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Are hospice quality ratings really measuring what matters most?

In this powerful episode of TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership, Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner sit down with nationally recognized hospice researcher Dr. Joan Teno to uncover the hidden problems behind hospice ratings, quality scores, and public reporting systems.

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience shaping hospice and palliative care policy, Dr. Teno explains why many publicly reported quality measures may fail to capture the true experiences of patients and families. She discusses the challenges of transparency, the unintended consequences of current reporting systems, concerns about fraud and oversight, and how Artificial Intelligence could help transform the future of hospice quality measurement.

Whether you’re a healthcare executive, hospice leader, clinician, policymaker, or nonprofit professional, this conversation offers valuable insights into the complex realities behind quality scores and what must change to better serve patients and families at the end of life.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
✔ Why hospice ratings may not tell the full story
✔ The biggest blind spots in today’s quality measurement systems
✔ How some providers avoid meaningful public reporting
✔ The role of AI and data analytics in improving oversight
✔ What meaningful transparency should look like for consumers

Chapters:

0:00     Leadership Sets The Tone
0:22.    Monthly Hospice News And Framework
3:38.    Why Oversight Beats Payment Redesign
8:28.    Transparency Limits And Small Hospice Loopholes
13:10.  Blind Spots In Quality Reporting
18:56   Using AI To Pick A Hospice
23:45.  Moratorium And Rebuilding Trust
27:30   Clinicians Needed To Catch What Models Miss
29:18   Part Two Teaser

Guest: Dr. Joan Teno
Adjunct Professor, Brown School of Public Health | Hospice & Palliative Care Researcher | 2023 AAHPM Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Host: Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of TELEIOS and author of The Anatomy of Leadership

C0-Host: Cordt Kassner, 

👉 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, healthcare Innovation, hospice care, and mission-driven organizations.

The Anatomy of Leadership podcast explores the art and science of leadership through candid, insightful conversations with thought leaders, innovators, and change-makers from a variety of industries. Hosted by Chris Comeaux, each episode dives into the mindsets, habits, and strategies that empower leaders to thrive in complex, fast-changing environments. With topics ranging from organizational culture and emotional intelligence to navigating disruption and inspiring teams, the show blends real-world stories with practical takeaways. The goal is simple yet ambitious: to equip leaders at every level with the tools, perspectives, and inspiration they need to lead with vision, empathy, and impact.

https://www.teleioscn.org/anatomy-of-leadership

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Chris Comeaux President / CEO of TELEIOS / Podcast Host

I am currently the President/CEO of Teleios Collaborative Network which is like a co-op of nonprofit hospice and palliative care organizations. I am also CEO of Teleios Consulting Group. The goal of the collaboration is to harness the best of each hospice and enable the network to better care in each community for the patients and families being served as well as introduce innovations across the membership network and work with payers for new innovative solutions for those dealing with serious or advanced illness.

I am also host two podcasts, Anatomy Of Leadership and TCNtalks. Anatomy of Leadership was inspired by my book "The Anatomy of Leadership" which I wrote for Leaders, visionaries, and change-makers. The podcast delves deep into the essence of purpose-driven and high-performance leadership.

The show guides you through a journey of discovery—revealing how effective leadership can significantly alter the trajectory of our teams, organizations, our lives, and the world at large.

We examine topics like:

- Self-Mastery
- Caring for Others
- Influence
- Intention
- Cause and Purpose

Bio

Over the years, I have become nationally known as a leader in our country’s hospice and palliative care industry, where I spent a large portion of my career as President/CEO of Four Seasons in western North Carolina, a 2009 American Hospital Association Circle of Life Award Winner. In 2005, the Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care honored me with the Peter Keese Leadership Award.

In 2006, I left Four Seasons for two years to build an alliance between the prestigious national healthcare consulting firm, the Studer Group, and Covenant Hospice in Pensacola. The vision was to transform, develop, and grow leaders throughout the hospice and palliative care world. With this venture from its infancy to an established coaching firm partnering with post-acute healthcare organizations from New York to California. I returned to Four Seasons in 2008 to apply everything learned in the trenches on leadership to an organization I knew and loved.

My hospice career began in 1997 at Covenant Hospice in Pensacola, Florida. Earlier in my career, where I worked with KPMG Peat Marwick, a “Big Four” CPA consulting firm, and with Cooper Industries, a Fortune 100 Company, in its Executive Development Program.

I have a Masters in Leadership from the Thayer Institute for Performance Virtuosity.

I am blessed to have a wonderful wife, Deshia and a proud parent of 5 children (3 boys and 2 girls). Love spending time outdoors with my family, reading, and learning in the mountains of Western North Carolina.