HEALTAHR TCARE
A CARING SANCTUARY
Suncoast Hospice
History Book Released
By Rafael J. Sciullo
MAY/JUNE 2019 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 137
There is no more important job
humans can do for one another
than caring for those at the end of
their lives.
I am proud to announce the release of
the book, A Caring Sanctuary – Suncoast
Hospice: Forty Years of Caring. A heartfelt
thanks to co-authors Dr. Mary Jean Etten, a
Suncoast Hospice founding volunteer and
our longest-serving board member, and
Betty Oldanie, a former Suncoast Hospice
executive dedicated to quality and service
excellence and our previous president
and CEO.
Our story starts in 1976 with a group
of caring individuals wanting to bring
companionship, comfort and support for
the dying and their families in Pinellas
County. They hoped to help patients die
well at home with dignity and comfort for
their whole well-being, according to their
wishes. They also wanted to support loved
ones with caregiving and through their
loss and grief.
Many people influenced our creation
and mission. Most notably are British
physician Dame Cicely Saunders along
with others who developed the modern
concept of hospice care in England in
the 1950s, Yale University Dean Florence
Wald who opened the first American
hospice in New Haven, Connecticut,
local death and dying advocate Miriam
“Bunny” Flarsheim who led our founding
group’s first meeting, and Swiss-American
psychiatrist and On Death and Dying
author Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, for whom
our hospice was first named.
In 1978, we admitted our first patient.
“Our story is many passionate people
in our community who saw a need, had a
dream and made a difference. A volunteer
nurse and three of our volunteers cared
for our first patient – a man dying of
cancer. We cared for him for eight days.
His wife wrote, ‘I will never forget how
good everyone with hospice has been to
us.’ We led with faith, grace and hope.
We have made a dramatic difference in the
ways people die and live,” shared Dr. Etten.
A young visionary who saw hospice
as a “caring sanctuary” emerged here in
1980 – Mary J. Labyak. She joined us as a
volunteer social services coordinator to
develop and lead the patient care program.
She rose to become president and CEO,
helped us grow into one of the largest and
most well-respected hospices in the U.S.,
as well as advocated on behalf of hospice
care locally, nationally and internationally.
Her commitment was to care for all in
need, even if they could not pay. She worked
together with the organization, boards
and community to develop innovative
services, such as care for children, care
for people with AIDS and the first teen
volunteer program in the country, which
celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
After battling a long illness, Labyak died
in 2012, comfortably at home with our care
and surrounded by her loving friends, just
like she wanted for everyone.
Oldanie stepped in briefly as our
next president and CEO, followed by
my leadership beginning in 2013. The
quality, scope and impact of our hospice
still resonate today. We celebrated our 40th
anniversary in 2017 and have cared for
more than 180,000 patients to date, plus
thousands more family survivors. And
we have served many others throughout
Empath Health, including seniors, veterans,
people impacted by HIV and more.
It is an honor to share these extraordinary
journeys and to continue being that caring
sanctuary for our community.
“A Caring Sanctuary – Suncoast Hospice:
Forty Years of Caring” is available on
Amazon online, and proceeds benefit
Suncoast Hospice. 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
Authors Betty Oldanie and Dr. Mary Jean
Etten created A Caring Sanctuary – Suncoast
Hospice: Forty Years of Caring.
EMPATH HEALTH