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VITAS® Healthcare announces CEO transition and appointment of new Chief Executive OfficerGlobeNewswire, Miramar, FL; Press Release; 7/30/25VITAS Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading providers of hospice and palliative care, and a subsidiary of Chemed Corporation (NYSE: CHE), today announced that Nicholas M. Westfall will step down as chairman and chief executive officer to pursue other personal and professional opportunities. Joel L. Wherley, president and chief operating officer, was appointed by the Board to succeed Westfall as chief executive officer of VITAS Healthcare. Westfall has served as CEO since 2016, leading VITAS through a period of meaningful growth, operational transformation and reinvestment in its people. “It has been an honor to lead VITAS Healthcare and work alongside such a talented team,” said Westfall. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together and confident that Joel is the right leader to take the company forward.”

Local hospice offers new grief support option The Reporter, Vacaville, CA; by Robin Miller; 7/24/25 ... Solano Care Hospice [in Vallejo, CA] is taking the reins of a beloved bereavement program that was previously operated by NorthBay Health Hospice and Bereavement. NorthBay, which had offered end-of-life care and support services for years, recently made the decision to close its hospice program. One of the cornerstone offerings of that program was a 10-week bereavement support group, designed to help individuals navigate the emotional journey of grief and healing. Rather than let that service disappear, Solano Care Hospice has embraced the opportunity to carry on the tradition. They’ve reintroduced the program under a new name — “Circle of Comfort” — and are expressing a deep sense of honor in continuing to help people through the bereavement process. 

Public welcomed inside Heather’s House, North Dakota’s 1st freestanding hospice Grand Forks Herald, Fargo, ND; by Robin Hueben and Michael McGurran; 7/22/25 The public is getting its first look inside North Dakota's first freestanding, inpatient hospice house. Several hundred people turned out for a program and open house at HIA Heather's House on Tuesday, July 22, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 3800 56th Ave. S., Fargo, put on by HIA Health. The letters HIA stand for "hearts in action." HIA had previously been known as Hospice of the Red River Valley before changing its name in June. ... Nancy Andrews, president of the HIA Hospice Board, greeted the crowd on behalf of the board and the facility staff. "I welcome you to the grand opening of this sacred place — a place of peace, compassion and dignity," she said. [For more background, read our 4/23/24 post, Hospice of the Red River Valley celebrates milestone in Heather's House construction.]

Behind the deal: Creach Family Holdings bolsters Midwest Home Health presence with Freudenthal acquisition Levin Associates; Press Release; 7/21/25 Creach Family Holdings announced that it has expanded its home health footprint in the Kansas City MSA, with the acquisition of Freudenthal Home-Based Healthcare. The transaction closed in early July 2025 ... The acquisition integrates Freudenthal Home-Based Healthcare into Creach Family Holdings’ portfolio of healthcare providers, strengthening its home health and hospice division. Freudenthal Home-Based Healthcare will continue operating under its established brand, joining forces with Overland Park, Kansas-based Faith Home Health and Hospice, an active Creach Family Holdings investment, to enhance regional care delivery.

How rising tariffs could affect hospice M&A Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/11/25 ... Tariffs tend to raise prices and often trigger interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve. This makes financing debt more expensive, and many buyers in the M&A market rely on borrowing to make acquisitions. This can have a “ripple effect” on the M&A landscape, including in hospice, according to Cory Mertz, managing partner of the M&A advisory firm Mertz Taggart. “Tariffs raise costs, which can tighten debt markets and make capital more expensive,” Mertz told Hospice News in an email. “Since M&A is largely driven by both debt and equity investors, a higher cost of capital tends to put downward pressure on valuations. This can lead some buyers to pause or redirect their investment elsewhere, while some potential sellers may hold off on going to market.”

Essentia nurses and healthcare workers turned away from bargaining by employer on second day of ULP strike, acute care nurses announce tentative agreement vote results Minnesota Nurses Association, Duluth, MN; Press Release; 7/9/25 On the second day of the ongoing unfair labor practice strike in Duluth and Superior, nurses and healthcare professionals across all six Essentia Health bargaining units arrived at negotiations prepared to make progress — only to be met with rejection and dismissal. ... No meaningful negotiations took place and no progress was made towards resolving the unfair labor practices. Despite Essentia Health’s reliance on costly travel nurses and its abrupt closure of essential facilities like the Solvay Hospice House, frontline healthcare workers have consistently proposed clear pathways to resolution. Today alone, negotiating team members offered to consolidate and expedite bargaining across all six contracts and offered 22 additional negotiation dates in July — both of which Essentia flatly refused.

Creach Family Holdings acquires Freudenthal Home-Based Healthcare to expand in-home care services Associated Press, Overland Park, MO; Press Release; 7/2/25 Creach Family Holdings, LLC (CFH), a privately held investment firm focused on healthcare technology and tech-enabled services, today announced the acquisition of Freudenthal Home-Based Healthcare, a leading provider of in- home health services based in St. Joseph, Missouri. ... Freudenthal Home-Based Healthcare will continue to operate under its existing name and will become part of CFH’s growing Home Health and Hospice group which includes Faith Home Health and Hospice, with headquarters in Overland Park, KS.

Petaluma and Santa Rosa hospice workers kick off 2-day strike against Providence Petaluma Argus-Courier, Petaluma, CA; 7/2/25 Nearly 100 hospice workers and supporters protested in Petaluma and Santa Rosa on Wednesday as part of a two-day strike against what they call bad-faith bargaining with Providence as the health care giant joins forces with a private equity-backed hospice company. The hospice workers, who are represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, said they’ve been locked in negotiations for their first contract for two years and are frustrated with Providence’s “stalling.” They accuse the health care provider of not wanting to settle their contract while it works on a joint venture with a for-profit company. 

Sharp HospiceCare opens new $6.6M hospice home in PowayThe San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego, CA; by Julie Gallant; 7/1/25 Sharp HospiceCare will soon begin accepting up to six patients at the new Moore MountainView Hospice Home in Poway. The not-for-profit health care provider held a grand opening for the $6.6 million hospice facility at 16752 Valle Verde Road near Espola Road on June 23. Sharp HospiceCare expects to start accepting patients at the home later this summer. Suzi K. Johnson, vice president of hospice and palliative care at Sharp HospiceCare, thanked a crowd of more than 200 local leaders, health care professionals and supporters for "believing in the mission and purpose of Sharp HospiceCare." "When you take a moment to walk through the home, and especially through the gardens, you'll see that every detail was created to offer patients and families a sense of refuge," Johnson said. 

BrightSpring’s president of hospice services resignsHospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/20/25Michael McMaude has resigned as the president of hospice services of BrightSpring Health Services, effective Friday. He will continue to provide services to the company as a non-employee consultant, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing by BrightSpring... BrightSpring is a home- and community-based health care services platform that serves more than 400,000 patients daily across all 50 states. The Louisville, Kentucky-based company provides hospice, home health, primary care, rehabilitation, pharmaceuticals, behavioral and home health. BrightSpring went public last year with a $1 billion initial public offering (IPO).

Commonwealth Hospice cuts ribbon on new office Times Leader, forty Fort, WY; by Sam Zavada; 6/10/25 Commonwealth Hospice — formerly based in Berwick — now has a presence in the Wyoming Valley. They held a ribbon-cutting and open house at their new office at the 900 Rutter Avenue building on Tuesday afternoon. The new location officially opened about two weeks ago. Residents of Luzerne County will now have access to the services provided by Commonwealth Hospice, including nursing assistance, social work and bereavement and spiritual care. Commonwealth also has a team of volunteers who can go to patients rather than vice versa.

GreenCape Health partners with Central Valley Hospice Palliative Medicine WLUS FM 98.3, Greenville, SC; Press Release; 6/5/25 GreenCape Health is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Central Valley Hospice Palliative Medicine (CVHPM), an innovative hospice agency committed to delivering state-of-the-art, compassionate end-of-life care in medically underserved areas across California. ... At the heart of this partnership is mPRO, GreenCapes patient-reported outcomes platform, which enables individuals to report symptoms in real time from home. These insights allow hospice care teams to anticipate needs, respond quickly to changes in condition, and continually adjust care plans to align with each patients evolving goals. 

TCN/HPC Today: Storm clouds on the horizon for reimbursement - Top news stories, May 2025 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner, 6/4/25 What happens when artificial intelligence meets end-of-life care?  How do we reconcile private equity's profit motives with hospice's mission-driven ethos?  These questions took center stage in this month's roundup of hospice news with host Chris Comeaux and guest Cordt Kassner. The May edition of TCNtalks' top news stories reveals a healthcare sector at a fascinating crossroads.  AI has emerged as both a tantalizing promise and a practical challenge for hospice providers.  ... In this episode of TCN Talks, hosts Chris Comeaux and Cord Kassner reflect on Memorial Day and discuss significant news stories from May, including the complexities of thanking veterans for their service, the role of artificial intelligence in hospice care, and the importance of honest conversations about racism in healthcare.Editor's note: This monthly podcast combines quantitative data and qualitative discussion from articles gleaned from the 400+ posts we provide each month. Do you seek to make sense of it all? Tune in and learn. We welcome your feedback via our newsletter's Contact page.