TCN Talks

What does it take to build a leadership culture that scales across generations, industries, and millions of customer interactions? In this powerful conversation, Chris Comeaux sits down with Mark Miller — former Vice President of High Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A and bestselling author of The Secret — to explore the principles behind extraordinary leadership.   From his humble beginnings...

Hospice has always been about people, but the future of hospice will increasingly be shaped by data—and that shift is both exciting and unsettling. In Part Two of The Future of Hospice: How HOPE Will Transform Reimbursement & Care , Raianne Melton and Andrea Hale unpack how the HOPE tool could redefine hospice reimbursement, value-based care, and quality measurement across CMS, Medicare Advant...

The future of hospice care is changing—and the HOPE assessment tool may redefine how providers deliver care, document outcomes, and receive reimbursement. Healthcare is entering a new era where quality outcomes, patient data, and accountability are driving the future of care delivery.  In this episode, we’re joined by Andrea Hale, CEO of Valley Hospice, and Raianne Melton, Director of Clinical Ser...

In Part Two of this powerful TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership conversation, Kim Brandt, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Administrator at CMS joins Chris Comeaux to discuss hospice fraud, Medicare risk, AI-driven fraud detection, and the future of healthcare policy.  Kim provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at how CMS is fighting organized healthcare fraud, protecting Medicare beneficiaries, a...

In this compelling first installment, CMS Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Administrator Kim Brandt joins Chris Comeaux for a candid conversation about the growing hospice fraud crisis, the financial future of Medicare, and the urgent transformation happening across American healthcare.  Drawing from her leadership role at CMS and firsthand experiences with hospice care in her own family, Brandt...

What does the future of hospice care really look like—and who’s shaping it? In Part Two of this compelling conversation, healthcare leaders Tom Koutsoumpas, Founder & CEO of NPHI and Carole Fisher, President of NPHI, join Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner to discuss the future of hospice reform, Medicare modernization, quality care standards, and the challenges facing nonprofit hospice providers...

In Part One of Healthcare Leaders Break Down Hospice Reform, Medicare & Quality Care , Chris Comeaux sits down with nationally respected healthcare leaders Tom Koutsoumpas, Founder & CEO of NPHI  and Carole Fisher, President of NPHI to explore the evolving future of hospice, palliative care, Medicare oversight, and the growing demand for quality-driven, compassionate healthcare leadership....

Virtual reality can feel like a toy until you hear what it does for pain, fear, and the kind of suffering that medication cannot touch. In this Part Two episode of TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership , Chris Comeaux sits down with Dr. Kathleen Benton, CEO of Hospice of Savannah, and VR healthcare pioneer Teri Yarbrow, Founder & CEO of Magika VRx, to explore how virtual reality in healthcare, hosp...

What if some of the most meaningful moments at the end of life could still be experienced—no matter the physical limitations? In this episode, Kathleen Benton and VR innovator Teri Yarbrow reveal how virtual reality is reshaping hospice and palliative care by restoring something often lost in modern medicine—human experience. As care becomes increasingly clinical and documentation-driven, VR creat...

In Part Two of Future-Proofing Care: The Challenges We Face in Hospice and Palliative Care , Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner explore the accelerating forces reshaping hospice and palliative care—from shifting patient demographics to the rapid rise of AI and regulatory complexity.  As the industry transitions to serving a more diverse, resource-variable baby boomer population, leaders are challenge...

In Part One of this forward-looking series, Chris Comeaux unpacks the foundational challenges shaping the future of hospice and palliative care. Drawing from nearly a decade of strategic research and collaboration with healthcare leaders, he introduces a powerful framework built around eight core challenges that every organization must navigate.  From intensifying competition to shifting reimburse...

In Part Two of this thought-provoking conversation, Chris Comeaux and Robin Heffernan unpack the complex realities shaping the future of hospice under Medicare Advantage.  From the lessons learned in the VBID demonstration to the growing momentum behind “carve-in” models, this episode explores the tension between cost, quality, and patient experience—and what it will take to align all three.  At t...

In Part One of this thought-provoking conversation, Chris Comeaux and Robin Heffernan explore the evolving intersection of private equity, artificial intelligence, and end-of-life care—raising critical questions about accountability, quality, and the future of hospice under Medicare Advantage. As the healthcare system shifts toward value-based models, the discussion challenges long-held assumption...

In Part Two of this forward-looking conversation, Dr. Jean Kutner explores how a landmark $64 million NIH grant is poised to reshape the future of palliative care across the lifespan. Moving beyond theory, this episode dives into what success actually looks like—more diverse research collaboration, stronger mentorship pipelines, and measurable translation of evidence into real-world clinical pract...

Why does a $64 million NIH grant matter to every healthcare leader, hospice executive, and care provider in America?  Because it has the potential to fundamentally reshape how we care for people at the most vulnerable moments of life. In this episode of TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership , host Chris Comeaux sits down with Dr. Jean Kutner —one of the nation’s leading voices in hospice and palliative...

In Part Two of Private Equity, AI, and the Future of End-of-Life Care , Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner dive deeper into the forces reshaping hospice and healthcare.  From the growing influence of private equity to the urgent need for systemic reform, this conversation explores the tension between financial performance and mission-driven care.  The discussion highlights a critical question: can he...

In this thought-provoking episode, Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner unpack some of the most pressing forces shaping the future of end-of-life care—private equity, rising healthcare costs, and the accelerating influence of artificial intelligence.  Grounded in real-world stories and industry data, the conversation explores a growing tension between the promise of hospice as a gold-standard care mode...

In Part Two of this powerful conversation, hospice pioneer Barbara Karnes brings clarity and compassion to one of life’s most misunderstood experiences: the final days of life. With her signature ability to translate complex end-of-life processes into simple, human language, Karnes reframes dying not as a medical failure—but as a natural, deeply human transition. She emphasizes that fear often ste...

In this powerful conversation, hospice pioneer Barbara Karnes joins TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership to unpack with Chris Comeaux what truly happens in the final days of life—and what healthcare professionals often miss.  Drawing from over four decades of bedside experience, Barbara shares how hospice care began as a movement outside the traditional medical model, rooted not in treating disease, b...

What if your leadership challenges aren’t about skill—but about your story? In Part Two of The Secure Leader: How Attachment Styles Shape Leadership, Dr. Jaime Goff dives deeper into how your past experiences, internal narratives, and emotional triggers shape the way you lead today. This episode moves beyond awareness into transformation—helping leaders understand how to rewrite limiting leadershi...

What if the greatest barrier to effective leadership isn’t a lack of skills—but a lack of self-awareness? In Part One of this powerful conversation, Chris Comeaux sits down with Dr. Jamie Goff, executive coach and author of The Secure Leader , to explore how deeply our leadership is shaped by the stories we tell ourselves.  Drawing from her background in psychology and leadership development, Dr....

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping healthcare—and hospice leaders cannot afford to ignore its impact.  In this episode of TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership , host Chris Comeaux continues his conversation with hospice leader and AI innovator Ernesto Lopez to explore how artificial intelligence is beginning to transform the hospice industry.  Drawing from nearly 15 years of operational expe...

Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering healthcare—but what does it actually mean for hospice leaders? In this episode of TCNtalks / Anatomy Of Leadership, host Chris Comeaux sits down with Ernesto Lopez, Founder and CEO of 1520 AI, to explore the real impact of AI in hospice care.  Ernesto brings a rare perspective as a registered nurse, healthcare executive, and AI founder, combining decades...

In Part Two of “Love Hurts: Leadership, Quality, and the Future of Hospice & Palliative Care,” leaders from the GeriPal podcast and TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership, continue a thoughtful discussion on the most pressing issues facing hospice and palliative care today. The conversation explores how waste, fraud, and abuse in isolated cases can tarnish the reputation of an entire field—even when...

This episode explores the future of hospice leadership and hospice quality through a collaborative discussion between the TCNtalks and GeriPal podcasts. TCNtalks host Chris Comeaux and co-host Cordt Kassner join forces with Dr. Eric Widera and Dr. Alex Smith of the GeriPal Podcast , leaders in palliative care and hospice innovation discuss emerging quality measures, data-driven hospice analytics,...