In June of 2025, hospice and palliative care pioneer Ira Byock published a white paper outlining the urgent challenges facing the field today. In a nutshell, he expressed concerns that the quality of hospice care in the United States has become highly variable, with disturbing frequency of unethical practices and avaricious owners. He also raised concern that the rapid increase in palliative care program growth during the first two decades of this century has stalled, leaving us with understaffed programs that are often inadequately trained.

Along with Ira, we've invited Kristi Newport, a palliative care doctor and Chief Medical Officer of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and Brynn Bowman, Chief Executive Officer of the Center to Advance Palliative Care, to discuss these issues and outline a strategic path forward for the field.

In particular we talk about Ira's four-part solution to transform the field and restore its integrity: (1) publishing clear clinical and programmatic standards, (2) making meaningful data publicly available to ensure transparency and accountability, (3) fostering quality-based competition among providers, and (4) embracing the authentic brand of hospice and palliative care—expert care that alleviates suffering and fosters well-being.

So take a listen and dive a little deeper with these resources, and dont forget, you too can get involved in AAHPM (click here for opportunities):

• Ira's paper titled "A Strategic Path Forward for Hospice and Palliative Care: A White Paper on the Potential Future of the Field"

• Our previous podcast on "Is Hospice Losing Its Way"

• Our previous podcast on Private Equity Gobbling Up Hospices plus Hospice and Dementia with Melissa Aldridge, Krista Harrison, & Lauren Hunt

• CAPC's Serious Ilness Scorecard - a state-by-state look at palliative care capacity

• CAPC's second annual Palliative Pulse survey offers insight into how palliative care professionals across the country are feeling this year and what they're focused on

• National Hospice Locator and TCMTalks Podcast by Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner