The annual journey plan —turning strategy into an organizational rhythm 
Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); by Chris Comeaux; 10/1/26
A great year is not created in the final quarter. It is created through a disciplined rhythm of listening, deciding, executing, learning, and renewing. A great year is not created in the final quarter. It is created through a disciplined rhythm of listening, deciding, executing, learning, and renewing. Consider a liturgical calendar. It does more than mark dates. It gives a community a shared rhythm with seasons for preparation, reflection, renewal, celebration, and recommitment. Each season has meaning because of what came before it and what follows. The calendar keeps people oriented to what matters most, even when daily life competes for attention.

Hospice of the Valley receives $100,000 grant to support dementia caregivers Arizona Foothills Magazine, Phoenix, AZ; by Mallory Gleich; 10/1/26 
Hospice of the Valley has received a $100,000 Mercy C.A.R.E.S. Community Reinvestment Grant to support its Supportive Care for Dementia Program across Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties. The program provides in-home clinical and emotional support for families caring for loved ones with dementia at any stage of the disease. It is the only program of its kind in Arizona to provide this type of comprehensive in-home support. Services include personalized guidance and care plans from an experienced dementia team, free education and support for family caregivers, low-cost in-home respite care through the RISE student engagement partnership and 24-hour access to clinical advice and care coordination.

Dancing with the Stars returns for annual Hospice fundraiser 
Richmond County Daily Journal, Rockingham, NC; by Ana Corral; 10/1/26 
Richmond County Hospice’s annual Taste of the Sandhills & Dancing with the Stars fundraiser returned Saturday, bringing dancers and community members together for an evening of fundraising. Before audience members entered the auditorium, Jeff Smart, partner and owner of Mabry’s Drug & Home Care, shared that Hospice had already raised around $79,000. “We’re so proud we can be the main event sponsor again with Dancing With The Stars as we have for so many years,” Smart said. At the end of the night, Smart shared that the final amount raised had not yet been determined but estimated the total was under $90,000.

SBL Hospice Binga raises $31,000 for Willow Breeze 
Sarah Bush Lincoln; Press Release; 9/24/26 
Sarah Bush Lincoln’s Hospice Binga event held in early September raised more than $31,000, with proceeds benefiting the Willow Breeze Hospice House Endowment. Earnings from the endowment help families with no or limited resources pay for their stay. ... “We’re so very grateful for our sponsors, donors, volunteers and Binga participants who come together to raise funds to help those in need,” said Amy Card, SBL Health Foundation director. “... The endowment is so important to help make it accessible to those who otherwise may not have the means to stay there.” Most insurance companies cover care in a hospice house, but many won’t cover room and board.   

Kendall Burrows Foundation works toward $1 million for pediatric care 
WMAR-2 ABC, Baltimore, MD; by Elsa M.; 9/20/26  
The Kendall Burrows Foundation is encouraging Marylanders to make a difference in the lives of children and families facing serious medical challenges. Since 2015, the foundation has partnered with the Johns Hopkins Children's Center Harriet Lane Compassionate Care Program to help create supportive and healing environments for children receiving pediatric palliative care and for the families who care for them. ... This year, organizers are aiming to reach a significant milestone. The foundation reports that it has raised and donated $882,000 to date and hopes to surpass $1 million through continued community support.

When repeat hospitalizations call for a different conversation 
South Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report; by Joseph Shega, MD; 10/1/26 
For a person living with advanced illness, repeated hospitalizations often signal more than a change in medical condition: needs may have evolved, priorities shifted or more support is needed. Yet conversations about hospital readmissions frequently focus on metrics, penalties and utilization. Equally important is whether the care plan still reflects the patient and family’s priorities. For caregivers, those moments bring difficult questions: What happens next? How will symptoms be managed? What support will be available at home? Those questions deserve a place in every conversation about reducing readmissions and length of stay. ...

Oct. 1 brings new codes, coding edits and Medicaid limits for practices 
Physicians Practice; by Keith A. Reynolds; 10/1/26 
New ICD-10 codes, NCCI edits and Medicaid eligibility limits all took effect Oct. 1. Here's what practices should check this week. ...

• The FY 2027 ICD-10-CM code set ...
• New NCCI edits ...
• A warning on duplicate lab tests ...
• Medicaid eligibility narrows for some noncitizens ...
• Hospice election statement addendum ...
• State Medicaid financing ...
• State laws ...

The home health and hospice moratorium at six months: what CMS’ anti-fraud CRUSH initiative has meant for providers 
JD Supra; by Lanchi Nguyen Bombalier; 10/1/26 
Key Takeaways

• CMS’ home health and hospice enrollment moratorium points to a broader anti-fraud enforcement strategy. Providers should prepare for continued enrollment scrutiny even if the moratorium expires.
• CMS is expanding beyond traditional program-integrity tools by using financial intelligence, affiliations, and enhanced oversight to identify potential fraud risks.
• Home health and hospice providers should review ownership, medical director, managerial, and transaction relationships now to identify connections that could create enrollment or revocation exposure.

Rep. Panetta: Congress must listen to hospice providers 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/1/26 
Though the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has regulatory authority over hospices, Congress has a role to play. To fulfill that role, they should listen to the concerns of hospice providers, according to Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.). Panetta first took office in 2017 and currently serves on the Ways and Means Committee, which is among the most important congressional bodies for hospices to watch. ... "...  The federal government has a responsibility to get that process right by rooting out fraudsters without targeting the hardworking providers offering this critical service.” 

Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties brings veterans together for a salute to service
focusmedia, Montgomery, NY; Client News; 9/30/26 
Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties brought veterans, families and community members together on September 23 for a Veterans Brunch: A Salute to Service at The American Grill at Stony Ford Golf Course in Thomas Bull Memorial Park. The gathering honored local veterans and provided an opportunity to share experiences, form connections and learn about available support.With the surrounding mountains in view on a bright fall morning, attendees exchanged stories across generations and branches of service. Before the panel discussion, the program featured a medley of military service songs, with veterans standing for their branches.

[United Kingdom] 'One patient spent their last night with the lights'
BBC News; by Cheryl Dennis and Sophie Parker; 10/1/26
A light show created by an artist in the grounds of a hospice has opened to the public until the end of December. Dorothy House, in Winsley, near Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, commissioned international light installation artist Bruce Munro to create the show in its grounds. James Byron, from the hospice, said during the testing one patient came out of their room to spend their last night with the lights. "I think that tells you something about its power," he said. [View photos]

I am not lost. I am exploring alternative routes.