MUSC Health Florence Division Receives 12 South Carolina Hospital Association Awards

MUSC Health Florence and Marion Medical Centers have earned a combined 12 South Carolina “Certified Zero Harm Awards” from the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA). These awards are in recognition of outstanding performance for patient safety and the prevention of hospital-acquired infections. 

“Providing the best patient care is always a top priority,” MUSC Health Florence Division Chief Executive Officer Jay Hinesley said. “This recognition is evidence of our efforts to provide consistent, safe health care in our communities and to our patients.” 

The clinical-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), which independently validates the hospital data. The program is also sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, which helps support the work and recognize hospitals for their clinical achievements. These awards are based on real health care outcomes in South Carolina, demonstrating that patient safety and highly reliable care are cornerstones of the state’s hospital community. 

“The Zero Harm program is a significant tool for advancing high-quality health care and a culture of safety in the state’s hospitals,” says Karen Reynolds, executive director of Innovation and Acceleration at SCHA. “South Carolina has developed a blueprint for reducing avoidable harm in our health care facilities by encouraging hospitals to develop a network for communicating and sharing best practices.” 

The Zero Harm program began in 2013 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 four zero bloodstream infection awards in the Cardiovascular Intensive Critical Care Unit, Medical Intensive Care Unit, Orthopaedic/Neurologic Medical Surgical Unit and the Progressive Care Unit. Two other awards are for no Surgical Site Infections in Abdominal Hysterectomy and Drive to Zero Suicide Award. 

MUSC Health Florence Rehabilitation Center sustained three hospital awards for no Clostridium difficile (C.diff), no Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, and no hospital-wide bloodstream infections. 

MUSC Health Marion Medical Center sustained one bloodstream infection award hospital-wide and another award for no colon surgery site infections. In addition, it received a Drive to Zero Suicide Award.