For the second year in a row, U.S. News & World Report has named Lexington Medical Center as the best hospital in the Columbia Metro area. Lexington Medical Center is the only hospital in the Midlands that ranked regionally. In addition, Lexington Medical Center was named the second-best hospital in South Carolina.

“Recognition as a Best Hospital by U.S. News & World Report reflects our dedication to delivering advanced medicine and state-of-the-art treatments to promote the health and well-being of our patients and their families. Achieving this prestigious ranking takes years of collaboration and innovation among specialties and providers throughout our organization,” said Brent M. Powers, MD, MBA, senior vice president and chief medical officer. “We are proud of our exceptional physicians, nurses, clinicians and staff for their continued commitment to providing quality health services that meet the needs of our communities.”

U.S. News & World Report also ranked Lexington Medical Center as high performing in treating the following 12 adult procedures and conditions: 

• Back surgery (spinal fusion)
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 
• Colon cancer surgery
• Diabetes
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Hip fracture
• Hip replacement
• Kidney failure
• Knee replacement
• Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma
• Prostate cancer surgery

State and metro area rankings reflect the highest performing hospitals across multiple areas of care. U.S. News & World Report evaluated each hospital’s performance using a variety of measures such as survival rates, complication rates, patient experience and level of nursing care. The Best Hospitals methodology factors in data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, American Hospital Association, professional organizations and medical specialists. 

“For 34 years, U.S. News has provided data-informed rankings to help patients and their doctors find the best hospital to treat their illness or condition,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News & World Report.

The annual Best Hospitals rankings and ratings are designed to assist patients and their doctors in making informed decisions about where to receive quality care for challenging health conditions or elective procedures. For the 2023-2024 rankings and ratings, U.S. News evaluated more than 4,500 hospitals across 15 specialties and 21 procedures and conditions; only 12% of evaluated hospitals earned a Best Hospitals ranking. Hospitals awarded a “Best” designation excelled at factors such as clinical outcomes, level of nursing care and patient experience.