These are the most unsafe hospitals in SC, new report shows. See if your hospital is listed
South Carolina has among the safest hospitals in the U.S., but they’re not all equal, a new report shows.
The Leapfrog Group — a national nonprofit that has collected and published data on patient safety and quality care for more than two decades — recently released its fall 2024 Hospital Safety Grades. Hospitals were scored with A through F letter grades.
Overall South Carolina ranked 10th among states with safest hospitals, with 40.4% of its facilities earning an A ranking. However, among the 52 South Carolina hospitals reviewed, 15 received a C ranking and two earned a D ranking. No South Carolina hospital received an F grade.
“Despite improvements seen in this fall’s Safety Grade, significant variation in performance remains across U.S. hospitals,” Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said in a press release. “That’s why it’s so important for people to consult grades when making decisions about seeking care. All hospitals are not the same.”
How are hospitals rated safe or unsafe?
Leapfrog grades the safety of hospitals in the U.S. based on how well they prevent medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections that kill or harm patients. About 30 measures are used to generate the safety grades.
The grades are assigned using publicly available data. Measures’ scores are calculated using patient responses to a national and standardized survey following a hospital visit.
Below are the South Carolina hospitals with the worst safety ratings. To view the entire list, click here.
Most unsafe SC hospitals
D Grade
222 S. Herlong Avenue
Rock Hill, SC 29732-1952
Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital
606 Black River Rd
Georgetown, SC 29440-3304
C Grade
1530 N Limestone St
Gaffney, SC 29340-4738
1000 Medical Center Drive
Hardeeville, SC 29927
501 Robertson Boulevard
Walterboro, SC 29488-5714
300 Singleton Ridge Road
Conway, SC 29526-9175
2000 Hospital Drive
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464-3294
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 29204-2098
MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast
120 Gateway Corporate Blvd
Columbia, SC 29203
3000 St. Matthews Road
Orangeburg, SC 29118-1470
250 Westmoreland Rd
Greer, SC 29651
Prisma Health Baptist Easley Hospital
200 Fleetwood Drive
Easley, SC 29640-2076
101 E Wood St
Spartanburg, SC 29303-3016
Spartanburg Medical Center - Mary Black Campus
1700 Skylyn Dr
Spartanburg, SC 29307-1061
Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital
4070 Highway 17 South
Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
Key improvements nationwide
Since Leapfrog reported Hospital Safety Grades in fall 2022, when healthcare-associated infections (HAI) rates were at their highest peak since 2016, average HAI scores have dropped significantly.
- Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) decreased by 38%
- Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) decreased by 36%
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) decreased by 34%
This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
