Frye Regional earns top heart attack care award for 12th year

Frye Regional Medical Center has earned the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain-MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2026, marking the hospital’s 12th consecutive year receiving the program’s highest honor.

Frye Regional, a Duke LifePoint hospital and Duke Health affiliate in Heart, is one of 29 hospitals in North Carolina to earn the Platinum distinction this year.

The award recognizes the hospital’s continued commitment to evidence-based treatment for patients experiencing heart attacks.

To earn the recognition, Frye Regional demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain-MI Registry during 2024 and 2025 while meeting the registry’s highest performance standards based on American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

Participation in the registry allows hospitals to evaluate performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and measure adherence to evidence-based treatment guidelines.

“We are proud to present Frye Regional with the Platinum Performance Achievement Award in recognition of its national leadership and steadfast commitment to meeting comprehensive performance measures in patient care,” said Leslie L. Davis, PhD, ANP-BC, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee. “Frye Regional’s achievement reflects its ongoing focus on providing high-quality, guideline-driven care for patients who experience a heart attack and helping ensure they receive exceptional cardiovascular care.”

John Morrison, MD, FACC, an interventional cardiologist at Frye Regional Medical Center, said the recognition reflects years of work to provide timely and coordinated cardiovascular care.

“When someone experiences a heart attack, every minute matters,” Morrison said. “This recognition reflects the expertise, coordination and dedication of our cardiovascular team. Patients in our region can trust that they have access to nationally recognized heart care close to home when they need it most.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 800,000 Americans experience a heart attack each year. Timely treatment can include restoring blood flow to the heart, administering appropriate medications, and connecting patients with resources such as smoking cessation support and cardiac rehabilitation.

Frye Regional officials said the 12-year run of Platinum recognition reflects the hospital’s long-term focus on cardiovascular care.

“Receiving this recognition for the 12th consecutive year reflects the consistency and commitment of our cardiovascular team,” said Lindy White, MBA, FABC, chief executive officer of Frye Regional Medical Center. “From emergency response through recovery and rehabilitation, our physicians, nurses and clinical staff work together to deliver exceptional cardiovascular care and improve outcomes for the communities we serve.”

The Platinum Award is the latest in a series of cardiovascular recognitions for Frye Regional. The hospital recently earned the American College of Cardiology’s HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence for the sixth consecutive year, along with American Heart Association quality achievement awards for heart failure and resuscitation care.

Frye Regional is a Duke Health affiliate in Heart. Through the collaboration, care providers receive advanced education from Duke Heart Center specialists on cardiovascular clinical practice guidelines.

For more information about Frye Regional’s cardiovascular services or to schedule an appointment, visit FryeMedCtr.com/heart-care or call 828-261-0009.

— AKC