Northfield Hospital + Clinics has been named one of “100 Great Community Hospitals” across the U.S. by Becker’s Healthcare, the leading news organization covering hospitals and healthcare nationally.
Becker’s exclusive list honors community hospitals that achieve clinical excellence and personalized, whole-person care delivery.
NH+C is the only hospital based in Minnesota to make the list this year.
Becker’s calls out NH+C’s recently expanded services, including the Birth Center expansion and the addition of the Wound Healing Center, Urgent Care in Northfield, and the Kenyon Clinic.
Becker’s also praised NH+C’s cancer care accreditation from the Commission on Cancer via the American College of Surgeons.
“This is an honor for our team and their commitment to caring for our communities,” says NH+C CEO Zander Abbott. “We want to be the best community hospital we can. To have Becker’s include us among the best in the country is great recognition and encouragement for our work.
“Having a whole package of care for all ages is what makes a community hospital successful: to serve the full spectrum of the population,” Abbott adds.
As a community hospital, NH+C balances primary services and specialty care. As an independent hospital, NH+C has strong partnerships across the region to ensure patients have the best options for care at every level.
“When patients need a higher level of care, such as cardiac procedures, our partnerships with tertiary care centers enables us to hand over care as needed, then have the patient return to the community for continued care,” Abbott explains.
“We’re firmly committed to being an independent hospital so we can be responsive to the community,” Abbott says.
Becker’s profile highlights NH+C’s range of services, and recent achievements:
Northfield (Minn.) Hospital + Clinics. Northfield Hospital + Clinics is a 37-bed independent hospital system in Minnesota that has remained competitive against major regional systems by delivering personalized, state-of-the-art care to its community for over 100 years. With 22 locations, 48 specialties and over 115 providers, the system has recently expanded services including a new clinic, urgent care, birth center and wound healing center. In 2024, it earned Commission on Cancer accreditation and became a surgical quality partner with the American College of Surgeons. The system also innovated its patient communication processes through automated messaging, saving over 80 staff hours monthly and reducing no-shows by 15%. The system is currently piloting a fully self-guided urgent care check-in system to further enhance patient experience. Additionally, it has expanded telehealth offerings to increase access for rural patients and enable provider collaboration across systems.
Becker’s editorial team selects standout hospitals based on nominations and editorial research, with insights from respected rankings and ratings organizations including U.S. News & World Report, Healthgrades, CMS, the National Rural Health Association and The Chartis Center for Rural Health.
“Community hospitals play a vital role in the fabric of the U.S. healthcare system, delivering accessible, affordable care to patients beyond major metropolitan areas,” Becker’s says. “Whether serving rural regions or suburban neighborhoods, these hospitals are essential to keeping communities healthy and connected to quality care.”
Becker’s “100 Great Community Hospitals” is not a ranking; hospitals are listed in alphabetical order. Hospitals do not pay and cannot pay for inclusion on the list.
Becker’s “100 Great Community Hospitals” list began in 2010. (It was on hiatus 2020-2022.)
About NH+C
Northfield Hospital + Clinics is an independent, city-owned health care system that services the Twin Cities south metro and several rural communities across southern Minnesota. Personalized, patient-centered care has been a hallmark of NH+C since the beginning.
Northfield Hospital has been caring for the community since 1910. NH+C has a 37-bed hospital, six clinics, ten specialty care centers, two rehabilitation centers and two urgent care locations. There are over 850 employees.
- 48 SPECIALTIES including orthopedics, oncology, cardiology
- 22 LOCATIONS throughout the south metro and southern Minnesota
- 115 PROVIDERS for primary and specialty care
About Becker's Healthcare
Becker's Healthcare is the go-to source for healthcare decision-makers and one of the fastest growing media platforms in the industry. Through print, digital and live event platforms, Becker's Healthcare equips healthcare leaders with information and forums they need to learn, exchange ideas and further conversations about the most critical issues in American healthcare today.