Archive for month: December, 2024

The Darlington Progress Team, in collaboration with the Darlington County School District, is actively working to engage students and promote workforce development through programs like Key to Career (Internships), Career Time Tuesday (speaking to 5th graders), and ASCEND (hosting 8th graders at your business). These initiatives are designed to align local business expertise with the educational goals of our schools, fostering stronger partnerships and preparing students for future careers.  A key component of this effort is Career Time Tuesday, where industry professionals present career opportunities across various clusters. These sessions are scheduled at nine elementary schools and represent a fantastic opportunity to showcase the contributions of Florence and Darlington-area businesses to our community’s future workforce. This is a career exploration program with our 5th students.  We are seeking 18 speakers per session, with a particular need for representation in underserved career clusters. Career Time Tuesday – 8:30 AM-10 AM. The program’s format is for us to have a speaker from each field that would engage students for about 20 minutes each. At the end, there would be some activity for the students. Nicki Spears is the contact person for Career Time Tuesday: Nicki Spears – School Counselor nicki.spears@darlington.k12.sc.us

For more information, click here.

Tim Wilson Assistant Director of the City of Florence Parks, Recreation and Sports Tourism was the Florence Chamber’s guest this past weekend talking about what is happening with the City Parks and programs. We encourage you to tune-in every Sunday from 12:00-12:30pm on LIVE 95.3FM in Florence, SC.

This program is brought to you by the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

You can review past ChamberLink Radio Show interviews by clicking https://www.flochamber.com/events-programs/podcasts/

MUSC Health presented its highest leadership award to MUSC Health Florence/Marion/Black River Medical Center’s Chief Executive Officer Jay Hinesley on December 6.

The W. Stuart Smith Leadership Excellence Award is presented annually for meritorious service to a member of the MUSC Health leadership team. The award recognizes leaders who have served as role models for MUSC Health’s values, have been instrumental in enabling the achievement of the strategic initiatives and/or organizational goals, and have favorably impacted MUSC Health’s image and reputation in the community or state.

“I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to MUSC Health Florence/Marion/Black River Medical Centers Chief Executive Officer Jay Hinesley on receiving the prestigious W. Stuart Smith Leadership Excellence Award,” said Dr. Patrick Cawley, MUSC Health chief executive officer. “This recognition is a testament to his exceptional leadership, unwavering dedication, and steadfast commitment to the values and mission of MUSC Health.”

Under Hinesley’s guidance the exceptional team at MUSC Health Florence/Marion/Black River Medical Centers have not only achieved significant strategic objectives but also strengthened the reputation for delivering compassionate, high-quality care. Their collective efforts continue to shape the future of healthcare for the patients in the local communities.

“On behalf of the MUSC Health family, I want to thank Jay Hinesley for his dedication, passion, and extraordinary contributions. This award is a well-deserved recognition of the impact he and his team have made, and I am confident that his vision will continue to inspire us all,” Cawley added.

W. Stuart Smith, vice president for clinical operations and executive director of the medical center, retired from MUSC in December 2012 after 40 years of dedicated service. Smith, who started at MUSC as a hospital administrative resident in 1973, was instrumental in several of the medical center’s projects, such as establishing the first comprehensive strategic plan and the opening of Ashley River Tower in Charleston. He also worked with the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) to improve quality initiatives and patient safety, as well as state legislators to approve the formation of the Medical University Hospital Authority (MUHA).

This week, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a temporary injunction blocking the U.S. Department of Treasury from enforcing the Corporate Transparency Act’s (CTA) beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirement. 

The CTA, which went into effect on January 1, 2024, mandates that companies submit information about individuals who own or have at least 25 percent ownership interest in that company. This information would include their names, dates of birth, residential addresses, and a unique identifying number from a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license or passport, along with an image of the document. A business who did not submit this information would be at risk of fines and criminal penalties.

A lawsuit filed by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) argues that these reporting requirements were a harmful invasion of small business owners’ privacy, as well as a misuse of their time. Additionally, the lawsuit suggests that the CTA is unconstitutional as it oversteps Congress’s powers over the states, improperly mandates speech, and disregards the First Amendment right to anonymous association.

For more information, click here.

HopeHealth welcomes Anna Rhoads, MS, RD, LD, CDCES, a dietitian providing services to patients at the HopeHealth Medical Plaza in Florence and HopeHealth in Manning.

She completed a Bachelor of Science in Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion Concentration in Food and Nutrition from Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS, and a Master of Science in Food and Nutrition Concentration in Nutrition Science from Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL, where she also completed a dietetic internship.