LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (June 15, 2026) – Two ScionHealth hospitals, Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center in Hartsville, South Carolina, and St. Francis - Emory Healthcare in Columbus, Georgia, have been named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2026 listing of “100 Great Community Hospitals.” The annual list recognizes a select group of hospitals nationwide for excellence in community-based care.

According to Becker’s, the Great Community Hospitals list celebrates “the institutions that bring accessible, affordable, high-quality care to patients beyond the reach of large urban health systems. These hospitals, whether nestled in a rural county or at the heart of a suburban community, share a common mission of connecting communities to the care they deserve.”

Carolina Pines, also recognized on Becker’s Great Community Hospitals list for 2025, has earned multiple honors for its commitment to expanding access to high-quality care in the Pee Dee region. Becker’s highlighted the hospital’s nine consecutive “A” grades for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group, which also recognized CPRMC twice as an “Elite Top General Hospital.” In addition, Carolina Pines has earned the ScionHealth National Quality Strategy Overall Platinum Award – the company’s highest award for quality – three consecutive years. CPRMC also has earned numerous accreditations and certifications from Joint Commission, including becoming the first South Carolina hospital to earn a Disease-Specific Care Certification for Sepsis. In 2025, it became the first hospital in its state to be designated a “Purple Heart Hospital” by the Military Order of the Purple Heart. In recent years, Carolina Pines has also expanded access through a new satellite clinic in Pageland, added on-site dialysis services, and launched several health equity initiatives to address social determinants of health.

St. Francis–Emory Healthcare continues to strengthen its role as a leading provider of high-quality, accessible care for the Chattahoochee Valley. The hospital, which celebrated its 75th year in the Columbus area in 2025, has expanded cardiovascular capabilities as Columbus’ only open-heart surgery program, enhanced surgical and orthopedic services with new technologies, and invested in advanced imaging and diagnostic tools. Becker’s noted that St. Francis was the first hospital in Georgia to be designated a “Purple Heart Hospital,” and it recently earned Joint Commission’s Advanced Certification in Perinatal Care, becoming the first hospital in Georgia to obtain that certification. St. Francis’ behavioral health facility, The Bradley Center, was highlighted for its “first-of-its-kind public-private partnership with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to provide 24/7 crisis services, including a walk-in crisis center and a 37-bed crisis stabilization unit.” 

“We are proud to see Carolina Pines and St. Francis recognized on Becker’s list of the nation’s great community hospitals,” said Russell Pigg, President of Community Hospitals for ScionHealth. “Their teams work every day to deliver high-quality, compassionate care that meets the needs of the people they serve. This recognition reflects their commitment to improving health outcomes across their regions.”

Read: Becker’s entire 2026 listing of 100 Great Community Hospitals

About Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center

As part of the ScionHealth network of hospitals, Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center (CPRMC) provides high-quality healthcare services to the people of several counties in northeastern South Carolina. Patients have come to rely on our experienced, skilled staff and physicians to provide them with the highest level of care and compassion. Through the facilities on our campus, including a 116-bed acute care hospital and an adjoining medical office building, we provide comprehensive services with two things in mind: the care and comfort of our patients. Learn more about CPRMC at cprmc.com/about.

About St. Francis - Emory Healthcare

Since opening our doors in 1950, the caregivers at St. Francis - Emory Healthcare have been committed each day to providing the highest quality care in West Georgia and East Alabama. With 376 beds on two campuses, more than 2,500 associates, and 300 physicians, we offer a full range of inpatient, outpatient, and emergency room services, including the only open-heart surgery program in Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley. Learn more about St. Francis - Emory Healthcare at mystfrancis.com/about.