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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

Published on November 23, 2022

Last updated 04:19 PM November 23, 2022

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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Walk Through a 7-Foot Colon Model and Learn About Screenings at Wellstar Events

Early detection is the best prevention, especially when it comes to colon cancer. If caught early, colorectal cancer has a 91% survival rate.

For someone at average risk, screenings should begin at age 45. Those with a higher risk or a family history of colorectal cancer may need to start screening sooner. Talk to your care team to create a personalized screening plan.

To raise awareness of the importance of colon cancer screenings, Wellstar’s surgery, gastroenterology, cancer care and community health teams will host informational events throughout March. Visitors can walk through a large inflatable colon model, learn about the importance of screening and early detection, and at some events, nurses will be available to help patients schedule a colonoscopy.

March 6, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center B Entrance
March 6, 11 AM - 1 PM, Wellstar Kennestone Cancer Center
March 11, 10 AM - 2 PM, Wellstar Sylvan Grove Medical Center
March 12, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Spalding Medical Center
March 16, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Douglas Medical Center Main Lobby
March 17, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center Main Lobby (upstairs)
March 18, 10 AM - 2 PM, Wellstar Windy Hill Main Lobby
March 20, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center Main Lobby
March 23, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar East Cobb Health Park
March 24, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Avalon Health Park Lower Level Lobby
March 25, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Vinings Health Park
March 26, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Acworth Health Park
March 27, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Cherokee Health Park
March 31, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Cobb Medical Center

Call our colorectal cancer screening hotline at (470) 793-4032.

Photo of inflatable colon

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Newsroom

Thomas A. Kruse Selected as Wellstar Health System’s Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Growth Officer

MARIETTA, Ga. (Feb. 18, 2026) – Wellstar Health System announced today that Thomas A. Kruse will join the system as its new executive vice president and chief strategy and growth officer, effective March 30. Kruse has extensive experience guiding strategy for nonprofit health systems that embark on a path of sustainable growth and top-decile performance for clinical care, quality and safety, and patient experience.

“Patient needs are changing, our communities are growing, and we must evolve right alongside them. Tom will help shape our systemwide strategy and guide how we grow in the years ahead, with a clear goal of strengthening our reputation as a destination for care across the Southeast,” said Ketul J. Patel, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System.

Kruse will lead enterprise-level strategy and transformation, evaluate market expansion and affiliation opportunities, and drive initiatives that position Wellstar among the nation’s most respected and high-performing nonprofit health systems. He’ll partner with leaders across Wellstar and the communities it serves to identify opportunities for expansion and collaboration. Under Patel’s leadership, Wellstar will build on a strong foundation by advancing clinical excellence, strengthening academic programs and elevating quality, safety and patient experience.

“I’m honored to join Wellstar at such an important moment in its journey. The organization’s commitment to the communities it serves is inspiring. I look forward to working alongside the talented teams across the system to build on the already strong momentum and help expand access to high-quality care throughout Georgia and the Southeast,” said Kruse.

Most recently, Kruse was an independent health industry advisor and consultant for regional health systems, community hospitals and nonprofit organizations. He previously served as senior vice president and chief strategy officer for the Northwest region of CommonSpirit Health and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, where he led long-range strategy and partnership efforts that strengthened the organization and expanded its reach throughout the Pacific Northwest. The success of that work reflects Kruse’s experience as chief strategy officer for market-leading integrated health systems in highly competitive regions, including Hackensack Meridian Health, where he helped lead the creation of New Jersey's largest health system.

ABOUT WELLSTAR HEALTH SYSTEM
Wellstar personalizes the patient experience. We call it PeopleCare and it's only possible thanks to our 34,000 team members who provide expert, compassionate care for every stage of life. PeopleCare also means we serve our communities as a nonprofit health system, providing more than $1 billion annually in charity care and community programs and operating the largest integrated trauma network in the state of Georgia. We embrace innovation and technology, nurture early-stage companies through our venture firm Catalyst by Wellstar and train future generations of caregivers with academic institutions including the Medical College of Georgia. Wellstar honors every voice and is one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. To learn more, visit Wellstar.org.

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Thanks to a team of heart failure doctors and the Optimizer Heart Mini, Pat's back to dancing the Carolina shag again.

PeopleCare

PatCare

Pat Gelisse has been dancing for 30 years. She even taught the Carolina shag for a while. It’s a partner dance, sometimes compared to Swing dancing to beach music.

But severe heart failure downgraded Pat’s dancing queen status for close to 10 years.

“I went from feeling happy to feeling like a nothing,” she remembered of that time in her life.

With a team of Wellstar heart specialists working together for her, Pat found hope and new life on the dance floor.

Heart failure masquerades as acid reflux

It started more than a decade ago when Pat lived in central Georgia. She scheduled a doctor’s appointment for what she thought was acid reflux. She popped in on a quick break from her marketing job, assuming it wouldn’t take long.

Blood work and an EKG got Pat a ticket straight to the hospital and a quadruple bypass.

“My heart got worse; it wasn’t pumping blood,” Pat said.

She was in acute heart failure, a life-threatening condition where the heart doesn’t pump well enough to deliver the necessary amount of oxygen to her body. Pat’s ejection fraction (EF)—the percentage measurement of the blood that leaves the heart each time it pumps—was only 10%. The normal range is 50 to 70%.

It was a scary time, and with a family history of heart problems, Pat was worried. She’d lost both parents to heart failure, as well as other family members.

“I just knew for sure I was going to be next,” said Pat.

Doctors from various academic institutions discussed serious treatments ranging from LVAD to transplant, but because the pumping performance of her heart improved, she was no longer a candidate for those procedures. Instead, Pat spent close to nine years managing her heart failure with a pacemaker and various medications—treatments that failed to get her back on the dance floor.

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