We as a community are truly indebted to the founders of this special organization. They had the foresight to recognize they were on the brink of an important national movement. Many of those early decisions have guided this organization and have resulted in making it the strong program that it is today. First, Hospice & Palliative Care of the Piedmont has remained focused and mission-driven. The mission has always been paramount: Enriching life for those with advanced illness. In addition, the organization has remained focused on our community. Hospice & Palliative Care of the Piedmont has been led and supported by members of the local communities we serve. Over the last 40 years, our organization has evolved and grown but those two principles have remained constant.
We are thankful for the support of our physicians and medical communities, our volunteers, employees, donors and our leaders. We pay tribute to more than 10,000 families that have been served by our hospice.
We look toward the future with great optimism in spite of the challenges ahead. Appropriately, we look back over some of the achievements over the past 40 years:
1981
Hospice & Palliative Care of the Piedmont (then Hospice of Greenwood) accepts first patient.
First volunteer training class of 12 was held.
1985
Licensed by the state of South Carolina.
1989
Hospice of Greenwood became financially independent from Self Memorial Hospital.
Medicare licenser and Civil Rights compliance were in place.
Nancy Corley was hired as the Executive Director.
1991
Board of Directors voted to expand services to include Saluda County.
1992
First annual Festival of Trees.
1993
Name was changed to HospiceCare of the Piedmont to reflect the region served.
1995
Applied to DHEC for a Certificate of Need to operate a home health program to serve the terminally ill.
Nancy Corley, Executive Director, was elected as the first South Carolina President for the two-state association, Hospice for the Carolinas.
HospiceCare was approved as Medicaid provider.
1996
First children’s bereavement camp was offered with over 30 kids in attendance.
HomeCare program was licensed.
1998
Office was moved to current West Alexander location.
2000
A record number of 339 patients were served.
2004
Ground breaking for 15-bed Hospice House (only the second in SC).
2005
Hospice House alone served 246 patients in the first year of operation.
The Palliative Care Clinic was established as a patient care service between Self Regional Healthcare and Hospice & Palliative Care of the Piedmont.
2008
Hospice Store in Greenwood opened.
Palliative Care Medical Service was formed between Self Regional Healthcare and Hospice & Palliative Care of the Piedmont.
2010
Hospice Store in Abbeville opened.
2011
Hospice & Palliative Care of the Piedmont celebrates 30 years.
2014
Hospice & Pallaitive Care of the Piedmont relocates the Hospice Store in Abbeville.
2015
Hospice & Palliative Care of the Piedmont built a new Hospice Store in Greenwood.
2018
Name was changed to Hospice & Palliative Care of the Piedmont to encompass the services we provide.
A community Palliative Care Center in the building adjacent to the Hospice Administrative office opened.
Hospice Care Foundation of the Piedmont was formed in 2018.
2022
Charlene Kish was hired as Executive Director.