Dear Friends of Empath Health,

Daily in 2022 Empath Health averages more than 22,000 people enrolled in our integrated network of care. We strive every day to serve our communities and also look to how we can provide our Full Life Care to new communities.

In August 2020 the Suncoast Hospice Foundation, a member of Empath Health, launched a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) to better understand the needs of the residents of Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties and especially those living with chronic, advanced, and terminal illnesses. An assessment identifies the strengths and resources available in the community to meet the needs of its citizens. It provides a framework for developing and identifying services and solutions and building communities that support individuals with chronic, advanced, and terminal disease.

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Through the work of an internal task force, the CHNA offered the opportunity for Empath Health to engage and collaborate with public health and community stakeholders. It allowed our staff to identify and understand issues those with chronic, advanced, and terminal diseases face every day. It provided insight into access to comprehensive and quality health care services for those in Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties living with chronic, advanced, and terminal disease.

For the individuals who participated in CHNA thank you for your dedication, time spent and your invaluable contributions. The involvement of many community leaders added considerably to this report.

The findings of this report will be used to develop a measurable Community Health Plan that will address the priority issues and develop strategies to improve the lives of those living with chronic, advanced and terminal illness in Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties as we look at Empath’s future services in these communities.
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