WINDER, Ga. – People living in Barrow County have one of the best hospitals in the state right in their backyard, according to a recent award won by Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Barrow.
The Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals (GACH) named NGMC Barrow the “Small Hospital of the Year” during the Alliance’s annual meeting last month. The award acknowledges the successful turnaround achieved at NGMC Barrow since the former Barrow Regional Hospital joined Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) in 2017. GACH presents the award each year to a facility that has made extraordinary strides and exhibited exceptional achievement within its health system and community.
“When NGHS took over Barrow Regional, the hospital had been through several changes of ownership, it had stopped labor and delivery services, and it was being squeezed out of an increasingly competitive market. Its once-stellar reputation was tarnished, and the future looked grim,” said Monty Veazey, the president and CEO of GACH. “The legacy of NGMC Barrow is one of resilience and reinvention. It stands as a testament to what dedication, leadership, commitment to core values and community partnerships can achieve.”
NGMC Barrow’s reversal of fortunes has been driven by revamping its emergency department, investing in inpatient care, providing much of Barrow County’s emergency medical services and offering new surgical procedures to keep patients closer to home. The hospital has been named among Georgia Trend magazine’s “Top 5 Small Hospitals,” garnered an “A” rating for patient safety by Leapfrog and recognized by Press Ganey for placing in the top 5% nationwide in employee engagement. NGMC Barrow also was one of only three hospitals in Georgia to receive the 2023 Lantern Award from the Emergency Nurses Association, recognizing emergency departments that demonstrate exceptional and innovative performance in leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research.
“The staff and physicians who work here bring their best every day to show the people of Barrow County that this hospital has changed for the better,” said John Neidenbach, NGMC Barrow’s administrator. “This recent run of awards really affirms their hard work and dedication to provide high-quality emergency, inpatient, surgical care and other hospital services that this community can trust.”
Learn more about NGMC Barrow and the services it offers at nghs.com/barrow.