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Can consumers really trust hospice quality ratings?

In Part Two of this powerful TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership conversation, Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner continue their discussion with nationally recognized hospice researcher and policy expert Dr. Joan Teno.

Building on Part One, Dr. Teno explores how patients and families can make better-informed hospice decisions, why current quality reporting systems often fall short, and how Artificial Intelligence could transform the future of hospice quality measurement. She also addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing the industry today: preserving public trust while combating fraud, profiteering, and unethical practices.

Drawing from decades of research and policy leadership, Dr. Teno offers a thoughtful perspective on the future of hospice care, the importance of transparency, and the critical role healthcare leaders must play in protecting the integrity of the hospice mission.

Whether you’re a hospice professional, healthcare executive, policymaker, clinician, or Family caregiver, this episode offers valuable insights into the future of end-of-life care.

Key Takeaways:

✔ Why consumers need better tools to evaluate hospice quality
✔ How AI could improve hospice transparency and decision-making
✔ The risks of oversupply, profiteering, and declining public trust
✔ Why quality data should empower both providers and families
✔ The extraordinary impact hospice clinicians continue to make every day
✔ The future of hospice care, accountability, and patient choice

Chapters:
0:00    Welcome And Part Two Setup
0:21    A Better Way To Find Hospice
3:06    Weighting Scores Without Punishing Small Programs
6:01    The Denominator Problem Behind Star Ratings
10:58  Rural Hospice Reality And The Willie Sutton Rule
12:08  AI Can Hallucinate Hospice Quality
16:47  Public Trust And A Saturated Hospice Market
23:36  Ghost Hospices And Which Data To Trust
26:04  Do CAHPS Questions Still Fit Hospice Today
27:44  Concurrent Care And Why Hospice Stays A Hard Choice
33:40  Giving Back Through Mentoring And Substack
35:57  Subscribe And The Brain Bookmark

Guest: Dr. Joan Teno
MD, MS; Adjunct Professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice (Brown School of Public Health); Adjunct Staff, RAND Corporation

Co-Host: Cordt Kassner, PhD, Publisher of Hospice & Palliative Care Today & CEO and Founder of Hospice Analytics

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

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.