Arthur Clark, Empath Health’s new vice president of Information Technology, will be implementing a new phone system and improved Wi-Fi for the entire company. He is also preparing to provide the technology necessary to support Empath’s Care Navigation system, which helps patients determine the proper care for them.
By Karen Davis-Pritchett M.Ed., Empath Health Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
PINELLAS COUNTY — Empath Health Vice President of Information Technology Arthur Clark could work just about anywhere in just about any industry. No matter the product or service, most large organizations need someone to lead an IT team and keep data flowing securely between employees and out to consumers.
Clark said he was “living the high life” in his last job, traveling around the country as technical services director for a company that provided information systems and software solutions to colleges and universities. But something drew him back to hospice and healthcare, an industry he left six years earlier.
“All that is great,” Clark said of the perks of his previous job, “but not having a mission you can relate to, there’s a lot to be said about that. Being in a place where you can feel, touch and see your impact, there’s nothing better for me.”
Clark joined Empath Health in October 2021 with more than 20 years of experience in IT operations. The Florida native received his first taste of working in technology while serving in the U.S. Army.
“I always had a little bit of an affinity toward math and science, never really knowing that technology would be where I would land,” said Clark, who is married with three adult children and two grandchildren. “I just got very fortunate and blessed to have met some really good people after my experience in the military and was given opportunities to get into the IT field. I’ve been in it ever since.”
In 2008, Clark joined Haven Hospice in Gainesville. Haven President Tim Bowen stoked Clark’s interest in and passion for hospice and home health care. Clark finished his eight-year tenure as Haven’s senior vice president/chief information officer. He left the company after Bowen took a job in Colorado.
“When I joined Haven Hospice, I didn’t even really know what hospice was,” Clark said. “The leader of the Haven Hospice organization, he basically sold me on the type of care that is provided in post-acute hospice and home health. … Being touched by seeing the end-of-life experiences, it did something different to me. I can’t explain it. To have dynamic leadership like I had when I joined Haven, it put me in a place where everything about hospice just made sense. We have some of those leaders in this organization, too, (President) Jonathan Fleece and (CEO) Rafael Sciullo.”
At Empath, Clark provides vision and strategy for the IT program and is the operational and technical leader responsible for IT infrastructure, applications, and services. He joined the organization after the merger between Empath and Stratum Health System.
Clark’s first order of business is implementing a new phone system and improved Wi-Fi for the entire company. He is also preparing to provide the technology necessary to support Empath’s Care Navigation system, which helps patients determine the proper care for them. The security of patient information also is a top priority.
“Empath Health, from my perspective, is an organization that is on the move,” Clark said. “There is great opportunity all the way around, from what I can see. With great opportunity comes great responsibility. I look forward to contributing to the growth and future of this organization, which is absolutely why I ended up here.”
Learn more about services offered by Empath Health or volunteer opportunities by visiting EmpathHealth.org or contacting Keosha Simmons at (727) 512-9599.
