Frye Regional Medical Center Announces Appointment of Chief Nursing Officer

HICKORY, NC (October 20, 2021) – Frye Regional Medical Center has named Cheryl Jacobs, DNP, RN, CENP, as the chief nursing officer (CNO) of Frye Regional Medical Center, effective September 27, 2021.

Jacobs will oversee nursing care within the hospital and at its affiliated facilities to ensure consistency in the organization's nursing practice standards. She will lead a team of nearly 400 registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants across a broad range of inpatient and outpatient services including behavioral health, cancer care, heart care, emergency services, intensive and critical care, and surgical services.

“I am pleased to welcome Cheryl as our new chief nursing officer,” said Rod Harkleroad, RN, chief executive officer of Frye Regional Medical Center. “Cheryl is an experienced nursing leader with strong clinical skills. In addition to her many accomplishments in nursing operations, she has more than 25 years of experience in various specialty fields including emergency services, intensive and critical care, and medical/surgical telemetry. Her expertise will be an asset as we strive for an exceptional patient experience for every patient, every time.”

“I look forward to working closely with Frye Regional’s executive leadership team to support our mission of Making Communities Healthier,” Jacobs said. “Hospital nurses play an important role in coordinating care for their patients—and during the pandemic their job has become highly demanding. Nurses are truly heroes that attend to the needs of their patients, listen carefully, and show compassion and empathy. I am honored to join this dedicated team and I am extremely impressed by the knowledge, expertise and compassion demonstrated by our hospital nurses and other team members.”

In addition to bedside nursing care, over her career Jacobs has served as director of neurosciences, director of adult critical care services, director of intensive care services and assistant chief nursing officer at several Florida hospitals. Most recently, she served as CNO at Bayfront Health Spring Hill in Florida’s Tampa-St. Petersburg metro area.

Jacobs received her doctorate in nursing practice from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. She also earned a master’s degree in nursing leadership, finance and administration as well as a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.