Kurt Stuenkel, President of Atrium Health Floyd, has been awarded the prestigious University System of Georgia (USG) Regents Hall of Fame Alumni and Distinguished Friends Award, recognizing his profound support and pivotal role in strengthening Georgia Highlands College (GHC). The award was presented during the USG Foundation’s 21st annual Regents’ Scholarship Gala, which raised over $4.5 million for need-based scholarships across the state.

Stuenkel was nominated by GHC for his unwavering advocacy for education and workforce development, particularly in fostering a groundbreaking partnership between Atrium Health Floyd and the college. This collaboration has been instrumental in addressing the critical nursing shortage in the region by creating expanded opportunities for students pursuing nursing and other health science careers.

“The recognition from the university system acknowledges the long relationship we have had with the college and importantly, it recognizes the creativity and impact of our new agreement,” Stuenkel stated. He emphasized that the partnership has “enhanced faculty recruitment and retention, increased the number of students in the program, and created more scholarship opportunities.”

Atrium Health Floyd and Georgia Highlands College share a history of collaboration spanning more than 50 years, with the health system consistently providing clinical training, scholarships, and career pathways for generations of GHC students. However, the most recent agreement, forged in 2023, marks a significant escalation of their joint efforts.

Under this 2023 accord, GHC’s health sciences and nursing programs were notably renamed the Atrium Health Floyd School of Health Sciences and the Atrium Health Floyd Department of Nursing. The partnership has also enabled an increase in the number of health sciences student positions and provided crucial salary supplements for educators at the college, directly impacting the capacity and quality of these vital programs.

GHC President Mike Hobbs lauded the partnership as a model for regional transformation. “The partnership between Atrium Health Floyd and Georgia Highlands College exemplifies how higher education and health care can work hand-in-hand to transform a region,” Hobbs said. “Together, we are not only training the next generation of health care professionals, we are building a sustainable pipeline of talent drawn directly from our local communities.”

Hobbs added that with Atrium Health Floyd’s support, GHC graduates are empowered to begin their careers locally, thereby “strengthening families, bolstering our workforce, and ensuring that northwest Georgia has one of the strongest health care systems in the state.”

Lisa Jellum, Assistant Vice Provost of Academic Partnerships and Innovation at GHC, echoed the sentiment, praising Stuenkel’s leadership. “Having Kurt as a friend of Georgia Highlands College is a gift to our students and our region,” Jellum commented. “He leads with vision, keeps patients at the center, and champions the next generation of caregivers.”

Jellum highlighted that the partnership is actively transforming lives through expanded program capacity, high-impact clinical training, and scholarships, ensuring more graduates remain in northwest Georgia to provide essential care for their community.