HEALTAHR TCARE
THE IMPACT OF
LIFE-CHANGING CARE
ON OUR COMMUNITY
By Rafael J. Sciullo
Rafael J. Sciullo
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 137
We are extremely excited to
share our latest Empath
Health Community Impact
Report, outlining our
comprehensive services and the true
impact our staff, volunteers and supporters
have on this community.
It has been nearly four years since we
formed and launched Empath Health, an
integrated network of care dedicated to
supporting people of all ages challenged by
chronic and advanced illness. Our member
organizations, including our cornerstone
Suncoast Hospice, continue to work hard
to meet the changing, growing needs of
the Tampa Bay community. Across our
network, we provide expertise, support
and compassion to improve quality of life
for everyone we serve.
Through our network of care, speciallytrained
staff and volunteers team
together to care for hospice, home health,
palliative, veteran and pediatric patients,
aging seniors and HIV/AIDS clients.
Additionally, we offer caregiver and family
support, living wills assistance, HIV/AIDS
and STD testing, health education, as well
as grief and crisis counseling. Services may
be provided in individuals’ homes, our
specialized facilities or other residential
and care settings.
As a community-based organization,
we are dedicated to helping everyone
needing care and support. This is made
possible through our partnerships with
community physicians and organizations
along with support from community
donors and volunteers. Beyond treating
physical pain, we aim to enhance whole
comfort for those we serve, according
to their beliefs and wishes. We help
nurture emotional, spiritual and social
the organization create and reinforce a
culture of robust, continuous process
improvement.
While we are extremely proud of all we
accomplished these past few years, we
know it wouldn’t be possible without our
community supporters. In 2017, Empath
Health served 3,800 people a day, touched
the lives of more than 20,000 individuals
through its fully-integrated network and
provided $4.1 million in uncompensated
care to the community. This was made
possible by our 1,100 employees, 1,800
volunteers and $10.5 million in public
support.
The healthcare landscape continues to
change at a rapid pace and we don’t expect
that to stop anytime soon. As we adapt and
grow as Empath Health, our promise and
commitment remain the same –– to provide
the highest level of care that enhances
health, comfort, dignity and stability for
every person facing a serious illness in our
entire community.
The ongoing trust and support from our
community keeps us going strong, and
we are truly thankful. Caring for patients,
family members, clients and participants is
a beautiful honor and we hope everyone
will turn to us in their journeys, even
sooner if possible, to get the assistance
they need. We are here to help.
Please check out our full Community
Impact Report online at EmpathHealth.org.
Thank you for your support. 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.
well-being, coordinate resources, educate
caregivers, guide in healthcare decision
making and other support. Our integrative
medicine program includes acupuncture,
Reiki, massage therapy, music therapy,
aromatherapy, pet visits and more. These
services help patients by relieving pain,
managing medication side effects and
helping them relax to better deal with the
stresses of living with an advanced illness.
We are pleased to say that Suncoast
Hospice and Empath Home Health
were re-accredited with Empath Health
Pharmacy receiving initial accreditation by
The Joint Commission. Our Community-
Based Palliative Care program is now
certified by The Joint Commission as well,
which is considered the gold standard in
health care for quality and safety. Empath
Health has also invested resources in
training employees in healthcare Lean Six
Sigma who are on their way to becoming
Greenbelts. These employees are actively
working on process improvement projects
with teams of other employees and helping