Literature Review

Indianapolis hospice patient’s final wish to drive around the track at IMSWISHTV.com 8 [Indianapolis, IN]; by Kyla Russell; 8/25/25An Indianapolis hospice patient has one final wish: to take a few laps around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway inside an IndyCar or NASCAR stock car. His caretakers are trying to turn his dream into a reality. 64-year-old Douglas Smith is living with both prostate and lung cancer. But, he’s determined to make his final days full of memories... These days, Smith is mostly driving his decked out blue scooter outside the cozy Morning Light Home, a free-of-charge residence for individuals on hospice and of limited means... Morning Light is a free home for the terminally ill in Indiana. The team serves everyone, including the unhoused or low-income. It’s the second largest home of its kind in the nation.

Hospice provider’s coast-to-coast expansion receives green light from California AGMcKnight's Home Care; by Adam Healy; 8/26/25Chapters Health System, a Florida-based hospice and palliative care organization, received conditional approval for its expansion into California via affiliation agreements with Hospice East Bay and Hospice of Santa Cruz County. To finalize the two affiliations, Chapters agreed to: ensure that Hospice East Bay and Hospice of Santa Cruz County maintain certification with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; honor employment agreements with existing staff members; establish quality advisory committees for both East Bay and Hospice of Santa Cruz County; make a reasonable effort to continue providing specialized care services that are currently offered by both newly affiliated providers; and provide annual reports on its compliance with these conditions, according to the California Office of the Attorney General.

Teleios announces fourth annual Care As It Should Be award winnersTeleios press release; by Tina Gentry; 8/21/25Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN) announced the fourth annual recipients of the Care As It Should Be Awards during the August Board of Directors Meeting. The purpose of the Care As It Should Be Awards is to recognize those individuals who make an extraordinary impact on the patients and families who they serve daily. “We know that each of the staff members who are on the front lines provide excellent care to patients, so these awards are to recognize those who take care to the next level – those who go above and beyond to make a patient’s experience the best that it can be during such vulnerable and challenging times,” said Chris Comeaux, President and CEO of TCN. The award recipients are:

NPHI applauds California’s statewide campaign to combat hospice fraud ehospice; 8/21/25Momentum grows nationally to protect patients and preserve high-quality hospice care – The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the national voice for nonprofit hospice and palliative care providers, applauds California Attorney General Rob Bonta for launching a comprehensive statewide campaign to combat hospice fraud. This campaign includes public service announcements, community outreach events, and a new reporting hotline designed to educate consumers about hospice fraud. It comes amid a broader national effort by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to strengthen hospice program integrity and crack down on fraudulent providers across the country, with heightened focus on fraud-prone states such as California, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas.Notable mentions: Statement from Tom Koutsoumpas.

Make every dollar count: Budget strategies you can implementCHAP blog; by Daniel Stephens, Jan Sweat; 8/22/25Every leader knows the feeling. Budget season rolls around, and suddenly you’re staring at spreadsheets, deadlines, and targets that don’t always add up to reality. Too often, the process becomes about filling in boxes instead of creating a plan that actually drives growth. But a budget isn’t just numbers, it’s your strategy in action. When approached the right way, it forces you to step back and ask: Where have we been? Where are we today? And where do we want to go? That’s where budgeting shifts from wishful thinking to purposeful planning.

Letter to the Editor: Hospice needs the state’s support Mid Hudson News, Hudson Valley / Catskill Region, NY; by Mid-Hudson News Staff; 8/19/25 Dear Editor: Hospice care can greatly enhance life for patients and families during an incredibly difficult time, but it is, unfortunately, underfunded and underutilized in New York State. As the leader of a hospice program serving Rockland and Orange Counties for 38 years, I have seen firsthand the undeniable, positive impact hospice can have.  ... Understandably, New Yorkers struggle to understand the benefits of hospice because hospice providers themselves have faced decades of underfunding and limited government support. ... The consequences of this cannot be understated. ... Cara Pace, Chief Executive Officer of United Hospice

Unity Hospice receives $20,000 from the Jerry Parins Cruise for Cancer The Chamber - Manitowoc County, De Pere, WI; Press Release; 8/18/25 For the tenth consecutive year, Unity Hospice has been chosen as a recipient of funds from the Jerry Parins Cruise for Cancer. These contributions help Unity provide compassionate hospice care, palliative care, and grief support to individuals and families across Northeast Wisconsin. The Jerry Parins Cruise for Cancer, a motorcycle ride to benefit cancer patients and families throughout Northeastern Wisconsin, presented checks totaling $185,000 to eleven local cancer support organizations at Vandervest Harley-Davidson.

BAYADA Home Health Care announces CEO succession plan: Board Succession Committee launches a thorough CEO search BAYADA Home Health Care, Moorestown, NJ; Press Release; 8/19/25 BAYADA Home Health Care (“BAYADA”), a nonprofit organization and one of the nation's largest providers of home health, personal home care, private duty nursing, and hospice services, today announced the start of a leadership transition that will conclude with current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) David Baiada moving into a new role on the BAYADA Board of Directors (“Board”) upon the appointment of the company’s next CEO. The Board’s Succession Committee has initiated a comprehensive search for BAYADA’s next CEO—the first non-family member to lead the organization. As the search progresses, David will continue in his role as CEO and will serve as an advisor during the transition. 

Everyone deserves a dignified death. But will everyone get one? U.S. News & World Report; Commentary by Tom Koutsoumpas; 8/18/25 Before hospice care first came to the United States in the 1970s, the experience of dying in America was often a cold and lonely one. Most people spent their final days in stark, unfamiliar hospital rooms – places that felt more like holding cells than spaces of comfort – often without the warmth, dignity or closeness of those they loved most. ... Nonprofit hospices that are grounded in their communities deliver comprehensive support to patients and families and reinvest every dollar back into mission-driven services. They have consistently delivered some of the highest-quality outcomes for patients and families. ... The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation, which I founded in 2015, supports nonprofit hospices in upholding high standards and making sure end-of-life care is delivered with compassion – not profit – in mind. We have advocated for policies that put patients first, strengthen hospice regulations and advance quality, community-based care.

YoloCares: A caring coalition for California The Davis Enterprise; by Craig Dresang; 8/15/25 In his closing remarks at a 2016 stakeholder meeting, hosted by the National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Victor Dzau (academy president) said, “We need a coalition, a movement, a critical mass. We need to work together so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We need to come together to develop resources for policy and communication. We need to improve our communication — to patients and families, healthcare providers, government, and the public.” His words perfectly captured the founding spirit of the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California. ... The group is a small but mighty powerhouse that works closely with healthcare systems and providers, patient advocacy groups, professional associations and policy — and lawmakers to promote high-quality care for seriously ill Californians. 

A gentle goodbye: The hospice chaplain sees patients to life’s endLovin' Life [AZ]; by Karen Schaffner; 8/5/25As a long-time hospice chaplain Patrick Cunningham has to answer a lot of hard questions. In his years working with the dying and their families, he has discovered that they all trickle down to one unanswerable, universal desire: to know. “(They) ask me the existential question, which if you know anything about what you’re doing, I would never answer a question like, ‘What in the world, with all those people who I have loved who have died, why am I still here?’” he said. Walking people to death’s door for nearly the entirety of your adulthood will without question provide a unique perspective on life. Cunningham has done the job for more than 40 years, most recently with Azorna Hospice in Marana. That’s long enough to know he doesn’t have the answer... If Cunningham’s chaplaincy job could be summed up in one word, it would be support. Despite the title, his job is to support the person who is headed to the door.

Late attorney leaves lasting legacy to St. Luke’s hospice Times News - tnonline.com; Press Release; 8/9/25 A recent gift to support hospice programs at St. Luke's deepens the impact of Justin K. McCarthy, Esq. ... Among his greatest accomplishmnets is his support of programs offered through St. Luke's University Health Network [in Pennsylvania and New Jersey]. ... For many years, McCarthy, who died in August 2023 at the age of 95, served on the board of trustees for the Network's Visiting Nurses Association and was an early supporter of the hospice program that evolved into an integral component of VNA services. In addition to sharing his time, talent and energy, he was also an extremely generous donor who contributed more than $2 million in support of St. Luke's.  

Healthy Together Cleveland receives foundation grant [from Hospice of Cleveland County] The Home Page for Cleveland County, North Carolina; Press Release; 8/14/25 The Board of Directors for Hospice Cleveland County Foundation recently awarded a $50,000 grant to support the Everyone Eats Emergency Food Fund Drive, spearheaded by Healthy Together Cleveland (HTC) to combat food insecurity in Cleveland County. "As we continue to face unprecedented challenges, community support is vital. Everyone Eats is a testament to what we can achieve when we come together with a shared purpose. We are delighted to provide this grant to launch the campaign and hope it will inspire others to participate," said Katie Borders, President, Hospice Cleveland County Foundation. Last month, HTC announced that 1 in 6 people in the county are experiencing food insecurity. ... The mission of the Foundation is to strive to maintain the success of the hospice tradition in Cleveland County by supporting efforts to help people lead healthy, productive lives and experience peaceful, dignified deaths. We seek to ensure that all people - especially those with the fewest resources - have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and in life.Editor's Note: May we all learn and live from Hospice Cleveland County Foundation's mission and action. Thank you.