Northern Surry Skilled Nursing

Pros

• Northern Regional Hospital is described by reviewers as the best around.
• The staff are professional and very helpful.
• The care makes patients feel like family, not just patients.
• The OB team is amazing and highly recommended.
• Northern provides exceptional care close to home.
• ER and hospital stays are reported as excellent, with courteous and professional care.
• A MRI technologist named Jerry is described as amazing and reassuring.
• The waiting areas are quiet and comfortable, with free coffee.

Cons

• They were thrown into a locked room, bleeding and in pain, denied pain medications, and mocked by nurses who spread false rumors.
• They allege involuntary commitment paperwork disappeared after they requested a copy, with the attending doctor dismissing it as "the sheriff's problem."
• They describe the experience as negligence, humiliation, and abuse rather than healthcare.
• They claim the ER charges for services not provided and lies when confronted.
• They waited hours (2 hours in one instance, up to 4?9 hours in another) without explanations or courtesy.
• They call the night doctor Hartzog the biggest disappointment and say his behavior did not reflect the rest of the staff.
• They describe the ED as less than adequate, more like a school nurse's bandaid station.

Review

Northern Regional Hospital is described by many as a cornerstone of care for a small town, widely praised for the accessibility and kindness of its administration and staff. Several reviewers recount experiences that feel personal and family-centered, with nurses and doctors going above and beyond to make patients feel like more than just a chart. In one particularly heartfelt note, the care team - Kalie, Kirsten, Sam, Karlee, Sarah, TJ, Tammy, Alex, Anna, Olivia, and many others - became more than care providers; they became members of a family who helped the writer and their newborn feel safe and supported. The thanks extend to the OB and pediatric teams, with praise for the way staff treated families during childbirth, including mentions of especially attentive clinicians who made the experience feel calm, informative, and comforting. The waiting areas and routines are described as peaceful and well-managed, and the hospital's emphasis on being close to home is repeatedly highlighted as a major benefit.

There are repeated affirmations of competence and compassion in the hospital's core services. Some reviewers highlight specific departments and providers in glowing terms: obstetrics with doctors like Doctor Gentry, and a general sense of high-quality care across Northern Regional's OB, ER, and surgical services. A positive account describes a recent two-day stay for a large kidney stone, praising the ER experience through discharge, and commending Dr. Davis in the ER, Dr. Lee, and the nurses and aides for professionalism, along with the surprisingly good quality of food. Another reviewer shares a similar sentiment about the ER and hospitalist teams, noting effective, courteous care and a smooth pre-operative experience, including clear communication about anesthesia and post-operative monitoring. A separate success story details a positive MRI visit where Jerry's explanations and bedside manner helped the patient relax and feel cared for, illustrating a broader sense that, when the team is aligned and the process runs well, Northern Regional can deliver excellent, patient-centered care.

Care on the maternity floor is singled out as especially strong. Reviewers repeatedly describe the OB team as amazing and dedicated, with many noting that the staff made them feel at home and answered every question. The combination of skilled doctors, thoughtful nurses, and a welcoming environment is credited with helping families navigate a pivotal life event with confidence. In particular, several reviews mention specific staff members - Alex, Olivia, Sarah, Kallie, Nikita, Anna, and others - who are said to have gone above and beyond, keeping families informed about what to expect next and ensuring visitors felt welcome. This theme of warmth and competence recurs in multiple posts, presenting Northern Regional as a place where exceptional maternity care is available close to home.

Yet not all experiences are flawless, and some reviews raise serious concerns about treatment in crisis and triage situations. A retired police officer recounts a harrowing, deeply negative encounter in which he alleges dehumanizing treatment after a traumatic assault and an involuntary commitment process. According to this account, he was left in a locked room while still bleeding and in pain, with pain medication allegedly withheld and staff who mocked him and spread untrue rumors. He claims that records were mishandled or disappeared and that important procedures, such as involuntary commitment paperwork, were not handled properly. He characterizes the experience as negligence and abuse rather than healthcare, and portrays the hospital as unsafe for people in crisis. This single account stands in stark contrast to the generally positive narratives and is presented as the sort of extreme behavior that, if true, would require serious attention.

Other reviewers describe long wait times and communication gaps in the ER, with some waiting hours to be seen or told little about the status of their care. Several accounts mention delays due to perceived overbooking or a lack of clear updates, and one reviewer explicitly notes a frustration with the lack of courtesy and communication when a doctor or staff member is running late. There are even pointed criticisms about billing or charges, with comments suggesting that patients were charged for services not received, and that explanations were lacking when confronted with discrepancies. These critiques suggest that while many patients have positive experiences, others feel underserved by the administrative and operational sides of the emergency department.

There are also mixed reviews about specific staff members. While the majority celebrate the care teams for their professionalism and kindness, one OB nurse manager notes a negative impression of a night doctor named Hartzog, describing him as rude and unprofessional. The reviewer emphasizes that this one provider's behavior did not reflect the excellent care offered by the rest of the nursing staff, whom they described as "angels on earth." This pinpointed critique underscores an overall message: Northern Regional can deliver outstanding patient care, but the experience can be uneven depending on which provider you encounter and when you seek care.

In sum, the hospital emerges as a place of strong, family-like care for many patients, especially in maternity, surgical, and routine ER cases. Families frequently credit the staff with warmth, clear communication, and a sense of personal attention that makes difficult moments feel more manageable. The same set of reviews also acknowledges real concerns: lengthy emergency room waits, inconsistent communication about delays, billing ambiguities, and at least one deeply troubling account of alleged neglect and mistreatment in a crisis. Taken together, these voices paint a picture of a facility that shines in compassionate, competent care when processes run smoothly and staffing is aligned, but still faces challenges in ER management, patient experience during crises, and administrative transparency. For many, Northern Regional Hospital represents reliable, close-to-home care with room for improvement in the areas where stress, time pressure, and paperwork intersect.

This part of Mount Airy, North Carolina, offers a variety of amenities and services that cater to the needs of seniors. With several restaurants nearby such as Wendy's, East Coast Wings + Grill, and Coppola's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant, residents have plenty of dining options to choose from. Places of worship like Sanctuary, Woodland Baptist Church, and First Presbyterian Church provide spiritual support and community engagement opportunities. The area also boasts convenient access to pharmacies including Health Mart Pharmacy and Medicine Shoppe for medication needs. For recreation, Riverside Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway offer scenic outdoor spaces for leisurely walks or picnics. In terms of healthcare services, there are reputable physicians at Primary Care Of Mt Airy and Northern Pediatrics, as well as nearby hospitals like Surry Community Health Center by Harborview. Overall, this neighborhood provides a comfortable and convenient environment for senior living in Mount Airy.

Restaurants

• Wendy's (0.3 miles)
• East Coast Wings + Grill (0.3 miles)
• Coppola's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant (0.3 miles)
• Cracker Barrel (0.4 miles)
• Cook Out (0.4 miles)
• 13 Bones (0.5 miles)
• Pizza Hut (0.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• Sanctuary (0.5 miles)
• Woodland Baptist Church (0.6 miles)
• First Presbyterian Church (0.7 miles)
• Southern Baptist Convention (1.3 miles)
• Bannertown Baptist Church (1.4 miles)
• Jehovah's Witnesses (1.9 miles)
• Flat Rock Church of God (2.4 miles)

Theaters

• Creekside Cinemas (0.7 miles)
• Twin County Cinemas III (20.6 miles)

Cafes

• Pages Books & Coffee (0.9 miles)
• Crossroad Cafe (12.7 miles)
• Janies Country Cafe (20.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• Health Mart Pharmacy (1 miles)
• Medicine Shoppe (1 miles)
• Epic Pharmacies (2.2 miles)
• Tri-Area Community Pharmacy at Laurel Fork (16.8 miles)
• Webb's Family Pharmacy (19.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (19.8 miles)
• Nuckolls Drug Co. (20.5 miles)

Parks

• Riverside Park (1.2 miles)
• Blue Ridge Parkway (3 miles)
• Granite Quarry Overlook (12.3 miles)
• Crooked Creek Fish Management Area (17.7 miles)

Physicians

• Primary Care Of Mt Airy (1.5 miles)
• Northern Pediatrics (2 miles)
• Novant Health Cardiology (2.3 miles)
• Heart & Vascular Center (2.3 miles)
• Rhoden Carl-Ray D MD - Novant Health Surry Medical Associates (2.8 miles)
• Medical Associates of Surry (2.8 miles)
• Tri-Area Community Health Clinic at Laurel Fork (16.9 miles)

Hospitals

• Surry Community Health Center by Harborview (2.3 miles)
• Rogers Plumbing (9 miles)
• Rehab Services Hillsville-Tcrh (20.5 miles)