Spotlight On: Linda Ward, President & CEO, Gulfside Healthcare Services 
Capital Analytics Associates (CAA); 3/16/26 
Linda Ward, president and CEO of Gulfside Healthcare Services, sat down with Invest: to discuss the organization’s strategic expansion across Tampa Bay, its commitment to underserved communities, and the evolving regulatory landscape shaping post-acute care. Key points:

• Gulfside Healthcare Services expanded into Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, extending hospice and palliative care across Tampa Bay.
• The organization is addressing reimbursement pressures and regulatory changes across post-acute care.
• Workforce recruitment, retention, and service access in underserved communities remain key priorities.

Alzheimer’s definitions, biomarkers, and antibodies: Halima Amjad, Barak Gaster, and Heather Whitson
GeriPAL podcast; by Alex Smith, Eric Widera, Halima Amjad, Barak Gaster, Heather Whitson; 3/12/26
It’s an era of breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s research, yet for many clinicians, it’s also a time of profound uncertainty. We are currently navigating competing definitions of the disease, multiple new biomarkers coming on market seemingly every week, and the clinical rollout of new amyloid antibodies. How do we translate this rapid-fire science into daily practice? On this week’s GeriPal podcast... we dive deep into:

• The evolving definitions of Alzheimer’s disease. Does someone have Alzheimer’s disease if you have only an abnormal biomarker as defined by the Alzheimer’s Association, or is amyloid pathology necessary but not sufficient to define Alzheimer’s as per the International Working Group (IWG) recommendations?
• Where do blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer’s fit into the diagnostic workup, and should they be used at all in primary care? FYI – here is my take on that question in a recent JAMA IM article titled “The Limited Role of Alzheimer’s Disease Blood-Based Biomarkers in Primary Care.”
• What’s the role of amyloid antibodies in the care of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, including who to use them on?

Facing death as a doctor: Knowledge vs nature
Medscape; by Sarah Amandolare; 3/12/26 
The decision to enroll her father in hospice care came easily for Janet Abrahm, MD. Abrahm, a palliative care doctor and former oncologist, helped her father — an internist who died of prostate cancer at home — understand the program’s benefits, such as family bereavement services, and that he could be readmitted to the hospital if needed. “Most doctors don’t know that,” said Abrahm, who is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston and the author of Comprehensive Guide to Supportive and Palliative Care for Patients with Cancer. “They think it’s a one-way street, I imagine — that you put somebody in hospice and then that’s it. ... The level of engagement physicians have with death in their practice may inform how they want to die — and how they counsel loved ones facing a serious illness. But a new study suggests even as they face end-of-life decisions through the lens of their expertise, physicians can also be swayed by the same financial, familial, and existential burdens afflicting their patients. 

Antibiotics in hospice: Applying the four-quadrant approach to improve patient-centered care 
Oxford Academic | Clinical Infectious Diseases; by Patrick D. Crowley, Karen M. Meagher, Amelia K. Barwise; 3/5/26
The use of antibiotics in the hospice setting is complicated by differing patient goals, elevated side effects, and limited information regarding effectiveness. Here, we describe a case and apply the four-quadrant approach (4QA). This includes analyzing the case through the lenses of (1) medical indications related to improving function and reducing symptoms; (2) patient preferences ...; (3) quality-of-life factors that include managing infectious symptoms versus antibiotic side effects; and (4) contextual features, which include antimicrobial resistance concerns and cost considerations. Antibiotics may be beneficial in some cases and should not be denied to patients enrolled in hospice care. More robust evidence-based information about outcomes is needed to inform discussions at the time of enrollment. Applying the 4QA to a case can help determine the best approach for each individual patient.

Hospital workers are revealing the heartbreaking regrets patients had on their deathbeds, and I'm at a loss for words 
BuzzFeed Staff; by Liz Richardson; 3/16/26 
You may have heard about people's last words, but if there's anything even more haunting, it's the regrets they have on their deathbed. And, as you can imagine, those who work closely with dying patients have heard some unforgettable final regrets that stick with them for years. ... Several users shared the striking and heartbreaking regrets their patients shared, and wowww, it will hit you hard. Here's what they had to say: ... 
Editor's Note: This article reflects a more popularized perspective than we typically feature, but it raises themes that are deeply familiar in serious illness and end-of-life care. Hospice and palliative care teams are trained to meet these moments with presence, skilled communication, and interdisciplinary support—helping patients and families explore reflection, meaning, and connection in ways that extend far beyond the headlines.

CMS implements enhanced oversight for MAC MBI lookup tools 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 3/17/26 
... In response to a rise in these fraudulent activities, CMS has strengthened oversight of Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) MBI lookup tools. The agency now monitors MBI searches against submitted claims using National Provider Identifiers (NPIs). Access to these tools may be revoked if providers conduct a high volume of lookups without submitting corresponding claims. This move by CMS is likely an important step in combatting fraud, according to Sheila Clark, president and CEO of the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association (CHAPCA).

Community built it. Corporate changed it. 
The Durango Herald, Durango, CO; by Myriam Palmer; 3/13/26 
Durango Herald reporters have been informing us about the changes in palliative and hospice care at Mercy Hospital CommonSpirit. In November, we learned that Mercy Hospice House would be temporarily closed to realign with the CommonSpirit model. It is notable that the construction of Mercy Hospice House was fully funded by community contributions. Years of soliciting donations from the entire community resulted in great pride when it began receiving patients in 2017. In the months since we learned that Hospice House was temporarily closed, we said farewell to the director of hospice services at Mercy. The most recent comprehensive article (Herald, March 1), attempted to explain the new for-profit model of outpatient palliative care at Mercy.  

[Portugal] Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the care of terminally ill patients 
Healthcare (Basel); by Florbela Gonçalves, Margarida Gaudencio, Sofia B Nunes, Francisca Rego, Rui Nunes; 2/27/26 
Conclusions: AI-based technologies hold significant potential to address contemporary challenges in PC, including inequitable access, workforce strain, and the need for more efficient service delivery. Nevertheless, their implementation raises substantial ethical concerns related to autonomy, transparency, data governance, and the preservation of human dignity. AI should therefore be understood as a complementary tool that supports-but does not replace-the human dimension of PC.
Editor's Note: Pair this with recent, related posts in our newsletter.

• Why hospice is approaching AI differently than the rest of healthcare
• Reimagining hospice with agentic and generative AI
• AI in hospice: What every leader needs to know | part one
• AI in hospice: What every leader needs to know | part two

Metro East hospice aide caring for her own son with rare terminal disorder 
First Alert 4, Collinsville, IL; by Jeffrey Bullard; 3/13/26 
A Collinsville mother has worked as a hospice care aide for more than 13 years, and soon she will be placing her son in that care. “She is the best,” said Brenda McGarvey of Amber Mers, her coworker at Unity Hospice Care. “If you didn’t know Amber personally, you would never know what she is going through,” explained Beverly Lee. Amber is facing a mother’s worst nightmare. Her son Emil is dying.

Will Scotland be the first [in the UK] to legalise assisted dying? 
BBC News; by James Cook, Scotland editor; 3/16/26 
For more than a year, Scottish politicians have been grappling with matters of life and death as they debated one of the most contested bills in the history of devolution. Tuesday's (3/10) final Scottish Parliament vote on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is seen as too close to call. But, if it passes, Scotland could become the first nation in the UK to legalise assisted dying. ... Critics of the bill have called it dangerous and say MSPs should focus instead on improving end-of-life care. ... [Supporters of the bill have] said the result was a "bulletproof" bill which amounted to "the toughest and most comprehensively-safeguarded" such legislation in the world.

HCA’s CEO-to-worker pay ratio widens in 2025  
Becker's Hospital Review; by Andrew Cass; 3/16/26 
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare CEO Sam Hazen was paid 420 times more than the health system’s median employee in 2025, according to a March 13 proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Hazen’s total compensation was $26,456,606 in 2025. The total compensation of HCA’s median compensated employee was $62,955. The ratio of these amounts was 420:1. 

If you don't get out of the box you've been raised in, you won't understand how much bigger the world is. ~ Angelina Jolie