Drs. Trent Griner, Audrey Dugan have been named chief residents
ROME, Ga., July 1, 2025 – Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center Family Medicine Residency is welcoming nine first-year residents and has also named chief residents for the new academic year, which begins July 1.
The Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center Family Medicine Residency program opened in 1976 and is one of the oldest family medicine residency programs in Georgia. The program offers hands-on experience to residents in preparation for full-time medical careers.
“We are excited to onboard nine new residents," said Dr. Kelly Culbertson, program director/designated institutional official of Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center Family Medicine Residency. They come from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
“One resident — Tamryn Hall, a Model High graduate — returned to Rome to complete her residency after earning an Osteopathic Medicine degree in Suwannee. We also welcome our first accelerated path resident from the Medical College of Georgia, Jessica McElrath," Culbertson added. “We are very excited to have them all join us as we finish our 49th year as a residency program."
That accelerated program allows students to complete medical school in three years instead of four.
The new residents are:Dr. Amiria Blakely received a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Dr. Tamara Brown received a Doctor of Medicine from the American University of Integrative Sciences School of Medicine, Barbados.
Dr. Mason Conine earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Dr. Cheryl Estes received a Doctor of Medicine from Saint James School of Medicine, Arnol Vale, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Dr. Tamryn Hall earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Suwannee, Georgia.
Dr. Jessica McElrath received a Doctor of Medicine from the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia.
Dr. Neha Patel earned her Doctor of Medicine from Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, Georgia.
Dr. Julia Smith received her Doctor of Medicine from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Suwannee, Georgia.
Dr. Erin Wehlage received her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Dr. Trent Griner and Dr. Audrey Dugan have also been named chief residents for the new academic year.
Chief residents are selected and voted on by their peers and are approved by faculty and staff. During their one-year term, they will serve in leadership roles, mentoring undergraduates and acting as liaisons between residents and faculty.
Griner received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia, Moultrie. Dugan received her Doctor of Medicine from Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, Georgia.
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.