Sympathy Brands, which includes Shiva.com, eCondolence.com, Cemetery.com, Jewish Funeral Group and others, recently hired Dr. Amy Schiffman, a nationally recognized expert about aging in place, along with Jonathan Craciun as a client success manager.
In her new role, Schiffman will work to broaden Sympathy Brand’s educational support, seminars, training and resources for families and the deathcare industry. Her primary areas of focus will include adding educational seminars focused on aging in place and Medicare, and creating a library for end-of-life planning resources, including training materials and support for the deathcare industry, along with family-focused tools such as guides, checklists and other resources.
Previously, Schiffman served as the chief medical officer at a Jewish human services agency, where she managed all aging-in-place services, including hospice, private duty/homecare, care coordination and the Holocaust Survivor Program. Prior to that, she served as an emergency physician, started a Medicare home-based primary care practice and worked as a medical director at two hospices.
Schiffman is both a board-certified emergency medicine physician with a medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine and a certified hospice medical director. She holds a graduate degree in public health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an undergraduate degree earned from the University of Pennsylvania.
Said Schiffman about her new role: “I am excited to be a part of Sympathy Brands and to bring new and innovative resources to educate on aging. Aging in place is a confusing and challenging topic, and it is exciting that Sympathy Brands is furthering the connection between families and the deathcare industry with this new curriculum.”
In his new role as client success manager, Craciun will focus on supporting funeral home and cemetery clients from onboarding through ongoing training and support of the company’s family-focused integrated products and services. This includes Viewneral, premium streaming services, automated aftercare, seminar services, service folders and prayer cards. In addition, he will use his experience to expand the company’s educational seminars and articles.
Previously, Craciun served as both a location manager and funeral director for more than seven years at Craciun Funeral Homes in the greater Cleveland, Ohio, area prior to moving into a sales role for several years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowling Green State University.
“I am excited to join a team focused on helping the deathcare industry continue to enhance family care. The overlap of industry services and strong consumer brands like eCondolence.com and shiva.com are a unique approach to help meet families where they are,” said Craciun. sympathybrands.com