Northern Regional Hospital is located in Mount Airy, North Carolina. They have been recognized with three national accolades and are one of only three hospitals in North Carolina to be in the Top 100 Community Hospitals. It is only one of ten independent community hospitals in North Carolina. They serve a six-county, low-income, and rural area. They are the largest employer in Mount Airy with 1,000+ caregivers and their total payroll amounts to 65 million dollars. Northern Regional strives to provide affordable and quality care. Northern Regional has strong values including compassion, commitments, trust, quality, customer service, and fiscal responsibility. Northern Regional operates at an advanced level with high technology, a state of the art surgery center, and imaging equipment. They serve over 250,000 patients annually across their vast departments, and 25% of these patients are from Virginia.
Rich History
Did you know that Northern Regional Hospital was started in 1915 as Martin Memorial Hospital founded by Doctor Moir S. Martin? Tragedy struck in 1953 when the hospital burned down. The same year, a referendum was voted on to create the Northern Regional Hospital and The Martin Memorial School of Nursing. Four years later, the Northern Hospital of Surry County opened. In 1969, the The Martin School of Nursing opened next to the hospital and was re-established as the Martin Memorial Building, and an emergency department was added. In the 1970s the nursing school closed and a new program opened at Surry Community College for nursing. In 1974 an ambulatory unit was added and housed radiology, pathology, emergency, outpatient, and office spaces. In 1977, new physicians and services including urology, pediatrics, anesthesiology, internal medicine, cardiology, and orthopedic surgery were added to the hospital. Even more services were added in the 1980s such as adult care services and impatient short-term psychiatric units. A skilled nursing facility was added as well. Since then, even more services and expansions have been made.
Recent Developments
In more recent years, the hospital, its facilities, and affiliates have expanded. In 2002 the hospital underwent an 18.6 million dollar expansion. Their nuclear medicine department expanded and the Martin Memorial Building, the former Martin School of Nursing, was demolished. Northern Regional opened their first urgent care in 2020.
In August of 2023, Northern Regional unveiled an additional general medicine practice in Dobson, and they also co-own and operate Mountain Valley Hospice, an award winning and non-profit Hospice Agency that serves 650 patients daily. In 2023, they added 14 more doctors to their staff, increasing the number to 42 in the past five years. Also in September of 2023, they opened their 25,000 square foot Medical Office Building that resides on their main campus. Northern Regional serves a vital economic role by providing revitalization and education opportunities throughout the community, such as clinical training, apprenticeship opportunities, and by being a lead sponsor for the region’s HOSA program.
We can not wait to see how Northern continues to grow in the future and how they continue to serve our communities. For more in-depth information, click here for Northern Regional’s website.
Rilei Rice, Surry EDP Intern
