ROME, GA (December 11, 2023) – When a non-verbal patient who had been at Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center for about a year had to be transported to Savannah, Mandie Deering knew just what to do.

Deering, a unit secretary on the 4 West Neurology floor at the hospital, rode with the man for the over five-hour trip and held his hand during the ride. That is only one example of the dedication and care she provided for the patient, with whom she had developed a bond.

Because of her determination to make a difference, Deering has been given a BEE Award – for going Beyond Exceptional Expectations. The honor was established at Floyd last year to recognize more teammates who work in the clinical environment.

She often sat with the patient while he was at Floyd. She quickly learned many of his likes and dislikes, how he liked his meals and how to make his day better overall. Deering picked up more shifts so that he had some consistency. 

When it was time for him to go to his new home, Deering asked if she could travel with him. While in transit, she provided the staff at Floyd – who were attached to this patient and worried about him – updates on how he was doing.

“I was afraid he was going to be scared and thought he would need some familiarity,” Deering said about traveling with him. 

“By the time he left, you were his family,” Sheila Bennett, senior vice president and chief of patient services at Floyd, told other members of the unit when she gave out the award. “He was scared, but Mandie was there at his side to talk to him.” 

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 employs more than 3,500 teammates who provide care in over 40 medical specialties at three hospitals: Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center – a 304-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; as well as Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center Behavioral Health – a freestanding 53-bed behavioral health facility in Rome – and also primary care and urgent care network locations throughout northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama.

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, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health serves nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies. 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 nearly 155,000 team members across 68 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 equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides nearly $6 billion in annual community benefits.