Literature Review

Rochester hospice provider pulls out of Owatonna project, sunsets community grief services PostBulletin,com, Rochester, NY; by Dené K. Dryden; 7/17/25 Citing multiple challenges, Rochester's Seasons Hospice will no longer be expanding into Owatonna and will pare back its community services through the Center for Grief Education and Support. In a Friday, July 18, press release to the Post Bulletin, Dawn Beck, president of the nonprofit hospice provider's board of directors, said "we have had to make the extremely difficult decision to restructure our grief services and to cease efforts to reopen the Homestead Hospice House in Owatonna." The Homestead Hospice House, previously operated by Allina Health, has been closed since summer 2023, the Owatonna Peoples Press reported. Since last year, Seasons Hospice had been fundraising to reopen the facility, but Beck said this week that staffing challenges, financial difficulties, issues with licensing and certification, for-profit competition and uncertainty around federal changes contributed to Seasons Hospice withdrawing from the project. ... In Rochester, starting Aug. 1, the Center for Grief Education and Support will no longer provide services to the community at large ...

Online reputation management crucial for hospices, home-based care providers Hospice News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 7/18/25 Hospice and home-based care providers cannot put online reputation management on the back burner. That’s a key takeaway from a recent report from Transcend Strategy Group. While all businesses should be concerned about maintaining a good online reputation, this is especially important for home-based hospice care providers due to their unique care delivery setting, according to Tony Kudner, chief strategy officer at Transcend. A hospice provider’s digital presence can give patients and their families greater insight when it comes to the quality and depth of their services, Kudner said. “When you are dealing with the intimacy of someone coming into your home, the personalization and how you feel about the agency that you open the door for matters more,” Kudner told Hospice News.

Two programs recognized as 2025 AHA Circle of Life Award Honorees | AHA American Hospital Association, Washington, DC; Press Release; 7/17/25 Two programs will be honored with the American Hospital Association 2025 Circle of Life Award for their efforts in palliative and end-of-life care. The winning programs are Gilchrist, Baltimore, Maryland, and Bristol Hospice – Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii. Both winners will receive this prestigious recognition during the AHA’s Leadership Summit in Nashville on July 20-22. The Circle of Life Award honors hospital and palliative care programs that are ensuring equitable access to care, implementing nontraditional models of care delivery and payment, fully integrating palliative care into a system of care or a community, making palliative care financially sustainable, developing meaningful measures and metrics to track progress, or partnering with payers, other providers, community groups and faith communities.Editor's Note: For more information, Gilchrist Named Circle of Life Award Winner--for the Second Time!

Silver tsunami brings new challenges for end-of-life care NPR Network, KANW New Mexico Public Radio; by Jenny Kinsey; 7/16/25 ... Inhora isn’t a hospice but it describes itself as a social model hospice house that provides a place to be. The nonprofit opened in April and contracts with several local hospice providers to provide end of life support. ... Inhora gets its support through donations and volunteer help which enables their guests to stay for free. That’s the idea behind Inhora, said Miles Gloetzner, RN, Inhora’s founder and Executive Director. ... Investigating the idea led him to the Omega Home Network, a national network of comfort care homes, and other communities with the same mission bringing comfort and caring to those at the end of life . That’s when he realized his dream was not his alone. A comfort care home or social model hospice house provides free room and board for patient/guests and a family member or friend while they receive hospice care. ... Comfort homes like Inhora are found across Mountain West states, including Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. The idea isn’t new. For instance, the Omega Home Network was founded in 2003 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is a national organization of 50 comfort care homes – and growing rapidly with 79 in development.

Hospice & Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard announces leadership change MVTimes.com, Martha's Vineyard, MA; by The Martha's Vineyard Times; 7/16/25 After a productive five years at the helm of Hospice & Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard (HPCMV), Executive Director Cathy Wozniak, MPH, MBA, announced that she will retire on Dec. 31, 2025, ending her 40-plus years serving hospices and healthcare across the country. “My proudest moments were making sure HPCMV obtained Medicare certification, allowing it to better serve more people on this Island,” Cathy said, “and helping our talented staff create long-term strategy and a succession plan.” The board has unanimously selected Chantale Patterson, RN, BSN, as HPCMV’s next executive director. Chantale, who has served as the organization’s clinical director for the past eight years, said she is “grateful for this opportunity to lead HPCMV’s next chapter of service to Martha’s Vineyard patients and their families, increasing Islanders’ understanding of Hospice’s services and achieving sustainable growth.”

Leveraging speedy admissions to support hospice growth Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/16/25 Seamless and fast admissions processes are crucial to hospice growth. Speedy hospice patient admissions can lead to improved referral numbers, profitability and length of stay. Yet, hospices need to carefully navigate their patient admission processes to maximize both quality and their revenue. The hospices that do this effectively have a core set of key performance indicators that they look at consistently, according to Tony Kudner, chief strategy officer of the consulting firm Transcend Strategy Group. “The ones that look at data and are constantly asking themselves, ‘How can we paint the fullest picture of eligibility and get to that patient as quickly as possible?’ are the ones that we would say are the ones that are successful,” Kudner told Hospice News. “The people who have that information at their fingertips and use it to drive decision making are usually the ones who are sustaining their organizations and growing.”

Hospice of the Ozarks: 2026 Pet Peace of Mind Calendar  KTLO.com, Mountain Home, AR; by Hospice of the Ozarks; 7/16/25 Hospice of the Ozarks is excited to continue our Pet Peace of Mind Pet Calendar. This tradition of an annual pet calendar continues to support the Hospice of the Ozarks Pet Peace of Mind Program. From July 10th to July 24th pet lovers will have the opportunity to upload a digital photo of their beloved companion to enter the contest for the 2026 wall calendar. Voting will be held between August 1st to August 15th. ... All funds raised will help support our Pet Peace of Mind Program. The Pet Peace of Mind’s mission is to enrich the quality of life and well-being of hospice patients and their families by caring for the pets they love.Editor's Note: What a creative, fun way to raise funds to support this extra program! Pet Peace of Mind is a registered trademark for Pet Peace of Mind, Inc. "the only national program providing a care model for the pets of seriously ill patients, including helping orphaned pets find a loving new home when necessary." Click here for its locations in 43 states (plus Washington DC) and the over 250 organizations they serve.

St. Croix Hospice opens four new locations in second quarter 2025 PR Newswire, Mendota Heights, MN; by St. Croix Hospice; 7/15/25 St. Croix Hospice expanded in the second quarter of 2025 with the opening of four additional branches across three states. The new locations include:

‘Little Golf’ and Grill brings community together for hospice The Monroe Times, Monroe, WI; 7/11/25 The Monroe Clinic & Hospital Foundation’s annual “Little Golf” and Grill event, held on June 17, once again brought together community members for an evening filled with laughter, camaraderie, and purpose. The event began with an afternoon of mini golf at Swissland Miniature Golf in New Glarus. Hospice volunteers and staff provided games and fun facts about hospice throughout the course until the Alp Horns signaled the transition to a festive dinner and program under the tent at Chalet Landhaus Inn. During the program, the Colden Family shared their hospice story and gratitude for their loved one’s care so that “they could be family, not caretakers”. Thanks to the generous support of local businesses, donors, and attendees, the event raised $78,853 in support of local hospice care. This brings the total raised over the event’s 33-year history to more than $1,084,000.

Community turned-out for 7th annual Hoedown for Hospice in Dickinson The Dickinson Press, Dickinson, ND; by Press Staff; 7/11/25 The spirit of community and compassion was on full display June 19 as families, friends and neighbors gathered at Veterans Memorial Park for the 7th Annual Hoedown for Hospice. This beloved fundraising event benefits the Dickinson hospice program offered through CHI Health at Home.A crowd of all ages turned out, making the event a resounding success. Attendees enjoyed a lunchtime filled with activities and entertainment. Children laughed and played in colorful bouncy houses, met furry new friends at the petting zoo, and everyone enjoyed delicious food and ice cream.

The grave outlook for hospice family caregivers Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 7/10/25 The state of family caregiving in the United States has reached a critical tipping point amid rising demand for end-of-life care and insufficient resources. Many family caregivers are ill-equipped to navigate the complexities of supporting a loved one with a terminal illness, according to Dr. Arul Thangavel, CEO of the advance care planning company WiserCare. Thangavel is also an attending physician at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Among the issues is that conversations about the end of life and goals of care are often brought up far too late in a disease trajectory, Thangavel said. This trend leaves families grappling with uncertainty, moral distress, guilt and compounded grief in the decision-making process, he stated. 

Georgia Power Foundation supports Phoebe Hospice Services in memory of President Jimmy Carter Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, Americus, GA; by Mary Bickerstaff; 7/9/25The Georgia Power Foundation has made generous donations to Phoebe Sumter Hospice and Phoebe Hospice in memory of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, honoring his legacy as a long-time advocate for clean energy and compassionate care. Phoebe Sumter Hospice provided hospice services for both Pres. & Mrs. Carter. The gift was made in recognition of hospice’s role in providing care and comfort and highlights Georgia Power’s continued commitment to the communities it serves, especially in Southwest Georgia. Phoebe Sumter Hospice serves patients in Sumter and seven other surrounding counties. Phoebe Hospice serves patients in 11 counties in and around Albany. The Georgia Power Foundation donated $100,000 that was split evenly between Phoebe Sumter Hospice and Phoebe Hospice.

Monroe Community Hospital awarded $50,000 grant for new Hospice and Palliative Care Center NBC News, Rochester, NY; by Kiley Wren; 7/3/25 The Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation has awarded Monroe Community Hospital a $50,000 grant, which will help them build a Hospice and Palliative Care Center. The grant will help with building a 25-bed space, providing end-of-life care that MCH says will offer a “home-like environment” that provides emotional support, comfort, and privacy for people in their final days. Construction of the new unit is currently underway and hopes to be open this summer.