St. Petersburg – Empath Health and Westminster Suncoast in St. Petersburg have come together to form a specialized partnership that broadens care for Westminster Suncoast’s residents facing chronic and advanced illnesses. The partnership is designed to provide supportive health services that can enhance the quality of life of Westminster Suncoast’s residents and their families. Services include palliative care consults and, in some cases, accommodate residents earlier who need and want hospice care.
The two non-profit organizations share similar missions, dedicated to providing exceptional care with compassion. While Empath Health member Suncoast Hospice already provides hospice care for residents at Westminster Suncoast facilities, new palliative care consult services will provide an extra layer of medical expertise and support for the relief of pain, symptoms and stress of serious illness before a patient needs hospice care.
Palliative care helps patients attain physical comfort as well as emotional and spiritual well-being. The palliative care teams’ goals are to make patients as comfortable as possible, enhance their quality of life and support patients’ families. Emphasis is on resolving pain and other symptoms, coordinating care and treatment with other physicians as well as treating emotional and spiritual concerns and nutritional problems and is often a part of hospice care but can be provided separately.
Mark Beggs, Executive Director of Westminster Suncoast said, “We believe our new specialized partnership with Empath Health will surround our residents and their families in an atmosphere of care and support entirely focused on their needs and choices and keep them in control of their lives.”
Noting the synergy of Empath Health and its community care partners, Rafael Sciullo, President and CEO of Empath Health, said, “We are blending the expertise and compassionate hearts of our care teams knowing that together they will be dedicated to meeting the needs of our mutual patients and their families. If we can ease the journey and bring comfort to those we serve, then we will have accomplished our goals.”
About Empath Health: Empath Health is a nonprofit integrated network of care that provides expert, life-changing health care to those with chronic and advanced illnesses. Empath Health includes hospice, palliative home health and physician services, independent living assistance and day care for seniors, HIV services and advance care planning. Contact Empath Health at 727-467-7423 or EmpathHealth.org.
About Westminster Suncoast: Westminster Suncoast is a part of Westminster Communities of Florida that serves 6,000 residents in 19 active living communities around Florida who are in search of an enlightened, fully integrated, person-centered approach to health and wellness. Since 1954, Westminster Communities of Florida has been Florida’s best choice in active senior living.