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Highlights: PeopleCare

Frank&LlenCare

Published on July 06, 2020

Last updated 04:07 PM August 21, 2020

Frank and Llen Ryan in their living room.

Frank & Llen Ryan

When you first glance at Frank and Ellenora "Llen" Ryan, the word "fighter" likely isn't the top quality that pops into mind.

Between the two of them, they have defeated cancer twice, overcome debilitating spine pain and triumphed over a cardiology episode. Now, they’re fighting Parkinson’s disease with the same energy, confidence and heart.

The most rewarding part of what I do is making a difference in my patients’ lives. I can help catch medical issues early before they become bigger problems and develop treatment plans that work best with my patients’ lifestyles.

- Dr. Ryan Cantwell

Wellstar Family Medicine Physician

Frank & Llen Ryan

Taking charge of their health

The common thread? Wellstar. The physicians and staff throughout the health system have helped them navigate their health journeys through primary care and specialty services, as well as surgery and therapy. As the Ryans — happily married for 53 years — continue on their path to wellness, Wellstar provides them everything they need, every step of the way.

“At Wellstar, we work as a team to take care of our patients,” Dr. Ryan Cantwell explained. “I enjoy being my patients’ quarterback and coordinating their care with other physicians. Through our electronic health records system, the referral process and communication with other specialists is easy and accurate.”

“At one point, we thought I might have had throat cancer,” said Frank. “Within a week, I was referred to a gastroenterologist and had an upper endoscopy that showed I actually had a hiatal hernia, not throat cancer. But it was really impressive, how quickly I was referred and seen, and that’s down to Dr. Cantwell and the Wellstar referral system.”

Wellstar provided support to Llen after diagnosing her with diabetes nearly 20 years go. Type 2 diabetes runs in her family, she says, but her care team helped empower her to take better care of herself to turn the disease around.

“The most rewarding part of what I do is making a difference in my patients’ lives,” Dr. Cantwell said. “I can help catch medical issues early before they become bigger problems and develop treatment plans that work best with my patients’ lifestyles. In Llen’s case with her diabetes, we came up with a diet and exercise regimen that continues to be successful today.”

“When I got diagnosed, it was a scary thing. But I have since said it's one of the blessings in my life because I changed. I started walking, which I do practically every day now. I ate better and lost 65 pounds, which I’ve kept off for 10 years.”


Seamless specialty care

Through speedy diagnostic services, referrals and treatment, Wellstar has helped both Frank and Llen become warriors for their own wellness.

He first beat melanoma with the help of Dr. Sartaj Sanghera, Wellstar Oncology Surgeon. Frank also overcame prostate cancer with the guidance Wellstar Urologist Dr. Murphy Townsend. 

It was at Wellstar where Frank managed his atrial fibrillation (AFib) heart condition with Wellstar Cardiologist Dr. Paul Simonoff, allowing him to continue an active lifestyle. Today, Wellstar Neurologist Dr. Marat Reyzelman keeps Frank in the ring fighting Parkinson’s Disease through medication and therapy at a non-combat boxing class at Wellstar Health Place.

Llen is no stranger to fighting for her health and independence, either. After dealing with debilitating back pain for years, Llen found relief through surgery by Wellstar Neurologist Dr. Franklin Lin. She once couldn’t bear to stand, but she now walks three miles every day around Kennesaw Mountain.


A wellness partnership

Today, Frank and Llen spend time at their cottage-style home on Church Street while chasing their dreams.

Frank keeps working on his jabs in boxing class with the same dedication he brings to his music at New Horizons, a local Kennesaw band he has been with for 10 years. Llen paints rocks with inspirational pictures and phrases which she distributes along her daily walks around Kennesaw Mountain. Additionally, Llen volunteers each Monday at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.

“One of my gifts is I'm a good listener. I like to be around people and I'm compassionate,” said Llen. “Volunteering has given those gifts purpose and it’s given me joy. It's made me look at life differently and helps me value my family, my husband and relationships. It's just pumped me up.”

The Ryans keep Wellstar near to their hearts and close to home, as they live a short walk from all their healthcare services. And from there, they continue the fight as a team.

“We are in collaboration with Wellstar. We work together. It's not just them alone,” Llen said. “It's a decision we make to stay healthy, to get up in the morning and ask yourself: ‘What drives me?’”

“I feel that my life is here because of Wellstar,” Frank said. “There’s no doubt about it. I wouldn’t have beaten prostate cancer and melanoma. I may have even had a heart attack because of my heart issues. Without Wellstar, I wouldn’t be here.”

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Ryan Victor Cantwell Murphy Furman Townsend III Paul Andrew Simonoff
Marat L Reyzelman Sartaj Singh Sanghera Franklin John Lin Windy Hill Hospital Frank and Llen Care PeopleCare Heart Care
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Ashley was able to recover from cardiac arrest and walk down the aisle.

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In March of 2021, Ashley Martin suffered cardiac arrest, which kills about 90% of people when it happens outside of a hospital. Thankfully, she was already at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center receiving the compassionate care she’d been seeking to address a long list of symptoms.

Everything began at a hectic time in Ashley’s life. She was 30 and had just gotten engaged. Wedding planning had started with the help of her fiancé and their two young boys. The hope had been to have the wedding toward the end of 2021. But the unexpected happened.

“I was always healthy,” she said. “I grew up playing sports. I was a runner. I used to get headaches, but that was the extent of my medical history.”

Finding the right care when there is more than one symptom

Symptoms of what would ultimately be diagnosed as Guillain-Barré syndrome began in February of 2021. This rare neurological disorder causes the body’s immune system to attack the nerves. 

Ashley started experiencing tingling in the tips of her hands and feet, which moved up her legs and arms as days passed. When intermittent numbness became a symptom, Ashley went to a hospital near her Peachtree City home. A clean CT and MRI meant she went home with plans to see a rheumatologist.

As she waited for her first appointment, she started feeling numbness in her feet.

“At one point, I took a step down the stairs and went tumbling down to the concrete floor,” Ashley said. 

On another trip to the hospital near her home, Ashley was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, but treatment was unsuccessful. The numbness continued, spreading to her face. She began using a walker and, soon after, a wheelchair.

“The paralysis had moved to my abdomen,” Ashley said. “I went to sleep one night and woke up abruptly gasping for air.”

Compassionate medical care at a pivotal point

 Later that night, an ambulance brought Ashley to Wellstar Kennestone, where she would finally get the specialized neuro care she desperately needed. She was admitted to the Neurocritical Care unit, staffed by physicians, nurses and a medical team with specialized training in neurological conditions.

Upon arrival, she underwent respiratory failure due to paralysis spreading to her diaphragm. She was stabilized, but shortly after that, she experienced sudden cardiac arrest — the abrupt loss of heart function that stops blood flow to the body.

After a critical care nurse administered CPR, Ashley’s heart started beating again. Life support medications were given to keep her heart pumping.

“The neuro ICU nurses and doctors saved my life,” she said.

Later, her attending neurologist explained that the stress of her nervous system and immune system fighting, paired with respiratory failure, caused such high stress that she had a cardiac arrest.

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Doing good CPR is critical to save someone from cardiac arrest.

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KevinCare

There aren’t many people out there who can say they survived cardiac arrest at 30. Kevin Miskewicz can.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 90% of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die. Those who survive often have permanent neurological disabilities. But Kevin’s story has an incredibly fortunate ending, thanks to the highly coordinated work of his medical experts at Wellstar.

Recovering from cardiac arrest is something Kevin will never forget. It lives forever as a piece of his health history — one that includes a dedicated healthcare team — and his wife, who was the first to save his life.

There aren’t many people out there who can say they survived cardiac arrest at 30. Kevin can.

CPR to the rescue

Kevin woke up on Labor Day 2017 at 5:30 a.m. to take the dog out. Pausing to adjust the thermostat as he came in, he fell, knocking over a lamp.

He was in cardiac arrest.

With no symptoms and no known pre-existing condition, this was unexpected, but that didn’t stop his wife, Andrea, from jumping into action.

“If it weren’t for me knocking over a lamp when I passed out,” said Kevin, “she would have never woken up and saved my life.”

In addition to calling 911 and unlocking the door for the paramedics, Andrea performed CPR for 10 minutes.

“Kevin’s wife doing good CPR was critical,” said Dr. Arthur Reitman, the interventional cardiologist who was a vital part of Kevin’s treatment team at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center. “More than five minutes of poor blood flow to the brain can result in permanent irreparable injury from which a patient is unable to recover.”

Coordinating multidisciplinary care to save a life

When paramedics arrived at Kevin’s home, he had no pulse and was not breathing. As the paramedics performed their lifesaving work, he technically died two times.

The ambulance took him to Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, where he was initially assessed and treated by Dr. David Jacoboff. The interventional cardiologist implanted an intra-aortic balloon pump to stabilize him. Then, he transferred Kevin to Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center for highly specialized heart care.

When Kevin arrived at Kennestone by helicopter, his heart function wasn’t strong enough to support his body. Dr. Reitman and a team of doctors including a cardiologist, a pulmonologist and critical care doctors worked in tandem to put Kevin on an advanced life support system called veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Better known as VA-ECMO, it took the heart “offline” so it could heal. The technology removed unoxygenated blood from his body, oxygenated it and pumped it back in for the next three days.

“Very few places in the state — only four or five hospitals — have the technology and specialized training to put a patient on ECMO,” Dr. Reitman explained.

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Headshot photo of Mary Chatman, Wellstar and Georgia Hospital Association logos

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Mary Chatman, Executive Vice President of Wellstar Health System and President of Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center and Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital, Named Chair-Elect of the Georgia Hospital Association Board of Trustees

Mary Chatman, PhD, RN, executive vice president (EVP) of Wellstar Health System and president of Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center and Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital, was named chair-elect of the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) on Nov. 10. Chatman, who has served on the GHA Board since February 2020, will lead the Board in developing strategies for GHA hospital members, advocating for the highest quality care for patients and supporting adequate reimbursement for hospitals. 

“Mary Chatman is a visionary leader whose vast leadership skills have benefited Wellstar hospitals and the communities they serve,” said GHA President and CEO Earl Rogers. “She is a strong patient advocate and we look forward to her expertise and leadership of our Board.”  

In addition to serving as a Wellstar EVP and president of two of the system’s hospitals, Chatman oversees the operations of the seven other Wellstar hospitals. In 2020, she led the opening of Wellstar Kennestone’s new emergency department, the largest in the Southeast.  

Prior to serving in her current role, Chatman was the chief operating officer and chief nursing officer at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, where she was responsible for managing the 654-bed hospital and its nursing operations. She also served as interim chief information officer for Memorial and completed the electronic health record conversion to EPIC.  

This year, Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Chatman to the state’s Healthcare Workforce Commission, where she has helped address challenges in the hiring and retention of healthcare workers.  

Chatman has been recognized locally and nationally as a prominent leader and strong patient advocate in health care. Atlanta Daily World recognized her among the 2018 Women of Excellence. Diversity MBA Magazine named her among the 2018 Top 100 Under 50 Executive & Emerging Leaders and 2020 Top 100 Women of Influence. Profiles in Diversity Journal named her a 2020 Women Worth Watching® in STEM award winner. Chatman was recognized by Atlanta Magazine among the 2021 Women Making A Mark honorees and by Becker’s as one of the 75 Black Healthcare Leaders to Know 2022. She was also named the 2020 West Cobb Citizen of the Year for serving on the frontlines for Cobb County, fighting COVID-19 and collaborating with local leaders.   

Chatman is deeply involved in the community, serving as board member for United Community Bank and active in the fight to find a cure for type 1 diabetes. She is a member of the American Nurses Association and the American College of Healthcare Executives. She earned her Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.

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