Area health organizations plan merger
February 26, 2020 - Empath Health and Stratum Health System have entered into formal discussions to merge the two organizations into a single entity that will care for more than 6,000 people a day. Empath Health is headquartered in Clearwater and is the parent company of Suncoast Hospice. Stratum Health System is based in Sarasota and is parent company of Tidewell Hospice. Rafael Sciullo, president and CEO of Empath Health, will serve as CEO of the as-yet-unnamed organization, while Jonathan Fleece, president and CEO of Stratum, will serve as the president until the integration is fully completed in January 2023. Then Sciullo plans to retire and Fleece will be president and CEO. The merger has no direct impact on patients at this time, a news release said.