Awards & Recognition

After more than 50 years of service, it is the outstanding care and compassion we provide to patients and their families that drives us to be remarkable. And the fact North Memorial has been recognized by state and national healthcare experts is a testament to the physicians, employees and volunteers whose caring, compassion and dedication have made a positive impact on our patient's lives.



Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals

North Memorial Medical Center is proud to be ranked #1 in Minnesota for Treatment of Stroke™ and #1 in Minnesota for Treatment of Critical Care™ by Healthgrades®, the leading health care ratings provider. In addition, North Memorial was among America's 50 Best Hospitals for performing among the top 5 percent of hospitals in the nation for seven consecutive years. HealthGrades uses the federal government's Medicare data to review and rate more than 5,000 hospitals nationwide in patient outcomes.

"A" for Patient Safety from the Leapfrog Group

North Memorial Medical Center was one of Minnesota's hospitals to earn an “A” grade for safety in a recent report. The Hospital Safety Score was created and is administered by The Leapfrog Group, a national leader and advocate in hospital transparency. It is an independent, national not-for-profit organization founded more than a decade ago by the nation’s leading employers and private healthcare experts.

Blue Distinction Center +

Blue Cross Blue Shield has identified North Memorial Medical Center as a Blue Distinction Center + for hip and knee replacement. Blue Distinction Centers are hospitals proven to outperform their peers in key areas such as quality, safety and, in the case of Blue Distinction Centers+, efficiency. Learn more.

AACN Beacon Award for Excellence

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently awarded North Memorial’s 7SW – Medical Intensive Care Unit (7SW-MICU) a gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence, which recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Units that achieve this three-year, three-level award with gold, silver and bronze designations meet national criteria consistent with Magnet Recognition, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.

Wellness by Design

Thanks to the efforts of our HR and Employee Health Center teams, North Memorial was recently recognized by Hennepin County with a Wellness by Design Platinum Award for excellence in developing, promoting and maintaining healthy worksites in 2012.