“We just couldn’t keep operating that way,” said Jean Eckert, CEO at Hospice of the Carolina Foothills (HCF). “Thanks to generous grants from The Polk County Community Foundation Unrestricted Funds and Timken Foundation, we had $25,000 of the $35,000 needed by September 2012.”

With a few in-house fundraisers and some help from the community, HCF raised what they needed to get equipment ordered and the conversion underway.

CISCO boxes started arriving in the Columbus office on Friday, Jan. 4. On Friday afternoon, Jan. 11, the existing Nortel system’s voicemail component expired. ‘’What a day!” recalls Daniels.

That phone system served us well for 13 years. But it was time to put the whole organization on the same system.”

The new system is now installed and working “minus a few kinks,” says Daniels.

Communication at Hospice of the Carolina Foothills is streamlined between two campuses across state lines.  Anyone can call the Hospice House or the North Carolina office and be transferred to any staff member.

Jean Eckert adds, “That’s the way it should work.  That’s what we planned in the first place because it’s what our patients and their families deserve.”

To reach anyone at Hospice of the Carolina Foothills, North or South, dial 828-894-7000. To reach the Hospice House directly, dial 864-457-9100 night or day, any day of the year.

– article submitted