U.S. News & World Report has named Lexington Medical Center as the best hospital in the Columbia metropolitan area for the fifth consecutive year. Lexington Medical Center was also ranked the second-best hospital in South Carolina.

In addition, U.S. News & World Report rated Lexington Medical Center as high-performing in the following procedures and conditions:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair
• Back surgery (spinal fusion)
• Colon cancer surgery
• Ear, nose and throat surgery
• Gynecological cancer surgery
• Heart arrhythmia
• Hip fracture
• Hip replacement
• Knee replacement
• Pacemaker implantation
• Prostate cancer surgery
• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement

“We’re incredibly honored to be recognized as one of the best hospitals in the country for the fifth consecutive year and the second-best hospital in South Carolina,” said Lexington Health President and CEO Kirk Jenkins. “Every member of our team — from our talented physicians and clinical professionals to all our support staff — plays an important role in caring for our patients and supporting their families. This recognition celebrates our people and their continued commitment to providing our patients and communities with the highest quality care.”

U.S. News & World Report evaluated nearly 4,500 hospitals across 14 adult specialties and 23 procedures and conditions. Only 16% of evaluated hospitals earned a Best Hospitals designation.

“A hospital named among the U.S. News Best Hospitals has demonstrated its commitment to high-quality care, especially in achieving successful outcomes for patients. A Best Hospitals recognition reflects consistent top-tier medical care to its community,” said Ben Harder, U.S. News’ managing editor and chief of health analysis.

The U.S. News Best Hospitals rankings serve as a starting point for patients and families, who should consult with their personal physicians when making specific health care decisions.

To determine the Best Hospitals, U.S. News analyzed each hospital’s performance based on objective measures such as risk-adjusted mortality rates, preventable complications and patient experience. The Best Hospitals Specialty rankings methodology and Procedures & Conditions ratings methodology measure patient outcomes using data from over 800 million records of patient care.

Lexington Health is a comprehensive network of care that includes six community medical and urgent care centers, more than 60 physician practices, more than 9,000 health care professionals and Lexington Medical Center, a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia.

Lexington Medical Center operates one of the busiest emergency departments in South Carolina, treating nearly 100,000 patients each year. The hospital delivers nearly 4,000 babies each year and performs more than 35,000 surgeries.