LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. -- For veterans, the end of life is a time when service deserves to be honored and remembered. Ahead of Veterans Day, Empath Health is proud to announce its continued partnership with We Honor Veterans, a program of the National Alliance for Care at Home. Across Florida, Empath Health's clinical teams, volunteers and community partners work together so veterans and their families feel seen, supported and thanked every step of the way.
We Honor Veterans recognizes organizations for their commitment to veteran-centered care, and Empath Health has been recognized at two levels. Trustbridge Hospice, Suncoast Hospice, Hospice of Marion County and Tidewell Hospice have each earned Gold Level recognition, and Suncoast Hospice of Hillsborough and Empath Hospice have earned Bronze Level recognition. Behind every level are the training, partnerships and daily practices that shape how veterans and their families are supported.
For the veterans and families Empath Health serves, honor shows up in many places: at the bedside, in the community and in conversations between people who have served. Across clinical programs, Empath Health:
- Honors every veteran. Veterans in care are guaranteed recognition through pinning ceremonies and certificates of appreciation, whether at a special event or as a personal moment between a veteran and a colleague or volunteer.
- Connects veteran to veteran. Shared experience matters, and it flows through colleagues on the clinical side and trained volunteers who have served, offering understanding to veterans and their families.
- Understands what service leaves behind. Social workers and care teams are specially trained in PTSD, combat trauma and military culture, so support is shaped around each veteran's experience.
- Creates meaningful moments. Teams help veterans in their care apply for and coordinate Honor Flight trips to the memorials in Washington, D.C.
Working alongside the VA, veteran service organizations and community partners, Empath Health's teams continue to expand the ways they honor and support those who served.
Angela Austin, Vice President of Clinical Operations, Empath Tidewell Hospice and Empath Hospice, said, "As a Veteran, I know what it means to be seen for your service. That is why the work our colleagues and volunteers do every day means so much to me. Across Empath Health, they create meaningful connections that honor veterans not only for their military service, but for who they are as individuals. I am grateful for their dedication and for the privilege of serving those who have served our country."
Community generosity helps sustain this work through Campaign United: Heroes, Hope and Home, Empath Health Philanthropy Division's campaign supporting veterans across Florida. Supported by the Hospice of Marion County Foundation, Suncoast Hospice Foundation, Tidewell Foundation, and Trustbridge Foundation, Campaign United helps ensure no veteran faces the end of life alone. It supports recognition ceremonies and military honors, veteran-to-veteran companionship, trauma-informed care, and charitable care so that no veteran is denied services because of an inability to pay.
Those who wish to learn more about Campaign United or to honor a veteran with a gift can visit empathhealth.org/giving/campaign-united.
About We Honor Veterans
We Honor Veterans, a program of the National Alliance for Care at Home, provides help and educational resources that teach respectful inquiry, compassionate listening, and grateful acknowledgment as our members work for America's Veterans.
About Empath Health
Empath Health is a pioneering not-for-profit health care organization redefining health care as Full Life Care. Through hospice, home health, PACE, primary care, palliative care, grief support, and other services, Empath Health helps people and families navigate aging, chronic and advanced illness, caregiving, and end-of-life care with connected support tailored to their needs.
Serving nearly 100,000 lives each year and one in five hospice patients in Florida, Empath Health is supported by local foundations and deep community partnerships that help expand access to compassionate care. Its care programs include Empath Hospice, Hospice of Marion County, Suncoast Hospice, Suncoast Hospice of Hillsborough, Tidewell Hospice, and Trustbridge Hospice. For more information, visit EmpathHealth.org.
