Compassus-Providence JV to move forward in Oregon 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/18/26 
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has cleared the way for a Compassus-Providence Health System joint venture to operate in the state. The home-based care provider Compassus has established a joint venture with the health system Providence in 2024 and expanded it last year. However, in Oregon the state agency must review all such transactions. ... The conditions are intended to ensure the proposed transaction serves the public interest by expanding access to home health and hospice services in medically underserved communities, according to OHA.

Hospice of Texarkana names Greg Wood as executive director 
Texarkana Gazette, Texarkana, AR; Press Release; 5/16/26 
Hospice of Texarkana has named Greg Wood as its new executive director. Wood brings more than 24 years of leadership experience in hospice care, having previously led two hospice organizations before joining Hospice of Texarkana. ... Wood's path to hospice care began with a personal experience, watching hospice professionals care for a family member during a serious illness. "These professional strangers exhibited the most impressive love and acceptance I had witnessed. As a future social worker, I wanted to be part of such a purpose and a mission. 

Butterfly Garden of Remembrance 2026 
YubaNet.com, Nevada County, CA; by Foothills Compassionate Care; 5/15/26 
Driving along the freeway between Grass Valley and Nevada City, passengers might notice three large butterfly statues in the nearby distance. The statues mark the annual Butterfly Garden of Remembrance, hosted by Foothills Compassionate Care [formerly known as Hospice of the Foothills]. ... In a community where neighbors care deeply for one another, few traditions capture that spirit more beautifully.  For more than 25 years, the Butterfly Garden has offered a sacred space for grief, healing and remembrance.

10 of the biggest regrets nurses hear from dying patients 
SavingAdvice.com; by Amanda Blankenship; 5/15/26 
... Hospice nurse Bronnie Ware famously documented several of the most common regrets she heard from patients nearing death, including working too much and failing to stay close to loved ones. These end-of-life regrets offer important lessons for anyone hoping to live with fewer disappointments and more peace.

1. They Wish They Had Spent More Time With Family ...
2. They Regret Working Too Much ...
3. They Wish They Had Expressed Their Feelings ...
4. They Regret Losing Touch With Friends ...
5. They Wish They Had Allowed Themselves To Be Happier ...
6. More ...

Hawai'i Attorney General rejects characterization of Medicaid fraud enforcement and defends state's enforcement record 
Hawai'i Free Press, Honolulu, HI; by News Release from Department of the Attorney General; 5/14/26
The Department of the Attorney General today rejected recent claims that Hawaiʻi “isn’t taking Medicaid fraud seriously,” calling the claims by Vice President J.D. Vance false and unsupported by the record. Since 2021, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) has secured or helped secure judgments, settlements and recoveries in 25 cases, totaling $14,094,547.91. Last year, the MFCU secured a $30,000 settlement against a Medicaid provider for fraudulent billing. Earlier this year, the MFCU secured another Medicaid fraud settlement in the amount of $208,317.69. The MFCU also filed criminal charges earlier this year against two individuals, one of whom has already pleaded no contest as charged. [Hawai'i Medicaid Fact Sheet] 
Editor's Note: This article references "Hawaii's Medicaid coverage for palliative care expected to save the state money," which describes, "Hawaii is the first state to include palliative care in its Medicaid plan."

In HelloNation, hospice care expert Cindy Mensik of Texas City, TX, highlights the differences between hospice & home health care 
PR Newswire, Texas City, TX; by HelloNation; 5/18/26 
What are the key differences between hospice care and home health care, and how can families choose the right option? That question is explored in a HelloNation article featuring insights from Cindy Mensik of Better Care Matters. The article helps families in the Clear Lake and League City, TX, areas understand the goals of care behind each service, and how those goals shape both timing and outcomes.

Home health & hospice M&A in 2026: how compliance and clinical risk affect valuation and deal structure 
JD Supra; by Arnall Golden Gregory, LLP; 5/15/26 
Key Takeaways:

• Compliance and clinical diligence are now central to how buyers assess whether revenue is sustainable and defensible, directly influencing whether transactions proceed on expected terms.
• Patterns in documentation and clinical practices, not isolated issues, are driving valuation outcomes, with systemic findings introducing pricing pressure and structural complexity.
• Buyers are placing greater weight on how compliance functions in practice, using deal structure to address identified risk where performance cannot be fully supported at closing.

DeVry HR chief says companies are failing at AI because they focus on technology and ignore people 
Complete AI Training; 5/16/26 
Companies are pouring money into AI and getting little back - not because the tools fail, but because workers lack guidance on how to use them. ...

• The AI spending problem isn't about technology - it's about people ...
• The silent standoff between employers and employees ...
• Competence and confidence matter equally ...
• HR's expanding role in redesigning work ...
• Different groups need different strategies ...
• AI and human intelligence together ...

Proposing a framework to license autonomous clinical AI: as autonomous clinical AI continues to evolve, we need uniform regulatory standards, says LDI Fellow 
Penn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; by Alon Bergman, PhD; 5/15/26 
Late last month, Utah’s Medical Licensing Board called for the immediate suspension of the state’s pilot program with the AI company Doctronic. The program lets a chatbot evaluate patients and recommend prescription renewals for nearly 200 chronic condition drugs, with the state planning to phase out physician review of each case. The board said that it only learned about the pilot after it had launched. Its warning was blunt: proceeding without proper clinical oversight “potentially places Utah citizens at risk.” ... Utah is one of at least 47 states now considering more than 250 bills governing clinical AI, producing a patchwork of rules on bias audits, payment policy, and patient consent.
Editor's Note: See related article by the same author Alon Bergman, AI doctors should be licensed. Here’s a framework to do that: Utah's pilot program with Doctronic shows that federal action is necessary. 

 Wisconsin-made film "Winter Hymns" gets more showings on the silver screen 
WKWO-27 ABC, Madison, WI; by Lucas Kihmm; 5/17/26 
A movie that's produced and filmed right here in Wisconsin, Winter Hymns tells the story of a palliative care doctor meeting with a series of dying patients over a one day span. Writer and Director of the film Nathan Deming sat down with 27 News anchor Lucas Kihmm to talk about the movie and says he was inspired by his father, who was a palliative care physician, to make the film. ... It's now getting more exposure to audiences across the state and country after Flix Brewhouse gave Deming the opportunity to show his film in theaters. 

French Senate rejects assisted suicide bill again 
Crux; by Fionn Shiner; 5/14/26 
On Tuesday [May 12th], the French Senate rejected for the second time the assisted suicide bill under debate, with the leader of the conservative party calling for a referendum on the issue to avoid it being approved without the Senate’s approval. The National Assembly – France’s lower house – had already approved the bill twice, but the Senate, made up of more conservative and centrist politicians, rejected a key provision of the bill which sought to establish a right to assisted suicide. 

You should never let your fears prevent you from doing what know is right. ~ Aung San Suu Kyi