Welcome Letter

To the friends and supporters of South Carolina hospitals,

In cities and towns across the Palmetto State, you will find a community resource like no other, a South Carolina hospital. It is where lives begin and where they sometimes end. Where illness is treated and medical emergencies are brought under control. Where disease is diagnosed and many times cured.

South Carolina’s hospitals are equal opportunity caregivers.They provide care to members of their communities without regard to race, sex, religion, or ability to pay. They have become a safety net for many, particularly the uninsured, who often have no family physician to turn to or the means to pay their medical bills. Why do hospitals open their arms to communities? The answer is simple. It is their mission to provide accessible, high quality care to anyone in need.

Hospitals contribute to the health of South Carolina communities in ways that go far beyond traditional hospital services. Many efforts focus on early detection and prevention through low- or no-cost health screenings. Free health education classes are offered on topics ranging from childbirth to diabetes management. Safe Kids programs teach parents how to reduce childhood accidents and injuries, the leading cause of death in young children. Hospitals partner with others in the community to provide free dental care, free vision screenings, and in some cases, free eyeglasses.They also partner with schools to make sure children are healthy and able to learn. Reflecting the changing face of South Carolina, programs are evolving to meet the needs of the growing Latino community. This doesn’t include the many random acts of kindness of South Carolina hospital employees.

Until now, no one has ever quantified how South Carolina hospitals benefit their communities. Recently the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) concluded its first ever community benefits survey, a process that took nearly a year to complete. Our goal was to get an accurate measure of how hospitals serve the physical and emotional needs of people within our communities.We were very fortunate in that sixty hospitals, three-fifths of SCHA’s members, participated in this extensive survey. It is with great pleasure that we share the results with you today and demonstrate, beyond a doubt, how healthy hospitals promote healthy lives.

Bruce Bailey
Chair, SCHA Board of Directors
CEO, Georgetown Hospital System

J. Thornton Kirby
President & CEO
South Carolina Hospital Association