Literature Review

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High schooler shares final milestone with Dad after hospice nurses help him organize bedside graduation ceremony People; by Abigail Adams; 6/12/26 A dad got to watch his son graduate from high school just days before he died in hospice care. Brad Case was put into hospice care after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer, according to WPTA. So, his son Braden Case, a senior at Hamilton Junior Senior High School in Hamilton, Ind., did what he could to make sure his dad could see him graduate. Braden worked with nurses to put together the improvised graduation ceremony at Brad's bedside. A photo taken from the special moment, shared by WPTA, showed Braden in his blue cap and gown while standing by his father's side. Braden told WPTA that Brad had always been there for his big moments in life, and he wanted to ensure his dad witnessed this one.

Penn Medicine’s approach to clinical care AI tools focuses on problems they want to solve Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare (PSQH); by Christopher Cheney; 6/12/26 Penn Medicine has embraced a range of AI tools in clinical care such as a new collaboration with K Health that includes AI tools to engage patients and tee up visits with clinicians. ... With so many AI tool options becoming available in clinical care, it is important for senior leaders to have a focused approach for AI tool adoption, according to Srinath Adusumalli, MD, vice president and chief health information officer at Penn Medicine. “At the highest level, when we adopt AI tools in clinical care, we focus on the problems we are trying to solve,” Adusumalli says. 

CMS moratorium could spur hospice, home health M&A Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/12/26 A current moratorium on home health and hospice Medicare enrollment could increase demand for mergers and acquisitions in the short term. ... The pause is intended to address concerns about a surge in new providers that regulators have linked to fraudulent activity in the hospice sector. ... Rumors have circulated that the moratorium could be extended beyond the six months, though to date CMS has given no indication that will be the case. The moratorium could limit provider growth via de novos, so some companies may turn towards more M&A, according to Cory Mertz, managing partner of the M&A advisory firm Mertz Taggart.

The missing middle in healthcare—and why it matters | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Bridget Sumser and Sonya Dolan; 6/20/26 What happens between a life-changing diagnosis and hospice care?  In Part One of this thought-provoking conversation, Chris Comeaux welcomes Mettle Health co-founder Sonya Dolan and Director of Counseling & Programs Bridget Sumser to explore what they call healthcare’s “missing middle.” ... Together, they unpack how Mettle Health was created to provide a different kind of support: one centered on accompaniment rather than treatment, resilience rather than answers, and human connection rather than healthcare transactions.

Hospice patient joins care team for day on the golf course KJCT-8 / KKTV News ABC, Grand Junction, CO / La Junta, CO; by Bryce Patterson; 6/12/26In “a beautiful reminder that joy, laughter, and meaningful experiences don’t have an expiration date,” a hospice patient recently spent a day at the Rocky Ford Golf Course with her caregivers. ... [The Arkansas Valley Hospice team said] “she may very well have been one of the oldest golfers to enjoy a round” at that course. ... In a release, the hospice said that kind of care is not just about dying, but also “honoring wishes, celebrating the person behind the diagnosis, and making every moment matter.”

Humanistically Universalizing Grief (HUG): advisory guidelines for national hospice bereavement programs standards within the United States OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying; by Jared R. Garcia1, Lynn M. Raine, Larry Ortiz, and Mary Akstin; 6/12/26... This quantitative study gathered data through online surveys from bereavement coordinators in California. By aligning these findings with standards from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization standards, the Humanistically Universalizing Grief (HUG) model was developed, which provides core principles and advisory guidelines for hospice bereavement care. The HUG model offers a structured yet adaptable framework to improve program consistency, accessibility, and equity, ensuring bereavement care is comprehensive, sustainable, and responsive to the diverse needs of grieving individuals.

1776-1786: 250 Years - A History of CareHospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger; for 6/10/26Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

LA County fraud: Why hospice care became the new target Film Daily; by Simone Barbon; 6/3/26 Los Angeles County has become the focal point of multiple federal, state, and local actions against hospice fraud schemes that target Medicare and Medi-Cal. The concentration of facilities, unusual billing patterns, and recent arrests explain why regulators treat the county as ground zero. ... Data shows unusual density. Records reviewed by CBS News found roughly 1,800 hospices operating in Los Angeles County. More than 700 of them triggered multiple state fraud indicators. One stretch of Victory Boulevard contained nearly 500 hospices within three miles, and a single building listed 89 separate companies. Typical facilities in the county billed Medicare about $29,000 per patient. The national average sits at $13,200. That gap prompted auditors to flag the region years before arrests began.Editor's Note: This article describes complex factors of the hospice fraud crisis with clarity for the general public.

Dr. Joan Teno exposes the hidden problems with hospice ratings and quality scores | part two Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Dr. Joan Teno; 6/3/26 Hospice quality ratings play a critical role in helping patients and families make informed care decisions—but are they telling the whole story? In Part Two of this compelling conversation, Dr. Joan Teno continues her deep dive into the challenges surrounding hospice quality measurement, transparency, and consumer choice.  Building on the foundation established in Part One, she explores how healthcare leaders can better leverage existing data to help patients and families identify high-quality hospice providers while avoiding misleading or incomplete information.  Dr. Teno also shares her vision for a future where technology, data analytics, and artificial intelligence empower consumers to make more informed decisions during some of life’s most difficult moments.

When the storm hits: how hospice providers help protect Florida’s most vulnerable patients South Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report; by Kathleen Coronado; 6/1/26 In South Florida, hurricane preparedness is a part of life. Hospitals activate emergency operations centers, nursing homes review evacuation plans, and families rush to gather supplies before a storm makes landfall. For hospice providers, preparedness carries an additional layer of responsibility. Patients receiving end-of-life care are among the most medically vulnerable members of our communities. Many rely on oxygen, medications, specialized equipment or around-the-clock support that cannot simply pause when severe weather arrives. At VITAS Healthcare, hurricane preparedness is not a seasonal checklist. It is a year-round operational priority designed to ensure continuity of compassionate care before, during and after a disaster.