SC has one of most innovative companies in US for 2026, new ranking shows. Here’s why it’s great

South Carolina’s largest health care system was named one of the nation’s most innovative companies by Fortune, a global media organization.

Prisma Health, a private and nonprofit health organization, was one of 22 health care systems in the nation and the only one in SC to be listed on this year’s America’s Most Innovative Companies list, ranking 292nd out of 300 companies. This is the second year in a row Prisma Health has been recognized.

Each year, Prisma Health serves more than 1.6 million patients in South Carolina and Tennessee. It has more than 33,000 team members, 20 acute and specialty hospitals, 3,166 licensed beds, 490 practice sites and more than 6,400 employed and independent clinicians.

The prestigious award is also presented by Statista, the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. On the list, published on March 25, 300 U.S. companies raked in over $12.5 trillion in revenue over the last 12 months, with a median revenue of $24 billion.

The list recognizes organizations that excel in developing innovative products, streamlining processes and cultivating a forward-thinking corporate culture, according to a press release from Prisma Health.

“Earning this honor again highlights our commitment to innovation that truly makes a difference—for our patients and for the teams who care for them,” said Mark O’Halla, the president and CEO of Prisma Health, in a statement.

According to Statista, being ranked as an innovation leader is a major achievement and is a tangible recognition of a company’s success, ensuring strong visibility within the industry.

“As we constantly advance clinical care with emphasis on access and quality, our focus is making sure physicians, nurses and team members have the resources they need to deliver world-class care in an increasingly complex healthcare environment,” O’Halla said.

Here’s how companies were ranked:

Most Innovative US Companies criteria

Companies are evaluated and ranked based off of these three core principles:

• Product innovation: the process of creating a new product, or improving an existing one, to meet customers’ needs in a novel way
• Process innovation: the process of development and implementation of new or improved processes
• Innovation culture: corporate culture that is primarily intended to promote the development of innovations within the company

Statista assesses a company’s internal and external perspectives on process innovation and product innovation by gathering data through online surveys of industry experts and the company’s employees.

To evaluate product innovation, Statista analyzed both the quantity and value of a company’s patents. The 300 U.S. companies with the highest overall scores were included in the final ranking.

“This recognition reflects a strong culture of innovation across Prisma Health,” said Steve LeBlond, Prisma Health’s chief information and digital officer. “The leadership team has shown remarkable, strategic vision in encouraging this in every capacity, from supply chain to the bedside.”