From Personal Loss to Industry Change: My Story and Vision for Deacon Health

I was sixteen when my mom passed away.

There were many factors at play, but one of the biggest was the complete breakdown in care coordination. She was seeing multiple physicians, none of whom were effectively communicating with each other. A doctor on call prescribed a medication that should never have been given alongside the drugs she was already taking. Today, technology would flag the interaction and a pharmacy would refuse to fill it. Back then, it slipped through the cracks.

A few days later, my mom went into renal failure. She never came home.

I carry that experience with me every single day. It’s why I have such a soft spot in my heart for older patients, particularly those on Medicare who often find themselves navigating a fragmented specialty care system. It’s also why I’m so passionate about the work we do every day at Deacon Health.

Building What My Family Needed

My mom’s story isn’t unique. In healthcare, the cracks can become wide and patients (especially older adults) are the ones who fall through them. When people are discharged from the hospital, there’s often no one ensuring they have their prescriptions filled, know which follow-up appointments to attend, or have support if complications arise. Hospitals are great at inpatient care, but what happens after discharge? That’s where gaps widen, anxiety sets in, and avoidable harm occurs.

Deacon exists to change that.

We built a care coordination model that does for patients what I wish someone had done for my mom—connect all the dots. Our 24/7 care navigators specialize in specific surgical episodes and guide patients from pre-op through full recovery. We make sure medications are reconciled and filled. We answer the 6 a.m. calls about swollen ankles. We connect patients to the right specialists, set up follow-up visits, and communicate critical information back to their providers.

Because healthcare doesn’t just happen between 8 and 5, neither do we.

Why Hospitals Need Help

I know asking for help isn’t easy. Healthcare professionals are natural givers, and they’re already stretched thin. Case managers are managing 30-40 patients at a time. Post-discharge follow-up often gets reduced to a single phone call, if that.

Healthcare providers need support, but that doesn’t mean they’re failing. It means they’re human.

Deacon isn’t here to replace anyone. We’re here to supplement in-house case management and public health teams with proven infrastructure, data, and around-the-clock navigation. We want to make hospitals stronger, because we know what’s at stake. Without help, hospitals risk millions in losses. And patients suffer.

Why Now?

CMS’ Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM), launching in January 2026, will hold hospitals accountable for the entire 30-day surgical episode, including the post-acute care they’ve historically had little oversight over.

Many hospitals are focusing on avoiding downside risk in Year 1, but I believe this is a time for more than just survival. Year 1 should be treated as a strategic runway, a chance to build the right foundation for long-term success.

Hospitals that get this right will not only avoid penalties, they’ll capture significant revenue opportunities and deliver more consistent, compassionate care.

Our Vision for the Future

When I think about where Deacon is headed, my vision is simple: I want us to be the premier care management and utilization management company for surgical episodes. The partner hospitals and health systems trust because we consistently deliver exceptional outcomes and treat every patient with dignity and compassion.

But it’s bigger than us.

We want CMMI (The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation) and the TEAM model to succeed, because its success means hospitals, patients, and communities win. It means more coordinated care, lower costs, and better outcomes at scale. It’s the kind of systemic change that could finally close the gaps that cost my mom—and too many others—their lives.

I believe that’s possible. And I believe Deacon can help lead the way.

This work is too important to leave to chance, and we don’t have time to waste.

Need help getting your hospital ready? We’re here for you.

Kyle Cooksey

Kyle is the president and CEO of Deacon Health. A seasoned healthcare executive with over two decades of experience, he specializes in value-based strategies, focusing on understanding the heart of the customer and translating those insights into strong financial results, retention, and aligned growth strategies.