MUSC ranked state’s No. 1 hospital ninth year in row

U.S. News & World Report releases annual national rankings

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Aug. 1, 2023) – MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston was named by U.S. News & World Report for the ninth year in a row as the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina, with two of MUSC Health’s specialty areas ranking among the best in the entire country: ear, nose and throat (#23) and obstetrics and gynecology (#19). 

Twenty-four additional MUSC Health programs are considered “high-performing” specialties, procedures or conditions in the 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report rankings, represented in the following MUSC Health system divisions: 

MUSC Health-Charleston Division (University Medical Center): cancer, gastroenterology & GI surgery, rheumatology, urology, colon cancer surgery, heart attack, heart failure, hip replacement, kidney failure, knee replacement, leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, lung cancer surgery, ovarian cancer surgery, pneumonia, prostate cancer surgery, stroke and uterine cancer surgery.

MUSC Health-Pee Dee Division (Florence Medical Center): heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, stroke, maternity care (uncomplicated pregnancy).

MUSC Health-Lancaster Division (Lancaster Medical Center): heart failure.

MUSC Health-Midlands Division (Columbia Medical Center Downtown): heart failure and hip replacement.

“South Carolinians can trust that MUSC Health, as the only public, statewide hospital system, continues to work very hard to remain one of the best care providers in the country,” said Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., MUSC Health CEO and MUSC executive vice president for Health Affairs, University. “Our care teams across all of our divisions are dedicated to providing the highest-quality and most convenient care possible. I feel honored to know and work with so many talented, skilled and compassionate individuals.”

U.S. News & World Report unveiled its 34th  edition of the Best Hospitals rankings online. Designed to help patients with life-threatening or rare conditions identify hospitals that excel in treating the most difficult cases, Best Hospitals 2023-24 includes consumer-friendly data and information on more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide in 15 specialties and 21 procedures and conditions. 

“For 34 years, U.S. News has provided data-informed rankings to help patients and their doctors find the best hospital to treat their illness or condition,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “Only 12% of evaluated hospitals earned a Best Hospitals ranking. Hospitals awarded a ‘best’ designation excelled at factors such as clinical outcomes, level of nursing care and patient experience.

Fewer than half of evaluated hospitals earned any high performing rating… (these) hospitals have excelled in providing high quality care in specific procedures and/or conditions.”

The U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals methodology evaluated each hospital’s performance using a variety of measures such as survival rates, complication rates, patient experience and level of nursing care. The Best Hospitals methodology factors in data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, American Hospital Association, professional organizations and medical specialists. 

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About MUSC 

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a unique mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates more than 3,200 students in six colleges – Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy – and trains more than 900 residents and fellows in its health system. MUSC brought in more than $298 million in research funds in fiscal year 2022, leading the state overall in research funding. MUSC also leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health funding, with more than $220 million. For information on academic programs, visit musc.edu.

As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Patient care is provided at 16 hospitals (includes owned and affiliated), with approximately 2,700 beds and four additional hospital locations in development; more than 350 telehealth sites and connectivity to patients’ homes; and nearly 750 care locations situated in all regions of South Carolina. In 2023, for the ninth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $5.1 billion. The nearly 26,000 MUSC family members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, students, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research, and patient care.