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Fry Regional outlines renovations, new services and community impact in Hickory City Council presentation
Summary
Fry Regional Medical Center CEO Philip Green told the Hickory City Council about facility renovations, new procedures and community contributions including nearly $52 million in uncompensated care and expansion of cardiac services.
Dr. Philip Green, chief executive officer of Fry Regional Medical Center, updated the Hickory City Council on the hospital’s recent renovations, service expansions and community programs at the council’s Oct. 21 meeting.
Green said the hospital completed a renovation of its sixth-floor rehabilitation unit after water intrusion following Hurricane Helene and opened an outpatient Fry Medical Weight Loss clinic on Tate Boulevard. "I appreciate the opportunity to come to you as a partner in our community, specifically focusing on the health care of our community," Green told the council.
The presentation outlined planned and ongoing capital work, including replacement of a radiation oncology linear accelerator with a new unit expected to reopen by February, an exterior building upgrade using an EIFS coating and epoxy repainting to reduce water intrusion, and a full window replacement for the towers. Green said the hospital is also planning an outpatient imaging center in Lenoir that will offer ultrasound through MRI services.
Why this matters: Fry Regional’s projects affect patient care capacity and neighborhood construction; the hospital also emphasized its economic and charitable footprint in Hickory.
The hospital highlighted clinical program growth: Fry is approaching 500 Watchman procedures used to reduce stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation and has performed more than 70 transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures since starting the program about a year ago. Green said Fry is “one of the busiest Watchman centers in the entire Southeast.”
Green said the hospital provided nearly $52,000,000 in charitable and uncompensated care last year and estimated the hospital’s total community impact — including salaries, benefits and taxes — at about $88–89 million.
He also described community outreach: medical camp and other student programs, staff volunteer drives (backpack, shoes/socks, Angel Tree) and internal assistance programs for staff in need. Green noted several recent physician hires across specialties, including gastroenterology, neurosurgery and oncologic orthopedics.
Mayor Gess and other council members thanked Fry Regional for services and community partnerships during the presentation. No council action was required or taken on hospital projects during the meeting.
The council’s public record includes Green’s slides and public remarks describing timing for the oncology unit replacement, exterior work likely to take about a year, and planned imaging services in Lenoir.
