Atlanta, Ga. (November 3, 2025) – Two Piedmont nurses who each showed bravery in the face of danger were named the winners of the nonprofit health system’s annual President’s Award on Thursday. Piedmont Healthcare President and CEO Kevin Brown personally selected Tiara McCoy of Piedmont Macon Medical Center and Emilee McArthur of Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center out of thousands of nominees from across the Piedmont system for the exceptional care they provided.
Piedmont’s promise is to make a positive difference in every life we touch. The organization recognizes one employee from each entity within the system on a monthly basis for living Piedmont’s values in the form of a Promise 360 Champion Award. At the end of each year, every entity awards an annual winner, and from these, the President’s Award winner is selected. Patients, family members, and Piedmont employees may enter nominations.
“We have so many selfless employees who show tremendous regard for others, whether they are in a patient setting or not,” Piedmont Healthcare President and CEO Kevin Brown said. “We work hard to create a patient-centered culture at Piedmont and Tiara and Emilee stand out as shining examples, as do so many others.”
McCoy exemplified Piedmont’s value of “Championing Patient-Centered Care” by following her instincts and alerting management during a patient interaction that raised concerns of kidnapping and sex trafficking. At the ceremony where McCoy and McArthur were honored, Brown read a letter signed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp commending McCoy. First Lady Marty Kemp has worked to bring awareness and to put an end to human trafficking in Georgia and the governor’s office has introduced 10 anti-human trafficking bills on behalf of the First Lady.
When the patient asked if the man accompanying her needed to come back to the triage room as well, McCoy sensed something was wrong. Trusting her intuition, she created a private and safe space by bringing the patient back alone for assessment. Once in the room, McCoy gently and professionally asked psychological and safety-related assessment questions, which led the patient to disclose physical and sexual abuse. The patient also shared that she was not in contact with her family. McCoy allowed the patient to use her personal cell phone to contact her family and immediately escalated the situation to her leader. Due to McCoy’s vigilance, courage, and swift action, an investigation was launched discreetly without alerting the suspected abuser. A case worker was sent to speak with the patient and to give her resources. As a result, the patient removed herself from the situation and made arrangements to be back with her family in a U.S. territory. By creating a safe space and connecting the patient to help, McCoy served as a pivotal steppingstone that allowed the patient to reclaim her life and return home.
McArthur, an Emergency Department nurse, was on her way to work when she was involved in a multi-vehicle, mass-casualty incident when a tractor-trailer truck crossed over into oncoming traffic on the interstate. To avoid being hit, she swerved off the road into a ditch. Instead of focusing on her own safety, she left her car to help others involved in the collision. McArthur rendered aid, though several people were already deceased. In one of the trucks struck by the tractor-trailer, two occupants were inside. A female passenger managed to escape before the car caught on fire. McArthur helped the female passenger and others who were injured as best as she could. Remaining calm amid chaos, McArthur called 911 and documented with photos the scene for state patrol. When asked if she had been injured because her clothes were covered in blood, she discovered the blood was actually from the people she cared for. Remarkably, McArthur then drove to work where several patients who suffered cardiac arrest arrived in the ED from another crash site. She continued to care for patients even after the traumatic event.
The President’s Award, the highest honor Piedmont gives, comes with a $5,000 prize to the winner. If you’d like to nominate a Piedmont employee for a Promise 360 award, visit piedmont.org/promise360.