Survey gives CMH a 'B'

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A survey that once labeled Clarendon Memorial Hospital with an "F" reported Wednesday a vastly improved grade. The Leapfrog Hospital Survey gave CMH a 'B,' according to CEO Richard Stokes. "The Leapfrog Hospital Survey is one standard for comparing a hospital's performance on the national standards of safety, quality and efficiency that are most relevant to consumers and purchasers of care," Stokes said. Leapfrog, a coalition of public and private purchasers of health insurance benefits, specifically looks at performance in "terms of infection rates, medical error, injuries and medication misfires," according to a release from the survey, which in December 2012 presented Clarendon Memorial on a list of 25 hospitals with failing grades. "That was a huge wake-up call for us," Stokes said. "We have since focused much of our attention on improving the quality of care we provide and how we document that care. Working with our staff and medical providers, our efforts have paid off." Stokes said the grades have been moved up progressively to the current 'B.' "Every patient that comes to us for care can be assured that patient care is our top priority," Stokes noted. Nearby hospitals fared the same, with Tuomey Regional Medical Center in Sumter getting a 'B,' McLeod Regional in Florence getting an 'A," and Carolinas Hospital System in Florence getting a "B," while Regional Medical Center of Orangeburg and Calhoun getting a "C." The worst performing hospitals in South Carolina included Kershaw Health Medical Center in Camden, an "F," GHS Laurence County Memorial Hospital, a "D," Beaufort Memorial Hospital, a "D," and Conway Medical Center, a "D."