This article was contributed by Ernie Bovio, prior President of Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

When a musician records a track or performs on a stage, they aren’t thinking of the awards they might receive. They are pouring their heart and soul into something that moves people. The work is the gift, and awards are simply a recognition of excellence. 

In a sense, healthcare is the same. At Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, we are committed to providing the best possible care to every patient every day. The patients and families are our sole focus, and your satisfaction is the reward we cherish most. 

However, I am very proud when our teams are recognized for their commitment to excellence and quality. They work tirelessly to provide excellent care, and they deserve to be acknowledged. In the past two years, our teams have been recognized through a series of prestigious honors — each one a reflection of the compassion, expertise and dedication our team brings to work every day. 

For instance, Physician Quality Partners (PQP), New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s  leading accountable care organization (ACO), earned the top national ranking for quality performance in 2024, placing first among 476 ACOs. Let me make that crystal clear – first out of 476 ACOs! PQP includes 64 Novant Health Medical Group clinics in our region. Together, they scored in the top 10% nationally for clinical quality and patient experience. 

For growing families, I’m proud to say that the Novant Health  Betty H. Cameron Women’s & Children’s Hospital was recognized as a top performer by Vizient, earning the Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Award by ranking fourth out of 98 pediatric hospitals nationwide. Vizient measures performance on the quality of patient care across six domains: safety, mortality, effectiveness, efficiency, patient centeredness and variation in care. 

Additionally, we’re proud to be ranked as a high-performing maternity hospital by U.S. News & World Report, a testament to our commitment to safe, compassionate and high-quality care during one of life’s most important moments.  

At Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, we’re proud to have earned the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Gold Plus awards in both stroke and heart failure care, affirming our use of evidence-based practices that lead to better outcomes. Our designation as a certified Comprehensive Stroke Center further highlights our leadership in advanced stroke treatment. 

In heart care, our cardiology program has received the National Distinction of Excellence, and we were honored with the 2025 Platinum Performance Achievement Award in the Chest Pain – MI Registry, recognizing our outstanding care for heart attack patients. 

We’ve also been named among America’s Best by Healthgrades in several specialties, including: 

• Joint replacement 

• Outpatient joint replacement 

• Outpatient prostate care 

• Outpatient orthopedic surgery 

These recognitions reflect the skill of our surgical teams and the comprehensive care we provide before, during and after procedures. 

These awards are meaningful, in part because they are completely objective. We are being graded on our performance by impartial organizations. Though the awards and recognitions are not our goal, they do validate the professionalism and dedication to excellence that our teams bring to work every day. 

Our team members and medical staff deserve to walk the red carpet and have their photos taken by adoring fans. They have finely tuned their skills, and they put their heart into every task. They are truly rock stars!