Hospital chaplain shares what end-of-life patients regret most 
Religion Unplugged; by Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans; 2/24/26 
... In her research ..., Brandeis University professor (now President of Bryn Mawr College) Wendy Cadge found that many chaplains — whether they serve in hospitals, prisons or the military — often focus on end-of-life care and “big questions,” ones that might arise more forcefully in a time of crisis. ... When I’m with people near the end of their lives, what I most often witness is not fear of death itself, but grief over unfinished relationships and or unexpressed parts of the self. Many people grieve time they now see as wasted on what felt urgent in the moment but unimportant in hindsight — work that eclipsed connection, worry that crowded out presence, obligations that pulled them away from what actually nourished them. Alongside this is grief for words left unsaid, tenderness withheld, and versions of themselves they didn’t feel permitted to become.
Editor's Note: Yes. This research reflects what I witnessed as a hospice chaplain. Near the end, regrets are often about relationships left untended, words unspoken, and parts of the self not fully lived. Leaders, when your own life draws to a close, what regrets do you hope not to carry? What values do you hope will illuminate the darkness of your passing? May those answers boldly shape how you live, lead, and support teams who walk this sacred ground each day.

‘Part of the deal’: Essential workers brave storm as authorities urge residents to stay home 
GBH News; by Jeremy Siegel and Marilyn Schairer; 2/23/26 
[Note the date] Massachusetts is under a state of emergency, but that isn’t stopping essential workers from braving whiteout conditions and hurricane-force winds today. A powerful Nor’easter is expected to blanket the region with up to 2 feet of snow. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has urged all residents to stay home if possible. Flights and Amtrak trains have largely ground to a halt, and hundreds of thousands of households have lost power. Early this morning, though, hundreds of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals still trudged through the dense snow. ... [Click here for "Final town-by-town snow totals: Here's what fell in Mass. during the Feb. 23 blizzard."]
Editor's Note: Bravo to all hospice essential workers who braved the storm to tend patients and their caregivers. So, what happens when a blizzard collides with a person actively dying?  Think it through. Family desparately tries to get there? The person dies? Neither your teams nor the funeral home rep can get to the home? Think it through and prepare, now:

• CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule
• Wisconsin's CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule Toolkit: Hospices
  
• "Community Crisis and Grief" public service education, designed for families receiving hospice care

Building momentum: How new national Alliance CEO Jennifer Sheets will propel hospice forward 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 2/24/26 
The most important lessons in health care leadership are learned at the bedside, according to Jennifer Sheets, the newly appointed CEO of the National Alliance for Care at Home. ... In her first media interview since taking the helm at the Alliance, Sheets spoke with Hospice News about the organization’s priorities for 2026 and beyond, the goals and needs of hospice providers and the lessons she’s learned as a home-based care leader.

Chapters Health System announces agreement with Housecall Providers 
Chapters Health System, Temple Terrace, FL; Press Release; 2/24/26 
Chapters Health System ... announced today that the Board of Directors of Housecall Providers and its parent company, CareOregon, has submitted a definitive agreement for Housecall Providers to become part of Chapters Health. Pending approval of the Oregon Health Authority's Health Care Market Oversight program, this agreement will further expand the Chapters Health System's presence in the Pacific Northwest and align two nonprofit organizations committed to providing high-quality, community-based chronic illness care.

Value-based models, Medicaid driving palliative care changes in 2026 
Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 2/23/26 
The palliative care landscape has seen tremendous growth in recent years, according to Brynn Bowman, CEO of the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). Evolutions in value-based and state-level payment models have played an important role in moving the needle toward greater standardization, Bowman said during Hospice News’ Palliative Care Outlook webinar. ...

• Widening payment pathways ...
• Impactful innovations ...

Palliative care and quality outcomes in patients with brain metastases and poor prognosis: A multi-institutional analysis 
JCO Oncology Practice - An American Society of Clinical Oncology Journal; by Rohit Singh, MD, Camilo E. Fadul, MD, Emily Kopp, MS, Guneet Sarai, MD, Roger Anderson, PhD, Ryan F. Amidon, MD, Samantha Schuetz, MD, Amy Chang, MD, Ausia N. Iqbal, MD, Joseph A. Bovi, MD, and Alissa A. Thomas, MD; 2/23/26 
Purpose: To analyze the patterns of palliative care (PC) consultation for patients with brain metastases (BMETs) and its association with treatment, overall survival (OS), and quality metrics (eg, advance directives [ADs], hospice enrollment).
Conclusion: The involvement of PC services correlated with higher completion rates of ADs and increased hospice utilization, without compromising survival or significantly altering other treatment options. There is an unmet need for PC among patients with BMETs with poor prognosis.

Canisius shapes future physicians through compassionate care 
Canisius University, Buffalo, NY; Press Release; 2/23/26 
At the bedside of someone’s final moments, silence often speaks louder than words.  For students from Canisius University, that quiet became a teacher of one of the most powerful lessons of their education — one that cannot be learned from textbooks alone. Through specialized training, a group of undergraduate students discovered that medicine is not only about treating illness but about presence, dignity and care as they served as mercy doulas at Sloan Comfort Care Home, where they learned to provide companionship and steady support to those nearing the end of life.

As more states legalize assisted suicide, boomers contemplate end-of-life choices 
The Washington Post; 2/24/26 
While polling has shown that a majority of Americans favor the legality of the practice for terminally ill patients, people are more split on the morality. [Access may be limited per paywall.]

My family member passed away — do I get a discount for bereavement travel? 
Fodor's Travel |"Dear Eugene"; by Eugene Fodor; 2/23/26 
In this month’s "Dear Eugene," we explore the benefits bereavement travelers have and tap experts for the best way to navigate grief while moving through the world. ... Several airlines (not all) offer bereavement fares, waivers, or what’s sometimes called “compassion fares,” but that doesn’t always mean you’ll save money. The real benefit of bereavement fares is the greater flexibility they offer.

The cost of dying: How rising funeral, end of life expenses leave families struggling long after goodbye 
NBC WBIR-10, Knoxville, TN; by Ellis Rold; 2/23/26 
From five-figure funeral costs to long-term care that can run more than $10,000 a month, the price of dying in Tennessee is leaving many families financially strained long after they say goodbye. Planning for death is something many families put off. But experts say that delay can come at a high financial cost.

[Finland] A value chain analysis of digitalizing hospital-at-home services in Finland 
Health Care Management Review; by Fan Wang, Henna Härkönen, Gillian Vesty, Terhi-Maija Isakov, Petri Ahokangas, Irina Atkova, Miia Jansson, April-June 2026, online ahead of print 
Purposes: The aim of this study is to explore the value of digitalization in the hospital-at-home (HaH) value chain in Finland. This qualitative study used both deductive and inductive methods to map the HaH value chain and find out how digitalization can help improve value-added activities.
Findings: This study highlights the value of data interoperability, remote and real-time digital solutions, data analytics in enhancing coordination and efficiency, optimizing service delivery, improving patient experience, and supporting cost-effectiveness across the HaH value chain.

Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better. ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.