Is leadership in home health a calling or just a job? In this episode of Last Visit First, Tom Maxwell sits down with Dr. Heather Hodges, organizational psychologist and CEO of Hodges Group International, to discuss the "Heart Work" required to lead frontline teams in the care at home industry.

Dr. Heather Hodges shares her journey from a creative professional to a leadership strategist within the home care industry. She introduces her groundbreaking framework, The 12 Types of Creative Genius, and explains why innovation isn't just for scientists—it’s the engine that allows clinicians to solve complex problems at the bedside.

Key Takeaways:

• The 11-Second Rule: Why listening just a few seconds longer leads to better patient outcomes.
• The Hero’s Journey of Leadership: Moving from a "weak" hero to a "strong" guide (the Yoda vs. Luke Skywalker analogy).
• Culture as Retention: Why people don't leave organizations; they leave supervisors—and how to build a culture people won't want to leave.
• Creative Genius: Identifying whether your leadership style is driven by the Head (Cognitive), Heart (Relational), or Hands (Functional).

Chapters:

• 00:00 – Meet Dr. Heather Hodges: Leadership Strategist
• 02:03 – The Career Shift: From Creative to Home Health Executive
• 05:47 – Personality Science: Using the Enneagram to Lead Diverse Teams
• 08:38 – The 12 Types of Creative Genius (Head, Heart, and Hands)
• 14:52 – Cultivating Culture: Tapping into Frontline Innovation
• 20:08 – Heart Work: Bridging the Gap Between Nursing and Management
• 28:05 – Communication Secrets: The 11-Second Rule for Clinicians
• 32:36 – The Future of Care: Balancing AI Tech with Human Empathy
• 45:57 – Self-Reflection & The Hero’s Journey of Leadership
• 50:31 – How to Connect with Dr. Hodges & Final Thoughts

Connect with Dr. Heather Hodges:

• Website
• Book: Heart Work
• Book: The Creative Clinical Leader
• Audio Book: Heart Work
• Podcast: I’m In!

Special thank you to our sponsors:

• Premier Sponsor: Trella Health
• Premier Sponsor: Homecare Homebase
• Maxwell TEC
• StenoHealth
• IntellaTriage

Check out Last Visit First on other platforms:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube
• Website
• LinkedIn

About Last Visit First:

In home health and hospice, the start of care usually begins with the final visit in mind—because every decision becomes a memory.

'Last Visit First' challenges the industry to prioritize quality, connection, outcomes, and dignity right from the start. Hosted by industry veteran Tom Maxwell, we sit down with the CEOs, innovators, and clinical leaders shaping the future of Care at Home. We bring you the conversations that drive change, from leadership strategies to the innovations redefining patient care.

Join the Conversation: If you enjoyed this episode, please Subscribe and leave a comment below. It helps us bring more incredible guests to the show.

We’re closing out our "Live From HC100" series with a true industry veteran, Kurt Baumgartel, CEO of CareRing Health.

Having run divisions for some of the biggest names in the space, Kurt is now focusing on perfecting the "care coordination" model for dual-eligibles in the Mid-Atlantic. In this briefing, he and Tom dive deep into the technology that has everyone at HC100 buzzing: Ambient AI. Kurt discusses his success using ambient listening in the clinic and how this "game-changer" is poised to transform the home health start of care visit. We also explore CareRing Health’s sophisticated use of Snowflake and Health Cloud to drive cross-service admissions and better patient outcomes.

Chapters:

• 01:05 – Ambient AI in the Clinic: How "ambient listening" is already saving clinicians from hours of documentation.
• 02:30 – Solving the Start of Care: Why reducing the documentation burden will make nurses want to do admissions again.
• 03:50 – CareRing Health’s Model: Managing 5,000 lives across the Mid-Atlantic with a focus on personal care.
• 04:20 – The Data Stack: Leveraging Snowflake and Salesforce Health Cloud for intelligent care coordination.
• 05:00 – Proving the Value: Using a Philadelphia-based pilot to show payers the cost savings for dual-eligibles.

Connect with CareRing Health and Kurt:

• Website: https://careringhealth.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/carering-health/
• Kurt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurt-baumgartel

Special thanks to our sponsors:

• Premier Sponsor: Trella Health
• Premier Sponsor: Homecare Homebase
• Premier Sponsor: Maxwell TEC
• Premier Sponsor: Lincoln Healthcare Leadership

#HomeHealth #Hospice #PersonalCare #AmbientAI #HealthcareAI #DualEligibles #HC100 #CareRingHealth #LastVisitFirst #Podcast #TomMaxwell HomeCare100

Live from the Woodpecker Room for Day 2 of the Last Visit First podcast at Home Care 100, Tom Maxwell welcomes a true post-acute tech pioneer: Joe Randesi, CEO and Co-Founder of Element5.

Joe explains why the world is moving beyond simple SaaS toward Agentic AI—digital workers that autonomously navigate EHRs, verify eligibility, and manage authorizations. He breaks down the "swivel chair" problem and how Element5’s vertical-specific agents are designed to eliminate the "paper cuts" of back-office operations. Joe also shares his perspective on why the industry is finally "leveling up" through collective innovation.

Chapters:

• 01:10 – The DeVero Journey: How co-founding an EHR led to the automation revolution.
• 01:45 – What is an "Agent"? Defining the digital worker that automates the financial journey.
• 02:45 – No Smoke Breaks, No COVID: Why agents are an OpEx solution for back-office bottlenecks.
• 03:30 – Building Blocks: How Element5’s vertical platform allows for rapid, at-scale innovation.
• 05:10 – "Fail Fast": Joe’s advice for agencies looking to adopt disruptive technology.
• 05:50 – The Value of Face-to-Face: Why Home Care 100 remains the preeminent "deal-making" venue.

Connect with Element5 and Joe:

• Website: https://www.E5.ai
• LinkedIn: https://www.https://www.linkedin.com/company/e5ai/
• Joe's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerandesi

Special thanks to our sponsors:

• Premier Sponsor:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Trella Health⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Homecare Homebase⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Maxwell TEC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lincoln Healthcare Leadership⁠

#HomeHealth #Hospice #Element5 #HC100 #AgenticAI #WorkflowAutomation #PostAcuteCare #RCM #LastVisitFirst #JoeRandesi

Live from Day 2 of the Last Visit First podcast at the 2026 Home Care 100 Leadership Conference in Scottsdale, Charles McDonough, President and CEO of Delaware Hospice, joins the podcast to discuss the evolving definition of "community care."

As the leader of the nation's first hospice in the first state, Charles isn't just leaning on legacy—he’s leaning into disruption. In this briefing, he explores how Delaware Hospice is leveraging the GUIDE model to redefine dementia care and why "upskilling" internally is the only sustainable answer to the national nursing crisis. Charles and Tom also dive into a provocative discussion on state licensure laws: are they protecting quality, or are they artificially suppressing the workforce?

Chapters:

• 02:15 – The Dementia Mandate: Why specialized cognitive care is the next industry frontier.
• 04:45 – Scaling Through Partnership: Expanding into Pennsylvania and Maryland via non-profit collaboration.
• 06:30 – The Licensure Bottleneck: Is it time for a universal clinical license?
• 08:50 – Virtual-First Care: Connecting rural patients to elite clinical resources.

Connect with Charles and Delaware Hospice:

• Website: https://www.DelawareHospice.org
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/delaware-hospice-inc../
• Charles's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesmcdonough

Special thanks to our sponsors:

• Premier Sponsor:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Trella Health⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Homecare Homebase⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Maxwell TEC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lincoln Healthcare Leadership⁠

#Hospice #DelawareHospice #HC100 #NonProfitHospice #DementiaCare #GUIDEModel #NursingShortage #HealthcareInnovation #LastVisitFirst #Podcast #HealthcarePodcast

Live from Day 2 of Home Care 100 in Scottsdale, Tom Maxwell sits down with Kathy Ford, Chief Product Officer at Trella Health.

As a premier sponsor of Last Visit First, Trella Health is at the forefront of the "data revolution." In this interview, Kathy discusses Trella’s evolution from a Medicare-dominant platform to a comprehensive data suite covering Commercial and Medicare Advantage markets. She breaks down the recent acquisition of Repisodic, explaining how integrating discharge workflows into Epic and Cerner is solving the "length of stay" puzzle for health systems. Kathy also shares her "plea to fellow vendors" on why data must be democratized for the sake of the patient.

Chapters:

• 01:10 – Beyond Medicare: Trella’s expansion into Commercial and Medicare Advantage data sets.
• 02:30 – Solving the Discharge Gap: How the Repisodic acquisition embeds Trella into acute care workflows.
• 03:50 – Signal in the Noise: Contextualizing thousands of data sources into meaningful executive insights.
• 05:20 – The 30-EHR Integration: Leveraging data across the entire post-acute landscape.
• 06:40 – A Call to Action: Why data democratization is better for patients and providers alike.

Connect with Trella Health and Kathy:

• Website: https://www.trellahealth.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trellahealth/
• Kathy's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-dalton-ford-7657367

Special thanks to our sponsors:

• Premier Sponsor:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Trella Health⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Homecare Homebase⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Maxwell TEC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lincoln Healthcare Leadership⁠

#HomeHealth #Hospice #TrellaHealth #HC100 #DataAnalytics #HealthcareIT #Interoperability #LastVisitFirst #PostAcuteCare

Live from the Woodpecker Room at HC100, Tom Maxwell welcomes Jason Gerard, CFO of Agape Care Group.

Jason shares the remarkable growth story of Agape Care, which expanded from a single-state provider in South Carolina to serving over 6,500 patients across 10 states in just a few years. He breaks down the strategic decision to remain "hospice-only," the importance of their pediatric program ("Hands of Hope"), and the unique integration playbook that ensures one plus one actually equals two in an acquisition. Plus, a shoutout to integration star Carrie Vanden Magdenberg and her journey from Maxwell TEC consultant to Agape Care leader.

Chapters:

• 01:10 – The Growth Engine: Scaling from 700 to 6,500+ patients since 2018.
• 01:55 – Partnership with Linden: Why Agape Care Group recapped with Linden Capital Partners.
• 02:25 – Tight Geography: Why staying close to the "flagpole" in the Southeast is a strategic win.
• 03:00 – Hands of Hope: Serving the unique needs of nearly 200 pediatric hospice patients.
• 04:35 – The Niche Advantage: Why Agape chose to double down on hospice rather than diversify into home health.
• 05:40 – The Integration Secret: How a customized integration plan keeps employees engaged and assets protected.

Connect with Agape Care Group and Jason:

• Website: https://agapecaregroup.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agapecaregroup/
• Jason's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jason-gerard-tx

Special thanks to our sponsors:

• Premier Sponsor:⁠⁠⁠⁠ Trella Health⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Homecare Homebase⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Maxwell TEC⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Lincoln Healthcare Leadership⁠

#Hospice #AgapeCare #HC100 #HomeCare100 #HealthcareM&A #HealthcareCFO #LastVisitFirst #PediatricHospice #HandsOfHope #HospiceGrowth

Live from Home Care 100 in Scottsdale, Tom Maxwell sits down with Scott Levy, the Chief Government Affairs Officer for the National Alliance for Home Care at Home.In this interview, Scott pulls back the curtain on the Alliance’s unified advocacy mission following the historic NACH and NHPCO merger.

He discusses the reality of "divided government" following the 2026 elections, the implementation of HOPE, and the industry’s proactive stance against fraud, waste, and abuse. Scott also shares a personal perspective on "continuity of care" and why educating new members of Congress on the difference between home health and hospice is the industry’s biggest hurdle.

Chapters:

• 01:15 – One Voice: How the Alliance merger is strengthening the industry’s messaging.
• 02:40 – The Patient’s Lens: Why "familiar faces" are the most important metric for family caregivers.
• 05:40 – D.C. Calendar: Key dates for the Financial & Tech Conference and the Washington Fly-In.
• 06:20 – Fraud & Abuse: Working with CMS to stop "bad actors" before they enter the program.
• 09:30 – Dr. Oz & CMS: Why the administration is reaching out to the Alliance for provider insights.
• 11:45 – Election Forecast: What a shifting House and Senate means for reimbursement in 2027.

Connect with The Alliance and Scott:

• Website: https://allianceforcareathome.org/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thealliancehome/posts/
• Scott's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scott-levy-09a8829b

Special thanks to our sponsors:

• Premier Sponsor:⁠⁠⁠ Trella Health⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠Homecare Homebase⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠Maxwell TEC⁠⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠⁠Lincoln Healthcare Leadership⁠

#HomeHealth #Hospice #TheAlliance #HC100 #HealthcarePolicy #WashingtonDC #Lobbying #LastVisitFirst #Medicare

Live from HC100 in Scottsdale, Tom Maxwell sits down with longtime friend Stephen Phenneger, President and CFO of St. Croix Hospice.

Stephen offers a candid look at the state of the hospice industry, from the "dot-com" energy surrounding AI to the "co-op-etition" that defines the sector. With 7,000 patients across 10 states, St. Croix remains committed to a single-vertical delivery model. Stephen explains why he brings a full "cache" of clinical and financial leaders to HC100 and why the most important industry insights still happen when the "guards are down" at dinner.

Chapters:

• 01:20 – Target Rich Environment: Accomplishing 25 meetings in 3 days.
• 02:00 – Single-Vertical Strategy: Why St. Croix stays hospice-only across 100 offices.
• 02:30 – The AI Reality Check: Why today’s tech landscape feels like the "dot-com" era.
• 03:20 – M&A Outlook: Predicting the next 18 months of market activity.
• 04:30 – Co-op-etition: Why your competitors are your best teachers.

Connect with St. Croix Hospice and Stephen:

• Website: https://StCroixHospice.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/st-croix-hospice/
• Stephen's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stephen-phenneger
  

Special thanks to our sponsors:

• Premier Sponsor:⁠⁠ Trella Health⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠Homecare Homebase⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠Maxwell TEC⁠⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠⁠Lincoln Healthcare Leadership⁠

#Hospice #StCroixHospice #HC100 #HealthcareCFO #HospiceLeadership #LastVisitFirst #AIinHealthcare #HealthcareMA #HomeCare100

Live from the Woodpecker Room at Home Care 100, Tom Maxwell welcomes a familiar face and industry star: Laura Brinkoetter, Chief Product Officer at Mosai.

In this briefing, Laura discusses the evolution of Mosai—the strategic merger of Medalogix and Forcura—and how they are marrying interoperability with clinical analytics. She breaks down the "Mosai Review" product and how "hands-free" automation is changing the game for coding and OASIS reconciliation. Plus, Tom and Laura reminisce about their days at Enclara and the legendary Maxwell pre-kickoff party in Scottsdale.

Chapters:

• 00:54 – Technology as a Force Multiplier: How technology enables strategy.
• 01:50 – The Power of the Merger: Marrying Forcura’s interoperability with Medalogix’s clinical analytics.
• 02:15 – Mosaic Review: Automating the referral flow and OASIS reconciliation.
• 03:15 – Summarizing Patient Care: Using tech to save clinicians from "reading every part of the chart."
• 05:30 – From Industrial Supply to Hospice: Laura’s journey from Grainger to the Enclara board.

Connect with Mosai and Laura:

• Website: https://www.mosai.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mosai-intelligent-care/posts/?feedView=all
• Laura's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laura-brinkoetter-5b371216

Special thanks to our sponsors:

• Premier Sponsor:⁠ Trella Health⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠Homecare Homebase⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠Maxwell TEC⁠
• Premier Sponsor: ⁠Lincoln Healthcare Leadership⁠

#HomeHealth #Hospice #HomeCare100 #HC100 #HealthcareLeadership #LincolnHealthcare #LastVisitFirst

Live from the Phoenician in Scottsdale, Tom Maxwell sits down with the woman who makes it all happen: Jeanette Lynn, President and Managing Director of Home Care 100.

Jeanette pulls back the curtain on what makes Home Care 100 the premier perch for healthcare operators. She breaks down the three pillars of the Lincoln Healthcare Leadership mission: Visionary Intelligence, Purposeful Connections, and an Exceptional Experience. From the legendary "Cocktail Book" to the highly-regarded Spouse Program, Jeanette explains how they set the table for the intimacy and trust required to move the industry forward.

Chapters:

• 01:10 – Beyond the Day-to-Day: Why executives need a "minute to stop and think" about the future.
• 02:05 – Strategic Matchmaking: Moving away from transactional networking to purposeful partnerships.
• 04:15 – The Power of the Spouse Program: Building trust beyond the business meeting.
• 06:00 – Bench Strength: How Lincoln has built an internal "intelligence group" to predict industry hurdles.
• 08:50 – Requesting an Invitation: The specific criteria for joining the top 100 innovators.
• 11:45 – AI & The Cocktail Book: Using tech to navigate 400 pages of strategic insights.

Connect with Home Care 100, Lincoln, and Jeanette:

• Home Care 100 Website: https://homecare100.com/
• Home Care 100 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/home-care-100/
• Lincoln Healthcare Leadership Website: https://www.lincolnhc.com/
• Lincoln Healthcare Leadership LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/lincoln-healthcare-events/
• Jeanette LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeanette-lynn-3105104

Special thanks to our sponsors:

• Premier Sponsor: Trella Health
• Premier Sponsor: Homecare Homebase
• Premier Sponsor: Maxwell TEC
• Premier Sponsor: Lincoln Healthcare Leadership

#HomeHealth #Hospice #HomeCare100 #HC100 #HealthcareLeadership #LincolnHealthcare #LastVisitFirst