Hospice of Charleston becomes the Hospice of Charleston Foundation

We have important news to share with you concerning hospice care in the Tricounty community. Effective August 1, 2008, Hospice of Charleston became the Hospice of Charleston Foundation, while our operations became part of Gentiva Health Services.

A key aspect of this new association is that Hospice of Charleston Foundation will maintain ownership of the beautiful, state-of-the-art, 20-bed Hospice House that was opened in 2006 and serves as the only inpatient facility in the region. We will be leasing the facility to Gentiva as it takes over the care of patients. Such an arrangement will leave us free to concentrate on our mission of developing charitable projects to ensure that everyone in the community has access to top-quality hospice care.

This was a very difficult decision for us. Founded in 1980, Hospice of Charleston is the oldest community-based organization in the region providing end-of-life care. Given the increasingly complex, competitive, and regulatory challenges, the board of directors realized that financially we could not continue to provide the quality of care that has set our organization apart from others. While attempts were made to partner with local organizations, it became evident that decisions needed to be made in a timely manner if we were to avoid suspending operations and losing our staff of experienced and loyal employees. With the generous assistance of the Medical Society of South Carolina, we were able to continue operations while working to bring about this association with Gentiva.

Gentiva is the nation's leading provider of comprehensive home healthcare services, serving patients directly in 38 states. With nearly 40 years of experience in home health, they are known for their clinical excellence and innovative services, and are also a leading hospice provider. Gentiva already has a history of caring for South Carolinians, with a presence in eight other locations. The company's President is a native of our state.

In the months to come, we hope you will be as excited as we are about the new foundation and the opportunities it offers. In the meantime, the Board of Directors, all unpaid community volunteers, will be working to more specifically define the mission of the foundation and we will keep you informed of our progress. We also wish to assure you that all your donations will be directed toward the foundation's charitable pursuits.

On behalf of the entire Board, I offer our sincere appreciation for your previous support and assure you that we will continue to strive to provide the best hospice care to those in need. We look forward to your continued patronage and support of our mission.

Anne Summer
President, Hospice of Charleston Foundation