[Canada] The quiet web of care: Hospitals, hospice, paramedics and community working as one 
The Millstone; Mississippi Mills area, Canada; 1/25/26 
When we think about care, most of us picture the hospital: rooms, nurses, doctors, the moment a life changes. But real care in North Lanark is not anchored to a single building. It’s a living web the Mississippi River Health Alliance — Almonte General Hospital, Carleton Place & District Memorial Hospital, Fairview Manor, and Lanark County Paramedic Service — working alongside Home Hospice North Lanark and Houle Healthcare so neighbors can get the right help at the right time, in the place that matters most. ... They are parts of the same journey, passing the baton back and forth so patients, families and neighbors are not left to navigate alone.
Editor's Note: Pair this with today's post, "Why patient flow will decide hospital performance in 2026."

Community Hospice & Palliative Care unveils Advanced Cardiac Care Program 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 2/9/26 
Florida-based Community Hospice & Palliative Care has launched an Advanced Cardiac Care Program to serve patients and families wrestling with heart disease. The hospice, an affiliate of Alivia Care, designed the program in collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA) and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation. It will provide a suite of services specifically designed for patients with cardiac conditions.

Woman who allegedly stole $3.2m from Medicare boasted about lavish home 
Complex; by Helen Storms; 2/7/26 
A California woman has been arrested after allegedly stealing $3.2 million from Medicare as part of an elaborate hospice scam. The woman, identified as 49-year-old Flor Mora, shared photos of the lavish $4 million dream home she bought from the funds she is accused of stealing before being hit with felony charges. Mora purchased the luxurious seaside home located in the Carmel Highlands in Monterey County, California, in November 2025. It would later be featured in the Washington Street Journal and even voted the House of the Year. Little did voters know that Mora had paid for the early 20th-century style home with reportedly stolen funds.
Editor's Note: For more, visit our post yesterday, "California AG Bonta charges 7 in Monterey County over hospice fraud scheme totaling $3.2m."

They balanced life and work. Now more women are quitting. Here's why 
USA Today; by Jessica Guynn; 1/29/26 
... [In]2025, more than 455,000 women left the workforce. Now, a national survey casts a light on what drove that decision for many women. Nearly half of the women who voluntarily left said they did so because of their caregiving responsibilities and the high cost and limited availability of child care, according to a survey from women’s advocacy group Catalyst.
Editor's Note: This data has multiple implications for providing hospice and palliative care, for both staffing and patient care. Additionally, consider the women (and men) who continue balancing caregiving with managing work demands. Commit your organization's delivery of care to the importance of these too-often overlooked CAHPS questions:

• Communication: Family caregivers reported how often the hospice team:
• Kept them informed about when they would arrive to care for their family member.

• Getting timely help: 

  Family caregivers reported how often:

• They got help as soon as they needed it, when they asked the hospice team for help
• They got the help they needed from the hospice team during evenings, weekends, or holidays

‘Behind the Blue’: Lindsay Ragsdale on growing pediatric health care and supporting Project ADAM
UK Now, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY; by Allison Perry and Kody Kiser; 2/6/26 
From College of Medicine research labs to the halls of UK HealthCare, Lindsay Ragsdale, M.D., has spent much of her career at the University of Kentucky. Now the chief medical officer for Golisano Children’s at UK, she oversees a growing team of specialists and subspecialists dedicated to providing the most complex care for the children of Kentucky. In this episode of “Behind the Blue,” Ragsdale discusses her career at UK, the role of palliative care, the growth of the children’s hospital and her own son’s experience as a pediatric cardiology patient.

Kids’ Grief and Healing Camp provides space for kids experiencing loss 
WVIR-29 News; Charlottesville, WV; by Kyndall Hanson; 2/7/26 
Hospice of the Piedmont hosted its Kids’ Grief and Healing Camp on Saturday, February 7, giving children a space to share feelings and memories about their loved ones while connecting with others experiencing similar loss. “I’m not alone in this,” said Ella Matucci, an 11-year-old attending the camp. “Everyone is gonna lose someone in their life. Sometimes, I guess, it just happens earlier to some people, but we all have to go through it.” The free day camp works to provide children with a sense of togetherness and support during grief, offering a place for kids to come together, be kids, and express themselves in a safe space.

We’re all going to die: It’s time to get more comfortable with talking about dying 
India New England News; by Anna Lamb, Harvard staff writer; 2/7/26
More than 90 percent of Americans believe that we should be able to talk about death and dying, according to a recent poll. But only 27 percent were comfortable doing it, and 31 percent were uneasy about contemplating their own mortality. But things may be starting to change. ... Susan Block, founding chair of the Department of Supportive Oncology at Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, thinks it’s time. ... Block and two other palliative care physicians at Harvard-affiliated hospitals shared their thoughts on having difficult conversations about dying and what those talks can teach us.

• Bridging islands ...
• Four Things [from Ira Byock] ...
• Never too early ...

Why patient flow will decide hospital performance in 2026 
Healthcare Business Today | Clinical Care | Patient Experience; by Russel Graney, 2/7/26 
... Why 2026? Health systems are entering a period where demand accelerates, reimbursement pressure tightens, and building new capacity becomes a distant solution. That’s why the next phase of performance will not be decided by who hires faster or cuts deeper, but by who moves patients through the system better. ...

• Prediction #1: Throughput Becomes the C-Suite’s Most Important Financial KPI ...
• Prediction #2: The Access Crunch Triggers the First Real Patient Flow Redesign in 20 Years ...
• Prediction #3: Care Management Moves From the Basement to the Boardroom ...
• Prediction #4: Intelligent Patient Placement Replaces “Referrals” ... 

Editor's Note: Examine this in light of hospitals' patient flow into your palliative and hospice services. Use this information to strengthen your partnerships with referral sources--or as this article names--"intelligent patient placements."

Senior Nannies Home Care Services joins forces with Choice Health at Home 
Desert Sun, EIN Presswire, Tyler, TX; Press Release; 1/30/26 
Senior Nannies Home Care Services and Senior Advantages Assisted Living Placement Services (“Senior Nannies”), ... is proud to announce it has joined forces with Choice Health at Home (“Choice”), a leading multi-state operator of home health, hospice, personal care, rehabilitation, and specialty in-home services. The transaction marks Choice’s entry into the Southeastern United States, establishing Florida as a strategic anchor and creating a scaled, integrated personal care platform to support a broader regional expansion.

Factoring in the human side of robotics 
The Journal of Healthcare Contracting; by R. Dana Barlow
... If incorporating robots in supply chain becomes the norm, and many believe it will be the case, then supply chain executives, leaders, managers and professionals must come to grips with any reservations they might have. How to accomplish that depends on the individual and the corporate culture in which he or she serves and works. ... “We’re in healthcare. Continuous improvement and innovation are a big part of the Memorial Hermann culture,” he told The Journal of Healthcare Contracting. “We have our caregivers, physicians, nurses. They’re always looking for new, innovative ways to deliver great patient care. ..."
Editor's Notes: Are supply chain executives admonished to "come to grips with any reservations they might have," or should they--do they--listen, learn from, and incorporate valid reservations into their development and use of robotics? I do not assume to have answers--for the sake of delivering "great patient care"--I simply ask the glaring question.

AI censorship threatens the lifeline of caregiver support [podcast] 
MedPage Today's KevinMD.com; podcast by KevinMD; 2/6/26 
Certified coach and medical educator Kathleen Muldoon discusses her article “AI moderation of online health communities.” Kathleen shares the harrowing personal story of having her social media account disabled when an algorithm mistook compassion for abuse. She explores how online support groups act as critical public health infrastructure for families navigating chronic illness and rare diseases. The conversation highlights the danger of allowing automated systems to police complex medical conversations without understanding nuance or context. Kathleen argues that instead of relying on censorship, health care providers must actively engage in these digital spaces to foster trust. Listen to learn why preserving human connection in digital spaces is essential for patient healing.

To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then have the courage to blow past them. ~ Picabo Street, Olympic skier 1998