Home-Care Provider Gets Rebranded, Joins Florence Chamber

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by Ardie Arvidson

All Ways Caring HomeCare is rebranding and to let people know more about its transition it joined the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce. A ribbon cutting was held on Thursday morning at 960 Pamplico Highway.

Formerly ResCare HomeCare, All Ways Caring HomeCare is part of the BrightSpring Health Services.

Molly Hawkins, branch manager, said All Ways serves 11 counties in the Pee Dee area with nine branches in South Carolina. It provides home care in 24 states.

Hawkins said the health care provider offers private-duty, veterans, and community long-term care, as well as disability and special needs care, workman’s comp and family-support voucher care.

She said All Ways joined the chamber to work in the community and let people know it is in the community.

“The name change reflects the transformation of the home care organization which has been providing services for more than 20 years as ResCare HomeCare,” according to an announcement from BrightSpring. “All Ways Caring HomeCare will offer care for more than 20,000 individuals across the country, delivering quality, compassionate and highly individualized care and support that helps seniors stay at home – all while maximizing their dignity, privacy and independence.”

“We are so excited to introduce All Ways Caring HomeCare,” said Rexanne Domico, president of home health and neurotherapy. “As home health care needs evolve, we’re creating the best operating model in the industry to enhance the quality of care we provide.”

All Ways Caring has the capability to offer short-term care, seasonal help and long-term care, Domico said.

“We care about our patients,” Hawkins said. “They are like extended family.”

For more information, contact Molly Hawkins at 843-629-0794.

To read the full article on SC Now, click here.

Florence Chamber to Hear Health Care Speakers at Breakfast

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by Ardie Arvidson

The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce will host a Community Healthcare Update Breakfast on Friday, September 20, at the Florence Center.

The chamber typically hosts two legislative breakfast information sessions each year at which three representatives are asked to speak about what is happening in their area of government, said Mike Miller, president of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

“We do one in the fall and one early spring,” he said. “This time we decided that we would have the program positioned toward our area’s largest business category: medical and health care.”

“The hospitals employ thousands just in Florence County, not including their satellite locations throughout the region,” Miller said. “Along with their growing services, we also have many other medical service providers in the region that are substantial contributors to our employment base. Altogether we have a very large category of employment that has the responsibility of medical services for most of a seven-county area. It seems logical to ask our health care leaders what is happening today that is critical to health care advancement and what does the future hold in each of their respective operations.”

The speakers for the program:

  • Kyle Baxter, chief operating officer at MUSC Health-Florence Medical Center.
  • Donna Isgett, senior vice president at McLeod Health.
  • Carl M. Humphries, chief executive officer at HopeHealth.

Each will touch on what’s new on the health care horizon and discuss today’s trend in area health services.

Doors will open at 7:30 a.m. The program will begin at 8 a.m.

The program is open to the community and all area business leaders. It is being made possible by First Reliance Bank and Signature Wealth Strategies.

Breakfast tickets and registration are $20 per person and available by calling the Chamber of Commerce at 843-665-0515 or by using the registration link on the chamber’s website at flochamber.com/events.

To read the full article on SC Now, click here.

AirMedCare Network Joins Florence Chamber

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by Ardie Arvidson

An air ambulance crew from AirMedCare Network landed its helicopter Tuesday afternoon at the Florence Airport at the FBO station, 500 S. McCall Blvd. for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate AirMedCare Network joining of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber ambassadors showed their support by participating in the event.

Pastor Eugene Park Sr. of Mullins and the Rev. Steven Curry Gallego of Cross and Crown Lutheran Church in Florence spoke and prayed.

Chris Frye is the base manager of the air ambulance medical transport located in Sumter. He said they have been in this area for 3½ years. The medical transport has been in operation for 36 years, he said. The transport has seven helicopters and one airplane in South Carolina. They are spread throughout the state in Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Sumter, Mullins, Charleston and Walterboro.

In Sumter there are four pilots, one full-time mechanic, three nurses and three paramedics, he said.

Frye said they are in the business of transporting people to trauma surgery units to help save lives.

They arrived in Florence in a Bell 407.

Lionel Grant, the membership sales manager for AirMedCare Network, cut the ribbon. He said they have a membership plan where a household can join as one to take care of out-of-pocket expenses when being flown by an AMCN provider. You don’t have to be a member of their plan to be transported by the service. A yearly or monthly fee is charged. With a membership, members of a household receive ID cards and stickers for their drivers’ licenses.

“Their first job is to save lives,” Grant said.

AirMedCare Network is one of the largest air medical membership networks in America. It provides coverage across 320 locations in 38 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.

To view the full article on SC Now, click here.

Barber Shop Celebrates Joining Florence Chamber

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by Ardie Arvidson

Barbers and Blades Barber Shop, LLC was joined by Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce ambassadors for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday morning, denoting its membership into the chamber.

The barbershop opened in April 2018 at 352 W. Palmetto St.

Owner Shkari Deon Ham said his step-father is a member of a chamber of commerce and encouraged him to join, and his cousin, a barber in Hartsville, is also a chamber member.

“I thought it was a good idea,” he said.

Ham said he learned to cut hair at the feet of his grandmother and practiced on his grandfather, starting around the age of 13.

Ham said owning his own shop was a dream of his.

He served in the military before deciding to pursue his dream by attending Thompson & Son Barber College in Florence.

Ham previously worked at Thompson Master Hair Care.

He said he is located on a very business street, where they accept walk-in traffic.

Business has been good, he said.

There are two barbers at the shop other than Ham. Joining in the celebration on Monday were Dion Grant and Robert Tozzi.

Ham said each has his own specialties.

Stylists Jamela Broaddus-Franklin and Vicki Moore were also on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“I was born here in Florence but raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina,” Ham said.

Cuts vary in price depending on styles and services. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Visit the shop’s Facebook page for individual phone numbers and to make appointments.

To read the full article on SC Now, click here.

Ribbon Cut at New Convenient Store in Florence County

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From Staff Reports

With much celebration, a host of supporters and a live radio remote broadcast, On The Go cut the ribbon and joined the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce Thursday morning.

Owned and operated by Johnny and George Rishmawi, the shiny new convenience store is on Alligator Road near the intersection with Knollwood Road.

“We like the location and we thought it was a nice place to put a nice store for the community,” Johnny Rishmawi said.

In addition to gas, a spacious parking lot and other features usually found at convenience stores, there is more.

“Our kitchen is breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day from 5:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.,” Richmawi said. “We cook home cooking country food — fried chicken and pork chops and barbecue ribs and meatloaf. We cook different food every day.”

The store is open 24/7.

To read the full story on SC Now, click here.