(The Center Square) — South Carolina was among the top states for its hospitals, according to a new scorecard.
The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit, found that the Palmetto State is among 10 states with the highest percentage of hospitals receiving an “A” grade, following Utah, Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
The report found that 22 of the 51 hospitals evaluated received an “A,” 13 received a “B,” and the remaining 16 warranted a “C.” By comparison, 42 of 88 North Carolina hospitals evaluated received an “A,” while 24 of 79 Georgia hospitals received an “A.”
Based on 30 national performance measures, the latest grades are the first to reflect post-pandemic hospital performance.
“Now that we have pre- and post-pandemic data for patient safety measures, we are encouraged by the improvement in infections and applaud hospitals for reversing the disturbing infection spike we saw during the pandemic,” Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said in an announcement. “However, there’s still more work to be done. It’s deeply concerning that patient reports about their health care experience continues to decline.
“In talking with hospital leaders, we believe staffing shortages are one key reason for the continued decline,” Binder added. “Many hospitals are innovating to help make patient experience better, which is critical because these results are disheartening and unsustainable.”
A South Carolina Hospital Association representative did not respond to a request for comment on the report.
Earlier this year, South Carolina lawmakers passed a measure to repeal the state’s certificate of need regulations for most health care facilities. Proponents said the move, which Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, signed in May, should improve access to health care services.
“This new law protects the citizens of South Carolina by providing more timely, more accessible, and more affordable healthcare,” state Rep. Sylleste Davis, R-Berkeley, said in a statement at the time. “However, we still have work to do. Through the course of our discussions, it became evident that we need to examine the healthcare model in our rural areas and explore new and better ways to make cost-effective healthcare available to South Carolinians. Today is a massive step in the right direction, but our best work is yet to come.”
