Literature Review

West End Health Foundation awards $15,000 to Trillium House hospice care MyUpNow.com, Ishpeming, MI; by Alexandria Bournonville; 12/15/25 To support locally based hospice care, the West End Health Foundation (WEHF) awarded $15,000 to Trillium House, a Marquette-based hospice care center. ... “This grant will help cover some of the cost of caring for those who need hospice support at Trillium House for a total of 50 days a year for three years," said Trillium House Executive Director Melissa Cavill. "That’s 150 days of high-quality, compassionate care in a safe and home-like environment, and it’s all designated specifically for West End residents.”Editor's Note: By translating dollars into days of hospice care, this message makes the grant's impact visible and human. It reminds us that return on investment is not only financial, but measured in serving hospice patients and families through the dying moments that matter most. How does your organization give meaning to its numbers? 

A legacy of care: How Good Shepherd has served Newton for nearly 50 yearsFig City News, Newton, MA; by Parker Maslowski; 12/15/25 … The story of Good Shepherd began, fittingly, with an act of compassion that crossed an ocean. In the late 1970s, members of the Parish of the Good Shepherd learned about the revolutionary hospice movement emerging in England. … A group of parishioners believed Newton needed something similar. … Newton-Wellesley Hospital donated office space in the Ellison Building. The small program assembled a core team of nurses, a physician, social workers, and volunteers who provided direct patient support, administrative help, and fundraising. And the Hospice of the Good Shepherd opened its doors in the fall of 1979 – the first hospice in Massachusetts. 

Technology Documentation Automation a Priority in Hospice AI Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/15/25 Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly proliferating throughout health care and beyond. Among its many applications, streamlining documentation is among the most prevalent for hospices. Hospices leverage documentation software for a wide array of functions, including visit scheduling, care plan updates, interdisciplinary team notes, medication management and bereavement services, as well as billing, compliance tracking and family communication, among other functions.

Hospice of Wichita Falls expands outreach with renovated facility CBS News-6, Wichita Falls, TX; by Rachel Gomez Ramirez; 12/12/25 Today [12/12/25], Hospice of Wichita Falls held an open house showcasing their newly renovated facility, built by and for the community. Isha Howerton, Director of Development for Hospice of Wichita Falls, explained that the Building on a Legacy of Care fundraiser campaign initially began in 2017 and is nearing completion. Through this campaign, the community raised $15 million to build a new inpatient care center and renovate the existing one. Today’s event marked the new facility’s final renovation phase. ... [Additionally, by] meeting their campaign goal of $340,000, the non-profit hospice can continue to support charity care for those who need end-of-life care.

Providence Care appoints Werner Freymann, Jr. as new Chief Executive Officer Morningstar; by Business Wire; 12/10/25 Providence Care, a leading hospice, palliative and primary care for seniors organization, today announced the appointment of Werner Freymann, Jr. as its new Chief Executive Officer. In the role of CEO, Werner will lead the company’s strategic direction and drive continued growth and innovation across its continuum of care for the elderly wherever they call home. Mr. Freymann brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience, previously serving as SVP of Discovery at Home. 

Solvay gets nearly 45K from Super One’s register round-up Fox 21 Local News, Duluth, MN; by Jadie Jones; 12/10/25 Super One raised nearly 45 thousand dollars for Solvay Hospice House. These funds were raised during their recent register round up campaign where customers could choose to round up their change or donate more when checking out. This campaign was at 19 regional stores. Solvay has been a register roundup participant for 18 years now, raising more than 373 thousand in total.

Court approves Justice Department’s settlement in UnitedHealth Group and Amedisys merger Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of Justice; Press Release; 12/10/25 The settlement requires the largest divestiture of outpatient healthcare services to resolve a merger challenge (by number of facilities) and imposes a $1.1M civil penalty for false certification. The United States District Court for the District of Maryland today [12/10/25] entered the Final Judgment proposed by the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, together with its state co-Plaintiffs, requiring broad divestitures to resolve Plaintiffs’ challenge to UnitedHealth Group Incorporated’s (UnitedHealth) $3.3 billion acquisition of Amedisys Inc. In addition, Amedisys must pay a $1.1 million civil penalty to the United States for falsely certifying that it had provided “true, correct, and complete” responses under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. ... The settlement requires UnitedHealth and Amedisys to divest at least 164 home health and hospice locations (including one affiliated palliative care facility) across 19 states, accounting for approximately $528 million in annual revenue.

Hospice of Redmond rebrands, to launch in-home care in March Redmond Spokesman, Redmond, OR; by Ian Haupt; 12/9/25 Hospice of Redmond is changing its name and will offer in-home primary care come spring. The hospice care provider that has been serving Central Oregon since 1979 announced Dec. 9 that it has officially rebranded to ClearPath Healthcare to reflect its new identity as it plans to launch in-home primary care services in March 2026.

Quality comes from within, with Andrew Reed Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Andrew Reed; 12/10/25In our latest crossover episode TCNtalks and Anatomy Of Leadership, Andrew Reed, CEO and Chief Teaching Officer of Multi-View Incorporated, shares his journey as a recording artist with Universal Virgin Music Groups and his experiences in the music industry.  Andrew makes a bold case: profit should follow purpose, not push it around.  When leaders chase “more” at all costs, bad profits appear and training, standards, and trust all erode.  When teams build sustainable systems and teach rigor with heart, margin becomes a reliable barometer rather than the goal. 

Nathan Adelson Hospice Foundation receives $284,000 donation from the Robert Thomas Bigelow Medical Foundation, Inc. Nevada Business; by Nathan Adelson Hospice; 12/8/25 Nathan Adelson Hospice Foundation has been selected to receive a $284,000 donation from the Robert Thomas Bigelow Medical Foundation, Inc. through its grant program. This gift will be used to purchase two new medical transport vans, new overbed lighting for patient rooms and new patio furniture for the patient room patios at the hospice’s in-patient Swenson facility.

Hospice margins dropping despite utilization gains Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/9/25 Hospice margins are falling despite record-high utilization, according to data from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). The commission has released its draft recommendations to Congress, repeating its annual call to eliminate hospice payment rate increases in future years. “For fiscal year, 2027, Congress should eliminate the update to the 2026 Medicare base payment rate for hospice,” MedPAC indicated in its draft recommendations. ... The average Medicare fee-for-service margin for hospices fell to 8% in 2023, down from 9.8% in 2022 and 14.2% in 2020, according to MedPAC. Among for-profit providers, the average 2023 margin was 13.7%, whereas nonprofits in aggregate showed a loss at -1.3%. These numbers exclude cap overpayments and non-reimbursible costs.

HOV honors family traditions North Central News; by Staff; 12/8/25 Family traditions enrich the holiday season, and for Hispanic families in the community, Día de los Muertos is an especially meaningful observance, says Lin Sue Flood, director of community engagement at Hospice of the Valley. “Though the name translates to ‘Day of the Dead,’ this cherished Mexican holiday is not a morbid occasion. Instead, it is a vibrant celebration that honors those we hold dear through ofrendas (altars) adorned with photos, favorite foods and bright marigolds, alongside music and dancing,” she added. ... Organizer Dulce Rodriguez noted that the event helps reinforce family bonds across generations and strengthens cultural identity.