South Carolina Hospitals Shine with High Safety Grades, But Room for Improvement Remains

South Carolina: A Spotlight on Hospital Safety Grades

If you’re living in South Carolina, it’s time to take a closer look at your local hospitals! A recent report from The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that’s been diving deep into patient safety and quality care for over 20 years, has just dropped its Hospital Safety Grades for fall 2024. And guess what? South Carolina is doing quite well in the grand scheme of things!

Shining in Safety

Overall, South Carolina clinched the 10th place spot among states boasting some of the safest hospitals. Not too shabby, right? It’s impressive to note that 40.4% of the state’s facilities received an A ranking. That indicates that many hospitals are putting in the hard work to ensure patient safety is taken seriously.

But hang on—let’s not get ahead of ourselves. While it’s fantastic that a sizable chunk of hospitals got high marks, there are still some gaps. Out of the 52 hospitals evaluated in the state, 15 received a C grade, and two were given a D. On a brighter note, no South Carolina hospital scored an F. Phew!

Variety is the Spice of Life

Leah Binder, the President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, mentioned in a press release that “despite improvements seen in this fall’s Safety Grade, significant variation in performance remains across U.S. hospitals.” This just goes to show the importance of consulting hospital grades when you or your loved ones are seeking care. All hospitals are NOT created equal!

How Did They Grade?

So how does Leapfrog come up with these grades, anyways? They grade hospitals based on a variety of metrics surrounding patient safety. This includes how well hospitals prevent medical errors, accidents, injuries, and infections that can harm patients. Specifically, about 30 different measures are used to create these all-important safety grades, gathered from publicly available data. The scores are calculated using patient responses from a national survey post-hospital visit. Pretty comprehensive, right?

Notable Graders in the D and C Category

Piedmont Medical Center – 222 S. Herlong Avenue, Rock Hill, SC 29732
Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital – 606 Black River Rd, Georgetown, SC 29440

And a list of hospitals clasping onto a C grade includes:

Cherokee Medical Center – 1530 N Limestone St, Gaffney, SC 29340
Coastal Carolina Hospital – 1000 Medical Center Drive, Hardeeville, SC 29927
Colleton Medical Center – 501 Robertson Boulevard, Walterboro, SC 29488
Conway Medical Center – 300 Singleton Ridge Road, Conway, SC 29526
East Cooper Medical Center – 2000 Hospital Drive, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Hilton Head Hospital – 25 Hospital Center Boulevard, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
Medical University of South Carolina University Medical Center – 171 Ashley Ave, Charleston, SC 29425
MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown – 2435 Forest Drive, Columbia, SC 29204
MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast – 120 Gateway Corporate Blvd, Columbia, SC 29203
MUSC Health Orangeburg – 3000 St. Matthews Road, Orangeburg, SC 29118
Pelham Medical Center – 250 Westmoreland Rd, Greer, SC 29651
Prisma Health Baptist Easley Hospital – 200 Fleetwood Drive, Easley, SC 29640
Spartanburg Medical Center – 101 E Wood St, Spartanburg, SC 29303
Spartanburg Medical Center – Mary Black Campus – 1700 Skylyn Dr, Spartanburg, SC 29307
Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital – 4070 Highway 17 South, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

Looking Forward

Since Leapfrog first reported its hospital safety grades back in fall 2022, there’s been a noticeable drop in healthcare-associated infections (HAI), which reached a high since 2016. This downward trend is a welcome sign for hospitals and patients alike!

So as you consider your options or if you find yourself needing care in South Carolina, keep those safety grades in mind! They could play a crucial role in ensuring you receive the best possible treatment. Happy health-hunting!