Regency Celebrates Five Years in Florence
Monday, August 07, 2006
Ida Wilcox said she remembers Regency Hospital as a work in progress during its fledgling days five years ago when it was understaffed and multitasking was a must.
But judging by the jovial atmosphere outside, those growing pains appeared to be a thing of the past on Friday as rock 'n' roll music wafted through the air in concert with smoke from a barbecue grill, all to celebrate the hospital's fifth anniversary in Florence.
Regency Hospital CEO Dan Dunmyer said that five years represents a milestone, where area patients have benefited from the provision of acute long-term care that otherwise would not have been available.
Regency Hospital Company has headquarters in Alpharetta, Ga. Regency Hospital of Florence was actually the first of the Regency hospitals, of which there are 19 nationwide, to go into operation.
"We are excited about this anniversary and to be a part of the Florence community," he said. "We have seen tremendous growth and great outcomes as a result of our work here. Regency meets the needs of a very specific patient population who need intensive critical care, but with therapy and the extra time needed to heal as a result of a medically complex disease or illness."
Wilcox, Regency's business office liaison, said the facility has come a long way during the past five years.
"We have begun to make an impact on the community to the point where we truly do give people their lives back," she said. "We are patient focused here. This filled a niche that was vacant before."
The manner in which patient care is structured also allows staff to provide more comprehensive and focused care than is possible at most conventional medical facilities, Wilcox said.
Regency cares, on average, for more than 1,000 patients annually.
It features 28 beds but an application for a Certificate of Need has been submitted to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control requesting the approval of 12 more, Dunmyer said.
The hospital has been particularly successful at helping wean patients from being dependent on ventilators, just one aspect that has contributed to one of the most profound highlights that medical staff there can hope for — a healthy patient outcome.
There also are big plans for the next five years, Dunmyer said, including an eventual relocation that would place Regency on one of Florence's major hospital campuses. Another is to add additional beds and services.
It is located in a building on East Cedar Street.
"Our mission is to give people their lives back," Dunmyer said. "We see it happen every day, and we feel blessed to be a part of it."
Waud Capital Partners, L.L.C. is a private equity investment firm founded in 1993 and located in Lake Forrest, Illinois. Waud Capital Partners has successfully completed over fifty investments in a wide range of industries, including adhesives, alarm monitoring, automotive components, coatings, consumer products, lighting, medical distribution, publishing, sealants and specialty hospitals.
For more information on Regency Hospital Company and/or Waud Capital Partners visit www.regencyhospital.com and/or www.waudcapital.com.