Literature Review

One last sprint, one final push--cross May's finish line with all your might.

Get ready to access the Hospice Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER)CMS Center for Program Integrity; 5/28/26 CPI is getting really close to releasing the Hospice Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER). The Hospice PEPPER will be available through the PEPPER Portal in early June 2026. To ensure hospice providers can successfully access their reports, we ask that you distribute the following instructions to your members.

From loss to calling: Nursing students’ experiences of family terminal illness and death in the formation of professional identity and humanistic care Death Studies; by Laurie Glick and Adi Finkelstein; 5/10/26 ... This qualitative study examined nursing graduates who experienced the terminal illness and death of a close family member, providing them with early exposure to clinical settings and shaping their emotional insight and sensitivity to the psychosocial dimensions of end-of-life care. Their experiences often deepened their desire to enter the nursing profession and deliver compassionate, humanistic, family-centered care as clinical practitioners. 

‘A Night at the Derby’ raises $156,731 for hospice, breaking fundraising record Black Hills Pioneer, Spearfish, SD; by Pioneer Staff; 5/26/26 Monument Health Foundation broke its previous fundraising record at this year’s “Night at the Derby” event on April 25, raising $156,731 to support Northern Hills Hospice. Once again proceeds from this year’s event supported hospice care in the Northern Hills. A fund-a-mission portion of the event supported the purchase of SoloProtect ID Touch technology: discreet, wearable devices that connect caregivers to 24/7 emergency support.Editor's Note: In 2025 this event raised "more than $136,000" and in 2024 it raised "nearly $110,000." Congratulations on these significant increases, paired with their innovative "fund-a-mission portion of the event."

The secret to great leadership from a Chick-fil-A executive — part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); pocast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Mark Miller; 5/27/26 What does it take to build a leadership culture that scales across generations, industries, and millions of customer interactions? In this powerful conversation, Chris Comeaux sits down with Mark Miller — former Vice President of High Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A and bestselling co-author of The Secret and Lead Every Day— to explore the principles behind extraordinary leadership. ... Throughout the episode, Mark unpacks the foundational leadership framework behind the acronym SERVE: See the Future, Engage and Develop Others, Reinvent Continuously, Value Results and Relationships, and Embody the Values.  He explains why leadership is ultimately about service — not position ...

Geographic distance between perinatal and pediatric palliative care services and implications for practice standards American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Radion Svynarenko, PhD, Meaghann S. Weaver, MD, PhD, MPH, HEC-C, Ambria Williams, BA,Ashley Kiefer Autrey, MD, DonnaMaria E. Cortezzo, MD, Abigail B. Wilpers, PhD, Abagail D. Cohen, MA, HEC-C,  Lisa C. Lindley, PhD, RN, FPCN, FAAN; 5/14/26 Background: Practice standards recommend early integration of perinatal and pediatric palliative care (PC) with seamless transitions across settings. Little is known about the proximity between these services nationally. Results: 418 pediatric PC physicians and 296 perinatal PC programs were included. Five states (CA, TX, NY, FL, OH) had the highest concentrations of pediatric PC physicians. ... Median drive times to the nearest pediatric PC physician for programs lacking on-site expertise reached approximately 5 hours in NM and SD; 3 hours in ND and MT; and 2 hours in AL, CO, WV, and TN.

Hundreds pack Northport 5k, raising more than $50k for hospice care Patch, Northport, NY; by Kepherd Daniel; 5/22/26 More than 500 runners and walkers gathered in Northport on Saturday May 16th for the 26th annual “Run for the Health of It” 5K hosted by Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk, raising more than $50,000 to support hospice programs and Hospice House. ... “The turnout at this year’s ‘Run for the Health of It’ is a testament to the incredible spirit of this community and the meaningful work being done every day by the staff and volunteers of VNS and Hospice of Suffolk,” Silvia Cota, chief executive of Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk, said.

New! Pediatric e-Journal Issue #83National Alliance for Care at Home press release; 5/20/26The focus of the 83rd issue and the one that immediately preceded it is on topics that relate to trauma and trauma-informed care. This issue specifically addresses trauma and trauma-informed care as they involve providers and care teams.

SOS – Should there be a six-month moratorium on new hospices and changes in majority ownership (CIMO) across the United States?Substack; by Joan Teno; 5/26/26A temporary nationwide moratorium on new hospices and changes in majority ownership could give regulators time to strengthen oversight, stop bad actors from reentering the system, and rebuild public trust in hospice care. Supporters argue that a pause would help address fraud, weak enforcement, and quality concerns before more providers enter the market. Key to this policy being effective is implementation that avoids penalizes good hospice providers... So, for me, the right policy needs thoughtful implementation to avoid unintended consequences.

Klamath Hospice honors older Americans with 4th annual Senior Awareness Fair Herald and News, Klamath Falls, OR; by Courtney Neubauer; 5/22/26 Booths lined the walkways of the Klamath Hospice walking paths while a local musician played tunes, and many grabbed a hot dog and a bag of chips to mark the fourth annual Senior Awareness Fair. This event, organized by Klamath Hospice and Palliative Care, featured roughly 40 community booths offering resources and services to seniors and their families. ...  This year’s theme, Champion Your Health, encourages older adults to take action to support their health and prevent health issues, advocate for their needs, and make informed choices that support their well-being.

Veterans Guest House hospice program nears one-year milestone ahead of Memorial Day KOLO 8 ABC NewsNow, Reno, NV; by Hana Altenburg; 5/25/26 As Memorial Day approaches, a Northern Nevada nonprofit is encouraging the community to reflect on the sacrifices made by veterans while highlighting a growing need for hospice care services in the region. ... According to Veterans Guest House, there are an estimated 10 hospice beds dedicated specifically to veterans in the Reno-Sparks area, despite Nevada being home to more than 150,000 veterans statewide. Nearly half of those veterans are age 65 or older. The Cynthia Lake House provides free accommodations for veterans and family members during hospice care.

Center for Hospice Care hosts 41st Helping Hands Awards Dinner GreatNews.Life; by Bennett Silveus; 5/22/26 Community members from across Michiana gathered at South Bend’s Gillespie Conference Center for a night of celebration and fundraising at Center for Hospice Care’s 41st Helping Hands Award Dinner on Wednesday, May 6. ... The event wrapped up with fundraising for Center for Hospice Care, resulting in more than $500,000 raised for the organization.

Delaware governor signs bill allowing medical marijuana use in hospitals by terminally ill patients Marijuana Moment; by Tom Angell; 5/25/26 Delaware’s governor has signed a bill to let terminally ill patients use medical cannabis in hospitals. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives had unanimously passed the marijuana legislation from Sen. Marie Pinkney (D) this session, and Gov. Matt Meyer (D) signed it into law on Thursday [5/21].