Lacy Robinson Opens Doors to Hospice Partnerships

Robinson presents at CANA’s Symposium in Las Vegas this February 25-27, 2026 

WHEELING, IL— Approximately 50% of all deaths in the United States involve hospice care. With a rapidly aging population, both hospice and death care will see greater demand for services in the coming decades. More than ever, building professional relationships with hospice care teams is important to keep your company top-of-mind. That’s why Lacy Robinson brings Advanced Hospice Partnership Strategies to the Cremation Association of North America’s 2026 Cremation Symposium. Learn to transform casual hospice relationships into strategic partnerships—and generate measurable results. Register to attend this February 25-27 in Las Vegas. 

Professional partnerships between hospice and death care create a continuity of care that spans a family’s end-of-life experience with their loved one. Hospice clinicians and volunteers support patients and families in their final moments together, transitioning care to you and your staff, who take that loved one and family into your care for a memorable goodbye. Working together, hospice and death care can serve those at need with both competence and heart. 

“This synergy between funeral service and hospice care is exactly why I’m excited to present at the CANA Symposium in February,” enthused Lacy. “My session will focus on how funeral and cremation providers can partner more effectively with hospice organizations—not just through volunteering, but through building collaborative relationships that benefit the families you serve.” Symposium registrants will benefit from actionable strategies and practical frameworks to position their business as the preferred provider among hospice teams while serving families with dignity and excellence. 

With a background in funeral service and more than a decade of active volunteering and advocacy work with Hosparus Health, Lacy Robinson brings practical knowledge of hospice-funeral home partnerships. She has been speaking and training on hospice relations for nearly 10 years, helping funeral homes understand and strengthen their connections with hospice care teams. Lacy co-authored the book Engaging the Heart of Hospice – Making Funeral and Memorial Services an Extension of Hospice Care with Greg Grabowski, president of Serviam Hospice. Building on Greg’s celebrated hospice presentation from CANA’s 2025 Symposium, Lacy’s session on Advanced Hospice Partnership Strategies, sponsored by Nomis Publications, will provide additional practical techniques for deepening partnerships and explore how volunteering can open doors to meaningful professional relationships with hospice care teams. 

Looking for even more ideas to bring your business’s future success into focus? The following presenters join Lacy on the stage at CANA’s 2026 Symposium: 

• Larry Stuart, Jr., of Raven Plume Consulting, delivers the keynote session, Beyond the Flame: How Today’s Trends Are Shaping Cremation’s Next 150 Years, reflecting on 150 years of cremation practice and exploring what the next 150 years could hold for our profession. 
   

• A panel of legal and regulatory experts consider the Legal and Ethical Strategies for Unclaimed Remains. Tim Koch of Metro First Call, Tanya Marsh of Wake Forest University School of Law, Lara Price of Pappas Grubbs Price, and Wendy Russell Wiener of WRW Legal, PLLC, discuss how to protect your organization while honoring those left in your care with unclaimed remains. 

• Experienced cemeterians from coast-to-coast will tackle Cremation’s Role in Cemetery Financial Sustainability. Dan Applegate of The Arlington Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home, Steve Brown of Mount Auburn Cemetery, and Sandra Walker of Fairmount Memorial Association, will discuss trends in consumer attitudes toward cremation memorialization. 

• Armed with the latest stats on consumer preferences in disposition methods across different demographics, Tanya Marsh, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor at Wake Forest University School of Law, shares highlights from the 2025 Wake Forest Law School study in Tomorrow’s Consumers in Focus: Casket Burial Gains Ground Among Younger Adults. 

• In Really Thriving or Just Surviving: How to Work Smarter and Build Wealth, Kara Ludlum, CPA and licensed funeral director, shares insights on why formerly financially strong funeral homes and cemeteries are now struggling and how to restore profitability and sustainability. 

• The future is bright when it comes to AI and the efficiencies it can bring. A panel of experts take the stage to share practical capabilities, case studies—and some cautionary tales—about AI usage in death care. The AI Panel features Lauren Pettine of WRW Legal, PLLC, Curtis Funk of Tukios, and Kris Yee of Prelude. 

Time to network is what makes a CANA event unique. In addition to the intimate atmosphere and meals, the crowd-favorite Roundtables session brings attendees face-to-face with session presenters – including Lacy – and leaders from across funeral service in all business models, locales, experience levels, and call. Get a seat at the table as we tackle today’s challenges and share solutions.  

Make connections that put your business first among hospice nurses during critical transfer moments. Lacy Robinson shows you how. Register for CANA’s 2026 Cremation Symposium this February 25-27, 2026, at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino: cremationassociation.org/future.  

About CANA 

Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,700 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization. 

Melanie L. Robinson, 38, passed away Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Private memorial will be held in her honor. She will be missed and cherished by all who loved and knew her. She was preceded in death by her son Jonas Ja’Kel Thomas Allen and her brother James R. Robinson. She leaves to cherish her memories: daughter Xeric Robinson, son Malachi Robinson, her mother Rachel Robinson, brother Jherai Robinson, 3 sisters Jasmine Robinson, Amanda(Josh)Ross, Keilani(Mike)Garcia, 1 nephew Kyron Robinson and 6 nieces Destine, TyKiera, Keyonna, Zakaree, Skylar, and Mahogany, 4 great nephews and 8 great nieces, 1 Uncle Ezekiel(Maxine) Robinson, 1 Aunt Alicia Robinson and a host of cousins, relatives and friends that will cherish her memories.