Chattanooga, Tenn, - Holly Reeve, Chattanooga State Community College associate vice president for leadership & fund development, announced the establishment of a Nursing Chair of Excellence by Erlanger Health System. The first recipient of the Erlanger Chair of Excellence at Chattanooga State is associate professor of nursing Joyce B. Campbell. Campbell, who earned a Masters of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee, has been a member of Chattanooga State’s faculty since 1988.

According to Reeve, “Erlanger has always received us when we have reached out for their help. When I called on Greg Gentry, Valerie Fuchcar and Jim Brexler, I could literally hear echoes of all those past decades of support and relationship that led to this next level. “

“When Greg Gentry and Valerie Fuchcar asked, “How best can we help you?” I really appreciated that question because it opened the doors to further discussion that lead to the discussion of funding a Chair,” Reeve continued.

Overtime with the vision of Lynn Whisman, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Erlanger Health System, the Erlanger Chair of Nursing Excellence was created. To Whisman, the Chair is very exciting because it will help Erlanger reach strategic goals in the area of recruitment, retention and education. “We have to strengthen our collaboration between service and education. The need for that partnership grows stronger every year,” she says.

Joyce Campbell was overwhelmed by her selection. “Erlanger is where I cut my teeth. It’s my heart and soul.” Campbell was employed by Erlanger immediately after graduating from nursing school at East Tennessee State University. She took a leave when her husband went to pharmacy school. When she returned she accepted a position on the Baroness Erlanger nursing faculty. Later, she took another four years to stay at home with her children. Since then, she has been an Erlanger employee, although now she works as few as two to four hours per week.

“I always say that if you took a blood sample from me, my red cells would say, EMC (Erlanger Medical Center).” Campbell is quick to add that Erlanger has not taken her away from Chattanooga State. The College is her heart and her home, too. “I will do everything I can to provide for this marriage, so we can really promote nursing, Erlanger and Chattanooga State as a joint endeavor.”