The Spartanburg Regional Foundation in 2024 allocated $808,685 across 17 grantees that are advancing patient care and promoting sustainable health and wellness throughout the community. 

On Aug. 28, the Foundation invited Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System leaders and community partners to celebrate the exceptional level of grant funding made possible by donors across the Upstate. 

“This is a time to reflect on our commitment to projects that have a meaningful impact on our community and patients,” said Polly Edwards-Padgett, the Foundation’s senior director of strategic philanthropy.  

Seven grants went toward hospital projects totaling $474,400, while $334,285 went to 10 community initiatives. 

Funding for hospital-related projects supported: 

• Unite Us referral software that coordinates with community partners to deliver proactive, targeted interventions, tracking the impact on reducing disparities and improving patients’ health. 
• Community health workers in the Northside and Highland neighborhoods of Spartanburg, in addition to Union, in partnership with The Duke Endowment. 
• Healing Arts artists to create and install a mural in the extended stay surgical unit hallways to create a warm and welcoming environment for patients and families. 
• Training for the Center for Pediatrics in the evidence-based model to improve health outcomes in infants and children. 
• Wireless localization equipment for breast cancer procedures to precisely target the affected tissue to pinpoint its location within 1mm, which can enhance outcomes for women. 
• Virtual reality systems to improve rehabilitation of motor function, cognition and movement in pediatric rehab, neurological outpatient rehab and acute care. 
• Completion of a new entrance to the Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home, which will reduce disruption to the Hilltop neighborhood. 

During the event, Jill Greene, vice president of the Post-Acute Division, recalled how generous community support helped make the Hospice Home a reality in 2006. Now, the Hospice Home has an opportunity to enhance the facility with a new bridge and entryway.  

The project, anticipated to be completed in 2026, will alleviate disruption to the Hilltop neighborhood and create a new entrance into the Hospice Home, fostering a peaceful environment for families visiting their loved ones. In 2023, the healthcare system cared for 1,621 hospice patients, 694 of them at the Hospice Home, Greene said. 

“The Hospice Home is so important to our system and to our community,” Greene said. “We are grateful for the ongoing support of the Foundation and everyone involved. This support has made it possible for us to care for these patients and their families in very intentional and compassionate ways.” 

Funding for community-based projects supported: 

• Family Effect: To reduce addiction by providing comprehensive services and support to families affected by substance use disorders. 
• Free Medical Clinic of Cherokee County: To provide free medical care to uninsured, low-income residents of Cherokee County, ensuring access to essential health services. 
• Healthy Smiles: To improve oral health of underserved children in Spartanburg County through preventive services, education and access to dental care. 
• Project REST: To provide emergency shelter, counseling, advocacy and support services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties. 
• Angels Charge Ministries: To provide transitional housing, case management and support services to women transitioning from incarceration back into the community. 
• St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic: To provide free medical care and health services to low-income, uninsured Spartanburg County residents, aiming to improve health outcomes and quality of life. 
• Strategic Spartanburg: To support the work that leverages data and evidence to improve the quality of life in Spartanburg County by conducting research that informs policy and practice. 
• Live Healthy Spartanburg: To support a community-wide effort dedicated to improving the health and wellness of Spartanburg residents by addressing key health issues. 
• SPACE: In partnership with Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, to help fund the rehabilitation of the Upper Chinquapin Greenway for enjoyment of residents of the Hilltop neighborhood in Spartanburg and the Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home. 
• Spartanburg Academic Movement: In partnership with Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, to support Movement 2030 that aims to improve academic achievement and readiness for the healthcare workforce. 

Keisha Gray, chief strategy officer for the Spartanburg Academic Movement, said she is grateful for the Foundation funds, which will help enhance workforce development opportunities for the post-secondary education population.