Atrium Health Floyd team helps mom find childcare solution
ROME, Ga., June 26, 2024 – Amber Huckaby is Atrium Health Floyd family. Her mom, Jean Huckaby, was a longtime teammate and cheerleader of Floyd Healthcare Foundation's SPIRIT campaign, and Amber visited Floyd from time to time to see her mom or volunteer at an event.
But her legacy had nothing to do with her most recent experience at Floyd. In fact, the caregivers in this story weren't aware of Amber's Floyd connections. The extraordinary care they provided was what they do for all their patients.
Amber had been a patient at Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center for several weeks. She was being treated for a drug-resistant infection that had spread throughout her body.
While there is no good time to be sick or to be hospitalized, the timing for Amber couldn't have been worse. Her father died two weeks before she was hospitalized, and she had just started the process of getting his estate in order. She had accepted a new job with a start date the week following her hospital admission. Her son was working a full-time job, and her daughter was in her last month of elementary school.
As Amber's hospital stay extended into months, her daughter became fearful that her mom might not live. Amber's son scheduled his work around getting his little sister to and from school as well as making sure she completes her homework, gets a bath and gets plenty of sleep. Family and church friends also helped with childcare, when possible, but the situation was not sustainable. School would soon be out, and Amber's daughter would need full-time care while her mother heals.
A friend of Amber met with J'May Moats, the nurse clinical manager overseeing Amber's care team. That friend told Moats he was concerned about how Amber's daughter would be cared for once school was dismissed for the summer. Amber had no income to pay for childcare, and she had no resources who could help.
Moats enlisted the help of Coordinated Care social worker Crystal Childers. Childers immediately went into problem-solving mode, something not uncommon for her.
“She looks for creative ways outside the box to help our patients and their families," said Donna Parris, director of Coordinated Care. “Crystal came to us from the Department of Family and Children's Services where she was used to tapping into every single resource she can find and calling in favors to help families and children in need. Crystal brings this mindset to work with the intent of making a difference any way she can."
Within a few days, Childers had a solution. Using her DFACS contacts, she reached out to the Boys and Girls Club of Rome to ask about the possibility of enrolling Amber's daughter in their summer program. She was upfront about the need for financial assistance, and before the call was over, Amber's daughter had a secure spot in the Boys and Girls' Club summer camp, free of charge.
“This has been a real blessing for this child and her mom. Her daughter will be with friends, but it also will give her mom have time to recover from a nine-week hospital stay," Childers said.
And, giving Amber time to heal while making sure her daughter is well-cared for is a gift, Moats said.
“Crystal did something that benefits the patient but also benefits this family," she said.
It's a physical benefit that will ease stress and renew peace of mind for an entire family, she said. Amber can heal at home; her daughter can enjoy her summer with friends and her son can resume a regular work schedule.
“It takes a huge burden off of us," Amber said, the relief apparent in her voice. “I don't know what I would have done."
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.