Literature Review

'Labor of love:' Longtime Hospice of Dubuque leader retires Telegraph Herald, Dubuque, IA; by Elizabeth Kelsey; 7/8/26 When Lavonne Noel was hired as financial coordinator for Hospice of Dubuque in 1990, she was simply looking for a part-time job while she raised her young children. Little did the Dubuque resident know that she would spend the next 36 years working for the local nonprofit, including 15 as its executive director. Noel retired recently from Hospice of Dubuque after a career she described as “the greatest privilege of my professional life.” ... Hospice of Dubuque Financial Director Jackie Brehm is currently serving as interim executive director while officials conduct a search for Noel’s permanent replacement. Noel has every confidence Hospice of Dubuque will continue to thrive under new leadership.

[Germany] Doctor with “lust for murder” convicted in deaths of 15 patients in Germany, sentenced to life in prison Europe Says; 7/8/26 A German palliative care doctor accused of killing 15 patients and described by prosecutors as having “a lust for murder” was convicted Wednesday and sentenced to life in prison. The 41-year-old Berlin doctor, identified only as Johannes M., allegedly killed 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024 using deadly cocktails of sedatives. On at least five occasions, he allegedly set fire to the victims’ apartments to cover up the killings. ... The doctor allegedly “administered an anesthetic and a muscle relaxant to his patients without their knowledge or consent,” the Berlin prosecutor’s office said in a statement. “The latter paralyzed the respiratory muscles, leading to respiratory arrest and death within minutes.”

 Former Skowhegan nonprofit director seeks early end to probation for thefts CentralMaine.com, Skowhegan, ME; by Jake Freudber; 7/8/26 Jason Gayne has paid the $70,000 in restitution owed to the Skowhegan Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Hospice Volunteers of Somerset County. ... Gayne has completed hundreds of hours of community service, well beyond what he was ordered to do. He has focused on providing for his family. And he has never violated the conditions of his probation. ... Now Superior Court Chief Justice Robert E. Mullen will determine whether to approve Gayne’s request for an early end to his probation. Gayne’s request, if granted, would effectively shave two years from the term included in his sentence.

Follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be. ~ Joseph Campbell

Frazier Healthcare Partners announces definitive agreement to acquire MatrixCare WKOW-17 ABC | Businenss Wire; Press Release; 7/7/26 Frazier Healthcare Partners ("Frazier"), a private equity firm focused exclusively on the healthcare industry, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire MatrixCare (the “Company”) from Resmed (NYSE & ASX: RMD). MatrixCare is a leading provider of cloud-based EHR software purpose-built for out-of-hospital care settings, including skilled nursing, senior living, home health, hospice, and life plan communities. ... The transaction includes MatrixCare and related software offerings historically sold under the MatrixCare brand, including Healthcare First, Citus, and home health and hospice solutions.

Straight from the source: DOJ, OIG, and CMS on fraud and abuse enforcement in 2026 and beyond Mondaq | Legal 500 | Intelligence; by Lorel Writh and Lisa Re; 7/7/26  The American Health Law Association (AHLA) Conference wrapped up today, and its closing general session brought together three federal enforcers: Kim Brandt, Deputy Administrator and COO of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); Susan Gillin, Assistant Inspector General for Legal Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Brenna Jenny, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Fraud Section. AHLA CEO David Cade moderated. Across the hour, the panel previewed how the three agencies intend to coordinate fraud and abuse enforcement in 2026 and beyond, emphasizing interagency collaboration, a shift from chasing improper payments to preventing them, and the connection between program integrity and affordability.

CMS’ proposed Palliative Care Benefit: What we know so far CHAP - Community Health Accreditation Partner; free webinar to be presented by Dr. Jennifer Kennedy and Dr. Mary Lynn McPherson; to be presented 7/15/26 CMS recently released the FY 2027 Hospice proposed rule and the CY 2027 Home Health proposed rule, both of which address community-based palliative care. Join CHAP for a review of CMS's proposed changes, including new requests for feedback, clarification on the provision of skilled palliative care services under existing Medicare home health benefits, and planned future guidance on covered palliative care services. We'll also discuss how CMS distinguishes palliative care from hospice care and its role in supporting patients with serious illness who continue to receive life-prolonging treatment. 

Allina Health hospice workers hold one-day strike KARE-11 NBC, Minneapolis, MN; by Heidi Wigdahl; 7/6/26 On Monday [7/6], Allina Health hospice workers held a one-day strike as they fight for a first contract. A group of about 65 hospice nurses at Allina, who are members of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa, voted in support of a strike at the end of June. Allina Health said the strike does not include nurses at Allina's hospitals and clinics but ones working in homes, skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities within the Twin Cities' greater metro area.

New GAO report on assisted living: Value, not federal oversight, should be takeaway, providers say McKnights Senior Living; by Lois A. Bowers; 7/6/26 A new report about assisted living from the US Government Accountability Office reinforces the value of the setting and the appropriateness of regulation occurring at the state level, industry advocates told McKnight’s Senior Living on Monday. Senators who requested the report, however, said that the report “reveals [a] need for federal oversight." The seven Democrats on the Senate Special Committee on Aging in January 2024 asked the GAO to study the cost and scope of the provision of assisted living services to Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries who live in assisted living communities, among other matters. The GAO publicly released its findings Thursday.

The hidden healthcare workforce: why family caregivers are essential to the future of care Healthcare Business Today; by Lance A. Slatton; 7/7/26 Healthcare leaders across the United States are confronting a convergence of challenges unlike any in recent memory. Workforce shortages, rising healthcare costs, increasing patient complexity, chronic disease management, and a rapidly aging population are placing unprecedented demands on healthcare systems. As organizations search for solutions to improve outcomes, reduce costs, and maintain quality of care, one of the most important components of the healthcare ecosystem continues to be overlooked. Family caregivers. ... In many cases, they serve as the connective tissue holding an entire care plan together.

Addressing the emotional and psychologic toll of a cancer diagnosis Cancer Therapy Advisor; by Sabrina Martinez, MS and Jason L. Harris; 7/7/26 Patients with cancer experience distress not only from receiving a jarring diagnosis, but also a treatment regimen that can be difficult and debilitating, additional challenges to relationships that might be fraught already, significant financial stress, and the reality of death. Many also experience thoughts of fear of recurrence, stress, depression, anxiety, self-consciousness, and loneliness. The mental and emotional burden of cancer can be as difficult as enduring the disease itself. We spoke with oncologists and experts in psycho-oncology to get their perspectives on delivering “bad” news, working with loved ones and caregivers, resources for those involved in the patient’s cancer journey, and survivorship issues that should be addressed.

False Claims Act insights - how hospice fraud impacts legitimate providers  Husch Blackwell LLP; by Husch Blackwell LLP; 7/6/26 Host Jonathan Porter welcomes Bryan Nowicki, leader of Husch Blackwell’s hospice practice group and host of the Hospice Insights podcast, to discuss the recent wave of hospice fraud enforcement. With hospice fraud dominating headlines in recent months, Bryan shares insights on how massive fraud schemes are impacting the industry and why legitimate providers face collateral damage.

Hospitals confront nursing opposition to AI HFMA; by Rich Daly; 7/7/26 Health systems’ adoption of artificial intelligence to improve productivity increasingly is meeting opposition from their nursing staff. Nurse opposition to AI has become most visible in nurse strikes, where limits and guardrails on AI deployment for clinical and administrative uses have emerged. Sixty-five percent of hospitals reported using AI or predictive models integrated with their electronic health records (EHRs) in 2023, according to a recent study. But nurse distrust of the technology was seen in a 2024 National Nurses United survey of 2,300 registered nurses, which found that 60% of respondents did not trust their employers to prioritize patient safety when implementing AI.