STUART — Space Coast-based St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care and Treasure Coast-based Treasure Coast Hospice announced on Oct. 13 that the two organizations are exploring an affiliation. The areas served by the two programs include Brevard, Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties.

St. Francis Reflections was founded in the late 1970s and Treasure Coast Hospice in the early 1980s when hospice care was a volunteer-lead movement searching for better ways to care for people at the end of life. Each program has served its respective communities for more than forty years as a mission-driven, non-profit healthcare organization providing the highest level of quality care to patients, families and the community at large.

“Through an affiliation, our organizations will have the opportunity to achieve a shared goal to provide sustainable palliative and hospice care along with bereavement services for patients and families in the communities that we serve,” said St. Francis Reflections CEO Joseph Killian, CHPCA. “By joining forces, St. Francis Reflections and Treasure Coast Hospice will strengthen our organizations’ ability to expand services and advance care innovation.”

“St. Francis Reflections and Treasure Coast Hospice have the opportunity to dramatically strengthen our combined not-for-profit missions,” said Treasure Coast Hospice CEO Jackie Kendrick, CHPCA. “By working together, our organizations will have the ability to continue to pursue clinical excellence, ensuring that we are prepared to meet the growing needs of our communities.”

Another benefit of affiliation is to improve recruitment and retention of staff during a time of widespread healthcare workforce shortages.

“Our commitment to our employees remains unwavering, and we believe that this affiliation will support continuing education and training and create new opportunities for growth while preserving job security,” continued Kendrick.

St. Francis Reflections and Treasure Coast Hospice leadership teams will continue to work on a comprehensive plan over the coming months with the goal to announce a formal affiliation in early 2024.

St. Francis Reflections and Treasure Coast Hospice employ more than 600 employees, including both clinical and administrative staff. Under the prospective affiliation, each organization will retain its own brand and locations.

St. Francis Reflections serves 3,000 patients annually in Brevard County. It runs two Inpatient Units — one 12-bed unit in Titusville and another 10-bed unit inside Melbourne Regional Medical Center in Melbourne.

Treasure Coast Hospice cares for 4,000 patients annually in Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties. It offers three Inpatient Units with a total of 32 beds on two campuses located in Stuart in Martin County and Ft. Pierce in St. Lucie County.