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The Tidelands Health Newsroom

Published on September 29, 2020

Tidelands Health hospitals earn statewide recognition for patient safety

Tidelands Health hospitals have again been recognized by the South Carolina Hospital Association for outstanding performance in patient safety.

Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital and Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital earned more than a dozen Certified Zero Harm Awards, which are given to hospitals that experience no preventable hospital-acquired infections of a specific nature over an extended period.

Tidelands Georgetown Memorial HospitalTidelands Georgetown earned awards for having no infections at surgical sites for knee replacements for two years, hip replacements over 18 months, colon surgeries over 24 months and abdominal hysterectomies over 24 months. The hospital also received awards for having no central line-associated bloodstream infections in the critical care unit for five years and no hospital onset MRSA for 18 months.

Tidelands Waccamaw earned awards for having no central line-associated bloodstream infections in the critical care unit for 88 months and having no infections at surgical sites for hip replacements and abdominal hysterectomies over the past year.

Tidelands Waccamaw Community HospitalAll hospital data used for the awards is independently verified by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

“The Zero Harm Awards are a testament to our team’s commitment to providing the highest-quality care and keeping our patients safe – even as we faced extraordinary challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Greg Nobles, the health system’s director of patient safety and regulatory compliance. “Patient safety is our top priority at Tidelands Health.”

SCHA launched its Zero Harm Awards in 2014 to guide and support the state’s hospitals in creating a culture of “Zero Harm” by recognizing the efforts of the clinicians who work every day to provide high-quality care in South Carolina’s hospitals and health systems.

“Zero Harm is about taking the principles of high reliability and applying them to how we deliver health care in South Carolina,” said Thornton Kirby, president and CEO of the South Carolina Hospital Association. “The fact that the state’s hospitals increased the number of Zero Harm Awards in the midst of a global pandemic is a testament to their commitment to improving care delivery.”

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Tidelands Health is the region’s largest health care provider and MUSC Health affiliate, serving the Carolinas at four hospitals and more than 60 outpatient locations. More than 2,500 employee, physician and volunteer partners work side by side with our communities to transform the health of our region – promoting wellness, preventing illness, encouraging recovery and restoring health.