HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC (September 27, 2017) – Hilton Head Regional Healthcare hospitals, Coastal Carolina Hospital and Hilton Head Hospital, each received four Certified Zero Harm Awards at the 37^th Annual South Carolina Medical Association/South Carolina Hospital Association Trustee, Administrator and Physician (TAP) Conference this past weekend.

Established in 2013 by the SCHA Board, the Certified Zero Harm Awards recognize hospitals that achieve 12 consecutive months or more without certain preventable hospital-acquired infections. All hospital data used for the awards is independently verified by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and recognizes the great strides hospitals like Coastal Carolina Hospital and Hilton Head Hospital are making to positively impact the safety and quality of care within their facilities.

“Patient safety is engrained as part of our culture here at Hilton Head Regional Healthcare,” said Jeremy Clark, Market Chief Executive Officer of Hilton Head Regional Healthcare. “Receiving these awards justifies our unwavering commitment to providing safe, extraordinary care to our community. I could not be more proud of the medical staff colleagues and physicians at both Coastal Carolina Hospital and Hilton Head Hospital who make this happen each and every day.”

Hilton Head Hospital received four Zero Harm Awards for achieving 45 months with zero knee replacement surgical site infections, 36 months with zero abdominal hysterectomy surgical site infections, 18 months with zero colon surgery surgical site infections, and 12 months with zero hip replacement surgical site infections.

“Coastal Carolina Hospital is thrilled to have received these awards,” said Joel Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of Coastal Carolina Hospital. “Our team of physicians, clinical and support staff work diligently every single day to achieve the best possible outcomes for our patients.”

Coastal Carolina Hospital was recognized with the Zero Harm Award for achieving 45 months with zero medical/surgical ICU central line-associated bloodstream infections, 18 months with zero colon surgery and hip replacement surgical site infections, and 12 months with zero abdominal hysterectomy surgical site infections.

According to Lorri Gibbons, Vice President for Quality and Safety at SCHA, the award is part of the Association’s efforts to guide and support the state’s hospitals in creating and sustaining highly reliable healthcare. “Highly reliable” care is defined as dependable, high quality and safe care over a long period of time.

“Celebrating milestones, such as zero infections within a given time frame, is a crucial part of our hospitals’ collective journey to highly reliable healthcare,” said Gibbons.  “Zero patient harm is possible only if physicians, clinical and support staff members work together. We’re very proud of Coastal Carolina Hospital and Hilton Head Hospital team members for their strong and shared commitment to patient safety. They are an inspiration to all hospitals across the state striving to provide measurable safety care for every patient,” Gibbons added.