--- title: "Love Hurts: Leadership, Quality, and the Future of Hospice & Palliative Care | Part Two" description: "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." --- [TCNTalks ](https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast) # [Love Hurts: Leadership, Quality, and the Future of Hospice & Palliative Care | Part Two](https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast/love-hurts-leadership-quality-and-the-future-of-hospice-palliative-care-part-two) Written by [Chris Comeaux](https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast/author/chris-comeaux) | 3/6/26 4:56 PM 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 the majority of providers deliver extraordinary care.  The panel dives into the evolving landscape of ownership models, from nonprofit and faith-based organizations to private equity–backed providers, raising an important question: **does ownership affect quality, or does leadership and accountability matter more?**   The discussion also examines structural challenges within the healthcare system, including flawed quality reporting tools like Medicare Compare and the unintended consequences of free-market dynamics in healthcare.  With over 300 hospices sometimes operating within a single county, leaders highlight the need for transparency, meaningful quality metrics, and thoughtful regulation such as Certificate of Need laws to ensure resources are distributed responsibly and patients receive the best possible care.   Finally, the conversation pivots to leadership—arguably the most important ingredient in shaping the future of Hospice and Palliative Care.  From the principle of **“go see for yourself”** (gemba leadership) to the importance of servant leadership, focus, curiosity, and interdisciplinary collaboration, the panel shares powerful lessons for healthcare leaders navigating complex systems while staying grounded in mission-driven care for patients and families.   (This episode is a Top News Stories of Month February 2026) [HPC Today Top News Stories](https://www.teleioscn.org/hubfs/Teleios%20Collaborative%20Network/Documents/HPC%20Today%20Top%20News%20Stories%202026.02.pdf) [**Teleios Monthly Podcast Articles February 2026 Newsletter**](https://www.teleioscn.org/hubfs/Teleios%20Collaborative%20Network/Documents/Publicly%20Available%20Teleios%20Monthly%20Podcast%20Articles%20February%202026%20Newsletter.pdf)   [Show Transcript](https://www.teleioscn.org/hubfs/Transcript-%20Love%20Hurts-%20Leadership%2c%20Quality%2c%20and%20the%20Future%20of%20Hospice%20%26%20Palliative%20Care%20%7C%20Part%20Two.pdf)       Our Guest ## Dr. Eric Widera  Professor of Medicine and Clinician-Educator in the Division of Geriatrics at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and Co-Host of Geri-Pal Podcast [Biography](https://www.teleioscn.org/hubfs/Teleios%20Collaborative%20Network/Documents/Eric%20Widera%20is%20a%20Professor%20of%20Medicine%20and%20clinician%20bio.pdf) [GeriPal Podcast ](https://geripal.org/geripal-podcast) [Blog for this episode](https://geripal.org/leadership-quality-and-the-future-of-hospice-guests-chris-comeaux-and-cordt-kassner/) [Watch GeriPal Video](https://youtu.be/uOabTEa6Zqk) Social Media for this episode [X](https://x.com/GeriPalBlog/status/2029621116734427244)   |   [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/GeriPal/posts/1554430973129260) |   [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/DVg1vjvjZNr/) |  [Threads](https://www.threads.com/@geripal_podcast/post/DVg2UMlgYBB)  |  [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@geripalpodcast/video/7613851972579478798)  |   [Bluesky ](https://bsky.app/profile/geripal.bsky.social/post/3mgdiukxo3c2i) |  [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7435407209024421889) Podcast Platforms [Apple Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/geripal/id1164272877?mt=2)  |  [Pandora](https://www.pandora.com/podcast/geripal/PC:46328)  |  [Spotify ](https://open.spotify.com/show/5uzc4nlmvTHwRaGSHKaWFB) |  [Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2a90e3ed-f58a-433e-80ad-2df20af8f724/GeriPal)     ## Dr. Alex Smith UCSF Faculty in the Division of Geriatrics and Co-Host of Geri-Pal Podcast [Biography](https://www.teleioscn.org/hubfs/Teleios%20Collaborative%20Network/Documents/Alex%20Smith%20bio.pdf) [**GeriPal Podcast**](https://geripal.org/geripal-podcast)   Co-Host ## Cordt Kassner  PhD, Publisher of Hospice & Palliative Care Today & CEO and Founder of Hospice Analytics  [**Contact **](mailto:ckassner@hospiceanalytics.com) **[Biography](https://www.teleioscn.org/hubfs/Teleios%20Collaborative%20Network/Documents/Cordt%20T%20Kassner%20bio.pdf)** [Hospice and Palliative Care Today](https://www.hospicepalliativecaretoday.com/) **Subscribe for free** [www.hospicepalliativecaretoday.com](https://www.hospicepalliativecaretoday.com/)   Our Host ## Chris Comeaux MLAS, CPA President / CEO of Teleios [Request More Information](mailto:ccomeaux@teleioscn.org) Order Book On Amazon** ** [The Anatomy Of Leadership](https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Leadership-What-Do-Leaders/dp/B0CP1H4Q9Z/ref=sr_1_1?crid=13TCTTE4MERHU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.k8JMNI42KjHquGeyhSi2yVsqgt34wii5hGbTnBxh7y_GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.lb1wV3NFqwfao2camDL9e5NU93vuV9f3YVbZrNXuARs&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+anatomy+of+leadership+by+chris+comeaux&qid=1723572559&sprefix=The+Anatomy+Of+Leadership%2Caps%2C85&sr=8-1)         Brain Bookmark             **TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership Sponsor**     [www.usi.com](http://www.usi.com)             [View full post](https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast/love-hurts-leadership-quality-and-the-future-of-hospice-palliative-care-part-two) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Chris Comeaux" }, "dateModified" : "2026-03-06T16:56:31.415Z", "datePublished" : "2026-03-06T16:56:31Z", "headline" : "Love Hurts: Leadership, Quality, and the Future of Hospice & Palliative Care | Part Two", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 1700, "url" : "https://4731444.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/4731444/GeriPal_blog%20thumbnail%20Part%20Two.jpeg", "width" : 2550 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast/love-hurts-leadership-quality-and-the-future-of-hospice-palliative-care-part-two", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 60, "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png", "width" : 60 }, "name" : "Podcasts" } } ```