To kick off FCEP’s 50th anniversary year, we asked our most dedicated partners — FCEP/EMLRC Annual Corporate Sponsors, who donate $10,000 or more each year — why they choose to invest in educating and supporting the emergency medicine industry. Read on to learn not only how these companies can support you and your practice, but why they love to do so.

Founded in 1978 in South Florida, VITAS Healthcare is a pioneer and leader in the American hospice movement as Florida’s largest and first-licensed hospice provider. VITAS employs over 11,000 professionals who care for patients with advanced illness in a variety of settings, ranging from patients’ homes, inpatient hospice units, nursing homes, hospitals, and assisted living communities. In Florida, VITAS provides coverage in 80% of Florida counties and cared for a total of 35,094 patients in 2019.

VITAS is dedicated to providing care that honors the patient’s goals and wishes to embrace quality of life near the end of life. They are an integral part of the continuum of care, with teams available 24/7 in person and by phone to help identify and transition hospice-eligible patients directly from the ED to the right care at the right time, and in the patient’s preferred setting.

“All physicians and healthcare providers, especially those whose patients face the challenges of advanced illness or life-threatening trauma, can benefit from a referral to comfort-focused hospice or palliative care,” says President & CEO Nick Westfall. Hospitals whose patients experience timely hospice care enjoy lower rates of in-hospital morality, length of stay, and readmissions, plus lower overall healthcare costs and higher satisfaction scores.

Just as FCEP members are experts in emergency care, VITAS physicians and clinicians are experts in hospice and palliative care. They are eager to serve as sources of updated, evidence-based data and trusted advice for colleagues, providing guidance on goals-of-care conversations and advance care planning decisions, ensuring that the care received matches patients’ wishes and values.

“By establishing relationships and partnerships with (emergency physicians), we can support them professionally, serve as a trusted resource, identify new challenges, and work together to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered solutions,” says Westfall.

This is why VITAS has been supporting FCEP/EMRC since 2014. They participate in various conferences, such as Life After Residency and Symposium by the Sea, and regularly write educational articles for EMpulse Magazine.

“The annual Symposium by the Sea is an opportunity for our team to listen, educate and promote the value and benefits of comfort-focused, end-of-life care,” says Sarah Goldberg, regional director of market development for Central Florida. “The atmosphere is conducive to the free flow of ideas and discussions that get to the heart of shared healthcare challenges and unique-to-VITAS solutions for patients and emergency medicine physicians.” ■

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Company size: 11,649 employees in 14 states and D.C. ; 19,000 average daily census
Located in: Miami, FL
Function: Hospice and palliative care
Founded: 1978
CEO: Nick Westfall
Did you know?: VITAS was established by Hugh Westbrook, a Methodist minister, and Esther T. Colliflower, a registered nurse. Their first patient was Emmy Philhour, who had decided to forego cancer treatments that were no longer effective. “If you will take care of me so that I will not have to go to the hospital,” she asked of Holbrook and Colliflower, “I will teach you what you need to know about caring for patients.” One month later, Emmy died according to her wishes at home.
Website: vitas.com