1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. Stories

Stories

2018 TAP Conference Canceled

Due to the impact of Florence on our state and the pressures that many of our hospitals have faced grappling with its effects, SCHA has made the decision to cancel the 2018 TAP Conference. Our thoughts continue to be with our neighbors in North Carolina and the communities in South Carolina

Florence: The Aftermath

(September 24, 2018 - 11:00 a.m.)Roads and bridges across the Pee Dee remain closed as Georgetown County authorities put more than 8,000 people on alert for possible evacuations this week. Areas set to be impacted by rising floodwaters are making their final preparartions for the possible dangers ahead.State and local

Zero Tolerance Towards Workplace Violence

From 2002 to 2013, incidents of serious workplace violence were four times more common in healthcare than in private industry on average. The scant studies on violence in the industry suggests that hospital staff see it as “part of the job” and much of it goes unreported.Grand Strand Health took

A Quality Life

Indun (Whetsell) Patrick has spent four decades working to improve the quality of care at Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg, SC.Over the course of her career, the role and scope of quality and patient safety work in hospitals have expanded dramatically, and Patrick was at the forefront of many of

SCHA Partners with Healthcare Leaders to Address the Opioid Crisis

COLUMBIA, S.C.— The South Carolina Hospital Association, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, and the South Carolina Medical Association have joined to form the Opioid Risk Prevention Partnership (ORPP), which is designed to advance the conversation among and between hospitals, physicians and other providers, patients and the general public around the

Innovation Aquarium

It’s telling that the first Apple-approved tech store located within a dedicated academic medical center campus is at the Medical University of South Carolina. The store, dubbed Innovation Station, is typical of the interactive-heavy retail Apple shops, but the Station’s offerings extend beyond the Cupertino company’s products and tech services to

Just Culture in Action

Just Culture is one of the foundations of building highly reliable systems. It’s an elegantly simple philosophy—hold systems accountable for how they are designed and people accountable for the choices they make. Underneath that simplicity, though, organizations face a host of challenges, from the difficulty of implementing large-scale culture change

GHS President Named Chair of American Board of Surgery

The American Board of Surgery (ABS), the national certifying body for general surgeons and related specialists recently named Greenville Health System President Spence M. Taylor, MD as chair for 2018-2019.Taylor also currently serves as chair of the Board of Managers for the GHS Health Sciences Center and is a professor

SC Primary Voters Support Medicaid Expansion

Depending on whether you voted in the Democratic or Republican primary in 2018, you were asked very different polling questions to gauge interest on hot-button issues. Republican voters were asked two questions: • Do you believe that voters should have the option to choose to affiliate with a political party when they

CMS Delays Star Ratings Data

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) decided against updating the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings to allow for additional time to assess the methodology and measures used to determine the score, as well as other stakeholder concerns. Typically, the ratings are released in July and December, but no

Call for 2018 Zero Harm Applications

Developing and sustaining healthcare systems that are safe and highly reliable is at the forefront as we journey to improve our delivery of patient care across South Carolina.Over the last decade, South Carolina hospitals have fully embraced this new approach towards improving quality of care and are now a national

Snowbound Steward

As the Medical Director and CEO of a Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, Scott Isaacks is acutely aware of the tremendous sacrifices soldiers make while serving their country. From traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries to orthopedic amputations and visual impairments, Isaacks has seen everything come through the doors of Ralph

Path to Provide

SCHA and The South Carolina Technical College System are excited to announce “Path to Provide,” a scholarship program to expand the healthcare workforce in South Carolina. The pilot program is launching this week at the following technical colleges:• Central Carolina Technical College• Florence Darlington Technical College• Midlands Technical College• Northeastern

It's Hospital Week May 6-12

 National Hospital Week, which occurs in the first full week of May each year, is an opportunity to celebrate the men and women who support the health and wellbeing of their communities. That includes the 92 hospitals in South Carolina, which aren’t just buildings filled with technology and equipment but

The Power of the Checklist

Bobby Rettew, a digital and social media strategist for Gray Digital Group, is a frequent collaborator with the South Carolina Hospital Association. He’s made videos and built social campaigns on issues ranging from recruiting a vibrant healthcare workforce to raising awareness about the signs of stroke.  That professional life collided with