Frankfort Regional Medical Center surgical services recognized for nursing excellence

Frankfort, Ky. — Frankfort Regional Medical Center, an affiliate of HCA Healthcare, announced Tuesday that its Surgical Services team has achieved the top-ranking Surgical Services unit in the 2025 HCA Healthcare Unit of Distinction Awards. The annual program recognizes exemplary nursing units across HCA Healthcare’s national network of more than 100,000 nurses.

“Excellence in patient care is never the work of one person—it’s the outcome of a united team,” said Christy Dotson, director of Frankfort Regional Medical Center surgical services. “What truly sets us apart is how we collaborate with respect, with compassion, and with a shared commitment to doing what is right for every patient who entrusts us with their care.”

This year’s recognition is especially significant as HCA Healthcare celebrates “A Decade of Distinction,” marking the 10th anniversary of the program. The Unit of Distinction Award honors top-performing nursing units for excellence in advocacy and leadership, consistency in nursing practice and operations and leveraging scale to improve patient care.

“Nursing excellence is most visible at the bedside, where our nurses deliver compassionate, high-quality care to patients and their families every day,” said Erica Rossitto, senior vice president and chief nurse executive of HCA Healthcare. “The Unit of Distinction program recognizes the top-performing nursing units at HCA Healthcare that exemplify this commitment and set a strong standard for care across our organization.”

Launched in 2015, the Unit of Distinction Awards are a cornerstone of HCA Healthcare’s Nurse Forward strategy, grounded in four pillars: a care-first culture, clinical education, dynamic care teams, and leadership and advocacy. Over the past decade, the program has recognized more than 652 units and more than 500 honorable mention recipients across the organization.

This year, 193 nursing units across HCA Healthcare were recognized during a ceremony broadcast from the organization’s headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee on April 14, 2026. Of those, 16 units earned top honors, representing the highest-performing five percent of nursing units across HCA Healthcare. Units ranking in the top six to ten percent received honorable mention designations.

“Being recognized as the top Surgical Services nursing unit across HCA Healthcare is an extraordinary achievement,” said John Ballard, chief executive officer of Frankfort Regional Medical Center. “This honor reflects the unwavering commitment of our surgical services team to delivering high-quality, compassionate care and reinforces our promise to the community we serve.”