With the support of Atrium Health Floyd, 17 area high school graduates from northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama will seek degrees in health care through the Rise to Success program.
Atrium Health Floyd will pay their tuition, books and fees while the students earn a degree. The students will also work part time for Atrium Health Floyd to get real-life experience as they attend school.
Many of the students, who met with Floyd leaders Wednesday, will attend Georgia Highlands College or Georgia Northwestern Technical College. Upon graduation they will be asked to serve at least one year with Atrium Health Floyd.
“I wanted to go through this program because it gives me a great opportunity to further my education and my career,” said Emma Elrod, a Chattooga High School graduate who hopes to be an ultrasound technologist. “I may not be where I am today, seeking a health care career, if it wasn’t for this program. This is really opening a lot of doors for me.”
The 17 students include:
From Cedartown High School – Andy Ortiz Perez, Deysi Segura
From Chattooga High School – Emma Elrod, Enivea London
From Coosa High School – Kiana Tapia
From Gaylesville School – Sieanna Hall, Tiffany Morris and Gabrielle West
From Model High School – Kiley Gordon
From Rome High School – Journei Griffin, Samanta Moraga, Emylly Reyes and A’zyriasia Woolfork
From Sand Rock School – Destiny Daniell, Madden DeParlier
From Trion High School – Hanny Morales-Citalan, Kinzleigh Turner
“To see that you come from all over northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama is impressive because that is our service area,” Kurt Stuenkel, Atrium Health Floyd president told the students. “We are pleased to have relationships with you, with you communities and with your high schools.
“You have an exciting journey ahead of you. Really, the doors are wide open for you to explore all the opportunities,” Stuenkel added.
The students will also be assigned a career coach to help them along the path to success.
“You have tons of support, cheerleaders on the side who are supporting you, as well as a career coach,” said Sheila Rawlins, workforce strategy program manager for Atrium Health.
About Atrium Health Floyd
The Atrium Health Floyd family of health care services is a leading medical provider and economic force in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Atrium Health Floyd is part of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit health system in the United States, created from the combination of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health. Atrium Health Floyd employs more than 3,500 teammates who provide care in over 40 medical specialties at three hospitals: Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center – a 304-bed full-service, acute care hospital and regional referral center in Rome, Georgia; Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center in Cedartown, Georgia; and Atrium Health Floyd Cherokee Medical Center in Centre, Alabama; as well as Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center Behavioral Health – a freestanding 53-bed behavioral health facility in Rome – and also primary care and urgent care network locations throughout northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Atrium Health Floyd also operates a stand-alone emergency department in Chattooga County, the first such facility to be built from the ground-up in Georgia.
About Atrium Health
Atrium Health is a nationally recognized leader in shaping health outcomes through innovative research, education and compassionate patient care. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Atrium Health is part of Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit health system in the United States, which was created from the combination with Advocate Aurora Health. A recognized leader in experiential medical education and groundbreaking research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine is its academic core. Atrium Health is renowned for its top-ranked pediatric, cancer and heart care, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Atrium Health is also a leading-edge innovator in virtual care and mobile medicine, providing care close to home and in the home. Ranked nationally among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals in eight pediatric specialties and for rehabilitation, Atrium Health has also received the American Hospital Association’s Quest for Quality Prize and its 2021 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award, as well as the 2020 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Health Equity Award for its efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in care. With a commitment to every community it serves, Atrium Health seeks to improve health, elevate hope and advance healing – for all, providing $2.8 billion last year in free and uncompensated care and other community benefits.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit integrated health system in the United States – created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois, Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama, and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides nearly $6 billion in annual community benefits.