Literature Review

CMS crackdown upends hospice dealmaking Holland & Knight; by Law360; 6/2/26 Healthcare attorney Michelle Huntsman was quoted in a Law360 article examining how the federal government's moratorium on new Medicare enrollments in the home health and hospice care industry will affect dealmaking and private equity strategy. ... Ms. Huntsman cautioned to anticipate more detailed legal reviews from transactional attorneys and tougher enforcement from regulators. These steps will increase the timeline for deal flow, she added, but activity will not cease altogether.

Who are hospital ethics consultants, and why should you care? The Conversation; by Jennifer McCurdy; 6/2/26 Imagine the following scenarios:

NPHI submits comments on FY 2027 Hospice Proposed Rule, urges CMS to strengthen transparency, support access, and advance meaningful reform  National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation, Washington, DC; Press Release; 6/2/26The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the national voice for nonprofit hospice and advanced illness care, has submitted formal comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update, Hospice Conditions of Participation Updates, and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements proposed rule. In the letter, NPHI welcomed CMS’s continued engagement with hospice stakeholders and offered detailed recommendations designed to strengthen patient access, improve transparency, reduce unnecessary administrative burden, and support high-quality, community-based hospice and palliative care. 

Volunteer gardeners raise funds for care of the gardens and meadow at Community Hospice House in Merrimack The Cabinet Press, Merrimack, NH; by Loretta Jackson; 6/1/26 "Gardeners and shoppers braved unseasonably cold, wet and windy weather for the display of beautiful native plants grown in New Hampshire,” said Barb Young, co-leader of the garden team, along with Jeanne Abramson. Proceeds from the sale go directly to the CHH garden fund ...” The Community Hospice House, built in 2000 and operated by the nonprofit Home Health & Hospice Care, based in Merrimack, has expanded in recent years to 16 suites. The CHH gardens with new plantings, new benches, a supportive irrigation system and other enhancements have developed into a lovely enclave of respite, ... tended by more than 20 volunteer gardeners, ... with visibility from each patient's room and common areas.Editor's Note: Hospice care extends beyond clinical services. This volunteer-led effort shows how community support can help create and sustain comforting spaces for patients and families, while preserving resources for direct patient care.

Is AI better for patients? KFF | This Business of Health; podcast hosted by Chip Kahn and with guest Patrick Conway, MD, MSc; 6/2/26 Is AI Better for patients? What is changing on the ground? Chip talks with Dr. Patrick Conway, Chief Executive Officer of Optum, a health services and technology business under parent company, UnitedHealth Group. They discuss how to ensure the health care industry’s use of AI serves patients first, particularly when the same company bears financial risk and builds the AI that decides who gets care. They also discuss whether use of AI can make value-based care the dominant payment framework, after two decades of policymaker support for the model.

I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall. ~ Serena Williams

By the Bay Health recognized as 2026 Golden Bell Honoree for Innovative Healthcare Workforce Development Program ByTheBayHealth.org News, Larkspur, CA; by Sarah Robertson; 5/27/26 By the Bay Health has been named a 2026 Golden Bell Honoree by the Marin County Office of Education (MCOE) and the Marin County School Boards Association (MCSBA) in recognition of its Pathways to Care Careers initiative ... The award recognizes By the Bay Health’s longstanding partnership with Marin County schools and its commitment to expanding access to healthcare career education for high school and college students. A key component of the initiative is the Introduction to the World of Healthcare course at San Marin High School. Funded by private donations to By the Bay Health, the course is taught by a By the Bay Health clinician and clinical guest lecturers through a partnership with the Marin County Office of Education.Editor's Note: Congratulations on this innovative partnership and investment in future healthcare professionals. May this intergenerational model inspire other healthcare organizations to help cultivate the next generation of compassionate care.

Bristol Hospice acquires Hope Hospice & Palliative Care Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/2/26 Bristol Hospice has purchased Hope Hospice & Palliative Care for an undisclosed amount, expanding its geographic footprint in the South. Established in 2020, Hope Hospice & Palliative Care serves patients across the region of Memphis, Tennessee. The hospice and palliative care provider has built a strong, trusted reputation for high quality across these communities, said Bristol Hospice President and CEO Alex Mauricio. The acquisition represents an opportunity to preserve and expand sustainable access, Mauricio indicated.

National Alliance for Care at Home voices concerns to CMS in response to the FY 2027 Hospice Proposed Rule National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA; Press Release; 6/2/26 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) submitted comments in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Hospice Wage Index proposed rule, which proposes payment and regulatory updates under the Medicare hospice benefit. The letter states that the proposed 2.4% hospice payment update for FY 2027 will not adequately account for the cost pressures hospice providers face in today’s healthcare delivery market.

Sovereign Hospice releases guidance on home setup for end-of-life care NEWSnet, Aubrey, TX; by Sovreign Hospice; 5/31/26 Sovereign Hospice, a Dallas-Fort Worth-based hospice and palliative care provider, has released practical guidance for families preparing to receive end-of-life care at home. ... The guidance covers room selection, durable medical equipment placement, medication organization, caregiver strategies, and a clear explanation of the services hospice offers in a home setting. It is directed at families across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex who are beginning to consider hospice at home service for a loved one with a life-limiting illness.

Awards and Recognitions: May 2026

Lawmakers boost grant awards for local nonprofits The Honolulu Star, Honolulu, HI; by Andrew Gomes; 6/1/26 About 170 Hawaii nonprofits providing food, healthcare and other services are slated to share $40 million in legislative grants this year. ... ... This year, the biggest award was $1 million for Hospice of Hilo [doing business as Hospice of Hilo] ...  in part to help the organization build a workforce training center in Hilo that would help turn out a new generation of palliative care professionals to serve more Hawaii island community members.

Bridging the gap: a hospitalist-designed, nurse-driven palliative care model in a community hospital The Hospitalist; by Natasha Rai Morris, MD, MHA, CHCQM, CRCR, CCDS and Jessica Staton, MSN, MBA, RN, CCM; 6/1/26 ... [The] number of clinicians trained in palliative care is insufficient to meet the increasing demand for goals-of-care and advance care planning discussions. ... To address this gap, a 90-day pilot program was designed and implemented by a hospitalist and registered nurse care manager. The purpose was straightforward: expand access to early goals-of-care conversations, advance care planning, and appropriate hospice referral without waiting for a fully staffed specialty palliative team. ... In short, this model produced measurable documentation gains, earlier advance-care planning, and culture change toward goal-concordant care without requiring a full dedicated palliative team on site.