CUMMING — Northside Hospital-Forsyth has again earned a disease-specific certification for its quality care of pneumonia.

The Joint Commission awarded the hospital its Gold Seal of Approval for Pneumonia Certification for the fourth consecutive time.

The Forsyth, Atlanta and Cherokee County campuses of the Northside Hospital health care system are its only acute care, modern hospitals, and all three remain the only ones in Georgia to be certified in pneumonia care.

In addition to those three locations, Northside has 150 sites across Georgia.

Northside Hospital-Forsyth also received recertifications for its hip and knee joint replacement services and stroke (Primary Stroke Center), and a new advanced certification in heart failure, according to Katherine Watson, senior public relations specialist for the hospital.

“This continued recognition by The Joint Commission demonstrates the high level of care and compassion our staff and physicians provide to our patients,” said Skip Putnam, CEO of Northside Hospital-Forsyth. “I am very proud of the commitment and hard work of everyone involved in these voluntary surveys.”

The Gold Seal of Approval is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.

According to Watson, Northside underwent a rigorous and voluntary on-site review by commission’s experts, who evaluated the hospital’s compliance with national disease-specific care standards. Clinical practice guidelines and performance measures also were assessed.