The award recognizes Stuenkel’s leadership, which the GACH credited with helping Floyd Medical Center become recognized as one of the best large hospitals in Georgia. Floyd Medical Center also won the Alliance’s 2008 Large Hospital of the Year award.

The organization also recognized Stuenkel for leadership beyond his hospital, including serving as co-chairman in 2007 of the effort to save and streamline Georgia’s Certificate of Need process as co-chair-

man of the Save Georgia Healthcare Coalition; helping to distribute this year the first large state funding for trauma care providers — $58.9 million — as a member of the Georgia Trauma Commission; and, since 2004, for his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals.

“While recognizing Kurt’s outstanding leadership, this award also recognizes the commitment and superb performance by Floyd Medical Center’s employees and physicians,” said Monty M. Veazey, president of the Alliance. “Kurt and his team have done an outstanding job of developing outreach programs that improve access to health care and put the patient first.”

Floyd Medical Center won GACH’s 2008 Hospital of the Year award in the large hospital category (more than 150 beds).

The Alliance recognized Floyd Medical Center for the organization’s “outstanding” outreach programs. Among the programs that were cited as improving access to healthcare, including the Floyd County Clinic, the We Care program and the Free Clinic of Rome, a local organization that provides free primary medical care to low-income, uninsured patients.

FMC has also partnered with the District Public Health office to plan and fund a comprehensive dental clinic for low-income residents.

The most recent addition to the hospital’s outreach efforts is a new Mobile Mammography Unit with digital mammography equipment to reach out to rural and underserved areas.

“Floyd Medical Center is continuously looking for opportunities to reach farther into their community to meet the needs of the full spectrum of individuals who seek medical care,” said Veazey. “Helping is what this hospital is all about. On a daily basis employees realize that each encounter is an opportunity to put their mission into action.”

Article Courtsey of the Rome News Tribune