HEALTH & WELLNESS
GROWING TOGETHER
JULY/AUGUST 2021 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 125
In February 2020 Empath Health and
Stratum Health System announced
our intent to merge the two
organizations creating the country’s
largest nonprofit, hospice-based integrated
network of care. I am pleased now to share
with you the merger is complete and the
new organization will collectively be
known as Empath Health.
Why Empath Health? After several
months of in-depth research, more than
5,000 hours of interviews with colleagues
and stakeholders at both organizations we
found so many who identified themselves
as empaths: those who can deeply sense
the feelings and experiences of others.
For many at Stratum, Empath Health is a
natural progression as being empaths is
something they have always embodied.
Tidewell Hospice is Stratum’s flagship
program and has more than 40 years of
providing expert, compassionate hospice
services to communities in Southwest
Florida. And like Empath Health, Stratum
has grown to meet its community’s needs
by expanding services to include home
health, palliative care, physician services
and more.
The combined Empath Health
organization will serve over 7,000 people
a day, over 50,000 annually, creating a
bridge between chronic, advanced and
terminal care and providing seamless
integration based on individual needs.
Our commitment to you is the continuation
of our charitable missions, dedication to
quality, expert care and support, and
to lead the way in new and innovative
programs and services.
Empath Health will have the scale,
Rafael J. Sciullo
breadth and capabilities to compete more
effectively as the healthcare marketplace
continues to evolve through increased
competition. Together, we create a stronger,
more formidable organization for the years
to come.
We have grown together over the past
year. And in the midst of the COVID-19
pandemic we have already begun to see
the fruits of a combined organization. We
have shared resources and best practices,
helped each other secure much-needed
supplies and so much more. I am proud
of how our colleagues stepped up to the
challenges of this unprecedented time,
ensuring those we serve were cared for
and supported.
Along with the new organization,
Empath Health has new leadership. I am
happy to introduce you to Jonathan Fleece,
former Stratum president and CEO, who
will succeed me as Empath Health’s new
president and CEO upon my retirement
in January 2023. Until then he will serve
at my side as president.
Jonathan has been at the helm of
Stratum since 2018 and was a member
of that organization’s board of directors
since 2009. He is a board-certified health
care attorney, co-author of The New
Health Age: The Future of Health Care in
America, and serves on the leadership
board of the Florida Hospice & Palliative
Care Association. We share the passion
for serving our communities, elevating
the importance of and quality of endof
life care and exploring and creating
new avenues where Empath Health can
make a difference in the lives of others.
Please be assured Empath Health
continues to be a nonprofit organization,
ensuring access to all who need our
services. Both the Suncoast Hospice
Foundation and Tidewell Foundation will
continue to provide financial resources
through the generosity of our communities
and we thank everyone who supports us.
Finally, while there has been much
change and uncertainty over the past
year, please know Empath Health was
and will continue to be here for you, your
family and those you care about when
you need us.
For more information about Empath
Health, visit us at EmpathHealth.org/
Volunteer or call (727) 523-3440. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Rafael J. Sciullo is the
CEO of Empath Health, a nonprofit integrated
network of care for those affected by chronic
or advanced illness in Southwest Florida.
For more information about services, call
(727) 467-7423 or visit EmpathHealth.org.
By Rafael J. Sciullo