Literature Review

Palladium Equity partners to acquire majority stake in DME Express from WayPoint Capital Partners PR Newswire, New York and The Woodlands, TX; by Palladium Equity Partners; 3/20/26 Palladium Equity Partners, LLC (along with its affiliates, "Palladium"), today announced an agreement to acquire a majority equity interest in DME Express ("DME Express" or the "Company"), an established provider of durable medical equipment serving hospice providers across the United States. ... DME Express would be Palladium's second investment in the hospice industry since inception, and the second platform investment by Palladium Equity Partners VI, LP. 

AI in hospice: What every leader needs to know | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Ernesto Lopez; 3/11/26 Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering healthcare, but what does it really mean for Hospice leaders?  In this episode of TCN Talks/Anatomy of Leadership, host Chris Comeaux sits down with Ernesto Lopez—founder and CEO of 1520 AI and a longtime Hospice executive—to unpack the opportunities, risks, and realities of AI in Hospice. Drawing on his background as a registered nurse, healthcare executive, and Harvard Business School–trained data analyst, Ernesto explains how artificial intelligence is evolving and why Hospice organizations must approach it with both curiosity and caution. 

California hospice fraud: What to know as blame game erupts Newsweek; by Jasmine Laws; 3/11/26, updated 3/12/26 The social media platform X has been awash with criticism targeted at California Governor Gavin Newsom as a CBS News report detailed the extent of the state's hospice fraud problem. Newsom's office has been hitting back at the comments, reminding users that the state "cracked down on hospice fraud years ago," and has been pointing the finger at President Donald Trump, as his administration paused a hospice oversight program at the start of 2025. ... Responding to Newsom's office's comments, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Newsweek: "No one cares about Newscum’s boring X posts ..." While California has been in the spotlight for its hospice fraud, it is not the only state experiencing the problem—it is a nationwide issue. ... A report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General in 2023 found that suspected hospice fraud amounts totaled an estimated $198.1 million nationwide. However, some states in particular have seen a surge in new operators, namely California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas, meaning these states are considered hotspots for potential hospice fraud.Editor's Note: This article aptly names the deeply partisan “blame game” now playing out across many media outlets. Hospice fraud is not a partisan issue—it is a human one. When hospice is exploited, it erodes trust in a field built on compassion and dignity at life’s most vulnerable moments. Political finger-pointing may generate headlines, but it does little to solve the problem. Stopping hospice fraud requires accountability, strong oversight, and a shared commitment to protect patients—and the integrity of hospice care itself.

VNA of Texas to take over operations of Faith Presbyterian Hospice Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 3/11/26 Faith Presbyterian Hospice, a subsidiary of the nonprofit senior housing operator Forefront Living, is transferring its patients and most of its staff to the Visiting Nurse Association of Texas (VNA). VNA is expanding its census and its footprint through a deepened partnership with Forefront, with which the organization has had a longstanding relationship. Faith Presbyterian is currently winding down its operations, allowing VNA and Forefront to focus on their own core competencies while leveraging each other’s expertise.

[United Kingdom] Specialist palliative care has the potential to reduce costs by up to £8,000 per person and improve quality of life, according to new research published in Palliative Medicine Innovation News Network; by Megan Traviss; 3/10/26 Led by researchers at King’s College London, the research considered two modes of palliative care for those living at home and for those in acute hospital settings. As well as significantly reducing the overall cost of care per person, specialist palliative care delivered at home and in the hospital was associated with improved quality of life for patients in their final months. Peter May, Senior Lecturer in Health Economics at King’s College London and lead author of the study, stated: “This is the first study to estimate the economic impact for England.

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. 

Savage Boards expanding after partnering with Hospice of Wichita Falls KFDX Wichita Falls, TX; by Curtis Jackson; 2/27/26 Katie Fowler has recently formed a partnership between her restaurant, “Savage Boards,” and Hospice of Wichita Falls’ in-house bistro. Fowler partnered with Hospice about three years ago and offers several sandwiches, salads, and more, alongside her to-go “adult style” lunchables and some sweet treats. Fowler said two years ago she never would have thought she’d be in the position to expand her business, and what better way to do that than with hospice, and said she’s doing more than just providing food for patients, she’s helping to ease the burden for those families going through tough times.

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.

Stolen ambulance crashes into Meridian medical building. What is Portico North? Idaho Statesman, Meridian, ID; by Hali Smith; 2/19/26 Offices in a Meridian medical building were closed Thursday after a stolen ambulance smashed into the six-story structure. The crash occurred around 12:30 a.m. Thursday at the Portico North building at the southeast corner of Eagle and Franklin roads. ... Portico North is owned by St. Luke’s Health System, whose Meridian hospital is one block to the south. ... “There is no clinical patient care provided in the Portico North building,” Myron told the Statesman. The site functions as a workspace for a health insurance company as well as St. Luke’s hospice care providers and home health teams. 

The Alliance and the Research Institute for Home Care release 2025 Hospice Chartbook National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 2/19/26 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) and The Research Institute for Home Care (the Institute) are excited to announce the release of the 2025 Hospice Chartbook. Highlighting the vital role that hospice plays in caring for an aging demographic, the Chartbook provides a look at the patients being served in hospice, who they are demographically and clinically, and more.  Now in its second year, the 2025 Hospice Chartbook, co-sponsored by the Alliance, provides an overview of national patient and workforce data with an emphasis on state-specific information and trends, including key data on hospice patients and providers, Medicare spending on hospice, and more. 

'An alarm bell': Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service shutters amid turmoil for home health care Santa Fe New Mexican; Santa Fe, NM; by Margaret O'Hara; 2/16/26 A home health and hospice agency that has been serving Los Alamos and Rio Arriba counties for more than 50 years will shutter later this month, a closure agency officials attributed to decreasing revenue from patient insurance and sharply rising health care costs. Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service will halt operations Friday. The loss should serve as a warning, said Meggin Lorino, executive director of the New Mexico Association for Home and Hospice Care. The decision to shutter Los Alamos Visiting Nurses comes as rural health care providers grapple with an abundance of challenges, which range from operating on razor-thin financial margins to impending cuts to Medicaid to the added pressures of the state’s aging population.Editor's Note: This provides further information to the article we posted 2/13/26, "Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service closing its doors but other options are available to those in need."

Hospice of the Western Reserve rebrands as Reserve Care Reserve Care, Cleveland, OH; Press Release; 2/2/26 Hospice of the Western Reserve is now operating under a new name, Reserve Care, reflecting the organization’s full scope of services and its role supporting individuals and families across Ohio through caregiving, serious illness and end of life. Founded nearly 50 years ago as a leading nonprofit hospice provider in Northeast Ohio, the organization has served nearly 640,000 patients and family members throughout its history. Over time, it has expanded to offer personalized services across the continuum of care ...