Barbara Harn, quality and accreditation coordinator at Northside Hospital Cherokee, has received the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) prestigious James Shepherd Lifetime Achievement Award. She was honored at GHA’s Annual Trustee Conference on Jan. 10.
Harn was the sole recipient of the 2025 award, recognized for her decades of service and commitment to quality, patient safety and the Northside community.
Harn joined Northside Hospital Atlanta in 1980 as a patient care technician during her senior year of nursing school. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she spent much of her career as an oncology nurse, specializing in gynecologic oncology, breast cancer care and high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplants.
“Barbara has been at Northside now for 45 years, and I just think in today’s society, you don’t see that nearly as often as we used to,” said Billy Hayes, CEO of Northside Cherokee. “The compassion and care that she has — not only for the patients she comes in contact with, but for everyone — that’s in her DNA; it’s who she is.”
In 2015, Harn became quality and accreditation coordinator at Northside Cherokee and played a key role in the hospital’s move to its new campus in 2017. She continues to lead quality improvement initiatives that strengthen patient safety and care delivery.
“She’s the first boots on the ground and one of the most humble, compassionate people you’ll ever meet,” said Ellen Evans, accreditation and patient safety director for the Northside Hospital system. “Barbara’s work has an impact because of the culture of safety that she has, how she impacts that and how she makes the organization move and shine; patients are safer.”
“What truly sets Barbara apart is not only the breadth of her achievements, but the integrity and grace with which she has achieved them,” said Brandy Jackson, MBAHM, BSN, RN-BC, chief nursing officer at Northside Cherokee. “She leads quietly, supports unconditionally and inspires through example. She does not seek recognition — but few are more deserving.”
“Barbara Harn is, in every sense of the word, a health care hero,” Jackson added. “Her lifelong commitment has impacted generations of patients and professionals alike. Her legacy is one of compassion in action, quiet leadership and unwavering excellence.”
“Throughout her service at the Northside Hospital system, Barbara Harn has embodied the very best of what it means to deliver exceptional care to patients,” said GHA President and CEO Caylee Noggle. “From her years as a nurse to her current role, she has been the driving force behind transformative quality improvements that have strengthened the hospital’s ability to provide safe, high-quality care to every patient. Her legacy of unwavering commitment has made a positive impact, and she is a well-deserving recipient of this award.”
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Pictured above, from left, are Scott Steiner, FACHE, chair of the GHA Board of Trustees; Barbaran Harn; Ellen Evans, accreditation and patient safety director for the Northside Hospital system; and Caylee Noggle, GHA president and CEO.
