The barber surgeons were an interesting chapter in medical and funeral history. The idea of surgeons who learned the job instead of going to school nowadays is unheard of in today's culture, but their legacy still lives on...  

Todd Harra is an accomplished author, funeral director and calendar model.

Find his books here https://www.toddharra.com/new-page 

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End- of –Life Doulas (aka Death Doulas) are a growing group in end-of-life care. Ashley Johnson is the President of the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance and the founder of Loyal Hands an end-of –life doula consultancy. She joins Ben to explain the role of end-of-life doulas and how they can work to the funeral home’s advantage.  

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Prion diseases and how to handle people’s deceased loved ones who have them is a difficult and misunderstood topic in funeral service and in medicine in general. Aaron Koethe and Danielle Jordan are both part of the team at the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center (The Prion Center), who work with patients afflicted with prion diseases and their families as well as funeral homes nationwide to better understand the nature of their diagnosis.  Please be sure to rate and review this show!

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September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and in an effort to raise awareness in how it affects both funeral service professionals and the families they serve, Ben speaks to Sara Murphy, a respected thanatologist and suicidologist about the topic.  

Find Sara Murphy and read her articles at deathdoc.com  

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Please be sure to rate and review the show! Mental health is such an important topic in funeral service, and everyone seems to be talking about it. Jade Dacus, one of this year’s Texas Emerging Leaders University Speakers, is both a licensed funeral director and licensed professional counselor joins the show to offer some guidance that will help us all.  Email Jade [email protected] Email me with your comments! [email protected]  Free Expo passes here! We are booth 1231!  Follow Ben @thefuneralcast  

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It’s time again for Texas Emerging Leaders University! One of this year’s speakers is Dylan Stopher, who’s presentation “What Does It Mean To You?” is an examination of the motivation and drive within each funeral service professional.  

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In The Funeralcast Episode 69. Online Mortuary School with Rebecca Gardner, three students reflect on their experience with mortuary school online and share information they wish they knew. This is their standalone segement.

Alkaline Hydrolysis is a dispostion you may have heard of but are not familiar with. Ryan Cattoni at the age of 23 years old brought alkaline hydrolysis as a legal form of disposition to Illinois. A visionary at a young age, he has led funeral service in this type of disposition through funeral industry presentations and local media appearances.  

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Over the summer, Ben made the speaker circuit and along the way he asked funeral directors in Indiana, Texas, and West Virginia what one positive change they have seen in funeral service since they started. You might be surprised at what they said!  Please rate and review this show!

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There’s a debate about online mortuary schools and their ability to produce capable funeral directors. Ben speaks with Rebecca Gardner, the program director at Northeast Texas Community College, a fully online mortuary school and three recent graduates from the program. Learn how Ms. Gardner designed the program in order to allay the concerns of the greater funeral directing public and how it benefited the graduates.  Please rate and review the show!

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