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COLUMBIA, South Carolina – The Columbia VA Health Care System has been awarded eight Certified Zero Harm Awards for 2023. These awards recognize units with an extraordinary commitment to

quality of care who have successfully eliminated some of the most common medical errors in healthcare today. South Carolina’s Zero Harm program was created by the South Carolina Hospital

Association (SCHA) in collaboration with The Duke Endowment and The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Health to support statewide efforts to create a culture of high reliability and

reduce harm in our healthcare facilities. Now in its tenth year, the program currently receives ongoing support from BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and has expanded outside of its

clinical focus to touch on other major priority areas like disparities and workplace violence. The Certified Zero Harm Awards remain the program’s flagship effort. It is a unique statewide

recognition thanks to SCHA’s collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC). For each award, hospitals must eliminate or avoid specific

preventable hospital-acquired infections over an extended period of time, and that data must be independently verified by DHEC. This unique third-party verification process with the state

health department provides exceptional legitimacy to these patient safety awards and is a testament to the spirit of statewide collaboration.  CVAHCS’s 2023 Zero Harm Awards were in the

areas of Pressure Injuries, Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections, Hospital Onset Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), Hospital Onset Clostridioides Difficile,

Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Hip Replacement, SSI Colon Surgery, SSI Abdominal Hysterectomy and SSI Knee Replacement. In 2022, CVAHCS earned six Zero Harm Awards. “The Zero Harm program is

a prime example of a successful partnership between the public and private sector that improves the quality of life in South Carolina,” says Karen Reynolds, Director of Innovation and

Acceleration at SCHA. “As medical errors continue to be a major concern across the country, South Carolina has developed a blueprint for reducing avoidable harm in our healthcare facilities

that other states can follow.” “We are tremendously proud of our clinical leaders and team members who demonstrate a steadfast commitment to providing high-quality care,” says Rebecca

Strini, Acting Medical Center Director. “These Zero Harm Awards are a testament to the strength and resilience of our entire team.”