Article and Photo by Terry Ward
Tod Ausberger, President and CEO of Lexington Medical Center (LMC), served as the guest speaker at the Greater Cayce-West Columbia Chamber Business meeting held at Stone River in West Columbia. Ausberger provided insights into LMC’s accomplishments and future plans.
Characterizing LMC as the only local and independent healthcare facility with headquarters on Sunset Boulevard in West Columbia, Ausberger highlighted its status as one of the five largest hospitals in the state. The facility boasts 450 physicians and a daily patient count of 500.
Statewide, LMC holds significant rankings:
- Second in the total number of births
- Third in total inpatient discharges
- Second in ER visits (91,294)
- Fifth in total surgeries
In 2023, LMC employed 7,994 individuals, with 6,940 in full-time positions. The hospital welcomed over 43 physicians to its network in 2023 and plans to hire an additional 49 new doctors in 2024. With close to 1.6 million LMC physician office visits and nearly 40,000 admissions and observation patients in 2023, the hospital is a vital healthcare hub.
LMC operates six urgent care locations, including the newest facility in Cayce, which opened on Jan. 3. In 2023, there were nearly 185,000 urgent care visits, and an estimated 203,000 visits are expected in 2024.
Ausberger emphasized the goal of reserving ER visits for true emergencies and directing care and resources to those in urgent distress. He highlighted the need for more education to guide patients towards urgent care facilities for non-emergencies.
Additionally, Ausberger shared that the USC nursing school, located across from LMC, is expected to be completed by the end of the summer, producing 400 nurse graduates annually. The physician’s training facility at LMC introduced an inaugural class of 26 in July, with a three-year program for medical students.
