Passion and Gratitude
Rion Smith’s efforts to improve healthcare outcomes earn the Healthcare Transformation Award
Rion Smith gives back out of gratitude for what he—and his family—have been given.
Smith is the inaugural board chair of Prisma Health Upstate Foundation, a 501(c)3 launched to raise funding in support of the foundation’s stated mission to “connect grateful patients, corporate partners, visionary organizations, and individuals of all ages to impactful initiatives that change lives.”
But his passion to serve in the role is rooted in something far deeper than philanthropy. “I’m passionate about it because my daughter, Etta, missed a lot of her sophomore and junior years in high school because she was suffering from something that, for a while, no one was able to diagnose,” Smith says.
The arduous journey led the Smith family on a search for answers that never came. Finally, they came to Prisma Health’s Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital, where Dr. Blake Windsor arrived at a diagnosis. Etta was suffering from a chronic disorder of the autonomic nervous system that left her with debilitating fatigue, along with headaches and back pain. “Dr. Windsor is a miraculous person,” Smith says. “He just kept digging.”
Smith says Etta, who is now in college, learned during her time at Roger C. Peace how to manage her symptoms and live with them. “But two years ago, we weren’t even thinking college. She was spending 15 hours a day in bed.”
The experience led to Smith’s involvement in the Prisma Health Upstate Foundation, even though he had no experience as board chair over a philanthropic foundation. “[Prisma] had given my daughter her life back,” Smith says. “I felt like there was absolutely no debating whether I would serve.”
It’s a role Smith relishes. “I’ll be in it as long as I can,” he says. “Because if we’re doing it right, we’re investing in proactive health care that is preventative, whether from a mental- or physical health perspective. It’s quality health care that everyone deserves.”
This year, Smith is receiving the Healthcare Transformation Award for the leadership he has shown, and continues showing, in the role.
“It’s humbling to be honored in this way,” he says. “But I can’t take any credit. I’ve got an incredible team in the board members who’ve joined us. And we’re all backed by a team of professional philanthropists that really do an incredible job connecting grateful folks with an opportunity to make a difference. They’re the ones who deserve the credit.”
Meanwhile, Smith, whose day job is cofounder of Outdoor Sports Marketing in Greenville, continues sharing with the community the pivotal role that health care plays in the lives of every Upstate family.
“The critical thing about philanthropy from a health care perspective is the sheer number of families affected, families that have had their lives positively impacted by Prisma Health,” he says. “We want as many other families to experience that as we can.”
Fast Facts
Cofounder of Outdoor Sports Marketing of SC Inc.
Years in the industry: 35
Favorite outdoor activities: paddling, mountain biking, backpacking
Other charitable work: Triune Mercy Center board, Friends of the Reedy River board