Philanthropy | Lifting Our Community: Tidewell Foundation

By Christy Pessemier | August 2023 | Photos Courtesy of Tidewell Foundation

In 2020, Tidewell Hospice announced its intent to create the Tidewell Foundation. This decision was made to help donors better understand the impact of their support for the independent not-for-profit health provider offering end-of-life care for 10,000 patients in the region annually. It was also a necessary step in furthering the reach of Tidewell’s healthcare philanthropy and realizing their mission of “lifting our community.” 

It’s no secret that the Tidewell name is associated with a massive amount of impact in the Sarasota region, with more than four decades of caring for thousands of people—regardless of their ability to pay.

When the Foundation’s Interim President Delesa Morris is out in the community and attending local events, she’s often inundated with stories from people sharing how Tidewell’s care has helped them or a loved one.

“Once I say that I work with Tidewell, they start sharing their stories with me,” she said. “They tell me ‘You took care of so many needs I didn’t know I had,’ or ‘the end-of-life care you gave to my loved one allowed me to focus on my last hours with them. I can’t thank you enough!’” 

This is one of the many reasons Morris is honored to be the new leader of Tidewell Foundation, and she says it is what healthcare philanthropy is all about. 

“What we do is life changing,” she said. 

Since Tidewell Foundation launched in 2020, it’s connected donors with a variety of valuable and much-needed programs in its four-county coverage area that includes Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto. 

According to Morris, this is just the beginning. With a background of over 25 years in healthcare and higher-education not-for-profits, Morris holds an M.S. Degree in Organizational Leadership and a CFRE (Certified Fund-Raising Executive Exam) credential, which is only given to 7,700 professionals around the world. 

She joined the Foundation only a year ago, but she’s thrilled to be part of everything Tidewell Foundation is doing to respond to the many needs that otherwise go unmet. 

“I was drawn to Tidewell for multiple reasons. The first was their mission. I love their mission statement; that they’re brightening the lives of families and residents of communities that Tidewell serves,” she shared. “I also love serving in the community where I live and seeing the impact.”

“I want to lead a foundation team that’s helping transform healthcare through philanthropy,” she added. 

Tidewell Hospice recently merged with Tampa Bay area non-profit care provider Empath Health to form the country’s largest non-profit hospice and home care-based health care organization. Empath President and CEO Jonathan Fleece, who led Tidewell Hospice prior to the merger, explains how they can offer more to the community by combining forces.

“We believe in enhancing access to health care by collaborating with other like-minded community organizations to improve patient outcomes and experiences. Empath Health and our affiliates, such as Tidewell Hospice and Empath Home Health, have close relationships with not-for-profit organizations such as Sarasota Memorial Health Care System.”

Empath partners with State College of Florida for Tidewell’s Nurse Residency Program, enhancing and increasing the quality and quantity of hospice nurses. They also work with regional non-profit Senior Friendship Centers to care for the variety of needs seniors have. Empath also jointly provides primary and specialty care services for the elderly population on Medicaid and Medicare in partnership with MCR Health. 

Though many are aware of the Tidewell name through Tidewell’s hospice care, there is so much more to what Tidewell does, made possible through Tidewell Foundation. Morris wants to increase awareness of their many areas of impact, so more people in the community are served. 

“We want to educate people and make them aware that we don’t charge for these services. They are all funded by grants and donors.”

In 2022 alone, Tidewell Foundation was able to gift back $4.5 million in grants to Tidewell Hospice. Some of Tidewell’s main impact areas made possible through charitable donations to Tidewell Foundation include:

Wishes Fund 

This fund helps to fulfill a last wish before a patient dies. Morris says they’ve granted wishes such as a 78th wedding anniversary party complete with cake and flowers to a 98-year-old woman and two custom Build-a-Bears with voice recordings for nine and eleven-year-old boys whose mother was in Tidewell’s care. At just 40 years old, their mother wanted to continue being present with her children, even after passing away. The Wishes Fund granted her wish by arranging recordings of herself reciting Jewish prayers in Hebrew that the bears would play back when her children held them, giving them a sense of comfort and connection to their mother. 

Blue Butterfly Program 

Free and evidence-based children’s grief support counseling is provided to serve children in the region who have lost a loved one. Every year in the Sarasota area alone, more than 8,000 children lose a parent or sibling. Last year, Tidewell provided grief care to 336 children and their families in the program.

End-of-Life Doula

With specialized training from the End-of-Life Doula Association (INELDA), highly trained End-of-Life Doulas provide emotional and spiritual support to patients and families, walking through the final journey with them. Tidewell currently has 40 End-of-Life Doulas that offer support through vigil planning, legacy work, and grief support for both the patients and families they serve. 

Grief Support Services 

Tidewell offers free grief counseling to anyone in the community who needs it, regardless of whether a family member has been a Tidewell patient.

The list of other impact areas is extensive and shows the massive amount of support Tidewell pours into the community. These range from their end-of-life Cardiac Care Program for heart failure patients, medical services and hospice care for children with advanced illness, an Expressive Arts Program that matches professional artists with patients to experience the healing benefits of art, a Humanitarian Fund to help patients and their families with emergency and non-medical financial relief, massage therapy and music therapy for end-of-life patients, a pet therapy program that provides over 100 trained pet therapists and animals for hospice visitations, and the Tidewell Honors Veterans Program that recognizes the service of veteran patients. 

Many in healthcare philanthropy are feeling the effects of the national shortage of nurses in the United States. Tidewell is responding to this through their Nurse Residency Program, which trains and licenses registered nurses with specializations in hospice nursing.

Another program, the annual Linens and Love drive presented in partnership with Dignity Memorial, provides blankets and bedding to Tidewell patients. 

“Our clinicians are out in the field. You can imagine what they encounter when they see patients in their homes,” Morris said. “We are seeing a trend where patients don’t have linens or a sheet on their bed. It’s heartbreaking.”

Donors can purchase new bedding for patients or donate money to go toward purchasing sheets, pillowcases, and blankets. 

“It’s amazing what a new comforter or sheet set will do to lift their spirits.” Morris added. 

Morris points out that none of these programs would be possible without the immense amount of financial support from donors. 

Volunteers are also integral to keeping all programs successful. Not only are Tidewell volunteers involved in their many programs, but they also keep the Tidewell Treasures resale shops running smoothly, which provides funds to go toward Tidewell Hospice. In 2022, Tidewell volunteers contributed 61,099 total hours in support of Tidewell’s care and programs.

“There are so many ways you can support based on whatever sparks your interest,” Morris said. 

As far as goals for Tidewell’s future, Morris says she wants to grow philanthropic funds, and provide more access to care in the community in the highest need areas. Some of those high need areas are music therapy and mental health counseling. Salaries for these positions are paid through donor funds. 

Like Morris, Fleece is excited about the direction the Foundation and Tidewell Hospice are headed. 

“Healthcare and the community’s needs are changing rapidly, and Tidewell Hospice is a pioneer during today’s transformations,” he said. “Tidewell is constantly innovating to create an extraordinary patient and family experience and enhance its healthcare services, including cardiac programs and others. Tidewell can provide more acute-level care in the home than ever before.”

“We’re here for all stages of care, for all dimensions of well-being, and for all aspects dear to one’s life,” Fleece added.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on giving opportunities, please visit TidewellFoundation.org. For Tidewell Hospice services, please visit TidewellHospice.org.