As hospice fraud continues to make headlines across Texas and the nation, Hospice of Texarkana is taking a public stand against the unethical practices that put patients at risk and undermine confidence in end-of-life care.
“Hospice care is sacred work, and we take that responsibility seriously. We are reaffirming our commitment to the highest ethical standards while working alongside state and national partners to bring greater accountability to our industry,” said Cindy Marsh, Hospice of Texarkana executive director.
Hospice of Texarkana stands with The Non-Profit Hospice Alliance (TNPHA) and The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) in a shared commitment to ethical standards, transparency, and accountability across the hospice industry.
That commitment recently took center stage when TNPHA members testified before the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee, calling for stronger oversight and meaningful protections against hospice fraud. Hospice of Texarkana fully supports these efforts and remains actively engaged through education, collaboration and advocacy.
For more than 40 years, Hospice of Texarkana has served this area with compassionate, high-quality end-of-life care, walking alongside patients and families during one of the most vulnerable seasons of their lives. That commitment to excellence is reflected in the organization’s 5-star rating from Medicare, the highest designation available.
It’s a distinction that gives the community confidence that the care Hospice of Texarkana provides meets the highest standards.
“Hospice care is much more than medicine,” said Greg Wood, incoming Hospice of Texarkana executive director. “It is about honoring the life of every person we serve, preserving their dignity, and making space for meaningful moments with the people they love. Every patient and family who grants us permission to walk through their doors deserves nothing less than compassionate, ethical, dignified care and that is the standard we hold ourselves to.”
Fraud within the hospice industry does more than break the law. It betrays the trust of patients and families at their most vulnerable time and undermines confidence in hospice care as a whole.
“Hospice care is a calling and when it is treated as nothing more than a business opportunity, the people who need it most are the ones who suffer,” Wood said. “Fraudulent practices don’t just harm individual patients and families. They threaten the integrity of the entire hospice system and risk influencing how Medicare and Medicaid support hospice care for everyone.”
“Through these partnerships, we have a voice and are using it,” Marsh said. “Hospice of Texarkana is actively advocating for ethical practices and stronger accountability at both the state and national level, supporting policies that protect patients and families and raising awareness about what quality hospice care should look like.”
For more information about Hospice of Texarkana and the services available call 903-794-4263 or visit hospiceoftexarkana.org.
About Hospice of Texarkana / Hospice of Hope, Inc. – an independent, nonprofit hospice founded in 1985, serving a 50-mile area in northeast Texas and southwest Arkansas and home to the region’s only freestanding Hospice Inpatient Care Center. Hospice care is intensive comfort care that alleviates pain and suffering, enhancing the quality of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses and their loved ones by addressing their medical, emotional, social, spiritual, financial and grief needs. Hospice of Texarkana is proud to have provided over $474,000 in uncompensated/undercompensated care during the last year.