Now One Team Testimonials
Learn how teammates from Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic have built a strong working relationship
Aimee Griffin, Vice President for Professional Services, Atrium Health Floyd, and Dr. Paul Brock, Harbin Clinic Surgeon
Sixteen years ago, Harbin Clinic general surgeon Dr. Paul Brock worked hand in hand with Aimee Griffin – now vice president for Professional Services at Atrium Health Floyd – to create a new concept in breast care for women in northwest Georgia. Now, these trailblazers are on the same Atrium Health team.
Griffin coordinated the efforts to create The Breast Center at Floyd. Dr. Brock was a physician champion for the cooperation from other community health care providers, including Rome Radiology and Southeastern Pathology, needed to make the "Know in 24" promise a reality.
“We designed The Breast Center to create a single point of entry for women to have mammograms, screening breast exams and diagnostic studies and within 24 hours be able to have the results of these studies to shorten the length of time they have from diagnosis to ultimate treatment options,” Dr. Brock said.
"Establishing The Breast Center was not just a professional endeavor," Aimee said. "It was personally fulfilling. To know that we would most definitely save lives was so much bigger than establishing a new service line."
"I am grateful that nearly two decades ago, we worked together to impact the health of women and their families, and I am grateful that work has continued. Now that we are one Atrium Health team, I can only imagine what we can accomplish together in the next 20 years."
Amelia Baker, Atrium Health Floyd Labor and Delivery Nurse, and Dr. Diana Vallecilla, Harbin Clinic OB-GYN
Since 2008, Harbin Clinic OB-GYN Dr. Diana Vallecilla and Amelia Baker, Atrium Health Floyd Labor and Delivery nurse, have celebrated the strength of mothers and provided care for countless obstetric patients alongside each other.
From navigating routine deliveries to the pressures of more complicated cases, these women share a strong work ethic and an unspoken understanding that has been built over years of collaboration and care. Now, they are officially one team with Atrium Health.
"Dr. Vallecilla is very present for her patients and the nurses who care for them,” Amelia said. “She is always close by and attentive, which is reassuring to me as a nurse”
“Amelia’s commitment to patient care is unwavering,” said Dr. Vallecilla. “She takes the time to truly connect with patients, which makes her not only a skilled practitioner but also a compassionate listener and advisor.”
“One of the greatest honors of my career was delivering her grandchildren. This experience speaks volumes about the trust and mutual respect that define our working relationship,” said Dr. Vallecilla.
Amelia said that trust is due to what she has witnessed from working with Dr. Vallecilla. “The love she shows for her patients is unmatched."
Dr. Ed McBride, Chief Medical Officer, and Tina Edwards, Atrium Health Floyd Site Manager
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ed McBride and Tina Edwards, Atrium Health Floyd site manager in Armuchee, have a history that goes back more than 25 years. After completing his residency in family medicine, Dr. McBride began his career at Floyd Primary Care Armuchee where Tina served as his practice manager. From caring for patients in the clinic to office participation in Relay for Life’s all-night event, the two leaders shared that they are grateful to once again have the opportunity to work together.
“I attribute a great deal of my success in Armuchee to Tina’s leadership and partnership in care delivery,” said Dr. McBride. “She was and is the standard against which all future practice managers are measured.”
Tina shared that Dr. McBride was wonderful to work with, and throughout his years practicing in Armuchee he became incredibly respected by the community and fellow teammates.
“When I started my career with Floyd in 1999, I never expected that I would one day be serving in the role of Chief Medical Officer nor that I would have the opportunity to once again serve alongside Tina as we seek to provide care together now as one team,” said Dr. McBride.
Dr. Ayush Singh, Harbin Clinic Neurologist, and Dr. Sam Quaynor, Atrium Health Floyd Neuro Hospitalist
Dr. Sam Quaynor and Dr. Ayush Singh are brain scientists. These gray-matter experts have a history of working together to make sure their patients receive the care they need when they need it, and now they are part of the same Atrium Health team.
Sometimes that care begins with a visit to Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center, where Dr. Quaynor cares for the patient. At other times, the patient’s journey may start with Dr. Singh at his office.
In both cases, these highly educated, highly trained specialists work as one team to find solutions to treat their patients.
“Most of our cases are acute cases, including strokes, brain bleeds and infections of the brain,” Dr. Quaynor said. “Once we complete the workups and stabilize the patient, they follow up with my colleague for outpatient care and continuation of health management.”
“People who have had a stroke or have had the inpatient workup, we see them as an outpatient for follow up care,” Dr. Singh said. “We care for a multitude of neurological disorders, be it dementia, vascular disease, or epilepsy, but primarily as an outpatient. But both inpatient and outpatient care go hand in hand.
“There are some things that should only be done as an inpatient. Sometimes we might see the patient as an outpatient. He looks okay, but we see some signs that are red flags. So we see them here, but quickly get in touch with our colleagues here in the hospital and get them to what they need, like inpatient care, quickly.”
Dr. Ryland Scott, Harbin Clinic Surgeon, and Amy Braden, Atrium Health Floyd Director Specialty Services
For more than 20 years Amy Braden, Atrium Health Floyd director of Specialty Services, and Dr. Ryland Scott, Harbin Clinic surgeon, have worked together to ensure bariatric surgery patients receive the best possible care. The two have worked side-by-side for two decades, and now, they are one team.
“Amy and I work together to create that cohesive experience for the patient,” Dr. Scott said.
That starts with education, continues through surgery and extends to post-surgery support.
“At the end of the day, we have worked together to create a unified system of care for the patient that seamlessly merges Harbin Clinic’s physician and surgeon expertise and Atrium Health Floyd’s expertise in nursing care, inpatient dietary care and surgical care,” Dr. Scott said.
Harbin Clinic Orthopedist Dr. Chris Piller and Atrium Health Floyd Athletic Trainer Chad Wilson
Caring for student athletes requires choreography and collaboration.
Harbin Clinic orthopedist Dr. Chris Piller and Atrium Health Floyd athletic trainer (ATC) Chad Wilson have worked together on the sidelines at Rome High School for the past 12 years.
Now Dr. Pillar and Chad are on the same Atrium Health team. Dr. Piller is the official physician for Rome High, and Chad is the school's athletic trainer.
“Collaboration is key in these situations, between the ATC, the doctor, the coaches, the parents, of course, and the athlete. There's this choreography that has to happen, and Chad is an excellent communicator, and he is wonderful at what he does in his athletic training," Dr. Piller said.
“It's been the best doctor-athletic trainer relationship I've ever had," Chad said.
Harbin Clinic Orthopedist Dr. Mark Floyd and Atrium Health Floyd Physical Therapist Hunter Todd
Atrium Health Floyd physical therapist Hunter Todd and Harbin Clinic orthopedist Dr. Mark Floyd are Vikings and teammates.
Both are a part of the Berry College athletic care team, and now they are on the same Atrium Health team.
“We share the responsibilities of covering athletes at Berry,” Dr. Floyd said. “We are always available. The trainers who are onsite are the access point. They call us and engage us on whatever the athlete needs.”
“Once a week we are also screening,” Hunter said. “If we see anything that we consider a red flag, we send them over to Harbin Clinic to get them checked out as well.”
The goal is to get players back on the field as quickly and as safely as possible. That’s an approach that’s both good for the student and good for the team, the new teammates said.
Harbin Clinic General Surgeon Dr. Bennett Brock and Atrium Health Floyd Assistant Vice President of Surgical Services Gia Pyles
From medical missions to inpatient surgery, Dr. Bennett Brock, Harbin Clinic general surgeon, and Gia Pyles, Atrium Health Floyd assistant vice president of Surgical Services, have a history that goes back a decade. Now they are on the same Atrium Health team.
The two worked together as medical missionaries in Honduras when Dr. Brock was in medical school, and Gia worked with his father, Dr. Paul Brock, also a Harbin Clinic general surgeon.
Now Gia and her team work with physicians like Dr. Brock and their staff, helping coordinate every aspect of surgery.
“Gia makes us all more efficient. She pairs us with teams that allow us to get done the work that needs to be done in a safe and timely manner,” Dr. Brock said. “You want to work in a place where you feel heard, comfortable, and you feel like you can come in and do your job efficiently. That is what Gia brings.”
Atrium Health Floyd Pediatrics Clinical Manager Cindy Lewis and Dr. Henaro Sabino, Harbin Clinic Pediatrician
Dr. Henaro Sabino and Cindy Lewis have worked together longer than many of their patients have been alive. Then again, that’s to be expected when your specialty is pediatrics. The two work together to care for Atrium Health Floyd’s hospitalized pediatric patients, and now both are officially a part of the same Atrium Health team.
In addition to serving patients, Harbin Clinic pediatricians lead the pediatrics teaching rotation for Atrium Health Floyd’s Family Medicine Residency program. This means that Cindy and her team work closely with their Harbin Clinic teammates to ensure their young patients and up-and-coming physicians benefit from their combined expertise.
Being in the hospital is no fun, especially when you’re a kid. Dr. Sabino and Cindy work together to get their patients as healthy as possible so they can return – and thrive – at home.
Harbin Clinic Pediatrician Dr. Kathryn Carroll and Atrium Health Floyd Pediatrician Dr. Sylvia Washington
Dr. Kathryn Carroll, Harbin Clinic pediatrician, and Dr. Sylvia Washington, Atrium Health Floyd pediatrician, have enjoyed a symbiotic professional relationship that allows them both to bring balance to their busy lives as physicians, moms and active citizens of northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Now, these baby experts are on the same Atrium Health team.
Pediatricians are on the scene from life’s first breath. They see first smiles and first glimpses, but they also are here to ensure their patients are progressing as expected. And should a medical issue arise, they are on hand to provide their patients and their families medical guidance with a healthy dose of compassion.
Because they are moms, these pediatricians understand and appreciate both the joys and the challenges of motherhood as well as the importance of a regular checkups for parents and their children.