Literature Review

AAHPM Hospice Statement approved by the Executive Committee on April 17, 2026 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; Press Release; 4/17/26 The AAHPM Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, in close coordination with Academy staff and trusted stakeholder partners, has been actively monitoring and discussing recent events and actions, including those by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as well as Congressional hearings related to hospice fraud. ... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) should target fraudulent hospices. We have provided guidance to CMS on our recommendations to do so with precision, including but not limited to identifying red flags such as those below, which should be applied with clinical context and should not be applied mechanically to penalize providers serving complex patient populations. [Continue reading]

Future-proofing care: the challenges we face in hospice and palliative care | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner; 4/22/26In this special reverse-role episode, Chris Comeaux steps into the guest seat as Cordt Kassner leads a deep dive into one of the most comprehensive strategic frameworks developed for hospice and palliative care organizations which was developed by TCN and it’s members. In Part One of this forward-looking series, Chris unpacks the foundational challenges shaping the future of hospice and palliative care.  Drawing from nearly a decade of strategic research and collaboration with healthcare leaders, he introduces a powerful framework built around eight core challenges that every organization must navigate. From intensifying competition to shifting reimbursement models, this conversation equips leaders with a clearer lens to anticipate disruption and respond with intention.

Hosparus Health names Becky Tooker as President Hosparus Health, Louisville, KY; Press Release; 4/20/2026 Hosparus Health, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit providers of hospice and serious illness care, has named Becky Tooker as President, effective April 6. Tooker brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in hospice, home health and post-acute care and a strong commitment to patient-centered care. Most recently Tooker served in a senior leadership role with St. Croix Hospice, where she oversees statewide operations including clinical quality, regulatory compliance and performance improvement. ... David W. Cook, CEO of Hosparus Health, said he looks forward to partnering with Tooker as the organization continues expanding services for patients and families across Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

National Alliance for Care at Home | Strategic Plan (2026-2029)National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release / email; 4/20/26 The National Alliance for Care at Home has finalized its Strategic Plan for 2026–2029. This plan is the result of deep reflection on the challenges facing care at home providers today, the opportunities we believe are ahead, and the role the Alliance must play to help you navigate both. It is organized around four commitments:

Google.org and Johnson & Johnson Foundation launch $10 million AI training program for rural U.S. healthcare workers Complete AI Training; Press Release; 4/14/26 Google.org and the Johnson & Johnson Foundation are launching a $10 million program to train rural U.S. healthcare workers to use AI tools for administrative tasks. The initiative targets operational efficiency in clinics facing chronic staffing shortages and administrative overload. ... According to the National Rural Health Association, over 130 rural hospitals have shut down since 2010, with administrative burden cited as a major factor. The new program addresses this directly by teaching healthcare workers to use AI for scheduling, patient documentation, and clinic operations. 

Hospices to face increased scrutiny under new scoring system Harris Beach Murtha Attorneys at Law; by Glenn M. Jones and Roy W. Breitenbach; 4/15/26 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans a new hospice scoring system in fiscal year 2027 . ... CMS announced the service and spending variation index (SSVI) is part of its ongoing efforts to combat fraud and strengthen program integrity. CMS said the system will increase transparency for families, ensure proper care, protect beneficiaries and support providers delivering quality end-of-life care. Details of the proposed rule can be found on the Federal Register. The agency has also published a fact sheet on the proposed rule. The SSVI score will be based on a variety of metrics CMS gathers from hospice claims, including:

U.S. House Committee on Ways & Means - Full committee hearing on protecting patients and taxpayers: cracking down on Medicare fraud United State House Committee on Ways & Means, Chairman Jason Smith; content below is from the US House Committee Ways & Means website, with descriptions (below) by Judi Lund Person; 4/21/26 The House Committee on Ways and Means, chaired by Jason Smith (MO-08), held a hearing today [4/21] examining the prevalence of fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare and efforts to combat fraud to protect patients and taxpayers. Readers have the opportunity to watch the full committee hearing on YouTube. Links are provided below.

I understand the need to be a responsible adult... But every day? Every single day? ~Unknown

Second-generation antipsychotics for depression in serious illness: A first-line augmentation strategyJournal of Pain & Symptom Management; by Gregg Robbins-Welty, Mia Pattillo, Danielle Chammas, Karolina Sadowska, Cara L McDermott, Nneka Ufere, Jason A Webb, Daniel Shalev; 3/26Depression in serious illness is common, disabling, and often requires rapid improvement. In the psychiatric literature, SGA [second-generation antipsychotics] augmentation improves response and remission rates ... , with onset of improvement within 1-2 weeks. Monotherapy is less well tolerated and not guideline-recommended. No RCTs have evaluated SGAs specifically for depression in serious illness, but numerous cancer trials support their safety for nausea, appetite, and other symptoms. Despite the absence of serious illness-specific psychiatric trials, SGAs have the strongest evidence base among augmentation options and may offer meaningful benefits when prognosis or symptom severity necessitates rapid improvement. Low-dose augmentation should be considered early, rather than only after multiple failed antidepressants, particularly when SGAs can also target co-occurring physical symptoms relevant to palliative care.