Where we came from….
We began to hear about the concept of hospice in the mid-80s. The first effort at creating a hospice in Dothan was lead by Mary Lucy Floyd and Father Leo Blanchet. The original hospice was named Helping Hands Hospice. Due to lack of knowledge about running a hospice, that effort struggled.
The hospice soon became a department at Southeast Alabama Medical Center and was known as Southeast Hospice. The hospice continued to struggle, and in 1990, became a separate entity known as Wiregrass Hospice. Both area hospitals provided funding support, and Mary Julia Lee brought her vision and drive. Mrs. Lee, along with Father Leo, Dr. Paul Adams, and Mike Bailey, served on the initial board of directors. In 1994, the board hired Ray Shrout as Executive Director, and John Edge joined the board of directors.
How we got where we are today….
Medicare reimbursement is designed for a hospice with approximately 70 patients to break even. The hospice had no control over the amount of payments and never billed a patient or family. Wiregrass Hospice grew rapidly, and in 2003 had a census of 1000 patients and offices in 19 cities in 3 states.
By that time, the board was comprised of Mary Julia Lee, Dr. Paul Adams, Dr. John Dunn, John Edge, Addie McKinzie, Keith Granger, and Steve McCarroll. David Johnston joined the board in 2005. With the hospice continuing to grow, the board had to ask itself some difficult questions. With over 600 employees, $45 million in revenue, spread over a huge area, and still operating with the same management team, changes would need to be made to manage the huge responsibility.
Later in 2005, after a great deal of discussion and due diligence, the board entered into an agreement to sell the hospice to an Atlanta-based company, Healthfield Group, Inc. In September of 2005, the proceeds from the sale of the hospice were transferred to Wiregrass Foundation. The hospice board was elected as the founding board of the foundation, and John Edge became President/Chairman of the board. Mr. Edge remained in that position until January 1, 2007, when Vince Edge assumed the role of President. As of December 31, 2007, the foundation had net assets of over $105 million.
What have we done so far and where are we going?
To date, the foundation has awarded over 90 grants totaling over $5 million. The grants covered each of the areas of our mission….education, health, and quality of life. Going forward, the foundation should make grants totally $4 to 5 million per year. With reasonable performance in the financial markets, the foundation should be perpetual. Done correctly, the foundation should make a significant, long term impact on the Wiregrass area.
Adapted from presentation by John Edge to the Tuesday Rotary Club 11/29/05
