American Heart Association honors hospital with Get With The Guidelines® quality awards

Frye Regional Medical Center, a Duke LifePoint hospital and Duke Health Affiliate in Heart, has earned national recognition for delivering advanced cardiovascular care. The hospital received top honors across four American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® programs – heart attack, stroke, heart failure and resuscitation – earning multiple Gold Plus distinctions and Elite achievement awards in 2025.

Frye Regional also received the inaugural American Heart Association Commitment to Quality Award, placing it among only 158 hospitals nationwide recognized for excellence across three or more Get With The Guidelines® modules.

Heart disease and stroke remain the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively, according to the American Heart Association 2025 Statistical Update. National data shows patients experience better outcomes when hospitals follow consistent, evidence-based treatment protocols.

“Frye Regional is committed to delivering the highest-quality cardiovascular care by following the latest treatment guidelines and continuously refining our processes,” said Philip Greene, MD, chief executive officer of Frye Regional Medical Center. “These recognitions reflect our ongoing dedication to providing rapid, lifesaving care and helping individuals across Catawba County and surrounding communities live longer, healthier lives.”

Frye Regional received these 2025 Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards:

• Coronary Artery Disease (Heart Attack) Care – Frye Regional earned top recognition for coronary artery disease care, including Get With The Guidelines - STEMI Receiving Center Gold Plus and Get With The Guidelines - NSTEMI Silver with Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll. This marks the hospital’s 16th straight year receiving American Heart Association heart attack care honors, with 14 of those years achieving STEMI Receiving Center Gold or higher performance and repeated NSTEMI recognitions, underscoring longstanding excellence in rapid, lifesaving heart attack treatment.
• Stroke Care – The hospital received Get With The Guidelines - Gold Plus with Target: Stroke℠ Elite Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll distinctions. These honors come after 16 years of continuous stroke program achievement and demonstrate Frye Regional’s commitment to fast, evidence-based intervention and improved stroke outcomes for the region.
• Heart Failure Care – Frye Regional earned Get With The Guidelines - Gold Plus with Target: Heart Failure Optimal℠ Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll. This comes after 10 consecutive years of top-tier heart failure performance and highlights the hospital’s dedication to improving patient quality of life, supporting long-term heart health and reducing readmissions.

Frye Regional was also recognized with the Get With The Guidelines - Resuscitation Target: CPR designation for excellence in resuscitation care, reflecting clinical preparedness and rapid response, lifesaving care.

Additionally, the hospital received the Mission: Lifeline® Regional Award for its leadership and collaboration with EMS and other healthcare partners to deliver the most advanced care for patients experiencing severe heart attacks.

“These awards demonstrate Frye Regional’s commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, past volunteer president of the American Heart Association and current volunteer chair of the Association’s Quality Oversight Committee. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, Frye Regional can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

National leader in heart care recognition

In addition to the American Heart Association awards, Frye Regional has earned:

• HeartCARE Center™ National Distinction of Excellence from the American College of Cardiology (5 consecutive years)
• NCDR Chest Pain - MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology (11 consecutive years).

The hospital maintains advanced accreditations in cardiac care and consistently ranks among top performers in heart attack treatment, interventional procedures and cardiac outcomes, with additional recognition from Healthgrades, U.S. News & World Report and The Joint Commission.

These national honors reflect Frye Regional’s ongoing commitment to clinical excellence, patient safety and superior cardiac outcomes.

Duke affiliation enhances advanced care close to home

Frye Regional is proud to be a Duke Health Affiliate in Heart, providing patients across Catawba and surrounding counties access to nationally recognized cardiovascular expertise. Through this collaboration, local providers receive advanced education and support from Duke Heart Center’s leading specialists to ensure care aligns with the latest evidence-based practices.

Access expert heart care

For more information or to schedule an appointment with a Frye Regional heart specialist, visit FryeMedCtr.com/heart-care or call 828.261.0009.

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