Literature Review

VITAS medical director: improve hospice referrals for cancer patients Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/16/26 Hospice utilization among some cancer patients is leveling off and slowing growth, but healthcare providers and medical educators can adopt certain strategies to move the needle. This is according to Dr. Ileana Leyva, regional medical director for VITAS Healthcare. ... Neuro-degenerative, lung and cardiac diseases are gaining more prominence among hospice diagnoses. In 2024, senile degeneration of the brain was the most common terminal diagnosis among Medicare decedents at 9%, followed by Alzheimer’s at 6%, according to the National Alliance for Care at Home. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rounded out the top three at 4.2%. Lung cancer was the 11th most common diagnosis that year, at 2.1%, the highest rate for any form of cancer. Hospice News spoke with Leyva about the barriers that prevent cancer patients from accessing hospice sooner and what stakeholders can do to drive improvement.

Crushing and flexing: CMS proposes to expand its discretion to deny and revoke Medicare enrollment The National Law Review; by Karen S. Lovitch, Jane Haviland, Mintz; 7/14/26 ... Currently, CMS’s revocation authority allows it to revoke enrollment prospectively following notice to the Provider. Following revocation, the Provider is no longer allowed to bill Medicare. CMS’s proposal would not only make the revocation date retroactive to the date of alleged noncompliance (or other triggering event) but would also allow CMS to claw back payments to the retroactive revocation date. CMS estimates approximately $82 million in annual savings from this proposal, clearly indicating that CMS views it as a high-impact program integrity measure. CMS’s proposal is also notable because, if finalized, it would give CMS greater flexibility to address suspected fraud without considering criteria that might otherwise constrain its actions. For example: ...

Everyday ethics: Leave a legacy beyond material things Daily Times; by John C. Morgan; 7/15/26 Buildings and other structures don't last forever, but there are things we can do that will endure. Everyone wants to leave a legacy, something that outlasts themselves, whether a cause, offspring or project that embodies their future hopes. One of the more famous sentences left behind was graffiti from World War II, a doodle of a bald-headed man peering over a wall accompanied by the phrase “Kilroy Was Here.” It showed that American troops had been there. ... I’ve always found it hopeful, not morbid, to take walks through cemeteries to read the life stories of others. The few words inscribed on headstones represent the essentials, sometimes with an accompanying message the departed wants to leave others to remember. ...

Center for Hospice Care and VNA Hospice NWI announce strategic affiliation to strengthen hospice care in Northwest Indiana GreatNews.Life; by VNA Hospice NWI & Center for Hospice Care; 7/14/26 Center for Hospice Care (CHC) and Visiting Nurse Association Hospice of Northwest Indiana (VNA Hospice NWI) today announced a legally binding strategic affiliation that will strengthen access to high-quality, compassionate hospice care across much of northern Indiana. This affiliation reflects a shared mission between CHC and VNA Hospice NWI to provide compassionate, skilled care focused on comfort and quality of living for those facing a serious, advanced illness. The integration process will allow patients to transition seamlessly within a unified nonprofit care network, ensuring continuity of care without disruption.

Leadership starts with presence — the art of showing up with David Sachsenmaier | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with David Sachsenmaier; 7/15/26 What separates truly exceptional leaders from those who simply manage?  In Part One of this thought-provoking conversation, Chris Comeaux sits down with executive coach David Sachsenmaier, whose 30 years of leadership experience and more than 4,000 hours of executive coaching have helped leaders uncover one of leadership's most overlooked truths: the quality of your leadership is shaped by the quality of your inner life.  Together, they explore why presence, self-awareness, and emotional grounding are essential to building healthy teams, resilient organizations, and cultures where people thrive.

What hospices can learn from Netflix Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/15/26 Netflix has infiltrated many of our homes, and hospices can learn a lesson or two from that company’s history of innovation. Many commentators have held up the streaming and entertainment company as a pillar of innovation, repeatedly reinventing itself as market conditions change. The company is adept at riding the “S-curve,” which models growth and progress for a business over a period of time. To form the “S,” a company must pass through three phases: slow initial growth (the base), rapid acceleration (the middle) and eventual leveling off (the maturity phase). Hospice businesses, for profit and nonprofit, must also ride this curve to succeed. This could require stepping outside their comfort zone, according to Agrace President and CEO Lynne Sexten.

Cardiologists treating increasingly complex patients as America ages Medscape; by Sarah Amandolare; 7/14/26 ... Heart failure (HF) affects 15%-20% of adults over 80, according to the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/Heart Failure Society of America Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure. HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which becomes more likely after age 80, is related to other common conditions of aging, including hypertension, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity. “Almost by definition, most people that have HFpEF have multiple comorbidities,” Hummel said. “You have to account for a lot of them when you’re thinking about how to help the patient best.” This population also has higher chances of developing dementia and frailty, which affect 35% of adults age 90 and older and 31% of octogenarians, respectively. Older adults hospitalized for HF also have a high likelihood of polypharmacy; 68% take 10 or more medicines.

Hospice compliance in the data driven era | a leadership advisory on enforcement risk and governance readiness JD Supra; by Ankura; 7/9/26 Hospice enforcement has entered a structurally different phase. Oversight is no longer episodic or complaint‑driven; it is continuous, data‑driven, and predictive. Federal agencies increasingly identify risk through utilization analytics — length of stay, live discharges, diagnosis mix, and level‑of‑care patterns — before auditors ever review records. By the time a hospice receives an audit or payment action, the organization has often already been characterized as an outlier. ... From a leadership perspective, the most consequential insight is how eligibility is evaluated. Regulators assess hospice eligibility longitudinally, across the entire patient stay — not at isolated certification points. ...

National Alliance for Care at Home hosts 2026 Finance and Technology Summit National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA; Press Release; 7/14/26 On July 12-14, the National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) successfully hosted the 2026 Alliance Finance and Technology Summit in Boston, MA. The Summit brought together leaders from across the care at home continuum, with expert-led sessions, peer collaboration, and insights into digital transformation, data strategy, and tech-enabled care delivery. More than 600 attendees and exhibitors participated in the comprehensive program, which featured keynote presentations, concurrent educational sessions, networking opportunities, award presentations, and a fundraiser at Fenway Park for the Research Institute for Home Care.

Leveraging technology in hospice sales and marketing Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/14/26 Technology is becoming increasingly important in hospice sales and marketing, but it can’t replace the human touch, according to provider leaders. One of the most proliferating sets of technologies sweeping the hospice space and many other industries right now is artificial intelligence (AI). While AI can be a tool to generate referral growth and streamline operations, building person-to-person relationships is more important, Craig Dresang, CEO of the nonprofit hospice provider YoloCares, said during a Hospice News webinar.  “Nothing will replace relationship management person to person. AI is a tool to be used. We use AI here in a number of ways,” Dresang told Hospice News. “There are a number of ways that AI can be used as a tool, but nothing will replace good old-fashioned people skills and relationship management skills.”

Most Americans prefer to die at home, but the US healthcare system often prevents it ArcaMax; by Karen Lutfey Spencer; 7/14/26 Ask people what they want at the end of their lives, and overwhelmingly the answers will revolve around comfort, dignity and time at home with loved ones. Yet the U.S. healthcare system often thwarts these wishes. Most Americans say they want to die at home, but only one-third do. What could be an intentional last chapter may instead become a roller coaster of hospitalizations and decisions made with incomplete information. News headlines reflect the challenges of facing the end of life in crisis mode. ... Unfortunately, these crisis scenarios are happening to millions of families each year.

Family Hospice expands into Northwest Georgia through aquisition of North Georgia Community Hospice, LLC EIN Presswire, Dalton, GA; by Family Hospice, LLC; 7/14/26 Family Hospice today announced the completion of its acquisition of North Georgia Community Hospice, LLC, expanding access to compassionate hospice and palliative care services throughout Northwest Georgia. The acquisition, which closed on July 14, 2026, marks an important milestone in Family Hospice's continued growth across Georgia and reflects the organization's long-term commitment to serving patients and families with compassionate, community-based care. Current patients will continue receiving uninterrupted hospice services throughout the transition, supported by the same experienced caregivers and staff who have faithfully served the community.

Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. ~ Oprah Winfrey