MUSC Health Florence Division receives 10 South Carolina Hospital Association Awards

Florence - MUSC Health Florence and Marion Medical Centers have earned a combined 10 South Carolina "Certified Zero Harm Awards" from the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA). These awards are in recognition of the outstanding performance for patient safety and prevention of hospital-acquired infections.

"These awards are a direct result of the hard work and dedication of each one of our care team members," MUSC Health Florence Division Chief Executive Officer Jay Hinesley said. "This recognition further emphasizes our commitment to high reliability and is imperative to ensuring zero harm. I am incredibly proud of the resilience and continued focus we have to provide safe, high-quality care."

The clinically focused Certified Zero Harm Awards remains a unique statewide program thanks to SCHA's collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC), who independently validates the hospital data. While the core focus of the awards remains-that hospitals must eliminate or avoid specific preventable hospital-acquired infections over a period of time-SCHA has modified the awards this year to focus on the prior 12-month period to better assess year-to-year progress. The program has also added a minimum procedure threshold and a new category, hospital-acquired pressure injuries.

"I am extremely proud of the 2021 Zero Harm Awards we received in the Florence Division. While our division has been heavily impacted by multiple surges of COVID-19, these awards make it clear how committed our providers are to providing high quality and safe care for our communities," MUSC Health Florence Division Chief Medical Officer Rami Zebian said. "We work diligently to create a culture of high reliability and safety. We owe it to our patients to provide exceptional care, and these awards demonstrate just how well we work together across all locations to do that."

The Zero Harm program began in 2014 to recognize hospitals that are at the forefront of preventing medical errors, which is a leading cause of death in the United States. Thanks to support from BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, the state's hospitals and health systems have engaged in numerous statewide efforts to create a culture of high reliability and reduce harm in our facilities by implementing robust, evidence-based practices that are making a positive impact on patients and the safety and quality of care.

MUSC Health Florence Medical Center sustained two zero bloodstream infection awards in the Cardiovascular Intensive Critical Care Unit and the Medical Intensive Care Unit. The other two awards are for no Surgical Site Infections in Abdominal Hysterectomy and Knee Replacement.

MUSC Health Florence Rehabilitation Center sustained two hospital-onset awards for no Clostridium difficile (C.diff) and no Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aurieus (MRSA) infections.

MUSC Health Marion Medical Center sustained one bloodstream infection award in the Intensive Care Unit, two hospital-onset awards for no Clostridium difficile (C.diff), and no Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aurieus (MRSA) infections. In addition, it received a hospital-onset no pressure injury award, a new category for zero harm

Media Contact

John Russell
MUSC Health Florence Division Marketing Manager
russeljo@musc.edu
843-674-2953

About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state's only comprehensive academic health system, with a unique mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates more than 3,200 students in six colleges – Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy – and trains more than 900 residents and fellows in its health system. MUSC brought in more than $300 million in research funds in fiscal year 2023, leading the state overall in research funding. MUSC also leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health funding. Learn more about our academic programs.

As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Patient care is provided at 16 hospitals (includes owned or governing interest), with approximately 2,700 beds and four additional hospital locations in development, more than 350 telehealth sites and nearly 750 care locations situated in all regions of South Carolina. In 2023, for the ninth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the Number 1 hospital in South Carolina. Learn more about our patient services.

MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $5.9 billion. The nearly 26,000 MUSC family members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, students, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research, and patient care.