ROME, Ga., Oct. 2, 2024 – Dr. Sylvia Washington, a pediatrician with Atrium Health Floyd, has been appointed to represent the 14th Congressional District on the board of the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL).

Also known as Bright from the Start, DECAL administers Georgia's Pre-K program, licenses childcare centers and home-based childcare, administers Georgia's Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program, federal nutrition programs and manages Quality Rated, Georgia's community powered childcare rating system.

The board meets quarterly in Atlanta.

“I am really honored to be chosen," Washington said. “Being both a mom and a pediatrician, the health and welfare of children have always been important to me. I hope that my professional and personal experiences will play a role in benefiting children across the state."

Washington was Floyd's Physician of the Year (2018), was listed in Rome Life Magazine's Twenty Under Forty (2019) and was named the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Young Physician of the Year (2019).

She received her medical degree from the New Jersey Medical School in 2007. She completed her internship and pediatrics residency at Mercer University in 2010.

Washington and her husband, Dr. Marcus Washington, have three children (Christian, Daniel, and Stephanie).

Washington serves the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics as the District 1 Representative and Young Physician Member of the Executive Board. She has done medical missions work at the Baptist Medical Center in Nalerigu, Ghana and is a board member of the George Faile Foundation.

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. ​