Awards and Recognition

• Top Doctors for Women (by Minnesota Monthly): More than 40 M Health Fairview physicians have been named “Top Doctors for Women” for 2026, an honor based on peer recommendations.
• Forbes Top Hospitals 2026: Forbes has named St. John’s Hospital and Southdale Hospital as 5-star hospitals in the metro. Ridges was also named as a 4-star hospital. These ratings are part of Forbes’ first-ever Top Hospitals list and were developed with the help of healthcare measurement experts, including clinicians, scientists, health policy researchers, and patient advocates. Some factors that were taken into account were patient outcomes, hospital best practices, value, and patient experience.

• Top 3 In Minnesota For Coronary Intervention (by Healthgrades): In recognition of superior outcomes in coronary intervention, M Health Fairview’s Southdale Hospital was named one of the top 3 in Minnesota. This is one of many awards Southdale Hospital has received over the past years for their cardiac care.
• LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performers (Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index): Three MHFV locations have been recognized for their dedication to health equity, as well as their welcoming and inclusive environments. Supporting LGBTQIA2S+ patients, visitors, and employees is important to M Health Fairview.
   
  • M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital
  • M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital
  • M Health Fairview Woodwinds Hospital - Woodbury
• Beyond The Yellow Ribbon: Fairview Health Services was recognized as a Beyond the Yellow Ribbon organization for our support of Minnesota’s veterans and service members.
• Top Doctors (by Mpls. St. Paul Magazine): Who do doctors choose for their own doctors? Physicians throughout the state said they would choose a provider from M Health Fairview. 200+ M Health Fairview doctors across 72 specialties were recognized as Top Doctors based on factors like peer recognition and professional achievement.
• Best Hospital (by U.S. News & World Report): Three MHFV hospitals made the list this year for best hospitals in the state of Minnesota. M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital, Southdale Hospital, and University of Minnesota Medical Center were recognized based on objective measurements such as patient satisfaction scores, hospital volume, risk-adjusted survival, and more.
  • M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital
  • M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital
  • M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center - East Bank
• Community-Centered Projects Recognized (by Minnesota Hospital Association): Multiple MHFV facilities were recognized for projects that make Minnesota healthcare better, including the Exceptional Minnesota Hospital Workplace award and Recognition for Innovation in Patient care.
  • M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital
  • M Health Fairview St. John's Hospital
  • M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center - East Bank
• Best Children’s Hospital (by U.S. News and World Report): M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital was named the top children’s hospital in the Twin Cities, earning national distinction from U.S. News and World Report for the 17th year in a row.
• Coronary Intervention Excellence Award (by HealthGrades): The heart care program at MHFV St. John’s Hospital has been recognized for excellence in several areas, just three years after relocating.
  • M Health Fairview St. John's Hospital

• America's Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers (by Newsweek Magazine): Newsweek recognized 470 facilities in the 25 states with the most ambulatory surgery centers. Ambulatory surgery centers serve patients who need surgery, but don’t need to be hospitalized – they can return home quickly, often on the same day as their operation. Our locations and their statewide rankings are:
  • #3 - M Health Fairview Clinics and Surgery Center - Minneapolis
  • #5 - M Health Fairview Clinics and Specialty Center - Maplewood
  • #7 - M Health Fairview Clinics and Surgery Center - Maple Grove
  • #9 - M Health Fairview Clinics and Specialty Center – Burnsville
• Top Doctors: Rising Stars (by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine): 148 of our doctors across 50 specialties to its 2022 Top Doctors: Rising Stars list. The award recognizes physicians who have been practicing for 10 years or less. Winners were nominated by their peers and selected as “Rising Stars” after a rigorous evaluation process by an expert physician panel.
• Health Care Heroes (by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal): The magazine launched its Health Care Heroes awards in 2021 to honor healthcare workers’ remarkable efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. It recognizes individuals who are improving the health of our communities through their dedication, innovation, and compassion. Our 2022 honorees include:
  • Oren Avery, MHA, Senior Clinic Manager
  • Greg Beilman, MD, Professor of Surgery and Associate Dean for Clinical Administration, University of Minnesota Medical School; Senior Vice President of Acute Care Operations
  • Beth Heinz, MSW, MHA, Executive, Mental Health and Addiction Service Line, Women’s and Children’s Service Line
  • Nawal Hirsi, Community Engagement Manager
  • Thea Kogler, CMPA, NRP, Community Paramedic
  • Danilo Lovinaria, DNP, MBA, APRN, CRNA, FNAP, FAANA, Nurse Anesthetist
  • Mohamed Jama Mohamed, RN, Operating Room Nurse
  • Paul Orchard, MD, Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Physician
  • Francisco Ramirez, Supervisor of Education and Outreach
  • Mark Spitzack, Coordinator of Pediatric Support Projects
  • Demetri Yannopoulos, MD, Cardiologist
  • Lewis Zeidner, PhD, System Director of Triage and Transition Services
• LGBTQ+ Heathcare Equity Top Performer (by the Human Rights Campaign’s 2022 Healthcare Equity Index): M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital was named a Top Performer after being evaluated under the HEI (Healthcare Equity Index) criteria. Ridges received a 95/100 score and was one of 251 facilities nationwide to receive the designation.
• America’s Best Hospitals for Maternity (by Newsweek Magazine): Both M Health Fairview Southdale and Woodwinds hospitals have been recognized as America’s Best Hospitals for Maternity. Newsweek Magazine evaluates hospitals based on three sources: A national survey of hospital managers and maternity healthcare professionals, key performance indicators related to maternity care, and patient satisfaction data.
• Best Children’s Hospital (by U.S. News & World Report): For the 15th year in a row, our dedication to compassionate care and our world-class expertise at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital have been recognized by U.S. News and World Report. We are proud to be the oldest academic children’s hospital in Minnesota and the longest-running top-ranked children’s hospital in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
• Top Doctors (by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine): 206 of our physicians across 60 specialties have been recognized as Top Doctors, more than any other health system in Minnesota. “Our Top Doctors were honored after rigorous review and have stood out as some of the best physicians in the state,” said Fairview Chief Medical Officer Mark Welton, MD, MHCM. “This recognizes the fact that our doctors are bringing world-class care to the countless communities we serve, from downtown Minneapolis to greater Minnesota.”
• Best Hospitals (by U.S. News and World Report): M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital and M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center were ranked among the top 10 hospitals in Minnesota, and among the top five hospitals in the Twin Cities, according to the U.S. News & World Report 2022-23 “Best Hospitals” list.
• Top Doctors (by Minnesota Monthly): 257 of our physicians across 70 medical specialties as “Top Doctors,” the most of any health system statewide. Our honorees include doctors from both Fairview and M Physicians who see patients at M Health Fairview clinics and hospitals.
• Masonic Mission Awards (recognized by grateful families): More than a dozen staff members at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital have been recognized as part of the Masonic Mission Awards Program over the past two years. Following a two-and-a-half-year hiatus due to the pandemic, we were thrilled to celebrate the more than 70 nominees and 15 Masonic Mission Award recipients from 2021 and 2022 during a ceremony held at our hospital. Each recipient was nominated by a grateful family in recognition of the exceptional care they provided, then selected for the award by a panel of hospital leaders.
• Best Hospitals for Maternity (by U.S. News & World Report): Five of our hospitals were recognized as 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals for Maternity, the most of any health system in Minnesota. The five locations in our health system to receive this distinction are:
  • The Birthplace at M Health Fairview Northland Medical Center
  • The Birthplace at M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital
  • The Birthplace at M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital
  • The Birthplace at M Health Fairview St. John’s Hospital
  • The Birthplace at M Health Fairview Woodwinds Hospital
  • Women’s Health and Birth Center - Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital
• Forum Award Winners (by TRUST Awards): The 2022 TRUST Awards celebrate Minnesota women who are advancing efforts to help the healthcare industry boldly transform its future. Two Fairview staff members were honored in 2022. Tracy Telander RN MBA, System Director of Connected Care & Maria Raines MS, ACNS-BS, VP & Chief Nursing officer of UMMC Masonic Children’s Hospital.
• Comprehensive Centers of Excellence (by Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging): The SNMMI (Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging) recognized M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center – East Bank Hospital as a designated SNMMI Comprehensive Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Centers of Excellence in 2022.

Rare Disease Center of Excellence (by the National Organization for Rare Disorders): M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital was recognized as a NORD Rare Disease Centers of Excellence. Each center offers world-class doctors in all major specialties and brings together medical teams experienced in diagnosing and treating a wide array of rare diseases. In addition, researchers at each center are working with doctors and patients to find more treatments and cures for rare diseases.

• World’s Best Hospitals (by Newsweek): M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center, M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital, and M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital have been recognized.
• Best Children’s Hospitals (by U.S. News & World Report): M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital was recognized as a national leader in children’s health. The four specialties that were recognized are Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, and Orthopedics.
• Top Doctors (by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine): 403 of our providers across 48 medical specialties have been recognized, more than any other health system in the Twin Cities.
• Gold-Level Centers of Excellence Award (by Extracorporeal Life Support Organization): Known also as ELSO, the international non-profit consortium of healthcare institutions is dedicated to the development and evaluation of innovative therapies for failing organ systems. This is an international award of excellence.
• Best Hospitals (by U.S. News & World Report): M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital and M Health Fairview St. Joseph’s Hospital both earned a “top five” distinction statewide as well as tying for number two hospital in the Twin Cities metro area. Several other hospitals in our system were also honored for their high-performance ratings this year.
• Top Doctors (by Minnesota Monthly): 350 physicians representing 49 medical specialties from across our health system were named. “Congratulations to our exceptional Top Doctor honorees,” said Mark Welton, MD, the Fairview chief medical officer. “They exemplify the clinical excellence, community focus, and drive to improve healthcare that distinguish the M Health Fairview system.”
• LGBTQ Healthcare Equity Leader (by Human Rights Campaign Foundation): M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital was recognized in the 2020 Healthcare Equity Index (HEI) report. Ridges Hospital is one of only four facilities in Minnesota – and one of fewer than 500 nationwide – to earn the distinction, which recognizes the hospital for receiving a perfect score of 100 on the HEI.
• Nurse of the Year (by March of Dimes): Eight M Health Fairview representatives were named as winners, another was awarded a special Nurse Legacy distinction, and 23 more were recognized as finalists spanning 15 categories.
• Impact Award (by Parent and Family Advisory Council): Mark Spitzack, the Coordinator of Perinatal & Pediatric Support Projects, was awarded the honor for his work on the Pediatric Bereavement Follow-Up Project, a project focused on helping grieving families who have lost a child. The M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital’s volunteer Parent and Family Advisory (PFAC) was created to honor healthcare workers who are dedicated to innovating the support for patients and families.