About Us

History of Welvista

1993

  • Welvista launches with 125 volunteer physicians and 300 patients. Two pharmaceutical partners — Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer — provide medications. BlueCross and BlueShield of South Carolina, The Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust and Robert Wood Johnson provide initial funding.

1995

  • Welvista's volunteer base expands with 75 pharmacists recruited through the SC Pharmacy Association.
  • Searle Pharmaceuticals, Hoechst-Roussel, and Smith Kline Beacham Clinical Labs begin donating their products and services.

1996

  • The SC Pharmacy Association recruits additional 100 pharmacists who volunteer to dispense medications at no charge.

1997

  • Welvista becomes an independent non-profit company.
  • The number of physicians volunteering to treat Welvista patients tops 1000.
  • Eli Lilly & Company begins donating its products to Welvista patients.

1998

  • The first Smiles for a Lifetime pediatric dental clinic in Greenville opens, in partnership with Greenville Hospital Systems, Greenville Technical College and McDonalds.
  • ComCoTec donates on-line services to manage growing prescription demands.
  • The number of physicians volunteering to see Welvista patients tops 1500.

1999

  • Welvista hosts first Starlight & Horses benefit to fund program expansion.
  • The second Smiles for a Lifetime clinic opens in Charleston supported by the Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust and Roper/Care Alliance.

2000

  • U. S. Health and Human Services names Welvista 1 of 5 national Models That Work.
  • Welvista creates an in-house pharmacy, which fills 500 prescriptions at an AWP Value of $55,000.
  • BlueCross and BlueShield of South Carolina make the lead gift to create the Welvista endowment.

2001

  • Smiles for a Lifetime opens its first school based dental clinic in Allendale County.
  • Welvista expands its in-house pharmacy to fulfill growing demand for medications and fills 7,000 prescriptions at an AWP Value of $1,255,768.
  • New pharmaceutical partners Abbott, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Tap Pharmaceuticals, begin donating their products.
  • Eli Lilly partners with Welvista to dispense Lilly Cares Patient Assistance Program medications through the Welvista pharmacy.

2002

  • Welvista renames its endowment the Barone Endowment to honor the memory of founder and long-time board chairman, Dr. Bart Barone.
  • The in-house pharmacy fills 50,246 prescriptions at an AWP Value in excess of $7,000,000.
  • Welvista partners with the South Carolina Free Clinic Association to provide a drug benefit to their member clinics.

2003

  • Welvista serves 11,000 patients with the support of over 2000 volunteer physicians, filling over 108,000 prescriptions valued at $14 million in medications donated by 8 pharmaceutical companies.
  • Glaxo Smith Kline becomes Welvista's newest pharmaceutical partner.
  • Smiles for a Lifetime opens a second school-based clinic in Dillon District Two.
  • Development of the Bart Barone Resource Center begins with initial support from Robert Wood Johnson.
  • Welvista celebrates its 10th anniversary.
  • The Welvista pharmacy named in honor of long-time supporter, William E. Murray.

2004

  • Welvista Pharmacy was expanded.
  • CIC served 14,091 patients.
  • Dispensed prescriptions at a value of approximately $24 million.
  • Novo Nordisk becomes Welvista's newest pharmaceutical partners.
  • The third school based Smiles for a Lifetime clinic was opened in Clarendon County.
  • Access Care technology was implemented as a patient management system.
  • More than $80,000 was raised at Starlight, A Southern Night, 2004.
  • Ken Trogdon received the 2004 Fundraising Executive of the Year Award from the Association of Fundraising Executives on National Philanthropy Day.
  • Mary Bea Trogdon received the first CIC Mary Bea Trogdon Award "to honor future employees who exemplify her caring concern, above and beyond dedication and love of humanity for fellow South Carolinians."

2005

  • Welvista serves 15,453 patients.
  • Dispesed prescriptions, valued at over $17.7 million.
  • Novartis selects Welvista to become its first organization to receive donated medications.
  • The fourth school-based Smiles for a Lifetime center opens in Summerton.
  • Merck becomes a Welvista pharmaceutical partner.
  • More than $165,000 is raised at Starlight, A Southern Night, 2005.
  • Ken Trogdon is invited to participate in the Liberty Fellowship Program Class of 2007, a statewide leadership initiative sponsored by the Liberty Corporation.
  • Welvista creates an Outreach Division to reach patients and providers throughout South Carolina.

2006

  • Welvista's administrative offices and central-fill pharmacy relocates to a larger, all in-clusive space that houses all of Welvista's operations. Pharmacy and offices encompass nearly 9,000 square feet.
  • Welvista partners with MUSC College of Dentistry to allow fourth-year dental students to do their clinical rotations at Summerton Clinic.
  • Ken Trogdon receives The Order of the Palmetto.
  • Jim Clyburn visits Welvista's new facility and realizes the impact Welvista is making in his district and throughout South Carolina.
  • Welvista embarks on a capital campaign.
  • Starlight, A Southern Night raises $186,000 to support programs and services.
  • Welvista serves 14,000 patients.
  • Dispensed prescriptions valued at $30 million dollars.
  • Welvista opens a new office in Greenville.
  • Outreach Division expands into specific regions. Outreach Workers are placed in Florence at Mercy Medicine Clinic, Colleton Medical Center, and Aiken at the Avondale Transition Center.

2007

  • A Hispanic Education project kicks off at Charleston Smiles Center.
  • Billy Tauzin, President and CEO of PhRMA visits Welvista's facility.
  • Outreach Division continues to expand in the lowcountry by placing an Outreach Worker in Roper and St. Francis Hospitals.
  • Dispensed over 142,000 prescriptions valued at over $34 million
  • Lyndsey Graham tours Welvista's facility
  • Francis Marion Partners with Welvista through the ARCH Program
  • Hispanic Parents of Smiles children receive Literacy Training

2008

  • February 2008 - Study by the Office of Research and Statistics (ORS) of the South Carolina shows Welvista has helped reduce both emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalization in South Carolina.
  • April 2008 - Welvista establishes first program outside South Carolina through its partnership with Central Dallas Ministries (CDM) in Dallas, Texas.
  • May 2008 - Welvista announces its second out-of-state partnership in Raleigh, NC, with a pilot program to deliver free prescription medications to the uninsured and underinsured through North Carolina's free clinic network.
  • June 2008 - Welvista launches its first hospital-based patient advocate program in Columbia, South Carolina at Palmetto Health Richland to help enroll patients in Welvista's prescription medication program.
  • October 2008 - Sanofi Aventis becomes Welvista's twelfth pharmaceutical partner.
  • December 2008 - Welvista establishes the Pee Dee Advisory Board to strengthen our impact on the lives of the uninsured the Pee Dee region of South Carolina.

2009

  • January 2009 - Takeda becomes Welvista's newest pharmaceutical partner.
  • April 2009 - Dr. Rudolph Rustin, Welvista's Chairman of the Board, wins the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons National Community Impact Award.
  • June 2009 - Welvista's Patient Advocate Program celebrates One Year Anniversary. The program has enrolled 1800 patients and dispensed 5,672 prescription medications at a value of $1.6 million dollars.
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