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.

Neurodegenerative disease death certification among National Football League players with dementia
JAMA Network Open; by Charlotte B. Luster, Christopher J. Nowinski, Bobak Abdolmohammadi, Evan D. Feigel, Michael J. Mastrodicasa, Brenna Finegan, Lee Goldstein, Douglas I. Katz, Robert C. Cantu, Brigid Dwyer, Yorghos Tripodis, Thor D. Stein, Michael L. Alosco, Ann C. McKee, Jesse Mez, Daniel H. Daneshvar; 9/26
This cohort study of 202 brain donors found that only 30.7% of former NFL players with clinician-adjudicated dementia had NDD [neurodegenerative disease] listed as the underlying cause of death. This study suggests that NDDs are substantially underascertained on death certificates of former NFL players, which mirrors findings in the general population, suggesting that death certificates may underestimate the true burden of NDD, particularly in less-severe cases. Across 7 investigations, dementia was listed on death certificates for only 7.2% to 41.8% of individuals with documented dementia diagnoses. Similar underascertainment has been reported for Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease (AD). In a cohort of patients with AD, only 25.5% of death certificates listed AD or dementia as the underlying cause, while 63.5% recorded it as a contributing cause. 
Assistant Editor's note: In nursing school many years ago, I never learned much about dementia or AD. It was kind of an "aside diagnosis"--a problem "pertaining to old people", but never the primary diagnosis. It wasn't until I got into hospice care that I realized what a devastating disease it can be, and how it affects many body systems, not just the brain. Of course, it deserves to be a primary terminal illness in and of itself! As noted in this article summary, 63.5% of death certificates list AD or dementia as a contributing cause of death. I'm sure it is indeed a contributing cause of death in some cases. But in other cases, as the article summary suggests, it is likely the primary cause of death and simply not captured as such on the death certificate.

The LiBBY Study results are now available! [Agitation in dementia]
LiBBY press release; by staff; 10/7/26
The LiBBY (Life’s-end Benefits of cannaBidiol and tetrahYdrocannabinol) Study was the first of its kind to examine the possible benefits of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) as a safe treatment option for agitation in hospice-eligible people with dementia. The LiBBY Study results show that the THC/CBD investigational treatment administered as an oral, digestible combination oil reduced the symptoms of agitation, in comparison to the placebo treatment. The LiBBY Study results were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in London, United Kingdom on July 14, 2026. The slides are publicly available and can be viewed below.

What doctors are talking about in 2026: AI, pain, burnout
KevinMD; by staff writers; 10/4/26
Three subjects led the quarter: AI (77 clinician essays by 59 authors), burnout (36 essays by 31 authors), and pain, opioids, and addiction (30 essays by 18 authors).

DAI closes HCA hospice, home health transaction
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/5/26
Deaconess Associations Incorporated (DAI) has closed its acquisition of 31 home health and hospice agencies from HCA Healthcare. The deal includes 24 home health locations and seven hospice locations across eight states... Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, DAI is a faith-based, independent, nonprofit health care enterprise with a portfolio of more than $1 billion spanning diversified health services, programs, investments and community grant initiatives nationwide. The organization operates in 23 states, including six where it offers home health and hospice services. Across its broader footprint, DAI also provides physical, occupational and speech therapy services in senior living communities. The 31 acquired operations are concentrated primarily in Texas and Florida, with additional locations in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado.

BlackDoctor launches first-ever medical advisory board  
BlackDoctor, Chicago, IL; Press Release by BlackDoctor; 10/1/26 
BlackDoctor, the leading health and wellness platform for Black America, today announced its first Medical Advisory Board. The board brings together eight physicians from across the country. They will help inform the company’s product and content development strategy for clinicians, advance its health education efforts, help shape new products and tools and facilitate strategic engagements across the healthcare ecosystem. ...  It gives the company, which reaches 30 million people each year, a formal layer of clinical oversight from physicians who understand the challenges facing Black patients and clinicians with specialities spanning cardiovascular health, cancer, mental health, kidney disease, clinical trials, dermatology and vision care.

Hospice East Bay workers strike
Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 10/5/26
Dozens of workers at California-based Hospice East Bay on Monday launched a seven-day strike. The strike includes 70 bereavement counselors, chaplains, nurses, social workers and pharmacists at the hospice. The workers joined the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) in 2023.

Hospice medical review top denial reason codes Q2 2026
Palmetto GBA; 8/28/26
Hospice Medical Review Top Denial Reason Codes: April to June 2026. We encourage all providers to review this information when filing claims to prevent denials and to ensure their claims are processed timely. The following information affects providers billing 81X bill types. Top five denial reasons include [see article for entire list]:

1. Auto Denial — Requested Records not Submitted
2. Not Hospice Appropriate
3. No Plan of Care Submitted
4. Physician Narrative Statement Not Present or Not Valid
5. Face-to-Face Encounter Requirements Not Met

Event Recap: NPHI Unites Healthcare Leaders in Washington to Shape the Future of Hospice and Advanced Illness Care
NPHI press release; by Matt Wilkinson; 10/6/26
The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the national voice for nonprofit hospice and advanced illness care, brought together members, partners, sponsors and national healthcare leaders from across the country for its 2026 Washington Leadership Conference, held September 30 – October 2 in the nation’s capital. The three-day gathering focused on strengthening the quality and integrity of hospice care, advancing innovation and addressing the challenges facing patients, families and providers in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape. The conference featured direct conversations with senior officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG), congressional staff and national healthcare leaders. Discussions covered Medicare policy, program integrity, quality improvement, caregiving, artificial intelligence and new opportunities to expand access to serious illness care.

NGHS Foundation tournament raises $280,000 for Hospice House
SmokeSignals [GA]; by NGHS; 10/6/26
Later this year, the new Chuck and Diane Stephens Hospice House will open its doors thanks to the generosity of donors, including those who participated in the Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) Foundation’s Medical Center Open golf tournament last week. The tournament, which has been raising funds for programs, initiatives, and organizations across Northeast Georgia for the last three decades, raised nearly $280,000 in support of the Hospice House... “We are grateful for the exceptional generosity of Chuck and Diane, whose vision and trust have led us to this point,” said Natalie McNeal, director of Hospice of NGMC.

Medicaid provider allegedly billed $165K for dead patient's rides among fraud exposed in explosive report
New York Times Post; staff writers; 10/5/26
A Colorado resident [Wesam Yassin] was charged with trying to steal hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars by billing the state’s Medicaid program for transporting a patient to doctor’s appointments — rides that would have taken place after that person had already died... It also pointed to charges against Ashley Marie Stevens, who is accused of trying to bilk the state for over $1 million in taxpayer dollars. She is accused of billing the state some $400,000 for non-medical rides for herself and her family in addition to “ghost rides,” which never even took place.

Here’s the truth: I’ve spent most of my life trying to be made of stone, trying to be unshakable, pretending I didn’t break a hundred times a day. But when I’m cornered - between the rock and the hard place - what I really want is to flow. Let me be water. ~John Roedel