Gov. Henry McMaster has awarded the Order of the Palmetto to George Rentz, Lexington Medical Center’s 1st president.

The award is the state’s highest civilian honor. It recognizes individuals for extraordinary lifetime achievement and service.

“As the 1st administrator of Lexington Medical Center, Mr. Rentz laid the foundation for delivering the best health care to the people of Lexington County and the Midlands,” said President & CEO Tod Augsburger.

Rentz began in 1968, 3 years before Lexington Medical Center opened. He gave more than 300 speeches around the Midlands to tell community members about the hospital and gain support.

When Lexington Medical Center opened in 1971, Rentz was looking for better ways for the hospital to serve patients and thinking 10 years down the road.

He recruited the best physicians and nurses in the Midlands, bought land across the county in anticipation of future growth. He recognized the need for community medical centers so that patients would have access to health care close to home.

He successfully created a culture based on integrity, good reputation, education and work ethic. His enthusiasm and commitment to caring for the community are still reflected in the hospital today. He retired from Lexington Medical Center in 1988.

Rentz is a decorated World War II veteran. He served as a paratrooper during the Battle of the Bulge and earned a Purple Heart for suffering from frozen feet in the harsh winter cold.

He has also served as a Boy Scout and church leader.

Today he lives in West Columbia and enjoys time with his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.