Shelena Chisolm named Nurse of the Year
ROME, Ga., May 27, 2025 – Several Atrium Health Floyd nurses were honored during National Nurses Week, held to recognize those who see nursing as more than just a profession and selflessly answer the call to compassionately care for others.
The annual celebration ends every year on May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday.
Shelena Chisolm, a teammate at Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center, was named Nurse of the Year.
Others recognized for nursing excellence include registered nurses Nikki Willis, Emergency Care Center; Will Kirkland, Inpatient Pre-op/Post-Anesthesia Care; Hope Couch, Pediatrics; Alfreda Mitchell, Floyd Behavioral Health; Katie Wingate, Inpatient Rehab and Rhiannon Nicholson, Medical/Surgical nursing.
Sheila Bennett, senior vice president and chief of patient services at Atrium Health Floyd, said she has personal reasons to thank Chisolm. The nurse cared for Bennett's mother before she passed. Chisolm experienced her own loss and told her family member she would know angels were near when she saw butterflies.
“She told my mother 'You're my butterfly,' so she gave me the imagery of butterflies that has comforted me the past two years since I lost my mother," Bennett said. “I'm so grateful a nurse gave me this comfort."
A teammate who nominated Chisolm for Nurse of the Year wrote “Shelena's dedication to excellence in nursing is INSPIRING and keeps me energized and focused on the growth and development of our cardiac stepdown team.
Comments for the following nurses came from nomination forms:
Nikki Willis
“She is the most compassionate person and one of the smartest nurses I have ever met. It is such an inspiration to see such an amazing, beautiful and selfless family work together to help others! We are truly blessed to have them all!"
Will Kirkland
“Will Kirkland is definitely an earth angel who goes above and beyond every shift he works. Will was awarded a DAISY Award last May for his care …His smile and kind gestures during patient care puts his patients' anxiety at ease and makes them feel comfortable and welcomed."
Hope Couch
"Hope is a nurse who is true to her name. Whenever a child is admitted to the Pediatrics unit, she is there to greet them with a smile and give them a little hope. …..Several families have made positive comments about Hope's gentle bedside manner, her attentiveness to detail, and her overall care of precious little children."
Alfreda Mitchell
“She leads by example. She never asks anyone to do something she wouldn't do. She is a great leader and sets a wonderful example for all staff members. Ms. Alfreda is amazing and takes pride in caring for the clients and the staff."
Katie Wingate
“Katie has been willing to come in and work when the staffing need is critical, and our patients and teammates need her there. She has embraced the concept of leading by example on the floor by helping solve problems….We are grateful she shares her skills and her dedication with us at the Atrium Health Floyd Inpatient Rehab Unit."
Rhiannon Nicholson
“She is always an advocate for the patients. I have seen her pray with patients at their request. She is truly an unsung hero."
Lacey Hobbs, RN, received the Nursing Excellence Award at
Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center.
Hobbs is the clinical nurse supervisor of the outpatient infusion clinic and the
congestive heart failure clinic.
“She is dedicated to progress that will provide our patients with the health care they need and deserve, while also providing the staff in the department with an enjoyable and efficient workplace. Our patients genuinely love Lacey."
Haven Patterson, RN, received the Nursing Excellence Award at Atrium Health Floyd Cherokee Medical Center. Patterson was praised for her efforts to go above and beyond the call of duty to visit patients. She was referred to as a strong leader who sets a good example for her teammates.
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 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. Advocate Health is nationally recognized for its expertise in heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs more than 160,000 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 redefining care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.