Hospice News 50: Hospice News Provider Rankings and Annual Trends Report 
Hospice News; 3/10/26 
Second Annual Hospice News Provider Rankings and Trends Report
The hospice sector continues to evolve rapidly, driven by shifting ownership structures, demographic demand and new approaches to caring for seriously ill populations. For the second annual Hospice News 50 report, we partnered with Hospice Analytics to rank the largest hospice chains by 2024 Medicare claims. Drawing on proprietary data — including Medicare payments, corporate disclosures, acquisition activity and SEC filings — the report provides a detailed view of how consolidation, investment patterns and emerging players are reshaping the industry. Explore the latest data and analysis to understand the market forces driving hospice transformation — and what they mean for providers in 2026 and beyond.

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. 

Shanti Niketan Hospice Home Campaign reaches $3.5 million goal 
WGRK K-Country 105.7, Glasgow, KY; by Josh Mickinney; 3/10/26 
The T.J. Community Mission Foundation (TJCMF) announced the successful completion of the $3.5 million capital campaign to build Shanti Niketan Hospice Home during a special ceremony celebrating the facility’s five-year anniversary. The campaign, titled “Love Makes This House a Home,” was launched in 2015 with the goal of creating a residential hospice facility to serve families throughout south central Kentucky. Since opening in 2021, Shanti Niketan Hospice Home has provided care and comfort for more than 275 patients and their families. “Shanti Niketan Hospice Home reflects the very best of compassionate healthcare,” said Neil Thornbury, CEO of T.J. Regional Health.

Christina McNally appointed President & CEO of Carolina Caring 
Carolina Caring, Newton, NC; Press Release; 2/9/26 
Effective immediately, Christina McNally, MPH has been appointed President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Carolina Caring. Prior to this appointment, McNally served Carolina Caring in key leadership roles, including Executive Director of the Carolina Caring Foundation, Chief Strategy Officer, and Interim Chief Executive Officer. ... As CEO, McNally will oversee all of Carolina Caring’s clinical programs and support services, which are provided to more than 11,000 patients each year. 

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.

Bedford Hospice House seeks new partners 
Bedford Bulletin, Bedford, VA; by John Barnhart; 3/11/26
The Bedford Hospice House will close on April 15, but this may not be the end. The hospice house was built as a community endeavor with Tom and Connie Messier spearheading the effort. The community raised the money to build a free-standing residential-style hospice house. The four-bedroom facility provided a home-like place where terminal ill people, who could not stay in their homes, could spend there last days. ... According to Amy Merrill Willis, President of the Board of Directors for Friends of the Bedford Hospice House, Cemtra notified them on Feb. 26, that hospice house would close.  ... "We remain very committed to the hospice house," she said. She said they are exploring options and have been in communication with the Bedford County Board of Supervisors. She said the supervisors are interested in maintaining it as a hospice house and she said her board hopes to find a new partner.

More states push to let terminally ill patients use cannabis in hospitals 
GreenState; by Taylor Engle; 3/4/26 
... Across multiple state legislatures, lawmakers are now advancing bills to let seriously ill patients use medical cannabis inside hospitals, hospice centers, and other care facilities. In the current session, proposals in Connecticut, Hawaii, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington State have moved forward, even as one similar bill stalled in Mississippi this week. At the heart of this push is a moral question that many find hard to dismiss: if a qualifying patient is legally using cannabis to manage pain, nausea, anxiety, or other symptoms at home, why should that care stop the moment they enter a hospital or hospice? Advocates have framed it less as a legal loophole and more as a gap in dignity and continuity of care: one that these bills aim to close.

Palliative care for multiple sclerosis: Managing progressive disease with compassion 
Ashland localtownpages, Aubrey, TX; by Press Services; 3/5/26 
Multiple sclerosis presents unique challenges that require specialized support throughout the disease journey. Patients experience unpredictable symptoms including fatigue, pain, mobility issues, and cognitive changes. These symptoms shift and intensify over time, affecting daily life for both patients and their families. Sovereign Hospice addresses these complex needs through palliative care and hospice at home service across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

• Understanding Palliative Care for Multiple Sclerosis Patients ...
• Hospice Versus Palliative Care for MS Patients ... 

Why Florida’s Certificate of Need program works for hospice | Opinion 
The Florida Times-Union; by Susan Ponder-Stansel; 3/11/26 
Since the introduction of hospice care in the U.S. during the 1970s, Florida has been a leader in establishing high standards for licensing of hospice organizations who provide care in our state. This includes a certificate of need program that has a competitive process that is intentional, effective and disciplined. Through a competitive batching process under the program, hospice licenses are awarded only when providers can demonstrate unmet community need and prove they have the resources, staffing, infrastructure and expertise to meet that need reliably and over time. [Full access may be limited by paywall] 

Why post-merger integration matters 
The Bloom Organization; 3/9/26 
Most healthcare practice owners spend their time thinking about the front end of a transaction: valuation, deal structure, buyer selection, and closing. But for practice owners who will remain involved in their business after closing, whether through an employment agreement, earnout, or rollover equity, what happens after the deal closes can be just as important as the terms on the letter of intent. Post-merger integration determines whether the transition is smooth or disruptive, whether earnout targets are achievable, and whether the day-to-day experience of running your practice improves or deteriorates under new ownership.
Editor's Note: Pair this with "What Actually Happens to Your Healthcare Workers After Acquisition?," which we posted on 12/22/25 and 12/28/25 (our Sunday's "Most Read" edition). It states that "47% of employees leave within the first year following an acquisition, climbing to 75% by year three."

[Japan] Half of hospice and palliative care unit inpatients' family members are surprised by death 
Journal of Palliative Medicine; by Satoko Ito, Tatsuya Morita, Masanori Mori, Isseki Maeda, Yutaka Hatano, Takashi Yamaguchi, Hiroyuki Otani, Tetsuya Yamagiwa, Yoshiyuki Kizawa, Satoru Tsuneto, Yasuo Shima, Kento Masukawa, Mitsunori Miyashita; 3/10/26 
Background: Sudden unexpected death can occur even among patients with advanced cancer receiving hospice and palliative care. How bereaved families perceive this remains unclear. ... Design/setting/subjects: We analyzed longitudinally linked data from a prospective cohort of advanced cancer patients in 23 palliative care units in Japan and a nationwide survey of bereaved families. Conclusions: Compared with physicians' perspectives, bereaved family members perceive death to be sudden or unexpected more frequently and differently, and their perceptions are associated with postbereavement mental health.

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