MUSCLE SHOALS, Alabama – After being named the 2025 Mercy Award winner for North Alabama Shoals Hospital in May, Director of Facilities Phillip Fretwell was named one of 60 national semifinalists for the Lifepoint Health companywide Mercy Award.

Fretwell (pictured at the awards ceremony with Lifepoint Health Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Dill, far left, and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jason Zachariah, far right) was on hand for a special ceremony in Nashville where four finalists (one per division representing Central, Eastern, Western and combined Rehabilitation/Behavioral Health) and the overall winner of this year’s companywide Mercy Award was announced. Jackie Mcelyea from Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory, North Carolina was this year’s winner.

The Mercy Award recognizes one employee from each of Lifepoint Health’s facilities who profoundly touches the lives of others and best represents the spirit and values on which the company was founded. Fretwell was selected for North Alabama Shoals Hospital while Kyle Roberts was the facility winner at North Alabama Medical Center.

Lifepoint’s companywide Mercy Award is given annually to one of nearly 55,000 Lifepoint employees who has profoundly impacted the lives of others and embodies the spirit and values upon which the company was founded. It was established in 2001 to honor the life and legacy of the late Scott Mercy, Lifepoint’s founding chairman and chief executive officer (CEO), and is the highest honor a Lifepoint employee can receive.

Fretwell has served at the former Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital and Shoals Hospital for more than four decades. He was hired in 1983 and has developed a reputation for having professional excellence as well as personal integrity.

“Within Shoals Hospital, Phillip is more than a leader, he’s a mentor.,” said North Alabama Shoals Hospital Chief Operating Officer Braxton Holloway. “He consistently goes beyond the call of duty to ensure our patients, providers, and staff have a safe and supportive environment in which to deliver and receive care. Whether addressing urgent facility needs at all hours or guiding infrastructure improvements, Phillip leads by example—with humility, accountability, and compassion.”

Fretwell has been a member of Woodward Avenue Baptist Church for decades, serving as a Deacon for nearly 30 years and as Deacon Chairman twice. He has devoted his time to multiple mission trips, most recently assisting hurricane recovery efforts in North Carolina last year.