Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory Immediate Jeopardy status removed; hospital in compliance

Frye Regional Medical Center is in compliance with Medicaid and Medicare requirements for participation, removing an Immediate Jeopardy designation from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that could have threatened the hospital's ability to receive federal and state funding.

In January, after a visit by state surveyors with the N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation, the hospital was given a notice that it was being placed on Immediate Jeopardy status. The status meant the hospital could have lost the ability to receive Medicare or Medicaid funding if a plan was not developed to address issues identified by surveyors during a visit to the hospital.

After the designation, the hospital remained open and did not lose its ability to receive Medicare or Medicaid funding.

Frye created a plan to address issues identified in the surveyors' report. The issues were related to documentation of medication administration and isolation precautions.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services received Frye's plan of correction on February 25. In the plan, the hospital outlined ways it would address deficiencies noted in the surveyors' report, including placing signage outside of a room where a patient was isolated and education of employees.

A follow-up inspection by a state surveyor March 10 through 12 found that the hospital was in compliance with Medicare conditions of participation.

A letter received by the hospital April 17 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services informed the hospital that it was in compliance.

Frye Regional Medical Center CEO Lindy White, who became CEO on Feb. 26, said the hospital would continue monitoring its compliance with the plan it submitted to the Medicare services agency for 90 days. White said the goal was 100% compliance for those 90 days.

"We are better as a result of this," White said.

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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 5:42 AM.