Training Hospice Workers to Face Existential Distress, ‘Death Anxiety’

Hospice providers that integrate a deep focus on emotional well-being in their staff training efforts could see improved workforce and patient satisfaction. Hospice and palliative care workers often lack training around the complexities of death anxiety and the various emotional and physical tolls it can take on an individual, according to Dr. Keri Brenner, psychiatrist, […]

Early Telepalliative Care Can Reduce Caregiver Burden, Improve Quality

Wider utilization of telepalliative services could help ease family caregiver burdens and improve quality among seriously ill patient populations, research has found. Researchers have increasingly dug into the quality impacts of virtual palliative care delivery and how telehealth outcomes compare to in-person care. Telepalliative care models helped to improve experiences among lung cancer patients’ family […]

New Leaders Emerge at Hospices Coast-to-Coast

Several hospice and health care organizations have appointed new leaders to take the helm during a time of growing demand nationwide. Calvary Hospital Appoints New President New York-based Calvary Hospital recently announced that Michael Fosina has become its new president, succeeding CEO Jeff Menkes. Fosina was previously the hospital’s COO, serving in the role since […]

Hospice of the Valley: Redefining the End-of-Life Care Delivery Outlook

Rising competition in the hospice space has fueled pivotal changes in end-of-life care delivery — both for better and for worse, according to Arizona-based Hospice of the Valley Executive Director Debbie Shumway. Healthy competition can be a good thing, driving innovation and quality improvement, Shumway stated. More providers can also mean greater access during a […]

How Palliative Care Can Better Support Transplant Patients’ Caregivers

Family caregiver support is lacking across organ transplant centers nationwide. The trend represents significant unmet needs that some say palliative care providers are well-positioned to fill. Transplant caregivers navigate a complex range of medical and nonmedical needs, and often receive fragmented support, according to Yadira Montoya, programs director at the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) […]

Hospice Savannah Fuels Expansion of CAPABLE Program to Enable Aging in Place

Georgia-based Hospice Savannah Inc. recently received nearly $2 million in grant funding to fuel expansion of its Community Aging in Place — Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE) program. Launched in 2023, the CAPABLE program aims to improve seniors’ ability to safely age in place. Through the program, a team of interdisciplinary professionals assess and […]

Immigration Policies’ ‘Chilling Effect’ on the Hospice Workforce

The White House recently issued several executive orders that have ramped up the nation’s immigration enforcement policies. The health care sector may be facing a host of staffing and operational challenges as the regulatory moves unfold, according to Hannah Liu, manager of immigration advocacy at Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC). A tightening of immigration policies […]

Halted Federal Assistance Freeze Spurs Confusion for Medicaid Palliative Providers

The Trump administration recently rescinded a memo about a temporary pause of federal financial assistance programs. Questions linger among palliative and pediatric care providers around the future outlook of Medicaid reimbursement as the administration pushes forward on certain policies. The White House, through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), recently issued a memo that, […]

Man Pleads Guilty to $17M California Hospice Fraud Scheme

A guilty plea has been filed in a hospice fraud scheme that allegedly bilked Medicare for $17 million in false claims. Petros Fichidzhyan pleaded guilty to charges of health care fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering in connection with the Medicare fraud case involving multiple California-based hospice and home health companies. Fichidzhyan was among […]

AMOREM Launches New Inpatient Center, Agrace Temporarily Closes Facility

Some hospices have recently expanded the reach of their inpatient services while other providers have temporarily shuttered these programs. AMOREM Set to Launch Inpatient Facility North Carolina-based AMOREM will soon unveil a new inpatient hospice care facility to help improve access in its home state. Located in Boone, North Carolina, the facility will expand inpatient […]