HEALTAHR TCARE
INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
Comforting Body, Mind, Spirit
By Rafael J. Sciullo
Rafael J. Sciullo
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 137
At Suncoast Hospice, a member
of Empath Health, our teams
provide a holistic approach to
achieve relief and better quality
of life for our patients living with an
advanced illness. During the course of or
at the end of an illness, there’s a specialized
type of care that can help improve wellness
– integrative medicine.
Integrative medicine is an evidence-based
model of care that blends conventional
medicine with complementary practices,
such as acupuncture and Reiki or energy
practice. Integrative medicine focuses
on treating and comforting the whole
person—body, mind, spirit and emotions.
According to a 2012 national survey,
approximately 30 percent of adults and
12 percent of children are using some form
of integrative medicine.
Suncoast Hospice integrative medicine
care may include: acupuncture; acupressure;
biofeedback; breath work; guided imagery;
and other treatments. Our palliative arts
modalities may be integrated into care,
including: aromatherapy; massage therapy;
music; Reiki; and pet visits.
Our integrative medicine and palliative
arts program continues to grow. Our expert
integrative medicine clinicians, trained staff
and palliative arts volunteers incorporate
a variety of treatment and modalities
for patients in the soothing spaces at
our integrative medicine clinic and care
centers or in patients’ homes or longshows
reductions in pain, anxiety, nausea
and shortness of breath. It goes beyond just
treating physical pain and discomfort. It
helps bring comfort to those with emotional
and spiritual distress, decision making
and anxiety. The acupuncture in tandem
with Reiki is a synergistic kind of energy
that eases pain. Some of our treatments,
specifically our music therapy and music at
the bedside programs, also reduce agitation
and help people with dementia, making it
easier and safer for our teams to interact
with that growing population.
We realize the community doesn’t
always understand what hospice has
to offer and some people don’t want to
come into hospice because of fear. Hospice
care can benefit everyone in a family. We
help improve comfort and quality of life
for our patients, help our patients and
families cope with the dying process and
give everyone a sense of competency to
make the decisions they want. Integrative
medicine and palliative arts further
empower and comfort families who will
know they’ve done everything they can to
help their loved ones feel better and live
the best they can. 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.
term care facilities. We aim to calm and
decrease physical pain, emotional and
spiritual distress and other symptoms for
an improved well-being.
Caring for hospice patients incorporates
a team approach. Our specially trained
volunteers work together with our teams to
help move people away from suffering and
toward well-being. We are complementary
to nursing care and pain management to
enhance patients’ experiences and give
them as many choices as possible for
improved comfort and quality of life.
While some other hospices offer
integrative medicine therapies, Suncoast
Hospice was the first hospice in the country
to open an integrative medicine clinic
dedicated to caring for patients at the end
of life. The clinic’s care has brought relief
for many patients. We’ve seen very good
results with treatment – including data that