South Carolina Hospitals Achieve Notable Safety Ratings

Columbia, South Carolina, September 14, 2025

News Summary

Recent evaluations by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicate substantial improvements in South Carolina’s hospitals, with eight facilities receiving prestigious five-star ratings for quality of care and safety. Notable leaders include the Columbia SC VA Medical Center and Mount Pleasant Hospital. The state’s hospitals have shown great strides, ranking 5th nationally in overall safety, with 24 out of 51 hospitals receiving ‘A’ grades in recent assessments. Initiatives to enhance care quality and address physician shortages have contributed to this positive trend in South Carolina’s healthcare landscape.

Columbia, South Carolina – The latest hospital ratings from the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reflect significant improvements in the quality of care and safety across South Carolina’s hospitals. In this recent evaluation, only about 10% of hospitals nationwide achieved the highest five-star overall rating, a distinction that eight hospitals in South Carolina successfully earned.

In total, 66 hospitals across the state were rated, with quality measures spanning timeliness and effectiveness of care, safety of care, patient experience, readmission rates, and mortality. Notable amongst these are the Columbia SC VA Medical Center and Mount Pleasant Hospital, which are the only two hospitals in the state to receive perfect five-star ratings in patient surveys. South Carolina now ranks 5th among states for overall hospital safety, with approximately 47.1% of its hospitals receiving an ‘A’ grade.

Among the top-rated hospitals are:

• Columbia SC VA Medical Center (Columbia)
• Mount Pleasant Hospital (Mount Pleasant)
• East Cooper Medical Center (Mount Pleasant)
• Charleston VA Medical Center (Charleston)
• Pelham Medical Center (Greer)
• Prisma Health Greer Memorial Hospital (Spartanburg)
• Roper St Francis Hospital-Berkeley Inc (Summerville)
• Prisma Health Baptist (Columbia)

Additionally, the Leapfrog Group, which conducts biannual Hospital Safety Scores, has released its latest ratings. Three hospitals in the Columbia area achieved the highest marks, maintaining an ‘A’ grade from the previous fall ratings. Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge and Prisma Health Baptist retain their ‘A’ grades, while Lexington Medical Center improved its score from a ‘B’ to an ‘A’. Furthermore, Prisma Health Tuomey in Sumter achieved an ‘A’ grade in the current spring safety ratings.

Out of the 51 hospitals ranked in South Carolina, 24 received an ‘A’ grade, showing progress from 21 ‘A’ grades in the previous evaluations. Notably, no hospital in the state received an ‘F’, although Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill was marked with a ‘D’. The Leapfrog safety grades serve as critical indicators for patients, focusing on serious issues such as hospital errors, accidents, and infections, with patients at ‘A’ rated hospitals experiencing significantly better outcomes in error prevention.

The improvements are reflective of various initiatives, including legislative actions addressing the financial stability of hospitals. In a recent session, South Carolina’s MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina) announced plans to take control of Tidelands Health, which is struggling under a $50 million deficit. Tidelands Health operates hospitals in Georgetown and Murrell’s Inlet and is seeking MUSC’s assistance for financial recovery. MUSC’s involvement would lead to increased ownership in Tidelands Health amidst ongoing negotiations regarding acquisition costs.

To counter the physician shortage in South Carolina, a recent investment of $10 million was allocated to the Graduate Medical Education program. This initiative is designed to retain medical students in South Carolina post-residency by expanding residency programs in critical specialties, addressing financial barriers to medical training, and facilitating a smoother transition for new doctors into local practices.

Overall, South Carolina’s hospitals demonstrate marked improvements in patient care and safety, marking a positive trajectory in the state’s healthcare landscape.

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Additional Resources

• Herald Online
• Wikipedia: South Carolina
• The State
• Google Search: South Carolina Hospitals
• SC Daily Gazette
• Google Scholar: South Carolina Healthcare
• WLTX
• Encyclopedia Britannica: South Carolina
• SC Daily Gazette
• Google News: South Carolina Hospital Funding

Author: STAFF HERE LEXINGTON WRITER

The LEXINGTON STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERELexington.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Lexington, Fayette County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Woodland Art Fair, Crave Food and Music Festival, and Railbird Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like Commerce Lexington and Blue Grass Community Foundation, plus leading businesses in education, manufacturing, and technology that power the local economy such as University of Kentucky, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, and Lexmark. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREBowlingGreen.com and HERELouisville.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Kentucky's dynamic landscape.