No change in service as Laurens County Hospice rebranded as VIA Health Partners

Clinton, South Carolina – For more than 35 years, Hospice of Laurens County has served residents of the county, and more recently beyond the county’s boundaries, whether or not patients could pay for their care.
That care will be continue but under a new name, VIA Health Partners: Founded as Hospice of Laurens County.
The Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region (HPCCR) and Hospice of Laurens County announced late last week that they are undergoing a rebranding, but the changes are in name only.
“We remain a very much community-focused organization there in Laurens County to serve its citizens,” said President and CEO Peter Brunnick. “The management didn’t change. We still take all patients regardless of ability to pay or medical complexity. It’s a name change only.”
The Laurens County Hospice was incorporated May 28, 1987.
“It was an organization created by the citizens of Laurens County for the citizens of Laurens County,” Brunnick said.
Hospice of Laurens County remained a small, independent and non-profit hospice providing exceptional care, but by 2016 it was struggling financially. Its mission and non-profit status was a good match for a merger with HPCCR, which for 45 years has maintained its focus to care for and even cover high medical costs for patients through its charity care aspect.
At the time it merged with Hospice of Laurens County in Sept. 28, 2016, HPCCR’s desire was not just to assist a worthy non-profit hospice but also to grow its service.
“We are now serving patients in Newberry, Greenwood, Anderson, Union, Greenville and Spartanburg,” Brunnick said, noting that between the Laurens County branch and Charlotte headquarters, VIA Health Partners now serves patients in at least  32 counties in the Carolinas.
“The Laurens operation is a regional hospice operation now,” Brunnick said. “That was the whole intent when we merged was to strengthen it and grow it. We have invested in personnel, technology and the biggest thing is we want the Laurens County residents to understand is that the best hospice is their hometown hospice.”
The board of directors continues to maintain close ties with residents of Laurens County, and Brunnick said it’s important that the non-profit status remains intact.
“Where the profits from for-profit hospices go to owners, all our moneys go toward our mission and more of our resources to patient care,” Brunnick said. “And all donations to the Laurens County branch of VIA Health Partners will always remain in Laurens County.”
Currently, the rebranding is still new but soon a local-oriented website will enable donations to be made for the benefit of Laurens County patients.