Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center Honored as ‘2023 Top General Hospital’ by Leapfrog

HARTSVILLE, SC (December 13, 2023) ‒ Highlighting its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality, Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center (CPRMC) was named a Top General Hospital by The Leapfrog Group, one of the most competitive awards American hospitals can receive. The Leapfrog Group is a national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers known as the toughest standard-setters for healthcare safety and quality. Top Hospitals were honored this past week at the 2023 Leapfrog Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C.

“We are thrilled and honored to receive this elite designation and view it as yet another validation of the incredible passion and commitment the Carolina Pines team brings to patient care,” said Bill Little, CEO of Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center. “We aspire to provide the best possible care, experiences and outcomes to our patients and our community, and to be recognized as among the best in the nation is humbling and at the same time, pretty amazing.”

More than 2,100 hospitals were considered for the award. Among those, CPRMC received a Top General distinction. A total of 132 Top Hospitals were selected, including: 8 top children’s, 35 top general, 15 top rural, and 74 top teaching.

The quality of patient care across many areas of hospital performance is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, practices for safer surgery, maternity care, and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year’s Top Hospital Methodology.

“Protecting patients from preventable harm is the cornerstone of The Leapfrog Group’s mission,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center has demonstrated that patient safety is their top priority, and we’re truly pleased to recognize them as a Top Hospital this year. Congratulations to hospital staff at all levels who made this national recognition possible.”

To qualify for the distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey ‒ which assesses hospital performance on the highest standards for quality and patient safety ‒ and achieve top performance in their category. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2023 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.

The honor caps off an exciting year of accolades and achievements for Carolina Pines. The hospital earned a Leapfrog “A” Safety Grade in Leapfrog’s spring and fall ratings of 2023. In July, the hospital was one of 153 nationwide and six in the state of South Carolina to be included in Becker’s 2023 Listing of Great Community Hospitals. Additionally, this summer Carolina Pines’ employed Medical Practice attained recognition as a Patient-Centered Medical Home from the National Center for Quality Assurance, and the hospital earned Gold Seal Approval® Certifications from The Joint Commission for its Heart Failure Program and its Total Knee and Hip Replacement Program.

“We recognize the essential role of our hospital in the Hartsville area and consider it a privilege to serve the friends, family and neighbors in our community who will, at some time or another, be our patients,” said Little. “The honors we receive in doing so are validating, but the real rewards come every day with every interaction that positively impacts the health and well-being of our patients and our community.”

About The Leapfrog Group

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog's other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections. For more, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and sign up for our newsletter.