Minimum starting rate increase is part of $764 million investment by Advocate Health across six states
ROME, Ga., Dec. 19, 2024 – Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic announced a significant investment in their Georgia and Alabama workforce, raising the minimum starting rate, or the minimum hourly wage, to $16, effective Jan. 12. The increase recognizes teammates' contributions to making communities better while also strengthening the health system's impact on the local economy.
The starting rate increase is part of a $764 million investment – up more than 35% from the year prior – in compensation programs across all of Advocate Health, of which Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic are a part.
The move reflects an ongoing pledge to create and maintain one of the nation's top workplaces by supporting the dedicated teammates who deliver compassionate care to patients and communities every day.
“Our communities trust us with their health, and they respect our teammates' expertise," Atrium Health Floyd President Kurt Stuenkel said. “This investment in our workforce recognizes that expertise and furthers our commitment to be the employer of choice and the provider of choice in the communities we serve by hiring the best teammates to provide the best health care."
“Harbin Clinic has an earned reputation as top-tier specialists and medical providers in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama," said Kenna Stock, President and CEO of the Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic Medical Group. “This increase will underscore the value we place in our team and help us to continue to staff our offices with committed and skilled teammates who are the backbone of our operations."
Increasing the minimum starting rate for Georgia and Alabama-based teammates is one part of a broader effort to care for those whose work is integral to keeping local our communities healthy. Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic teammates will now earn at least $8.75 per hour more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
“We are committed to creating an environment where teammates feel valued, supported and empowered," said Nakesha Lopez, chief people and culture officer at Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit integrated health system in the nation. “Compensation is just one of the many ways we invest in, reward and recognize our devoted teammates. By prioritizing our investment in them, we can continue to foster a positive work environment that values long-term growth and development while also setting new standards for excellence in health care delivery."
In addition, the health system will continue investing in teammates' career growth, offering market-competitive pay and annual merit increases, as well as incentive plan compensation and premium payments for shift workers and on-call workers.Advocate Health in 2024 provided $29.5 million in educational assistance to more than 8,000 teammates and more than $253 million in annual merit increases.
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 strategically combined with Harbin Clinic in 2024 and employs more than 5,200 teammates who provide care in over 40 medical specialties at four facilities: Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center – a 361-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; and Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center Behavioral Health, also in Rome. Together, Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic provide primary care, specialty care and urgent care 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.