Northside Hospital Cherokee and Northside Hospital Forsyth have been named recipients of the 2026 Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award™, recognizing the hospitals’ commitment to delivering superior, patient-centered care.
Northside Hospital Cherokee was recognized among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for patient experience for the eighth consecutive year (2019-2026). Northside Hospital Forsyth earned recognition among the top 15% of hospitals nationwide for the second consecutive year (2025-2026).
Presented annually by Healthgrades, the award is based on patient feedback and evaluates hospitals on key measures of patient experience, including communication with caregivers, responsiveness of hospital staff, medication explanations and cleanliness.
Northside Cherokee cares for nearly 704,000 patient encounters each year, while Northside Forsyth treats more than 850,000 patient encounters annually, reflecting the hospitals’ significant role in serving communities across north Georgia.
In addition to the patient experience recognition, Northside Cherokee recently received Healthgrades’ Outpatient Joint Replacement Excellence Award™ and Stroke Care Excellence Award™. Northside Forsyth also earned several national distinctions, including America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Outpatient Joint Replacement Award™, America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Outpatient Prostate Care Award™ and Stroke Care Excellence Award™.
“We are incredibly honored to be recognized for the eighth consecutive year as a national leader in patient experience, ranking in the top 5% of hospitals across the country,” said Katie Pearson, chief operating officer of Northside Hospital Cherokee. “This achievement reflects the unwavering commitment of our physicians, nurses, staff and volunteers who work each day to provide compassionate, personalized, high-quality care to every patient and family we serve. Sustaining this level of excellence year after year is a testament to our culture, teamwork and putting patients at the center of everything we do.”
“We are deeply honored to be recognized with the Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award,” said Brandy Jackson, chief nursing officer of Northside Hospital Cherokee. “This achievement reflects the exceptional dedication, compassion and culture our teams demonstrate in every interaction. At Northside Hospital Cherokee, our mission has always been to provide meaningful support to the communities we serve, and it is incredibly rewarding to know that our patients and families feel genuinely cared for and welcomed as part of our family. I am immensely proud of our team for their unwavering pursuit of excellence and commitment to delivering outstanding patient care.”
“We are incredibly honored to receive the Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award for the second consecutive year,” said Amy Fischer, chief operating officer of Northside Hospital Forsyth. “This recognition reflects the compassion, dedication and commitment our team brings every day to delivering exceptional care and creating a positive experience for every patient and family we serve at Northside Forsyth.”
READ MORE ABOUT NORTHSIDE'S COMMITMENT TO DELIVERING SAFE, HIGH-QUALITY CARE.
