Just one Midlands hospital rated among the best in South Carolina in new rankings

The new tower at Lexington Medical Center will open in late March. The tower features new patient rooms, operating rooms and maternity area. Light pours into the new lobby. 3/18/19

A ranking of the top hospitals in South Carolina was released this week, and only one medical facility in the Midlands was included among the Palmetto State’s best.

Lexington Medical Center was recognized as the top hospital in the Midlands, and ranked No. 5 in South Carolina, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Generally regarded as one of the safest hospitals in South Carolina in the biannual Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Lexington Medical Center was rated so highly in the U.S. News rankings because it is considered “high performing” in nine areas.

The top-ranked hospital in the Palmetto State is the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, according to U.S. News. It was the seventh year in a row MUSC was rated the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina, with three of its specialty areas (ear, nose and throat, gynecology, and cancer) ranking among the best in the entire country.

Bon Secours St. Francis Health System in Greenville was No. 2 on the U.S. News list, followed by McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence and Spartanburg Medical Center in a tie for third.

After Lexington Medical Center, Roper Hospital in Charleston, AnMed Health Medical Center in Anderson, and Grand Strand Regional Medical Center in Myrtle Beach rounded out the top eight hospitals in South Carolina, according to the rankings.

Lexington Medical Center was lauded for its performance in procedures and conditions related to colon cancer surgery (as well as gastroenterology & GI surgery), heart failure, heart bypass surgery, heart attack, diabetes, kidney failure, stroke, knee replacement, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Although not included in the statewide rankings, several area hospitals were considered high preforming in several areas, including:

Providence Hospital in Columbia (heart failure, heart attack, kidney failure, hip replacement, COPD)

Prisma Health Baptist Hospital (colon cancer surgery, heart failure, kidney failure, knee replacement and hip replacement)

Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge Hospital (heart attack, kidney failure, back surgery/spinal fusion, and pneumonia)

Prisma Health Richland Hospital (heart failure, heart attack, stroke)

KershawHealth (COPD)

Nationally, the three top-rated hospitals are the Mayo Clinic (in Minnesota), the Cleveland Clinic (in Ohio), and UCLA Medical Center (in California).

The U.S. News list of best hospitals was determined by two criteria:

Specialty rankings for patients with life-threatening or rare conditions who need a hospital that excels in treating complex, high-risk cases

Procedure and condition ratings that focus on specific and more commonly required treatment, such as hip replacement and heart failure, rather than on broader specialties like orthopedics and cardiology

The U.S. News rankings are designed to help patients with life-threatening or rare conditions identify hospitals that excel in treating the most difficult cases, with information on 4,750 medical centers across the U.S.

U.S. News advised readers not to reject emergency treatment based on the rankings.

“Based on your personal health situation, it might make more sense to go to an average hospital that’s closer to you or within your insurance network than a high performing hospital that isn’t,” U.S. News said.

The public is encouraged to consult with a doctor about the best hospital for treatment, and should only use the rankings as a starting point.