Roper St. Francis Receives National Recognition fo

CHARLESTON, S.C., July 19, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the second consecutive year, Roper St. Francis (RSF) has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best hospitals in South Carolina. Roper Hospital and Bon Secours St. Francis were included in the annual U.S. News & World Report's 2013-2014 Best Hospitals rankings.

"We're committed to raising the bar in healthcare and ensuring our patients get the best quality of care," said Roper St. Francis CEO David Dunlap. "This recognition is encouraging as we push for the best patient outcome, every time. We're humbled and pleased to be included in the list again this year."

Now in its 24th year, the U.S. News Best Hospital list recognizes hospitals that excel in treating the most challenging patients. Hospitals are evaluated in 16 adult specialties. In most specialties, the list ranks the nation's top 50 hospitals and recognizes other high-performing hospitals that provide care at nearly the level of their nationally ranked peers.
Roper Hospital is ranked no. 4 in the South Carolina and is high-performing in the following specialties:

• Cancer
• Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
• Geriatrics
• Gynecology
• Nephrology
• Neurology & Neurosurgery
• Orthopedics
• Urology

Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital is ranked no. 6 in South Carolina and is high-performing in the following specialties:

• Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
• Nephrology
• Orthopedics
• Pulmonology

"A hospital that emerges from our analysis as one of the best has much to be proud of," said Avery Comarow, U.S. News Health Rankings Editor. "Only about 15 percent of hospitals are recognized for their high performance as among their region's best. Just 3 percent of all hospitals earn a national ranking in any specialty."

The specialty rankings and data were produced for U.S. News by RTI International, a leading research organization based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Using the same data, U.S. News produced the rankings.

The rankings have been published at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals and will appear in print in the U.S. News Best Hospitals 2014 guidebook, available in bookstores and on newsstands August 27.

Earlier this year, Roper St. Francis was also named to the Top 15 Hospital Health Systems list, compiled by Truven Health Analytics (formerly Thomson Reuters) and published in Modern Healthcare. The Truven Health 15 Top Health Systems study culled data from more than 300 organizations and singled out 15 hospital systems that achieved superior clinical outcomes based on a composite score of eight measures of quality, patient perception of care, and efficiency.

About Roper St. Francis

Roper St. Francis Healthcare is the Lowcountry's only private, not-for-profit healthcare provider. The 657-bed system comprises more than 90 facilities and services in seven counties. Learn more at www.rsfh.com

CONTACT:Colleen Cooney: 843-724-2879