The Debate: Vertical Integration, Payvider, or World-Class Care—Which Path Forward? | Part Three

Who controls the healthcare dollar—and how does that control shape patient care?In Part Three of The Debate: Vertical Integration, Payvider or World-Class Care—Which Path Forward?, Chris Comeaux examines whether aligning healthcare financing and care delivery can help hospice and palliative care organizations better serve patients—or introduce new conflicts between financial performance and mission."Christopher" presents the payvider case: providers need a voice in the flow of risk, capital, data, and decision-making to invest earlier in prevention, home-based care, and caregiver support.  Chris tests that argument against the realities of financial risk, organizational scale, patient choice, and clinical independence.Using Mary’s care as a practical example, this conversation asks what healthcare leaders must put in place to ensure that better financial alignment produces better care.In this episode:• How value-based care can support proactive, interdisciplinary services• Different ways providers can participate in accountable care and financial risk• Why becoming a payer requires capabilities beyond excellent care delivery• How integrated networks can affect access and patient choice• Governance safeguards that protect quality of life and organizational missionWhether you lead a hospice, palliative care program, nonprofit, or healthcare organization, this debate offers questions to bring into your next strategic planning conversation.Join the conversation: What safeguards would your organization require before taking on financial risk for patient care?  Share your perspective in the comments.Subscribe to TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership and continue the conversation in Part Four.  Share this episode with a colleague navigating healthcare strategy, value-based care, or the future of hospice.Host: Chris ComeauxFull Episode Characters:Paul: Vertical Integration / Frail-Elder PracticeChristopher: Payvider StrategyComeaux: World-Class Hospice and Palliative Care Teleios Collaborative Network   /   https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

Can vertical integration help hospice organizations deliver better care earlier—and sustain the investment required?In Part Two of “The Debate: Vertical Integration, Payvider or World-Class Care—Which Path Forward?”, Chris Comeaux examines the case for extending hospice expertise into palliative care and home-based primary care for frail elders.Paul presents a vision of care built around lasting relationships, interdisciplinary teams, and support that follows patients as their needs change. Chris tests that vision against the realities of capital, reimbursement, workforce shortages, organizational culture, rural access, and patient choice.The central question: Can healthcare organizations build a connected continuum while protecting world-class quality and every patient’s freedom to choose?In this episode:• Why hospice organizations are considering moving upstream• How home-based care can support patients and caregivers earlier• Why fee-for-service reimbursement may fall short• The financial and operational risks of expanding services• How ethical integration can support timely hospice transitionsFor healthcare leaders, nonprofit executives, hospice professionals, and business leaders evaluating vertical integration, payvider strategies, population health, and value-based care.Listen, share this episode with your leadership team, and tell us in the comments: What must an integrated care model do to earn patients’ trust?Host: Chris ComeauxCharacters:Paul: Vertical Integration / Frail-Elder PracticeChristopher: Payvider StrategyComeaux: World-Class Hospice and Palliative Care Subscribe for more conversations from TCNtalks and Anatomy of Leadership. Join us next Wednesday as THE Debate continues.Teleios Collaborative Network   /   https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

What if hospice succeeds at the wrong strategy?  Chris Comeaux explores three paths for the future of hospice and palliative care: vertical integration, the payvider model, and world-class specialty care.In Part One of THE Debate: Vertical Integration, Payvider or World-Class Care—Which Path Forward?, Chris sets the stage for an unusual conversation—playing three characters, Paul, Christopher and Comeaux, who represent competing visions for serious illness care.Should organizations build a coordinated continuum of hospice, palliative care, and home-based primary care?  Should they also participate in healthcare financing and risk?  Or should they focus on becoming indisputably world class in their specialties?This opening installment introduces eight challenges shaping those choices, from reimbursement and workforce pressures to changing patient expectations, artificial intelligence, and caregiver strain.  It also establishes the question at the heart of the debate: Which strategy best serves patients and families, and under what conditions?For healthcare leaders, nonprofit executives, hospice professionals, and business leaders navigating change, this episode provides a starting point for a deeper strategic conversation.Which path best fits your organization—and what would need to be true for it to work? Share your perspective in the comments, send this episode to your leadership team, and subscribe for Part Two.*** Referenced Podcast: https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast/future-proofing-care-the-challenges-we-face-in-hospice-and-palliative-care-part-oneHost: Chris ComeauxCharacters: Paul: Vertical Integration / Frail-Elder Practice Christopher: Payvider Strategy Comeaux: World-Class Hospice and Palliative Care Thank you to Netsmart for sponsoring this podcast.Teleios Collaborative Network   /   https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

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 careTake 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 LightcastHost:  Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of TELEIOS and author of The Anatomy of Leaderships about The Workforce Crisis Part TwoTeleios Collaborative Network   /   https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

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 shortagesFeatured Guest:   Ron Hetrick, Principal Economist with LightcastHost:  Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of TELEIOS and author of The Anatomy of LeadershipJOIN THE CONVERSATIONWhat 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

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 interpretationThe 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 LeadershipCo-Host:Cordt Kassner, PhD, Publisher of Hospice & Palliative Care Today & CEO and Founder of Hospice AnalyticsTeleios Collaborative Network   /   https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

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 LeadershipCo-Host:Cordt Kassner, PhD, Publisher of Hospice & Palliative Care Today & CEO and Founder of Hospice AnalyticsThank 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=aiTeleios Collaborative Network   /   https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

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.GuestBrynn Bowman, CEO of the Center to Advance Palliative Care, and Assistant Professor in the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Mount SinaiHostChris Comeaux, President / CEO of TELEIOS, author of The Anatomy of LeadershipSubscribe to TCN Talks / Anatomy of Leadership and share this episode with your leadership team.Teleios Collaborative Network   /   https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

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 SinaiHost: Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of TELEIOS, author of The Anatomy of LeadershipLink to Blog:Teleios Collaborative Network   /   https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast

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 LearnWhy self-compassion is essential to resilient leadership—not a sign of weaknessHow to turn down the inner critic without abandoning accountabilityWhy your core values can steady you during uncertainty and disruptionPractical habits leaders can use when feeling overwhelmedThe power of remembering: “I’m a supporter, not a savior.” Why small acts of kindness can strengthen emotional resilienceHow leaders can inspire hope in an increasingly disconnected worldWhy AI should free your cognitive load instead of adding to itHow technology can create more margin for human connectionWhy 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 LeadershipTeleios Collaborative Network   /   https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast