facilities operate through nonprofit-private equity joint ventures, according to a new report calling for scrutiny into those arrangements. The figure is likely an undercount, considering only public data were used. The report (PDF) was published by the Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP), a nonprofit that advocates for more disclosure about private equity deals. More than a fifth of private equity (PE)-owned hospitals operate under joint venture arrangements with nonprofit health systems. ... Such joint ventures extend beyond hospitals, spanning subsectors such as inpatient rehab, hospice, home health, behavioral health, ambulatory surgery centers and urgent care, per the report.

Big Bend Health announced as parent company of Big Bend Hospice, reflecting expanded continuum of care across North Florida Big Bend Health; Press Release; 7/9/26 Big Bend Hospice, North Florida’s trusted nonprofit leader in end-of-life care for more than 40 years, today announced the formal introduction of Big Bend Health as its parent company; a strategic brand evolution that reflects the organization’s growing continuum of care while reinforcing Big Bend Hospice as its primary and most recognized service. Big Bend Health, formerly known as Seven Oaks Health, unifies Big Bend Hospice and its related healthcare services under one cohesive continuum of care. While the parent name will be used primarily for formal and legal purposes, the community will continue to see Big Bend Hospice as the forward-facing brand and the cornerstone of compassionate end-of-life care.

Croí Health’s “The 12” gala raises more than $700,000 for hospice and home healthcare MassNonprofitNews; Press Release; 7/6/26 Croí Health’s (formerly NVNA and Hospice) annual The 12 gala raised more than $700,000 to support hospice and home health care, the largest amount in the event’s 12-year history. Held on June 17th at the Pat Roche Hospice Home in Hingham, Croí welcomed hundreds of guests under a massive tent. The fundraiser unites community leaders, donors, and sponsors around a shared mission: ensuring no patient in need is turned away for financial reasons. Named for the Hospice Home’s original 12 private resident rooms, The 12 has become an annual tradition for South Shore philanthropists since its inception in 2015. Guests gather just steps away from the rooms where patients receive end-of-life care, making for a deeply reflective evening.

CMS is right about hospice fraud but wrong about the moratorium on new enrollments Health Affairs; by Tamara Weaver; 6/30/26 Under CMS’s six-month moratorium on new enrollments, I have effectively been told to sit still, burn cash, and hope I survive long enough to eventually serve patients. That is not good policy. That is collateral damage. I am exactly the kind of hospice agency owner the federal government should want in this industry. I am not a private equity fund. I am not a shell company. I am not a fraudster who enrolled patients who did not qualify, billed for services never rendered, or relocated across state lines to outrun regulators. I am a founder who spent years building something genuinely different—investing my life savings, my retirement, and my professional identity into a mission-driven hospice designed specifically as an antidote to the failures that have eroded trust in end-of-life care. ...

Mt. Hood Hospice gets $41K after largest-ever fundraising month Sandy Post, Sandy, OR; by Christopher Keizur; 7/1/26 The 2026 Support Mt. Hood Hospice Month is an annual effort that involves businesses, organizations, and community members across the greater Sandy area. It is in support of Mt. Hood Hospice, which provides care to terminally ill patients regardless of their ability to pay. “This year we tried a lot of new things and had better numbers and donations,” said Brian York, marketing specialist for Clackamas County Bank. On Wednesday, July 1, at Mt. Hood Hospice, 39085 Pioneer Boulevard, a check for $41,877.99 was presented (leave it to a bank to be so precise). That is the highest donation yet.

VNA Hops for Hospice brings community together in support of compassionate care GreatNews.Life, Valparaiso, IN; by Maxwell Barath; 6/29/26 On Saturday, June 27, more than 250 guests and over 60 dedicated volunteers gathered at the Porter County Expo Center for VNA Hospice NWI’s sixth annual Hops for Hospice, an afternoon celebrating local craft beverages, delicious food, live music, and a shared commitment to compassionate hospice care. The Expo Center was filled with energy as attendees sampled offerings from dozens of regional breweries, wineries, and beverage vendors while enjoying live performances by Bryan Elliott and Duke Tumatoe, whose music provided the perfect soundtrack for an afternoon of community, conversation, and giving back.

At Hospice Austin’s summer camp, kids find joy together after experiencing loss KUT 90.5, Austin, TX; by Olivia Aldridge; 6/29/26 On a Friday in mid-June, middle school-aged kids lined up for their shot at a summer camp rite of passage: the infamous high ropes course at John Knox Ranch in Fischer, Texas. The ranch hosts Camp Brave Heart, Hospice Austin’s annual camp for kids and teens who have experienced loss. 13-year-old Alisa bravely stepped up to the challenge first. Soon enough, she was strapped into a harness, inching along ropes strung 30 feet in the air. “You are rocking this!” the counselor belaying her from the ground yelled as Alisa neared the end of the course. “Take a second — you want to look at the view?”

Big Bend Hospice announces grand opening of second Oak Tree Treasures location in Tallahassee Big Bend Hospice, Tallahassee, FL; Press Release; 6/29/26 Big Bend Hospice celebrated the grand opening of its second Oak Tree Treasures resale shop on Friday, June 26, welcoming a crowd of supporters, volunteers, donors and community leaders to mark the milestone. The celebration drew such an enthusiastic response ... Located at 3802 N. Monroe St., the new store expands Oak Tree Treasures’ mission of turning everyday shopping and donations into meaningful support for hospice patients and families across the Big Bend.

DAI to acquire 24 home health agencies from HCA, ‘doubling down’ on care in the home Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 6/24/26 Deaconess Associations Incorporated (DAI) has agreed to acquire 31 home health and hospice agencies – primarily home health – from HCA Healthcare. The agencies, which consist of 24 home health locations and seven hospice locations, are spread across eight states. The deal is part of DAI’s strategic push to ‘double down’ its home health and hospice offerings, DAI CEO Trey Crabb told Home Health Care News. ... The 31 agencies are primarily located in Texas and Florida, with smaller numbers in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado. The agencies will become part of Central Pyramid, one of DAI’s four owned subsidiaries, and will retain local brands except in any instances where HCA requires DAI to change the name. 

Adams County Community Foundation supports Hospice of Hope patient care initiative The Highland County Press, Hillsboro, OH; by John Condon; 6/24/26 The Adams County Community Foundation has awarded a grant to Hospice of Hope to support a special patient-centered initiative designed to provide comfort, dignity and meaningful personal connections for hospice patients and their families. The grant will help fund the creation of personalized “All About Me” boards that will be developed and decorated by Hospice of Hope volunteers for patients receiving hospice care. Each board will highlight important aspects of the patient’s life, including their personal story, favorite things, family memories, and what matters most to them. ... In addition to serving as a communication and memory-sharing tool during hospice care, the boards will remain with families as keepsakes and reminders of their loved one’s life and experiences.