Our local hospital received an excellence award last week.  Wilkes Medical Center is among 460 short-term acute care hospitals across the nation that received this year’s Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Awards.  The award is based on how well a hospital prevents injuries, infections and other serious conditions.  All the hospitals awarded including Wilkes were among the top 10% in the nation for patient safety. Other NC hospitals receiving the award included: Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory, Northern Hospital in Mount Airy, Watauga Medical in Boone and Novant Health Medical Park in Winston-Salem.