McLeod Health Hospitals were recently recognized with 2023 Certified Zero Harm Awards from the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA).
These awards recognize hospitals who have an extraordinary commitment to quality of care and who have successfully eliminated some of the most common medical errors in healthcare today.
By pursuing a standard of Zero Harm, McLeod continues to put patient safety first in its mission to provide world-class care to the patients and communities it serves.
South Carolina’s Zero Harm program was created by SCHA in collaboration with The Duke Endowment and The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Health to support statewide efforts to create a culture of high reliability and reduce harm in healthcare facilities. Now in its tenth year, the program currently receives ongoing support from BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and has expanded outside of its clinical focus to touch on other major priority areas like disparities and workplace violence.
The Certified Zero Harm Awards remain the program’s flagship effort. It is a unique statewide recognition thanks to SCHA’s collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC). For each award, hospitals must eliminate or avoid specific preventable hospital-acquired infections over an extended period of time, and that data must be independently verified by DHEC.
This unique third-party verification process with the state health department provides exceptional legitimacy to these patient safety awards and is a testament to the spirit of statewide collaboration.
Certified Zero Harm awards received by McLeod Health Hospitals include:
McLeod Health Cheraw – Surgical Site Infection for Hip Replacement; Pressure Injury; Central-Line Associated Blood Stream Infection – ICU and Medical/Surgical
McLeod Health Clarendon – Hospital Onset MRSA; Surgical Site Infection for Abdominal Hysterectomy, Knee Replacement and Hip Replacement; Central-Line Associated Blood Stream Infection – ICU and Medical/Surgical
McLeod Health Dillon – Surgical Site Infection for Hip Replacement and Abdominal Hysterectomy; Central-Line Associated Blood Steam Infection – ICU and West
McLeod Health Loris – Hospital Onset MRSA; Surgical Site Infection for Abdominal Hysterectomy; Central-Line Associated Blood Stream Infection – ICU and 3East
McLeod Health Seacoast – Surgical Site Infection for Abdominal Hysterectomy and Knee Replacement
McLeod Regional Medical Center – Surgical Site Infection for Abdominal Hysterectomy
“The Zero Harm program is a prime example of a successful partnership between the public and private sector that improves the quality of life in South Carolina,” said Karen Reynolds, Director of Innovation and Acceleration at SCHA. “As medical errors continue to be a major concern across the country, South Carolina has developed a blueprint for reducing avoidable harm in our healthcare facilities that other states can follow.
“Zero patient harm is possible only if physicians, clinical and support staff members work together to support a culture of high reliability. Zero Harm Award winners are an inspiration to all hospitals across the state striving to provide measurably safe care for every patient,” added Reynolds.