Chick-fil-A Supply, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chick-fil-A, announced plans to establish its newest distribution center in Lexington County. The company’s $80 million investment will create 165 jobs.

Founded in 2020, Chick-fil-A Supply supplements Chick-fil-A’s distribution network and allows the company to maintain greater flexibility within its supply chain. Chick-fil-A Supply is an innovative distribution service provider focused on understanding and meeting the unique needs of Chick-fil-A restaurants.

Located at Saxe Gotha Industrial Park in West Columbia, Chick-fil-A Supply’s Lexington County facility will help ensure restaurants have the supplies to accommodate customers and will also address distribution complexities such as frequent, high-volume delivery, varied delivery environments and rapidly evolving needs. 

“Our new distribution center in Lexington County provides us with a tremendous opportunity to grow our business and create jobs that will attract diverse talent from across the region,” said Chick-fil-A Supply Executive Director Josh Grote.

“We’re excited to expand our footprint in South Carolina with an investment in the local community that helps us serve our franchise operators, licensees and their teams.”

Operations are expected to begin in 2024.

The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC Health) and national value-based health care company, UpStream Healthcare, have jointly announced their partnership to advance the health and wellbeing of Medicare patients within their expanding network across the state.

UpStream is a participant in the CMS innovation center model known as ACO REACH, an advanced alternate payment model (APM) for physicians in value-based arrangements that requires assuming financial risk for Medicare beneficiaries while committing to advancing health equity, stakeholder feedback and participant experience.

Over 300 primary care physicians caring for more than 30,000 seniors are expected to participate in the value-based model.

The UpStream and MUSC Health partnership aims to improve quality results for Medicare patients across South Carolina by giving them access to a team committed to improving coordination of care.

A goal of the program is to advance health equity for the underserved with a focus on preventive care and managing chronic conditions. The UpStream platform recognizes that primary care physicians have the ability to serve as quarterbacks for their health care system with a unique, proven model known to deliver better outcomes.

Pharmacist-led teams are embedded into primary care providers' practices along with nurse coordinators who perform home visits to coordinate care and ensure patients' needs are met. UpStream has enabled best-in-class technology to support the sophisticated workflows of this care coordination model.

“UpStream will enhance our physicians' capabilities to provide better care for our patients, especially for vulnerable seniors in underserved communities who will benefit from this level of coordination,” said Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., MUSC Health CEO.

“And, importantly, our collective success is closely tied to producing good patient outcomes and reducing avoidable hospital readmissions, which is a win-win for patients, providers and health systems.”

Executive Chef Scott Simka, who leads the dining team at Watercrest Fort Mill-Indian Land Assisted Living and Memory Care, was recently recognized by the Senior Dining Association for his work as both a chef and a mentor.

Simka brings over 30 years of culinary experience to Watercrest, having held executive chef positions in a variety of environments from resorts, corporate yachts, and contract food management before settling into a career in senior living.

“Working in senior living brings comfort. … It's like a memory of grandma and grandpa, or of grandma's kitchen; the feeling of love in the kitchen keeps you driving towards that,” says Simka.

In the dining industry, Simka is well-known for the passion and energy he dedicates to his team members. 

With earlier years spent as a regional training captain and working with Johnson and Wales' experiential learning department, he has developed an understanding of how to create a welcoming environment for his team. 

“I don't have to be the king of the kitchen, everyone else can come first,” Simka said. “Working with teams to empower them to overcome barriers to their success is what drives me and gives me a sense of purpose.”

Simka regularly highlights members of his culinary team on his LinkedIn page, celebrating their talents and achievements as they serve the residents at Watercrest Fort-Mill Indian Land.