The History of Hospice in Charleston

Hospice of Charleston began in 1978 as a grass roots initiative led by a local group of health care professionals, clergy, and citizens who wished to develop a specialized end-of-life program of care that would serve terminally ill individuals of the tri-county area. Incorporated in 1980, Hospice of Charleston, a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, began serving patients and families living with a terminal illness in 1981. As a community-based program, Hospice of Charleston was able to deliver a variety of services tailored to the specific needs of each patient to provide comfort, dignity, and peace with death. By 1985, Hospice of Charleston was widely recognized and had received its certification as a Medicare provider. Between the years of 1996 and 2000, access to hospice services continued to increase, and growing needs in the community were identified. Hospice of Charleston began to prepare for the next phase of its development in order to expand its service capabilities. In collaboration with another similar provider and state licensing authorities, the need was determined for a freestanding hospice inpatient facility. By 2003, fundraising was undertaken, building plans were drawn, and state licensing was obtained. The result was the 2006 opening of the Hospice Center, a state-of-the-art facility whose physical design embodies the true concept of hospice care. The Hospice of Charleston Foundation came to be in 2008, when the Hospice of Charleston Board of Directors made the decision to divest itself of its direct care delivery system. This system was sold to Gentiva Health Services Inc., a well-respected for-profit provider, and is now known as Hospice of Charleston – Gentiva. The nonprofit entity was renamed Hospice of Charleston Foundation and now focuses on achieving our vision a tri-county area where everyone has access to, and awareness of, hospice care. The Foundation continues to own the 20 bed Hospice Center, which is leased to Gentiva. Hospice Foundation relies on contributions and other community support to carry out its mission.