Empath Health completes Trustbridge integration, sharpens focus on dementia care. Empath Health has fully integrated with hospice provider Trustbridge after a two-year affiliation and alignment period and is now prioritizing the expansion of its dementia care offerings. The two-year integration process allowed both organizations to confirm their values, clinical philosophy and commitment to non-profit, community-based care, Tarrah Lowry, chief operating officer at Empath Health, told Home Health Care News. "This integration was not about entering a new space or pursuing scale for its own sake," Lowry said in an email. "It was about deepening what Empath already does best by bringing together organizations that believe care should meet people where they are and grow alongside them as needs evolve." Clearwater, Florida-based Empath Health provides hospice, home health care, palliative care, grief services, Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and adult day services, among other offerings. It is the parent company of 17 affiliates and two philanthropic foundations. West Palm Beach-based Trustbridge provides palliative care, hospice care, support services, pharmacy services and durable medical equipment. Lowry previously told HHCN that, through its affiliation with Empath, Trustbridge has expanded its service offerings in certain markets where those services were previously unavailable. Trustbridge was founded in 1978 as two organizations: Hospice of Palm Beach County in West Palm Beach and Hospice by the Sea in Boca Raton. These legacy operations will operate under the name Empath Trustbridge Hospice, with digital and physical branding rolling out in summer 2026. Empath has expanded its home health and home care service areas in recent months, but further growth will be guided by the needs of the communities the organization serves, Lowry said. "What that looks like in practice depends on what someone needs," Lowry said. "Our home health nurses help patients recover and stay independent. Our PACE programs keep older adults in their communities rather than nursing facilities. And our dementia education and day centers reach families navigating one of the most isolating diagnoses they will ever face. Across every program, the goal is the same: meet people where they are, support the whole family and deliver care that reduces fragmentation and keeps them in the place they call home." Following the integration, Empath is prioritizing its dementia care services in 2026, Lowry said. The organization plans to expand its dementia education program for caregivers, clinicians and first responders, continue to participate in the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) model and operate a specialized dementia adult day center in Ocala. In 2024, the organization's president and CEO, Jonathan Fleece, said that dementia services, specifically PACE, were high on his priority list. At the time, he also ranked home health highly on that list. Also in 2026, Lowry plans to unify the organization's veteran services, including its veteran-to-veteran volunteer initiatives, recognition programs and community partnerships. "Across all of this work, Empath's growth strategy remains deliberate and mission-led," Lowry said. "The emphasis is on integration, quality, and community-rooted programs that strengthen non-profit care over the long term, rather than rapid or transactional expansion." Companies featured in this article: Morgan Gonzales is an award-winning reporter and associate editor of Home Health Care News. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina and her master's from the University of Georgia. Her work has appeared in Behavioral Health Business, KFF Health News, Dallas Morning News and U.S. News and World Report. When not reporting, Morgan is usually on a trail, doing yoga, or cuddling with her cats, Ellen and Ocho.

Lowry has been appointed as chief operating officer and interim president of Trustbridge, and Bivek Pathak will assume the role of chief information and digital strategy officer.