SC · 46 Counties
South Carolina Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about South Carolina's 95 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in South Carolina?
South Carolina has 95 active hospitals across 46 counties, including 3 Critical Access Hospitals and 17 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in South Carolina?
South Carolina's 95 hospitals collectively operate 16,627 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in South Carolina have no hospital?
10 of South Carolina's 46 counties (22%) are hospital deserts — counties with no hospital facility. Residents must travel to neighboring areas for inpatient care. Source: CMS Provider of Services, RHT Compass analysis.
What is the hospital ownership breakdown in South Carolina?
Of South Carolina's 95 hospitals, 44 are not-for-profit, 4 are for-profit, and 47 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in South Carolina?
4 rural hospitals have closed in South Carolina since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in South Carolina?
The median operating margin for South Carolina's hospitals is -11.8% as of FY2025. 12 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in South Carolina have negative operating margins?
12 of South Carolina's hospitals reported negative operating margins in FY2025, meaning their operating expenses exceeded revenue. Source: CMS HCRIS.
What is the average hospital occupancy rate in South Carolina?
The average occupancy rate across South Carolina's hospitals is 65.1% as of FY2025. Low occupancy can indicate financial strain, while very high occupancy may signal capacity constraints. Source: CMS HCRIS.
💵Grants & Programs
What federal grants are available for rural hospitals in South Carolina?
South Carolina receives 10 active HRSA grants totaling $13.9M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($7.4M), Flex Program ($3.8M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.5M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($1.2M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in South Carolina?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In South Carolina, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $7.4M across 7 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in South Carolina?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In South Carolina, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $3.8M across 1 grant. State offices of rural health apply on behalf of CAHs. Funds flow to state agencies, which distribute to eligible facilities. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in South Carolina?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In South Carolina, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $1.5M across 1 grant. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in South Carolina?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In South Carolina, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $1.2M across 1 grant. Hospitals with 49 or fewer beds that are not Critical Access Hospitals. Administered through state offices of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in South Carolina?
The largest rural health grant recipients in South Carolina are: South Carolina Office Of Rural Health, Inc. ($6.5M); Caresouth Carolina Inc ($2.0M); Primary Healthcare Association Of S.C., The ($1.9M); The Medical University Of South Carolina ($1.5M); Palmetto Care Connections ($899K). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did South Carolina receive?
South Carolina receives $200.0M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $1.0B over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Department of Health Human Services. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in South Carolina?
Department of Health Human Services is the designated lead agency managing South Carolina's $200.0M/year RHT Transformation award. The performance period runs from 2025-12-29 to 2030-10-30. Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the CMS AHEAD model and how does it affect South Carolina?
The CMS AHEAD (All-payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) model is a voluntary state total cost of care program that shifts rural hospitals from fee-for-service to global budgets. South Carolina's $200.0M/year RHT award supports the transition. Hospitals can use the AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead to assess preparedness.
❤️Community Health
What are the key health indicators for South Carolina's counties?
Across South Carolina's 46 counties, the average diabetes rate is 12.4%, obesity rate is 39.0%, and uninsured rate is 11.6%. There are 4.9 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are South Carolina's communities?
South Carolina has 26 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.76 (on a 0-1 scale where 1 is most vulnerable). Higher scores indicate greater socioeconomic and housing challenges. Source: CDC SVI (2022).
What health professional shortages exist in South Carolina?
South Carolina has 447 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 155 in primary care, 95 in dental health, and 197 in mental health. An estimated 13,235,193 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does South Carolina have?
South Carolina has 3,616 primary care physicians (67.3/100k population), 6,569 nurse practitioners, 2,744 physician assistants, and 3,349 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $11,571 with a 16.8% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for South Carolina at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows South Carolina's average county-level rates: diabetes 17%, obesity 39.4%, depression 22.2%, frequent mental distress 17.3%, smoking 16.2%, and high blood pressure 43.2%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in South Carolina?
South Carolina has 299 FQHC sites operated by 23 grantee organizations. 126 sites (42.1%) are in rural areas and 173 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in South Carolina?
South Carolina has 80 HRSA medically underserved designations: 70 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 10 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 51.6 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in South Carolina prepare for the CMS AHEAD model?
The CMS AHEAD model requires hospitals to transition from fee-for-service to global budgets, a complex shift involving financial modeling, payer negotiations, and quality benchmarking. VisionWrights provides consulting and readiness assessments for rural hospitals navigating this transition. A free AHEAD Readiness checklist is available at rhtcompass.com/ahead.
Where can I find comprehensive data on rural hospitals in South Carolina?
Federal data on South Carolina's rural hospitals is spread across CMS, HRSA, CDC, and other agencies. RHT Compass integrates 15 federal data sources into a single platform with hospital profiles, county health dashboards, financial benchmarks, and grant tracking for all 95 hospitals in South Carolina.
How can I assess my hospital's AHEAD readiness?
The free AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead walks hospital leaders through 20+ criteria covering financial preparedness, care model alignment, data infrastructure, and community partnerships. It takes about 10 minutes and produces an actionable readiness score.
See the Full South Carolina Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for South Carolina's 95 hospitals.
Request a DemoData from CMS Provider of Services, CMS Cost Reports (HCRIS), County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, Community Benefit Insight, UNC Sheps Center, USAspending.gov, and HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. Last updated: 2026-03-11.