National Alliance for Care at Home voices concerns to CMS in response to the FY 2027 Hospice Proposed Rule 
National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA; Press Release; 6/2/26 
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) submitted comments in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Hospice Wage Index proposed rule, which proposes payment and regulatory updates under the Medicare hospice benefit. The letter states that the proposed 2.4% hospice payment update for FY 2027 will not adequately account for the cost pressures hospice providers face in today’s healthcare delivery market. ... The Alliance also raised serious concerns about the appropriateness and data accuracy related to the hospice Service and Spending Variation Index (SSVI), and recommends that CMS pause any use of the SSVI indefinitely and undertake a transparent, collaborative approach with the provider community to better target its efforts to address hospice fraud, waste, and abuse. 

Repost: Modern Healthcare Awards, "Best Places to Work in Healthcare 2026"
Modern Healthcare; Press Release behind a paywall; 5/11/26
Editor's Note: We are pleased to add several "Best Places to Work 2026"--as honored by Modern Healthcare--to our "Awards and Recognitions May 2026" from 6/2/26. The more complete list of hospice organizations is below. If we have inadvertently omitted an organization, please email jberger@hospicepalliativecaretoday.com.

• Ancora Compassionate Care, Reidsville, NC
  
• Avow Inc., Naples, FL
• Carolina Caring, in Newton, NC
• Chapters Health System, multi-state
• Compass Regional Hospice in Centreville, MD
• Encompass Health, Birmingham, AL
• Four Seasons, The Care You Trust, in Flat Rock, NC
• Guthrie Home Care, Sayre, PA
• Hospice Home Care, Little Rock, AR
• Nathan Adelson Hospice, in Las Vegas, NV
• Teleios Collaborative Network, in Flat Rock, NC 
• Tillery Compassionate Care, Albemarle, NC
  
• Valley Hospice, Rayland, OH
• Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice of the Wabash Valley, Terre Haute, IN
• Yolo Cares, Davis, CA

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.

A regional hospice care provider has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy 
WhatNow; by Twinkle Jha; 5/29/26 
A Metairie, Louisiana-based hospice care provider has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Case records show that the company currently faces a financial gap, which likely contributed to the filing. Gulf South Hospice of New Orleans, LTD is expected to continue providing services to patients and families during the bankruptcy proceedings.

Why pre-admission is hospice’s next operational advantage 
Hospice News; by Jack Silverstein; 5/29/26 
When Dr. Darius Joshi named his San Jose, California-based hospice Redwood Hospice, the name had more significance than simply proximity to Redwood National and State Parks. [Rich metaphor of redwood trees for quality hospice care as related to referrals and admissions ...] 
... Inside the rise of the pre-admission platform: three areas of improvement:

• The pre-admission platform is the next iteration of referral management, building a streamlined, automated pathway from referral to admission that removes manual processes. ...
• From days to minutes: how pre-admission changes everything ...

Why physicians need to learn cannabis medicine now 
MedPageToday's KevinMD.com; by Janice Makela, MD; 5/31/26 
I am a geriatrics and hospice and palliative medicine physician with over 20 years of experience. Over the years, I have seen how cannabis has helped my patients, and I am very comfortable with my patients using cannabis. But like many physicians, I was not formally trained in cannabis medicine. ... Since then, I’ve learned a lot about cannabis. And I also learned that ... most doctors have very little knowledge about cannabis or the endocannabinoid system. ... As new policies roll out, health care providers need to take time to educate themselves about cannabis. Otherwise, how can we help our patients?

MSU student finds purpose after losing her father 
Blue Water Healthy Living, Port Huron, MI; by Times Record News; 5/30/26 
There are many things on the minds of graduating students — finishing requirements, booking reservations and purchasing a cap and gown. For Cristin Martin, however, graduation represents something more: honoring her father. When Martin first enrolled at Midwestern State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in women’s studies, her father was her biggest supporter. A Navy veteran, he had used his government benefits to earn an associate degree in nursing and spent 25 years as a registered nurse. ...

By the Bay Health recognized as 2026 Golden Bell Honoree for Innovative Healthcare Workforce Development Program 
ByTheBayHealth.org News, Larkspur, CA; by Sarah Robertson; 5/27/26 
By the Bay Health has been named a 2026 Golden Bell Honoree by the Marin County Office of Education (MCOE) and the Marin County School Boards Association (MCSBA) in recognition of its Pathways to Care Careers initiative ... The award recognizes By the Bay Health’s longstanding partnership with Marin County schools and its commitment to expanding access to healthcare career education for high school and college students. A key component of the initiative is the Introduction to the World of Healthcare course at San Marin High School. Funded by private donations to By the Bay Health, the course is taught by a By the Bay Health clinician and clinical guest lecturers through a partnership with the Marin County Office of Education.
Editor's Note: Congratulations on this innovative partnership and investment in future healthcare professionals. May this intergenerational model inspire other healthcare organizations to help cultivate the next generation of compassionate care. With gratitude for those who helped shape our educational and professional journeys—who encouraged yours?

Bristol Hospice acquires Hope Hospice & Palliative Care 
Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/2/26 
Bristol Hospice has purchased Hope Hospice & Palliative Care for an undisclosed amount, expanding its geographic footprint in the South. Established in 2020, Hope Hospice & Palliative Care serves patients across the region of Memphis, Tennessee. The hospice and palliative care provider has built a strong, trusted reputation for high quality across these communities, said Bristol Hospice President and CEO Alex Mauricio. The acquisition represents an opportunity to preserve and expand sustainable access, Mauricio indicated.

Interim HealthCare celebrates 60th anniversary, relaunches strategic franchise expansion, and recognizes 24 months of corporate momentum 
BusinessWire, Sunrise, FL; Press Release; 6/2/26 
Interim HealthCare Inc., the nation’s leading network of home healthcare and staffing services that span the care continuum, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this month. The company is recognized as the nation’s first home-based care franchise opportunity and is marking this milestone by recognizing the strength of its franchise partners, all locally owned and operated, so patients, clients, families, and employees stay connected to their communities. ... Interim HealthCare successfully completed several milestones leading up to this important point in the brand’s history: ...

Is AI better for patients? 
KFF | This Business of Health; podcast hosted by Chip Kahn and with guest Patrick Conway, MD, MSc; 6/2/26 
Is AI Better for patients? What is changing on the ground? Chip talks with Dr. Patrick Conway, Chief Executive Officer of Optum, a health services and technology business under parent company, UnitedHealth Group. They discuss how to ensure the health care industry’s use of AI serves patients first, particularly when the same company bears financial risk and builds the AI that decides who gets care. They also discuss whether use of AI can make value-based care the dominant payment framework, after two decades of policymaker support for the model.

[Global] The Real World Charity Challenge surpasses 1,200 volunteer acts in 7 months 
BusinessWire, Miami, FL; Press Release; 6/1/26 
The Real World members have completed 1,251 documented acts of community service through the platform's global Charity Challenge, New Era Learning LLC announced today. ... "The Charity Challenge was designed to test whether members would commit to high-effort work without immediate financial return, and the submission numbers gave us a clear answer," said Mark Berringer, spokesperson for New Era Learning LLC. "The 1,251 verified completions in seven months, across 14 countries and causes ranging from hospice care to environmental cleanup, show that the program's structure works across very different local contexts."
Editor's Note: Beyond compliance — volunteer hours may fulfill CMS requirements, but what else do they tell you? How intentionally do you use volunteer data to recognize service, strengthen recruitment and retention, and better understand volunteer impact throughout patient and family care?

I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall. ~ Serena Williams