Hospice of Rutherford County, Inc, doing business as Hospice of the Carolina Foothills (HOCF) enabling Agape to pursue the purchase of the HOCF South Carolina homecare program and the Smith-Phayer Hospice Inpatient Unit. Agape Hospice has agreed to continue operation of the hospice inpatient unit under the same Smith-Phayer name, and with intention to expand the bed capacity from 12 to possibly 30 or more. The facility opened in 2009 and is located at 260 Fairwinds Road, Landrum.   

 

“We are very pleased that Agape Hospice continues to be committed to providing quality hospice care for patients in their homes and inpatient facilities throughout the state,” Bob Keith, HOCF Board President stated. “Agape is experienced in providing a full-range of services for South Carolina patients, so we feel confident that this decision is a win-win for the people in the area.” HOCF intends to focus its efforts on the North Carolina service area where the organization began providing hospice care in the early 1980s. The HOCF Board of Directors also plans to take the proceeds from the sale of the Smith-Phayer facility and land to continue to care for people in the three county South Carolina service area, as well as Polk County patients. 

 

Hospice of Rutherford County has served patients in Cherokee, Greenville and Spartanburg counties and operated the Landrum inpatient unit since May 16, 2016 when it merged with Hospice of the Carolina Foothills, formerly Hospice of Polk County. The organization has operated under the Hospice of the Carolina Foothills name since 2017. HOCF also serves patients in Rutherford, Polk, McDowell, and Henderson counties in North Carolina.   

 

Agape Hospice, one of the largest providers of hospice home care in South Carolina and the largest provider of inpatient care in the state, operates an inpatient unit in Lexington and Columbia and is currently building a 30-bed hospice facility in Goose Creek, South Carolina. “The purchase of the Smith-Phayer facility will enable residents of South Carolina to access inpatient and home hospice care throughout the state,” Scott Middleton, CEO and Founder of Agape Hospice. “Hospice of the Carolina Foothills has a wonderful reputation in the Upstate, and we appreciate that the Board trusts us to continue to provide a quality continuum of care in their homes and in the Smith-Phayer facility.” In the coming months, the two organizations will continue due diligence. No staff layoffs are planned, and the goal is to ensure a seamless transition with no disruptions in patient care.   

 

Agape Hospice and affiliated companies care for people through their hospice program, physician and palliative care services, pharmacy, durable medical equipment service, and ambulance service. Agape Hospice has 11 offices in South Carolina. Agape and HOCF share many of the same affiliations as both are Accredited by the Commission for Health Care. 

 

– Submitted by Heidi Owens