THE FOLLOWING IS A HORIZON HEALTH RELEASE
ABOVE: Dr. Harish Kempegowda, orthopedic and spine surgeon at Horizon Health, received international recognition from the North American Spine Association for his excellence and innovation in spine care.
(Paris, IL)—Dr. Harish Kempegowda, orthopedic and spine surgeon at Horizon Health, has earned international recognition for excellence and innovation in spine care.
Dr. Kempegowda—known to patients and colleagues as Dr. Harish—was named to SpineLine’s “20 Under 40” class of 2025. This honor recognizes outstanding spine care leaders under age 40 for their clinical achievements, community service, and philosophy of care. SpineLine is published by the North American Spine Association (NASS), an international organization of spine specialists dedicated to advancing research, education, and high-quality patient care.
“Dr. Harish continues to set an extraordinary example of what is possible in rural healthcare, and we couldn’t be prouder,” said Jay Carmichael, Horizon Health president & CEO. “Few critical access hospitals have the privilege of supporting a spine surgeon of his expertise, and we are honored to be part of his ongoing success.”
According to NASS, the 2025 honorees reflect the global reach and multidisciplinary strength of today’s spine community and include orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, rehabilitation specialists, allied health professionals, and researchers.
Since joining Horizon Health in October 2020, Dr. Harish has been credited with building a full-service spine program from the ground up. His mission is to provide advanced spine care close to home for patients who would otherwise need to travel long distances for treatment.
“I am proud to have successfully established spine surgery services within a critical access hospital and to have built confidence in the community regarding the care I provide,” he said.
A NASS member since 2016, Dr. Harish has served on multiple committees, reviewed more than 100 manuscripts for leading medical journals, and chaired several educational webinars.
“I am deeply invested in advancing spine care through research,” he added. “This work provides validated scientific evidence to guide my practice and ultimately improve treatment decisions for my patients.”
Dr. Harish provides comprehensive orthopedic care and specializes in spine and neck surgery. He treats a broad range of common and complex conditions, including spinal stenosis, herniated or bulging discs, arthritis and spinal inflammation, scoliosis, fractures, and deformities. He is particularly skilled in minimally invasive spinal fusions and decompressions.
To learn more about spine services at Horizon Health, visit MyHorizonHealth.org/Spine.
About Horizon Health
Horizon Health is a rural health system comprising a 25-bed critical access hospital, an assisted living facility for memory care patients, an ambulance service, home health, dialysis, six rural health clinics, two EZ Care walk-in clinics, and numerous specialty practices. Specialty services range from surgical podiatry and bariatrics to urology and spine surgery. Horizon Health’s primary campus is in Paris, Illinois, with clinic locations throughout east central Illinois and west central Indiana. For a full list of Horizon Health’s locations and services, visit MyHorizonHealth.org.
