Empath Trustbridge Hospice has established a formal partnership with Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services (JFS) to expand access to end-of-life support.
The partnership with JFS is aimed at improving access to culturally responsive care provided by Empath Trustbridge Hospice’s Tikvah Jewish Care & Support Program. The program provides faith-based support, honors Jewish traditions and holiday observances, as well as kosher dietary coordination.
The two organizations launched the partnership after years of relationship-building and a mutual commitment to honoring the Jewish community through every stage of life. The collaboration with Rales JFS represents an opportunity to build a sustainable model of hospice care delivery that is based on trust and consistent, culturally-grounded care, according to Empath Health President and CEO Jonathan Fleece.
“The partnership with JFS is a reflection of what Trustbridge Hospice and Empath Health have always believed: truly compassionate care means honoring who a person is, their faith, their traditions, and their community,” Fleece said in a press release shared with Hospice News. “Through the Tikvah program under Rabbi Bloch’s extraordinary leadership, and the longstanding social services provided by JFS, together we have built something that the Jewish community can trust, and that trust is the foundation of everything we do.”
Through the partnership, Rales JFS and Empath Trustbridge Hospice provide collaborative end-of-life services and support to Jewish communities. Part of Empath Health, the hospice’s geographic service region spans Palm Beach and Broward counties in south Florida.
Empath Health annually serves more than 100,000 individuals and provides care to one-in-five hospice patients statewide, according to the organization. The nonprofit’s network of programs includes Empath Hospice, Hospice of Marion County, Suncoast Hospice, Suncoast Hospice of Hillsborough, Tidewell Hospice and Trustbridge Hospice. Empath Health’s Full Life Care services include hospice, home health, palliative care, grief support and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), as well as HIV/STI prevention.
Seniors 65 and older represent 22.8% of the overall population in south Florida. Nearly half (44%) of all seniors living in South Palm Beach County, Florida are Jewish, according to research from the Berman Jewish Databank. The number of Jewish households increased by 13% in the area between 2005 and 2018, according to a report published by Brandeis University.
Empath Trustbridge Hospice’s Tikvah program offers services designed to address the spiritual needs of Jewish patients and families spiritual needs.
Important culturally inclusive aspects of the hospice’s program include support and visits from a team of rabbis across the geographic service region, person-centered Shabbat services for patients and their loved ones and meal coordination of kosher dietary needs.
The partnership will allow the hospice’s clinical teams to better address and understand the needs of patients and families, according to Rabbi Marci Bloch, director of Jewish community outreach at Empath Trustbridge Hospice. Block also leads a Shabbat program for the Members of the Shirley & Barton Weisman Delray Community Center, which is part of Rales JFS.
Rales JFS provides a range of programs and services and has locations in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Florida. The nonprofit’s services include food and financial assistance, senior services, behavioral health and family and children’s services. The organization receives support from private and corporate funding, grants, fundraising events and individual donations.
“When a family reaches hospice, they want to know that their loved one’s identity and traditions will be honored,” Bloch said in a social media post. “This partnership ensures that Jewish patients and caregivers never have to wonder if their needs will be understood. Together with JFS, we are creating a path of care that feels familiar, grounded and deeply connected to our community.”
