Mission Healthcare expands in Oregon, California 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/26/26 
Mission Healthcare has cut the ribbon on three de novo locations in Oregon and California. The three new operations are located in Bakersfield, California; Salem, Oregon and Portland, Oregon. All three opened within the past week, expanding the company’s footprint in the western United States. 

Solace Hospice suspends opening amid Medicare moratorium 
Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/25/26 
The launch of Solace Hospice of Southwest Virginia has paused due to a nationwide temporary moratoria on hospice and home health Medicare enrollment. The hospice’s operations will be suspended for an indeterminate time. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) six-month moratoria took effect on May 13, a move to halt new providers amid fraudulent activity in the hospice space. The program’s cessation is a direct result of the moratorium, said Shanna Western, founder and executive director of Solace Hospice of Southwest Virginia.

Aroostook House of Comfort hosts 13th Annual Golf Classic  
Pulse, Presque Isle, ME; 6/28/26 
The Aroostook Hospice Foundation proudly hosted its 13th Annual Golf Classic on Saturday, June 20 at the Presque Isle Country Club, raising approximately $96,000 to support the Aroostook House of Comfort. The tournament brought together an incredible show of community support, with 161 sponsors, 45 teams, 38 raffle and prize donors, 13 in-kind donors and 31 volunteers helping make this year’s event another tremendous success.

Allina hospice workers announce 1-day strike set for July 6
FOX 9, Minneapolis, MN; by Kilat Fitzgerald; 6/29/26
The Brief

• A group of 65 hospice nurses at Allina Health have filed the required 10-day notice to strike over what their union says are unfair labor practices.
• SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa said the group voted with 96% support to authorize the strike after nearly a year of negotiations.
• The strike is set to happen on July 6 outside of Abbott Northwestern Hospital and the Allina Commons corporate headquarters in Minneapolis if an agreement is not reached by then.

Are physicians and nonphysician clinicians interchangeable? 
MedPageToday's KevinMD.com; by Gus W. Krucke, MD; 6/24/26 
... Teamwork is necessary in medicine. But it is not equivalence, and shared work is not shared responsibility. This essay does not argue against team-based care or the work of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nonphysician clinicians. It argues against the unsupported conclusion that overlapping work, outcomes, and workforce pressure establish equivalence in training, judgment, and final accountability between physicians and nonphysician clinical providers.

Why generations clash at work—and how great leaders fix it | part two 
Teleios Collaborative Network; podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Karen McCullough; 6/26/26 
In Part 2 of this compelling conversation, nationally recognized generational expert Karen McCullough joins host Chris Comeaux to unpack why generations often clash at work and what exceptional leaders do differently to transform tension into trust. Together, they explore why workplace culture is built through everyday interactions—not policies—and why understanding people will always matter more than labeling them. From delivering honest feedback with empathy to preventing burnout and leading through the rise of artificial intelligence, this episode offers practical wisdom for today’s leaders.  Karen and Chris discuss how to preserve human connection in an increasingly digital workplace, create cultures where every generation feels valued, and build teams that are stronger because of their differences—not despite them.

O&I Subcommittee holds hearing with state Medicaid directors as part of committee’s extensive probe into Medicaid programs nationwide 
U.S. Energy & Commerce, Chairman Brett Guthrie, Washington, DC; Press Release; 6/25/26 
[On Thursday June 25th], Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led a hearing titled State Medicaid Program Integrity: Examining Fraud Risks and Oversight Deficiencies. “Let me be clear: fraud is not isolated to these states. As we discussed in two previous hearings before this Subcommittee, Medicaid fraud is a real problem. It happens in every single state, red and blue, and has been harming patients and draining taxpayer resources for decades,” said Chairman Joyce. “It is no longer sufficient to do the bare minimum. States must rise to the occasion and tackle fraud head-on. Our Medicaid program and the patients that rely on it to be healthy depend on it.”
Watch the full hearing here.

Hospice Medicare suspension or Medicaid suspension? Your seven next steps 
The National Law Review; by Dr. Nick Oberheiden, PC; 6/25/26 
... What Hospice Care Providers and Home Health Agencies Should Do When Facing Medicare or Medicaid Payment Suspensions ...

1. Determine if You Are Facing Credible Allegations of Fraud or Receipt of Overpayments ...
2. Make Informed Decisions About Your Next Steps ...
3. File a Timely Rebuttal to the Payment Suspension Notice ...
4. Focus on Protecting (or Restoring) Your Hospice’s Ability to Receive Medicaid or Medicare Payments ...
5. Address Any Other Risks Your Hospice May Be Facing ...
6. Prioritize Effectively Managing (and Documenting) Billing Compliance Going Forward ...
7. Prepare to Defend Against Serious Healthcare Fraud Allegations if Necessary ...

Scam alerts issued as fraudsters target Washington Parish residents 
The Bogalusa Daily News, Bogalusa, LA; by Kim Gerald; 6/26/26 
Washington Parish residents are being urged to remain vigilant as several scams continue to circulate throughout the area, targeting individuals through phone calls, text messages and emails. Local authorities and healthcare providers have recently issued warnings about multiple fraud schemes designed to steal money and personal information from unsuspecting victims. One of the latest alerts comes from Riverside Medical Center, which is warning Medicare recipients about scammers offering free medical equipment or healthcare services. ... Officials caution that hospice scams can be especially damaging because victims may unknowingly be enrolled in hospice care, potentially affecting their access to regular Medicare benefits.

MSU nursing program blends coursework and community care at Camp SMILE 
Morehead State Public Radio, Morehead, KY; by Morehead State University; 6/26/26 
For many students, electives are a way to earn credits, but for Morehead State University nursing students, one course is also a chance to serve their community and gain life-changing perspective. Thanks to a partnership between Morehead State’s Department of Nursing and UK St. Claire Regional Hospice & Palliative Care in Morehead, MSU nursing students can gain unique experience working with children at Camp SMILE while working toward their nursing degree. Camp SMILE (Sharing Memories In a Loving Environment) is a bereavement camp for children [ages 7-17] who have lost a loved one.

1967-1967: 250 Years - A History of Care
Hospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger; for 6/29/26
Read details and explore source links

• A world watching death, injustice, and possibility

• 1967, Dame Cicely Saunders opens St. Christopher’s, the first modern hospice

• 1969, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross authors On Death and Dying

• Florence Wald, founder of the first U.S. hospice, 1974

We need to cure sometimes, but care always. ~ Florence Wald, Dean of Yale School of Nursing, and Founder of the first hospice in the United States, Connecticut Hospice in Branford, CT, 1974