As a sign of the continued partnership between Piedmont Athens Regional and Athens Technical College, the College has dedicated its Associate Degree of Nursing classroom and laboratory on the Athens Campus in the name of Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center. Piedmont Athens Regional has a long history of service to Athens Technical College and surrounding communities. Since 1997, the hospital has provided overall support to Athens Technical College totaling over $4,000,000 and the generosity has transformed the lives for many Athens Technical College students and graduates.

Dr. Andrea Daniel, President of Athens Technical College noted, “We are so grateful for partnerships like the one we have had for many years with Piedmont Athens Regional. Piedmont’s funding directly supports our nursing instructor salaries, in turn, allowing the College to accept more nursing students. This provides Athens Technical College the opportunity to increase the size of classes offered, which then allows us to educate more qualified nursing students. Thus, resulting in more available graduates that could be hired by Piedmont Athens Regional and the healthcare workforce within the College’s service area.”

Tamara Jackson, RN, Piedmont Athens Regional’s Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) adds, “Piedmont Athens Regional knows how important it is to support programs that teach and inform. In order for our hospital to staff qualified, trained nurses who share Piedmont’s mission to provide high-quality, patient-centered care to our patients, supporting for programs that generate this workforce is key.”

The impact of such contributions is evident in the nursing program success. Most recently, in 2017, the nursing program had a 97 percent program completion rate, a 98 percent licensure pass rate on the NCLEX Exam, and a 100 percent job placement rate. These rates add up to the Associate Degree of Nursing at Athens Technical College being ranked among the top 15 best programs in the state of Georgia.