TCN Talks

Hosted by Chris Comeaux

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Episodes

214

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Welcome to TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership.

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October 16, 2026Episode 437 min

The Workforce Crisis Healthcare Leaders Can’t Afford to Ignore | Part Two

What happens when the demand for care grows faster than the workforce available to provide it? Ron Hetrick joins host Chris Comeaux on TCNTalks / Anatomy of Leadership to explore the healthcare workforce crisis—and the decisions leaders can make today to prepare for tomorrow’s staffing challenges. In Part Two, the conversation moves into practical workforce planning: improving care jobs, developing talent pipelines, strengthening employee retention, and understanding how an aging population could reshape competition for caregivers. They also examine AI in healthcare, the limits of robotics, and why technology’s greatest contribution may be giving people more time and capacity for meaningful care. In this episode, discover: • How to make healthcare careers more attractive to new workers • Why training and retention require sustained investment • Where AI could reduce administrative burdens and support learning • How private home care could change competition for talent • Why local workforce data belongs in every expansion decision • How collaboration among providers could help protect access to care Take the conversation into your next leadership meeting: What workforce decision can you make this quarter that will strengthen your organization’s ability to deliver care in 2030? Subscribe to TCN Talks / Anatomy of Leadership, share this episode with your team, and leave a comment about the staffing challenge your organization is working to solve. Featured Guest: Ron Hetrick , Principal Economist with Lightcast Host: Chris Comeaux , President / CEO of TELEIOS and author of The Anatomy of Leaderships about The Workforce Crisis Part Two Teleios Collaborative Network / https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

October 14, 2026Episode 331 min

The Workforce Crisis Healthcare Leaders Can’t Afford to Ignore | Part One

The healthcare workforce crisis is bigger than unfilled jobs. What happens when demand for care keeps growing while the pool of available workers shrinks? In “ The Workforce Crisis Healthcare Leaders Can’t Afford to Ignore | Part One ,” Chris Comeaux welcomes Ron Hetrick, principal economist at Lightcast , to TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership for a candid conversation about healthcare staffing shortages, demographic change, and the future of work. Hetrick explains how baby boomer retirement, smaller younger generations, and an aging population are reshaping the labor supply—and why he expects the pressure to intensify between 2030 and 2035. Together, Chris and Ron explore what these shifts could mean for hospice, palliative care, home health, and the essential workers who keep organizations running. This conversation also examines the interaction of demographics, artificial intelligence, and geopolitical uncertainty, along with Hetrick’s case for treating immigration as a strategic workforce resource. Whether you lead a healthcare organization, nonprofit, hospice team, or business, this episode offers a starting point for examining the assumptions behind your workforce planning. IN THIS EPISODE • Why healthcare staffing challenges extend beyond COVID-19 • How an aging population changes the demand for care • Why retirements and smaller graduating classes matter • How education choices affect essential workforce availability • The role of immigration in addressing labor shortages Featured Guest : Ron Hetrick, Principal Economist with Lightcast Host: Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of TELEIOS and author of The Anatomy of Leadership JOIN THE CONVERSATION What workforce challenge is putting the most pressure on your organization? Share your perspective in the comments. Subscribe to TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership , share this episode with your leadership team, and watch Part Two for the next conversation: the battle plan. Teleios Collaborative Network / https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

October 9, 2026Episode 229 min

Hospice at a Crossroads: The Top News Stories Leaders Can’t Ignore | Part Two

Hospice’s future is being shaped by the headlines leaders cannot afford to overlook. In Hospice at a Crossroads: The Top News Stories Leaders Can’t Ignore | Part Two , Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner examine the hospice news and healthcare leadership questions that deserve your attention—from fraud and public trust to caregiver support, workforce sustainability, and AI in healthcare. Drawing on articles featured in Hospice and Palliative Care Today , they explore what these developments could mean for hospice and palliative care organizations, nonprofit executives, and the leaders supporting frontline teams. In this episode: • How hospice fraud threatens public confidence and patient access • Why caregiver support and workforce sustainability demand attention • How AI, interoperability, and predictive tools are entering leadership conversations • What Netflix, software implementation, and branding can teach hospice leaders • Why policy headlines need careful interpretation The conversation also considers consolidation, private equity, outside-of-hospice spending, and the enduring importance of mission as organizations adapt. Which issue deserves the most attention in your organization? Share your perspective in the comments, send this episode to a colleague, and subscribe to TCN Talks / Anatomy of Leadership for more conversations about the decisions shaping care. Host: Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of TELEIOS, author of The Anatomy of Leadership Co-Host: Cordt Kassner, PhD, Publisher of Hospice & Palliative Care Today & CEO and Founder of Hospice Analytics Teleios Collaborative Network / https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

October 7, 2026Episode 132 min

Hospice at a Crossroads: The Top News Stories Leaders Can’t Ignore | Part One

Hospice leaders face a defining question: How do we protect trust and deliver exceptional care as the field changes around us? In Hospice at a Crossroads: The Top News Stories Leaders Can’t Ignore | Part One, Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner unpack hospice and palliative care news from July–September 2026. Using Dr. Ira Byock’s framework and readership insights from Hospice and Palliative Care Today, they connect the quarter’s headlines to the decisions facing healthcare leaders, nonprofit executives, and hospice professionals. The conversation explores CMS hospice updates and the Service and Spending Variation Index (SSVI), including why the speakers caution against treating it as a standalone quality grade. They also discuss pediatric hospice and concurrent care, the overlooked role of friend caregivers, and the evolving research on private equity ownership in hospice. As families turn to Google and AI tools for answers, how can hospice organizations communicate their quality clearly? And what can community care, pet programs, and support for people without stable housing teach us about hospice’s authentic purpose? The episode closes with an ethical discussion about organ donation and medical aid in dying. Continue the conversation: Which issue is most pressing for your organization? Share your perspective in the comments, send this episode to your leadership team, and subscribe for Part Two. Host: Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of TELEIOS, author of The Anatomy of Leadership Co-Host: Cordt Kassner, PhD, Publisher of Hospice & Palliative Care Today & CEO and Founder of Hospice Analytics Thank you to Netsmart for sponsoring this podcast. https://www.ntst.com/ai?utm_source=tcn-talks&utm_campaign=tcn-talks&utm_medium=display&utm_content=ai Teleios Collaborative Network / https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

October 2, 2026Episode 3437 min

The Future of Palliative Care: Who Will Lead, Who Will Pay, and What Comes Next? | Part Two

Who will lead community-based palliative care—and how will they pay for care that meets patients’ needs? In Part Two of The Future of Palliative Care: Who Will Lead, Who Will Pay, and What Comes Next? , Chris Comeaux joins CAPC CEO Brynn Bowman to explore palliative care reimbursement, hospice leadership, and the choices shaping serious illness care. Bowman makes a clear distinction: many organizations can deliver palliative care, but the field must lead on quality. New payment opportunities offer reasons for optimism. Turning those opportunities into sustainable care requires stronger operations, adequate contracts, and teams with the right skills. The conversation also examines the overlap between home-based primary care and palliative care. As programs consider broader responsibilities, leaders must weigh patient needs against their capacity to deliver—and resist the pressure to keep doing more with less. In this episode: Define your role in community-based palliative care. Align payment arrangements with the cost of quality care. Strengthen technology, infrastructure, and workforce capabilities. Evaluate opportunities to integrate primary and palliative care. Consider what state initiatives could teach us about a Medicare palliative care benefit. Whether you lead a hospice, nonprofit, health system, or serious illness program, this discussion offers a practical starting point for decisions about growth, investment, and accountability. Join the conversation: What does your organization need most to deliver sustainable palliative care: stronger payment, better infrastructure, or expanded clinical capabilities? Share your perspective in the comments. Guest Brynn Bowman, CEO of the Center to Advance Palliative Care, and Assistant Professor in the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Mount Sinai Host Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of TELEIOS, author of The Anatomy of Leadership Subscribe to TCN Talks / Anatomy of Leadership and share this episode with your leadership team. Teleios Collaborative Network / https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

September 30, 2026Episode 3327 min

The Future of Palliative Care: Who Will Lead, Who Will Pay, and What Comes Next? | Part One

What will it take for palliative care to reach every patient who needs it—and who will ultimately pay for that care? In Part One of “The Future of Palliative Care: Who Will Lead, Who Will Pay, and What Comes Next?” , host Chris Comeaux sits down with Brynn Bowman, CEO of the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) , for a forward-looking conversation about the forces reshaping palliative care—and what healthcare leaders need to be watching now. As palliative care principles spread across oncology, home health, Medicare Advantage, health systems, and other serious-illness models, an important question emerges: What actually makes something specialty palliative care? Brynn shares CAPC’s work to establish minimum standards for specialty palliative care programs, helping define expectations around services, staffing, training, quality, and outcomes. Chris and Brynn also tackle one of the field’s most persistent challenges: reimbursement . Palliative care programs often piece together multiple revenue streams—from Part B billing and ACO or Medicare Advantage contracts to financial support from their parent organizations. CAPC’s Palliative Care Program Inventory seeks to create a clearer picture of where programs exist, how they are funded, and where significant access gaps remain. The conversation then turns to CMS and the future of payment . Brynn explains why recent activity across hospice, home health, and the physician fee schedule may indicate increased federal attention to how Medicare beneficiaries with serious illness access palliative care—and why leaders should be paying attention to what happens next. What You’ll Learn • What palliative care access could look like five years from now • Why specialty palliative care remains essential as other care models expand • Why the field needs clearer minimum standards • How palliative care programs are piecing together reimbursement today • Where major rural and community-based access gaps remain • Why training non-specialists and preserving specialty teams must happen together • What recent CMS activity could signal about future palliative care payment • What the proposed home health rule actually means for palliative care For leaders in hospice, palliative care, serious illness care, healthcare, and value-based care , Part One provides an important look at a field approaching a pivotal moment. And the conversation isn’t over. Don’t miss Part Two as Chris and Brynn continue exploring what comes next for palliative care and the leaders responsible for shaping its future. Guest: Brynn Bowman , CEO of the Center to Advance Palliative Care, and Assistant Professor in the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Mount Sinai Host: Chris Comeaux , President / CEO of TELEIOS, author of The Anatomy of Leadership Link to Blog: Teleios Collaborative Network / https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

September 25, 2026Episode 3227 min

AI Can’t Replace This: The Leadership Advantage That’s More Human Than Ever | Part Two

What if the greatest leadership advantage in the age of AI is something technology can never truly replicate? As artificial intelligence transforms how we work, lead, and communicate, the temptation is to use technology to accomplish more—and move even faster. But what if the real opportunity is to use AI to create more margin for the human work of leadership? In Part Two of “AI Can’t Replace This: The Leadership Advantage That’s More Human Than Ever,” Chris Comeaux continues his conversation with Dr. Andrea Hollingsworth, author of The Compassion Advantage , exploring why self-compassion, resilience, values, hope, and genuine human connection are becoming essential leadership capabilities. Andrea gets personal about her own experience with a relentless inner critic and burnout—and explains why self-compassion isn’t lowering the bar. It’s learning to respond to mistakes and difficult moments with kindness, accountability, and a growth mindset rather than shame and self-punishment. Then the conversation turns directly to AI. Andrea challenges leaders to resist filling every minute technology saves with another task. Instead, she suggests using AI to free cognitive load and create greater capacity for presence, relationships, compassion, and connection. That may be where the true leadership advantage lies. For healthcare, hospice, nonprofit, and business leaders navigating unprecedented change, this conversation offers both practical tools and an important challenge: Don’t let technology help you become more productive at the expense of becoming less human. 🎯 Highlights — What You’ll Learn Why self-compassion is essential to resilient leadership—not a sign of weakness How to turn down the inner critic without abandoning accountability Why your core values can steady you during uncertainty and disruption Practical habits leaders can use when feeling overwhelmed The power of remembering: “I’m a supporter, not a savior.” Why small acts of kindness can strengthen emotional resilience How leaders can inspire hope in an increasingly disconnected world Why AI should free your cognitive load instead of adding to it How technology can create more margin for human connection Why compassionate workplace cultures matter for engagement, resilience, innovation, and retention If this conversation challenges how you think about AI, compassion, and the future of leadership , share it with another leader who needs to hear it—and subscribe to TCNtalks and Anatomy of Leadership for more conversations designed to help you grow as a leader and as a human being. ▶️ Watch Part Two now, and subscribe. If you missed Part One, be sure to watch / listen. Podcast Guest: Andrea Hollingsworth , Founder and CEO of Hollingsworth Consulting and author of The Compassion Advantage: How Top Leaders Build More Humanizing Workplaces Our Host: Chris Comeaux , President / CEO of TELEIOS, author of The Anatomy of Leadership Teleios Collaborative Network / https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

September 23, 2026Episode 3132 min

AI Can’t Replace This: The Leadership Advantage That’s More Human Than Ever | Part One

What if the greatest leadership advantage in the age of AI is something artificial intelligence can never truly replicate? As AI becomes smarter, faster, and more embedded in the workplace, Dr. Andrea Hollingsworth believes the qualities that make us distinctly human—compassion, connection, vulnerability, and the ability to care—are becoming more valuable, not less. In Part One of “AI Can’t Replace This: The Leadership Advantage That’s More Human Than Ever,” host Chris Comeaux sits down with Dr. Hollingsworth, founder and CEO of Hollingsworth Consulting and author of The Compassion Advantage: How Top Leaders Build More Humanizing Workplaces . Together, they explore what effective leadership looks like in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. Andrea introduces the powerful concept of “compassionate agility” —leading with genuine care and connection while still having the courage to make difficult decisions, navigate uncertainty, and drive organizational excellence. She also shares a principle every healthcare leader needs to hear: “Care, don’t carry.” Leaders can support their teams through stress, grief, and change without carrying the emotional weight themselves. You’ll also hear an insightful discussion about therapeutic leadership coaching, vulnerability, emotional resilience, and the potential impact of AI on human identity. Rather than asking only what AI can do for us, Andrea challenges leaders to consider a deeper question: Is technology strengthening our capacity to think, create, connect, and solve problems—or slowly replacing the very experiences that help us grow? In This Episode, You’ll Discover: Why compassion could become an even greater leadership advantage in the AI era What compassionate agility looks like in practice Why leaders need to “care, don’t carry” How vulnerability can strengthen leadership and organizational culture Why personal healing and self-awareness influence how we lead others How to use AI to enhance human connection rather than replace it Why struggle, friction, and problem-solving remain essential to human growth AI can make us more efficient. The bigger leadership question is whether we’ll use it to become more human. ▶️ Watch Part One now, and subscribe so you don’t miss Part Two. Podcast Guest: Andrea Hollingsworth , Founder and CEO of Hollingsworth Consulting and author of The Compassion Advantage: How Top Leaders Build More Humanizing Workplaces Our Host: Chris Comeaux , President / CEO of TELEIOS, author of The Anatomy of Leadership Teleios Collaborative Network / https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

September 18, 2026Episode 3031 min

The Critical Competencies Hospice Leaders Must Build for Value-Based Care Success | Part Two

Hospice is changing—and the leaders who prepare now will be positioned to shape what comes next. In Part Two of The Critical Competencies Hospice Leaders Must Build for Value-Based Care Success, host Chris Comeaux continues his conversation with Dr. Jessica Hubbs about what hospice and palliative care organizations need to succeed as healthcare moves toward more integrated, value-based models. What capabilities should hospice organizations build internally—and when should they partner? Dr. Hubbs explores the growing convergence of home-based primary care, palliative care, and hospice, and why a more seamless continuum could give seriously ill patients access to the right services based on need rather than simply a point in time. The conversation also examines complex care management, Medicare Advantage, dementia and length-of-stay challenges, and how hospice can expand upstream without losing what makes the hospice model so valuable. For leaders preparing their organizations for the next 12–24 months, Dr. Hubbs identifies three essential investments: clinical infrastructure, data, and strategic partnerships. Highlights — What You’ll Learn Preparing hospice for value-based care Building the right strategic partnerships Integrating primary, palliative, and hospice care Better serving complex and high-need patients Expanding care upstream without losing hospice’s mission Using data to improve care and outcomes Investing in clinical capabilities, data, and partnerships Keeping patients at the center of change Above all, this episode brings the conversation back to the mission: doing right by the patient. In a healthcare environment filled with reimbursement pressure, regulatory change, and uncertainty, patient-centered leadership can remain the compass for innovation and better serious illness care. In this episode discover the competencies hospice leaders should be building today to prepare for the future of value-based care. Subscribe to TCNtalks and Anatomy of Leadership for conversations designed to help healthcare and hospice leaders learn, grow, and lead with greater impact. Guest : Dr. Jessica Hubbs, Internist and the Chief Clinical Officer at Advanced Care Innovations Host : Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of TELEIOS, author of The Anatomy of Leadership Teleios Collaborative Network / https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

September 16, 2026Episode 2931 min

The Critical Competencies Hospice Leaders Must Build for Value-Based Care Success | Part One

The future of hospice is being rewritten—and the organizations that prepare now may be the ones best positioned to serve patients in a value-based world. Healthcare is rapidly moving beyond traditional fee-for-service toward models focused on outcomes, total cost of care, and coordinated care delivery . In Part One of The Critical Competencies Hospice Leaders Must Build for Value-Based Care Success , host Chris Comeaux sits down with Dr. Jessica Hubbs, Internist and Chief Clinical Officer at Advanced Care Innovations , to explore what this transformation means for hospice and palliative care leaders. Dr. Hubbs examines emerging models such as LEAD (Long-term Enhanced ACO Design) and why moving care further upstream could create both disruption and significant opportunity for hospice organizations. The conversation explores how hospice's strengths in advanced care planning, complex conversations, patient goals and values, and interdisciplinary care could become increasingly valuable across the broader serious illness continuum. But succeeding in this new environment will require new capabilities. Chris and Dr. Hubbs discuss the importance of end-to-end clinical care, complex primary care, care coordination, financial-risk readiness, and collaborative partnerships with ACOs and other risk-bearing organizations —and why the future may be less about competing for the patient and more about building integrated models around them. Episode Highlights Why hospice leaders need to understand the shift to value-based care What the LEAD model could mean for serious illness care The opportunity to bring hospice expertise further upstream Critical clinical capabilities hospice organizations need to develop Combining hospice and palliative expertise with home-based primary care What ACOs and risk-bearing organizations want from hospice partners Guest : Dr. Jessica Hubbs, Internist and the Chief Clinical Officer at Advanced Care Innovations Host : Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of TELEIOS, author of The Anatomy of Leadership Teleios Collaborative Network / https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast