Defeating Pain with Successful Spine Surgeries at Wellstar

Wellstar Health System has announced that Atlanta magazine recognized 79 Wellstar physicians on its 2021 "Top Doctors" list in the July issue. This list is compiled annually from nominations by physicians whom they consider to be among the top experts in their region for their medical specialty. The number of Wellstar doctors named to the distinguished list increased 14% from 2020 to 2021.

"As a community-based, non-profit health system, Wellstar physicians are focused on providing high-quality patient-centered care to everyone who comes through our doors," said Dr. John Brennan, executive vice president and chief clinical integration officer of Wellstar Health System. "Wellstar is extremely proud of the doctors recognized by this prestigious list published annually by Atlanta magazine, as well as all of our team members, who are committed to delivering outstanding care to every person, every time."

Atlanta magazine's "Top Doctors" list is compiled by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., a leading healthcare research and information company founded to help consumers reach America's top doctors and hospitals. Physicians are nominated by their peers and selected after a rigorous screening process that reviews professional, educational, and patient care excellence. The final list with detailed information about the doctors’ education, training, and medical expertise is included in Atlanta magazine's July 2021 issue. Below is the complete list of Wellstar physicians who were honored on the 2021 list.

When a stroke or heart attack strikes, every second matters. Saving time could mean saving a life, and it’s crucial that medical treatment starts right away. That’s why in the case of a heart attack or stroke, call 911 immediately — don’t drive yourself or another person to the hospital. 

Emergency Medical Service crews are trained to start life-saving treatment on the way to the hospital, minimizing damage to your heart or brain. They can also conduct and interpret electrocardiograms to diagnose a heart attack in the ambulance. 

You also don’t want to drive if you are experiencing a heart attack or stroke yourself because your condition could worsen on the way to the emergency department and impact your ability to stay safe on the road. 

“If you're having an emergency, which could be severe abdominal pain, chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness that you can't really explain, you've got to call 911,” said Dr. Ed Malcom, an emergency medicine physician at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital. “The ambulance and the EMS services will get you to the emergency department in a safe way, and we will get you taken care of.” 

When a patient has a heart attack, ambulance crews communicate with our cardiac team on the way to the hospital, bypassing the emergency department and diverting directly to the cardiac catheterization lab, where our team is ready to restore blood flow to your heart. Calling 911 means reopening the heart artery sooner. And when someone has a stroke, it’s also crucial to take action right away — the sooner you seek treatment, the more brainpower can be saved. 

To learn more about how Wellstar treats heart attacks and strokes, visit our heart care and neuro care pages. 

No one expects to have a stroke — much less one that is rare or complicated to treat. However, these life-threatening medical events can happen to anyone, at any time.

That’s why Wellstar now offers the highest level of stroke care at two key locations: Wellstar Kennestone Hospital and Wellstar North Fulton Hospital. Here, patients have access to cutting-edge treatments, advanced technology and an expert neuro team, ready to treat even the most complex strokes.

Our primary stroke centers — including Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center, Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center-South, Wellstar Cobb Hospital and Wellstar Spalding Regional Hospital — are also poised to deliver high-quality stroke care where it’s needed most.

“Wellstar has nine hospitals that provide stroke care in our network,” said Dr. Rishi Gupta, director of stroke and neurocritical care with Wellstar Health System. “Each of these locations is in communities that have high stroke rates in metro Atlanta.”

With the largest Joint Commission Stroke Certified hospital network in the Southeast, Wellstar is saving more lives with the stroke capabilities.