HEALTAHR TCARE
Supporting Children
and Families in Times of
Illness and Loss
By Rafael J. Sciullo
JULY/AUGUST 2016
| TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 121
While everyone hopes their
children will be born
healthy and live long,
productive lives, this isn’t
always the case. Sometimes, children
experience serious health conditions that
affect entire families. These experiences can
be incredibly frightening and challenging
for everyone involved; and, although this
is an extremely difficult and sensitive
subject, it is crucial to know that help is
available.
In addition to caring for children with
advanced or chronic illnesses through
hospice and palliative care services,
Empath Health provides support to friends
and loved ones who are caring for these
children; those grieving children’s deaths;
or people facing pregnancy losses.
From the start of diagnosis or loss, our
expert interdisciplinary teams and licensed
counselors are dedicated to meeting the
needs and wishes of all patients, family
members and clients through specialized
care, counseling and other support
services. The goal is to ease the journey
every step of the way with compassion
and guidance to foster comfort, stability
and healing.
Our pediatric care and counseling
services include the following:
• Empath Home Health supports families
in managing the long-term advanced
or complex diseases or conditions
of homebound children. Services
include skilled care, pain and symptom
management, therapies, personal care,
social work support, spiritual care,
caregiver education and respite, sibling
support, family retreats and trained
volunteer support.
• Suncoast Hospice supports families
in caring for children with advanced
illnesses nearing the final stages. Services
assistance with decision making, planning
and memory-making activities; doula
volunteer assistance (birth companions
who help throughout the birth process);
and other trained volunteer support.
• Empath Health Community
Counseling supports all children and
families in the community needing
assistance in coping with a serious
illness or grieving a death. Services
include individual and family sessions
and specialized support groups. Special
focus is on sudden traumatic losses, such
as suicides, accidents, overdoses and
homicides. These services are provided
at Empath Health’s three community
service centers.
Through every step of every journey, we
offer compassion through extraordinary
care, hope through innovative services
and inspiration through endless
encouragement. That is the mission of
Empath Health, and it’s never too soon to
seek help and comfort from our dedicated
team of professionals and volunteers.
If you or someone you know needs our
help, call us anytime at (727) 467-7423,
or visit EmpathHealth.org. Additionally,
our organization is able to provide these
wonderful services in large part because
of the generous support of volunteers
from the community. If you’re interested
in exploring volunteer opportunities
within Empath Health, check out
EmpathHealth.org to see what might be a
good fit for you. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Rafael J. Sciullo is
president and CEO of Empath Health, a
nonprofit integrated network of care for
those affected by chronic or advanced illness.
For more information about services, call
(727) 467-7423 or visit EmpathHealth.org.
Rafael J. Sciullo
include pain and symptom management,
therapies, personal care, integrative
services, emotional counseling, social
work support, spiritual care, caregiver
education and respite, sibling support,
family retreats, trained volunteer support
and bereavement support. While Suncoast
Hospice provides all these services right in
patients’ homes, there are also three care
centers to offer intensive treatment for
those times when pain and symptoms
become too severe or acute to effectively
manage or resolve at home.
• Empath Health Perinatal Loss Program
supports mothers and families who
may experience or have experienced a
pregnancy loss, stillbirth or death of a
baby shortly after birth. Services include
coordination of care at the hospital; spiritual
care, social work support, grief support,
/EmpathHealth.org
/EmpathHealth.org
/EmpathHealth.org