Colleton Medical Center earns award

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The South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) awarded Colleton Medical Center for tremendous efforts to eliminate medical errors as part of the Zero Harm program on December 3.

Colleton Medical Center’s Surgical Services Department won awards for colon surgery and abdominal hysterectomy and the Critical Care Unit (ICU) was recognized for zero CLABSI (central line-associated bloodstream infection). These awards are indicative of a culture committed to patient safety and providing highly reliable care.

“We are tremendously proud of our team’s commitment to eliminating harm and providing the highest quality of care and patient safety possible,” said Dr. Lawrence Conley, Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Colleton Medical Center. “These Zero Harm Awards are proof that we continue to live our mission statement- Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human lives.”

“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,” says Karen Reynolds, Executive Director of Innovation at SCHA. “As medical errors and other types of harm 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.”

Colleton Medical Center is among 58 hospitals recognized with Zero Harm Awards in 2021. All hospital data used for these awards is independently verified by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

SCHA launched their Zero Harm Awards in 2014 as an effort to recognize South Carolina hospitals that were on the forefront of preventing medical errors, which by some estimates is the third leading cause of death in the United States, with an economic impact that could reach 1 trillion dollars annually. Thanks to a collaboration with The Duke Endowment and The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Health and ongoing support from BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, our member hospitals have continually united on 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.