Owner of Bradenton-Sarasota hospice plans to merge
Empath Health and Stratum Health System announced Wednesday that they have entered into formal discussions to merge the two organizations.
Tidewell Hospice is Stratum’s most recognized brand. Empath Health’s integrated care network supports patients with chronic or advanced illness in greater Tampa Bay. Its family of services includes Suncoast Hospice.
The planned merger would bring together two integrated networks of care that share a commitment to the preservation of not-for-profit hospice, home care and community-based services. The new organization will care for more than 6,000 people a day.
“This is an exciting and historic day as we move forward, together, to provide trusted, integrated care solutions for those lives for whom we are blessed to care, including the tremendous support we provide to our patients’ families and our communities,” Rafael Sciullo, Empath Health president and CEO, said in a press release.
Empath and Stratum both independently operate in good business and financial health, but must plan for the future, said Stratum President and CEO Jonathan Fleece.
“The combined organization will have the scale, breadth and capabilities to compete more effectively as the healthcare marketplace continues to evolve through increased competition. Our services, people and geographic synergies fit well together creating a stronger, more formidable organization for the years to come,” Fleece said in the press release.
Tidewell Hospice has hospice houses in Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch and Ellenton in Manatee County. Tidewell also has hospice houses in Sarasota, Venice, Arcadia, Port Charlotte, and Englewood.
Suncoast Hospice has six care locations in Pinellas County.
Melissa Gilbert, star of the “Little House on the Prairie” TV series spoke to a Tidewell Hospice gathering of 800 last week in Sarasota on the need for more pediatric hospice facilities in the United States.
Highlights of the merger include:
▪ A full integration date of January 2023 is planned.
▪ Sciullo and Jonathan Fleece will come together and align under the newly formed entity. Sciullo will serve as the CEO and Fleece will serve as the president of the as yet unnamed new organization.
▪ Upon reaching the final integration milestone, slated for January 2023, Sciullo plans to retire. At that time, Fleece will become the president and CEO of the new organization.
▪ The first milestone will be the establishment of the Mission Services Organization (MSO), the first team of professionals brought under the new organization. The MSO will provide shared services across the organization and provide a foundation to build integrated care services. This includes, but is not limited to, innovation, technology, finance, human resources, quality and compliance. It is anticipated that the MSO will launch in 2020.
▪ Empath Health / Suncoast Hospice, Stratum Health System / Tidewell Hospice and all affiliated organizations will continue to operate under those respective names for now.
▪ The merger has no direct impact to patients and their families, volunteers, donors, referral sources or the boards of directors of the current organizations at this time.
For more information on Tidewell Hospice, visit https://tidewellhospice.org/home/. For more information on Suncoast Hospice, visit https://suncoasthospice.org/.
