MUSC Health has No. 1 hospital in SC, powerhouse OB-GYN team, many high-performing areas

The latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report show MUSC Health is thriving in its original location and building on that success in other sites. 

How is it thriving in Charleston? 

• University Medical Center ranks as the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina for the 11^th year in a row.
• Its OB-GYN team is No. 16 nationally, out of more than 250 evaluated for the rankings.
• University Medical Center has three high-performing specialties and 15 high-performing procedures and conditions.

Patrick Cawley, M.D., CEO of MUSC Health and executive vice president for Health Affairs, University, called earning the No. 1 ranking in the state an honor. “This achievement reflects the unwavering dedication of our multidisciplinary teams who continually push the boundaries of medical innovation and compassionate care. We remain committed to delivering the highest-quality care to improve health outcomes for all South Carolinians,” Cawley said.

When it came to the national OB-GYN ranking, Donna Johnson, M.D., chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical University of South Carolina, called her team superb. “We have recruited many specialists as well as subspecialists from across the country. We concentrate on almost every aspect of women’s health, and we are working hard to improve care and outcomes for women in the state of South Carolina. While specialized care is important, we concentrate on the personal touch, also.”

High-performing specialties at University Medical Center

U.S. News & World Report’s high-performing specialty areas are a point of pride for MUSC Health, too. Specialty rankings “are meant for patients with life-threatening or rare conditions who need a hospital that excels in treating complex, high-risk cases,” according to U.S. News & World Report. University Medical Center has three high-performing specialty areas this year:

• Cancer.
• Neurology & Neurosurgery.
• Urology.

High-performing procedures and conditions rankings at University Medical Center

Another category involves procedures and conditions ratings. They cover more commonly needed areas to show how well hospitals fare when it comes to procedures and conditions in a full range of patients, not just the most challenging cases. University Medical Center has 15 high-performing procedures and conditions this year:

• Aortic valve surgery.
• Back surgery (spinal fusion).
• Colon cancer surgery.
• Diabetes.
• Gynecological cancer surgery.
• Heart arrhythmia.
• Heart attack.
• Heart bypass surgery.
• Heart failure.
• Hip replacement.
• Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
• Lung cancer surgery.
• Pacemaker implantation.
• Prostate cancer surgery.
• Stroke.

But as Cawley said, MUSC Health isn’t just focused on Charleston. It has hospitals around the state designed to bring care closer to people where they live, whether that’s in a city, town or rural community.

Columbia rankings

MUSC Health has two hospitals in Columbia: its Medical Centers Downtown and Northeast. For the purpose of the rankings, they’re considered a single entity. 

U.S. News & World Report ranked six procedures and conditions in Columbia as high-performing:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.
• Heart arrhythmia.
• Heart bypass surgery.
• Hip replacement.
• Pacemaker implantation.
• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

The fact that heart specialties stood out as high-performers in Columbia was welcomed by cardiologist James “Bill” Phillips, M.D. He’s the chief medical officer of MUSC Health Columbia and has oversight of some of MUSC Health’s other heart and vascular locations.

 

“We’ve got a very well-trained, hardworking heart and vascular team here, and these rankings reflect that. We continue to work hard to expand our services and give patients in the community access to a high level of care,” Phillips said.

“We’ve added physicians across the Midlands in heart and vascular care. And we’ve gone to online scheduling to make it easier for patients to get in and be seen. In alignment with that, we’re bringing in well-trained doctors who have expertise in these areas so that patients have access locally.”

Florence rankings

East of Columbia, in the Pee Dee area of the state, MUSC Health Florence Medical Center also racked up four high-performing procedures and conditions:

• Heart attack.
• Heart failure.
• Kidney failure.
• Stroke.

Jay Hinesley, CEO of the Florence Medical Center (and other MUSC Health hospitals in the Pee Dee area), credited the hospital’s care team for earning the accolades. “This continued recognition year after year reflects the unwavering dedication and clinical excellence of our care teams. I’m incredibly proud of their commitment to delivering the highest standard of care to our community,” Hinesley said.

About U.S. News & World Report rankings

U.S. News & World Report has been ranking hospitals for more than 30 years. Its goal is to help patients and their doctors find the best hospitals for their needs.