Skip Navigation
Book Now! Find care near you Find care near you Find care near you
wellstar-logo
Wellstar Go Back
Go to MyChart

Questions? We can help!

Call (770) 956-STAR (7827)

Monday - Friday, 7 AM - 4:30 PM

Contact Us
For Patients & Families For the Community For Providers About Us Careers
  • Start Your Care

  • Find a Doctor
  • Find a Location
  • Our Services
  • Virtual Visits
  • Planning

  • Accepted Insurance
  • Hospital Payment Planning
  • Financial Assistance
  • Pricing Information
  • Before Your Visit

  • Sign Up for MyChart
  • Visitation Guidelines
  • While You're Here

  • Support & Entertainment
  • Join an Event
  • After Your Visit

  • Pay Your Bill
  • Get Medical Records
  • Contact us
  • COVID-19 Support

  • COVID-19 Information
  • Vaccines
  • Testing Information
  • Foundation Relief
  • Community Care

  • In the Community
  • Health Highlights
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Latest News
  • Center for Health Equity
  • Wellstar Find Help
  • Events & Programs

  • Events Calendar
  • On-Demand Classes
  • Support Groups
  • Give

  • Wellstar Foundation
  • Donate
  • Ways to Give
  • Thank a Caregiver
  • West Georgia
    Health Foundation
  • Volunteer

  • PeopleCare Advisory Council
  • For Adults
  • Care

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Cures Act
  • Refer a Patient
  • Lab Test Directory
  • Request to Conduct Research
  • Connect

  • Physician Relations
  • Request Imaging Services
  • Wellstar Clinical Partners
  • Wellstar Medical Group
  • Mayo Clinic Care Network
  • Medical Staff Services
  • Provider Recruitment
  • Log In

  • EpicCare Link
  • Lawson Connect
  • MyID Password Reset
  • Citrix Access
  • Leadership

  • Authority Board
  • Board Of Trustees
  • Foundation Board
  • Regional Health Boards
  • Executive Leadership
  • Awards, Recognition & Safety

  • Accreditation & Certifications
  • Awards & Recognition
  • Safety First Program
  • Nursing
  • Careers at Wellstar

  • Apply now
  • Upcoming virtual events
  • Why Wellstar?
  • Nursing Careers

  • Nursing (Direct Care)
  • Nursing Leadership
  • Nursing (Non-bedside)
  • Nursing Support
  • Physician, APP & Clinical Careers

  • Advanced Practice Providers (APPs)
  • Allied Health Professionals
  • Homecare & Hospice
  • Physicians
  • Support Team Careers

  • Administrative & Clerical
  • Coding, Compliance & HIM Systems
  • Facility, Environmental & Nutrition/Food Services
  • Information Technology & Systems
  • For Patients & Families
  • For the Community
  • For Providers
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Search Search Search
  • MyChart MyChart MyChart

Start Your Care

Find a DoctorFind a LocationOur ServicesVirtual Visits

Planning

Accepted InsuranceHospital Payment PlanningFinancial AssistancePricing Information

Before Your Visit

Sign Up for MyChartVisitation Guidelines

While You're Here

Support & EntertainmentJoin an Event

After Your Visit

Pay Your BillGet Medical RecordsContact us

COVID-19 Support

COVID-19 InformationVaccinesTesting InformationFoundation Relief

Community Care

In the CommunityHealth HighlightsCommunity Health Needs AssessmentLatest NewsCenter for Health EquityWellstar Find Help

Events & Programs

Events CalendarOn-Demand ClassesSupport Groups

Give

Wellstar FoundationDonateWays to GiveThank a CaregiverWest Georgia
Health Foundation

Volunteer

PeopleCare Advisory CouncilFor Adults

Care

Transfer a PatientCures ActRefer a PatientLab Test DirectoryRequest to Conduct Research

Connect

Physician RelationsRequest Imaging ServicesWellstar Clinical PartnersWellstar Medical GroupMayo Clinic Care NetworkMedical Staff ServicesProvider Recruitment

Log In

EpicCare LinkLawson ConnectMyID Password ResetCitrix Access
About Wellstar

Our patients are the center of everything we do. We're nationally ranked and locally recognized for our high-quality care, inclusive culture, exceptional doctors and caregivers, and one of the largest and most integrated healthcare systems in Georgia.

About Us

Leadership

Authority BoardBoard Of TrusteesFoundation BoardRegional Health BoardsExecutive Leadership

Awards, Recognition & Safety

Accreditation & CertificationsAwards & RecognitionSafety First ProgramNursing

Careers at Wellstar

Apply nowUpcoming virtual eventsWhy Wellstar?

Nursing Careers

Nursing (Direct Care)Nursing LeadershipNursing (Non-bedside)Nursing Support

Physician, APP & Clinical Careers

Advanced Practice Providers (APPs)Allied Health ProfessionalsHomecare & HospicePhysicians

Support Team Careers

Administrative & ClericalCoding, Compliance & HIM SystemsFacility, Environmental & Nutrition/Food ServicesInformation Technology & Systems
Questions? We can help!

Call (770) 956-STAR (7827)

Monday - Friday, 7 AM - 4:30 PM

Contact Us
Close
  • Schedule With This Provider
  • Schedule At This Location
  • Schedule With This Provider
  • Schedule At This Location
  • Urgent Care
  • Primary Care
  • Virtual Care
  • Emergency Care
Close Close Close Book Now Menu
  • Schedule With This Provider
  • Schedule At This Location
  • Schedule With This Provider
  • Schedule At This Location
  • Urgent Care
  • Primary Care
  • Virtual Care
  • Emergency Care

Introducing

Wellstar Virtual Care

Access Wellstar healthcare providers
wherever you are.

Get started

Warning Warning Our "Book Now" feature should not be used for life threatening conditions such as heart attack, severe injury, poisoning, chest pain, or stroke. If you are experiencing such conditions, STOP and CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY or visit your nearest Emergency Department.

I Understand
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Meet new Wellstar MCG Health President Ralph Turner
Article Category: Newsroom

Meet new Wellstar MCG Health President Ralph Turner

Published on October 25, 2023

Last updated 11:44 AM October 25, 2023

A friendly image of Ralph

Ralph Turner stepped out the front door of his new apartment in North Augusta and ran into his neighbor, who had a Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center badge.

“I work there too,” he said. “Oh, what do you do there?” she asked.

He held out his badge that read “president,” and she looked up in shock.

“There are so many medical students and Wellstar employees in my complex,” he said. “The hospital is such a large part of the community.”

Turner, who has lived out of a hotel in Augusta until last week, still considers Powder Springs his permanent base. He drives to Augusta on Sunday afternoon and back to Atlanta on Thursday night to spend Friday at Wellstar Paulding Medical Center. Saturday is his rest day to enjoy with his wife of 31 years, Ann.

The new leader started his career in 1986 with the U.S. Army, giving him the chance to live around the world—Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Cavazos, Texas (formerly Fort Hood); Fort Belvoir, Va.; Fort Johnson, La. (formerly Fort Polk); Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Co.; Germany; Alaska; Washington, D.C.; and Seoul, South Korea.

From the start, he knew he wanted to work in healthcare.

“It’s rewarding to help people when they are at their most vulnerable state,” he said. “To me, there is honor in that.”

After graduating from high school in Valdosta, Ga., he joined the Army and took a job repairing hospital equipment. After eight years, he became a warrant officer—a highly respected position for subject matter experts who make up less than 3% of the Army—and began managing clinical engineering departments in hospitals.

At the same time, Turner was taking classes. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1995, going on to earn a master’s in public administration and then a master’s in healthcare administration.

“My mindset is be all you can be,” he said.

The more senior he became, the more departments he managed. His last assignment for the Army was at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where he ran support services departments such as property management, environmental services and clinical engineering for facilities. After more than two decades in the Army, he retired in 2008 as a Chief Warrant Officer Four (CW4) and earned an executive position with MedStar Washington Hospital Center as an assistant vice president of facilities and support services.

Turner departed Washington, D.C., for Wisconsin to work at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics and thought he was finished with school after three degrees. But when his oldest son began to talk about going to medical school, his competitive side came out. He returned to school at the University of Wisconsin and earned his doctorate in business administration.

“I thought, ‘He’s not going to be the first one in the family to be called a doctor,'” he said in good humor.

From there, he moved his family to Cleveland, where he joined the Cleveland Clinic for two years. He then transferred to Florida for three years for his role as chief operating officer, overseeing a merger between the Cleveland Clinic and Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach.

Turner’s journey with Wellstar began in May 2022 when he became president of Wellstar Paulding Medical Center in Hiram, Ga. He is now the first president of Wellstar MCG Health in Augusta.

We sat down with Turner last week, and he answered some questions to help the staff and community get to know him and his vision for the future of Wellstar MCG Health.

What’s your day-to-day like right now at Wellstar MCG Health?
Right now, I’m usually at the gym between 5 and 5:30 AM, and then in the office between 7 and 7:30 AM. My day usually ends between 7 and 7:30 PM. If I am not in a meeting, my door is always open. I have an open-door policy. I usually have anywhere from 80 to 100 emails at the end of the day, and I make sure to go through all of them before I leave at night.

What made you want to go into hospital management?
I have always liked helping people, and I knew going into healthcare, you’re doing just that. In high school in Valdosta, we had the South Georgia Medical Center and my plan was to end up there. My father passed when I was 4 so my mother, my grandmother and my godmother raised me. Those three women always told me to treat people the way that I wanted to be treated, and if I got caught not doing that, they always reminded me with a stick, broom or whatever they got their hands on. Needless to say, I quickly learned the Golden Rule and apply that to every area of my life—professional and personal.

What’s the biggest area of improvement you’re working on here?
First, ensuring people are paid fairly. Our Human Resources at the main campus is focused on putting together a comprehensive plan that will start to bring our caregivers to a market-compatible salary. You must make sure you do the right thing for your staff, because that’s the most important resource you have. Second, ensuring that our facility looks like it’s a place of healing. Third, ensuring physicians are supported and strengthening our medical services lines in the market. Smart and efficient growth of our physician staff and service lines lead to market domination, which leads to a stronger training center at our medical school. Fourth, community initiatives—getting out into the community and meeting community leaders to let them know we are here to support them. Fifth, ensuring a good relationship with leadership at Augusta University. And, lastly, protecting our assets. When I say our assets, this includes students in their didactic phase of learning and students in their residency or fellowship. We want to be our students’ first choice when it comes to choosing an employer. We want them to stay with Wellstar, be it here in Augusta or in the Atlanta area. We have a lot of students who come from other universities in and out of the state. My thought is, let’s feed ourselves first and go to outside resources for talent second.

Can you talk more about what improvements you’re planning in regard to facilities?
In our Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia lobby, the only realistic lobby entrance we have, there are a few issues to address. There’s an old water fountain that hasn’t had water in it in 15 years; there’s furniture that was supposed to be antimicrobial and is no longer antimicrobial; there are cracks in the floors near the Chick-fil-A; windows haven’t been washed in eight years; and the bottom is coming off the reception station. It’s not that the team didn’t want to address the issues; it’s that they just didn’t have the capital. Our facility professionals managed a budget of $250,000 to take care of a 2.9-million-gross-square-foot facility. If you have one HVAC go out, there goes all of it. So it’s empowering people. People want to do their job, but they’ve been handcuffed with a budget. I told them, “Just do it.”

What’s the biggest threat to the industry?
A lack of human resources and the cost of healthcare. We have to figure out how to close the gap between the amount that healthcare organizations pay to provide care versus what we get reimbursed for providing the care because we pass a lot of that cost onto the patient.

How is the difficult labor market impacting Wellstar?
Certain hospitals are better than others. I think across our system, our vacancy rate for nurses is about 18%, but at Wellstar Paulding Medical Center, our vacancy rate is about 7.8%. At some of our other hospitals, I think they average anywhere from 18% to 24% vacancy.

What do you anticipate being the biggest challenge of Wellstar partnering with an academic medical center?
Academia focuses on the teaching mission, which may lack the urgency to maximize volumes in our ambulatory clinics, which could lead to low volumes/clinic appointments on a daily basis, in comparison to the amount of staff and available exam rooms. I need to ensure academia understands our mission, “To enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve.” This means we must ensure we are utilizing every opportunity to maximize our ability to see patients by filling schedules and ensuring we have enough support and operational staff to facilitate safe and efficient operations of our inpatient units and ambulatory clinics. We want to earn as much revenue as possible so we can reinvest it back into our organization by providing better salaries, improving our equipment and improving our facilities.

Where is Wellstar MCG Health now and where do you want it to be?
According to U.S. News & World Report, the Medical College of Georgia ranks 79th nationally in the best medical schools for research. I want us to be ranked in the top 50 in five years, and the top 15 in 10 years. I want to make sure that we become the premier medical school not only in the state of Georgia but also in the U.S. I want us to be able to compete with medical schools like Duke and Emory. I want us to be in the top two to three schools in our region.

What are our strengths and weaknesses? I think one of our biggest strengths is our people. Our team members have true care and concern for people. This is demonstrated daily. A weakness would be the time we have to invest to become fully integrated into Wellstar. It’s a weakness because we can’t come out of the starting blocks moving at a fast speed, driving changes immediately. We are looking at three to five years before we are fully integrated into Wellstar. It takes time to implement the new IT programs and systems that will tie us into Wellstar, which will provide us the opportunity to be more nimble and agile in implementing changes.

Is there anything you want the work-family to know? We feel the most important resource we have is our human resources. I want every leader we have to engage with their staff and to understand what they need to do their job because I will ask every leader. As president, it’s my job to make sure our team members come to work in an environment that’s safe, free from coercion and free from harassment. It’s also my job to make sure they have what they need to do their job, so they don’t feel like they’re handicapped. And if anyone ever feels like they don’t have what they need to do their job or that they are being coerced, harassed or feel unsafe, please let me know directly. Remember, I have an open-door policy. Final thought: Always put the patient first. That’s what we’re here for, to take care of people who cannot take care of themselves at a specific moment in time. If our team members are making decisions with the mindset of putting the patient first, I always have their back.

Do you have a quote you live by? Just do it (Nike). Eighty percent solution is better than 100% analysis paralysis at any time. When you have 80% of the solution figured out, go ahead and start moving the needle. Just do it.

Tags

Media Room
Read related articles
Person speaking with doctor during virtual visit on tablet

Newsroom

Powering Progress: Key Insights from Wellstar's Community Transformation Program

We are excited to share the results of an insightful evaluation of Wellstar’s Community Transformation Program (CTP), completed by our partner, WE Public Health. This evaluation marks an important milestone as we continue to drive meaningful community-level change through the work of the Wellstar Center for Health Equity (WCHE) and our dedicated grantees.

Each year, CTP invites local organizations in Metro Atlanta to request support for a new or existing tech-based initiative that addresses health disparities in our communities. Nineteen organizations have received grants through the program, including eight in the most recent group. To measure the impact of this program and study how Wellstar’s support has helped these organizations further their reach, we partnered with WE Public Health for an evaluation of CTP.

About WE Public Health

WE Public Health is a consulting firm focused on advancing health equity through strategic partnerships, capacity building and community engagement. Their work empowers organizations and communities to address health and social challenges with a specific focus on justice and equity.

Why Wellstar chose WE Public Health

WCHE partnered with WE Public Health to develop a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation strategy because we recognized the importance of a thorough evaluation to help understand the impact and sustainability of our CTP. The evaluation reviewed the first three groups of Community Transformation Program (CTP) grantees (2020 to 2023) to assess how effectively they improved access to medical care and social services through technology. Findings guide program improvements, support communication with stakeholders and help achieve industry recognition. 

Key evaluation domains included:
  • Program reach (partners served, demographics and counties)
  • Financial investment (technology and total funding)
  • Improved access to care and support services
  • Program sustainability post-grant
  • Impact on clients and grantee organizations
  • Uniqueness of Wellstar’s investment
  • Social return on investment

Key evaluation findings and impact

Health equity and social determinants of health

The evaluation highlighted the alignment of the CTP with Wellstar’s commitment to addressing social determinants of health, or factors that can affect a person’s well-being, including access to food, housing and transportation. Our CTP focused on six key areas identified through Wellstar's 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). WCHE launched the CTP in response to a technology equity gap identified in the assessment. The program addresses the need to improve access to medical care and social support services for vulnerable, marginalized and underserved communities.

Impressive cost avoidance and health outcomes

The evaluation also demonstrated that CTP grantees are having a significant impact on health outcomes. While the estimated reach from our program’s services exceeds 13,000 people, of those nearly 2,250 people benefited specifically from either mental and/or physical health interventions. The estimated cost avoidance from emergency department visits for these patients ranged from $225,000 to over $1 million. This not only underscores the financial impact of the program, but also reflects its success in preventing the need for emergency care.

Sustained use of technology solutions

A key aspect of the CTP was its emphasis on integrating technology solutions to enhance health services. According to the evaluation, six out of seven grantee organizations interviewed reported continuing use of the technology solutions funded through the CTP, indicating strong buy-in and long-term benefits. These positive findings reflect the success of the program in providing grantees with the resources and support to test and scale innovative solutions in a low-risk environment.

Positive experiences and strong partnerships

Grantees and partners reported positive experiences working with Wellstar team members, highlighting our emphasis on collaboration, capacity building and fostering strong relationships. The evaluation emphasized the effectiveness of Wellstar's supportive approach, which allowed grantees to explore new solutions while minimizing risks.

Guiding our growth

One of the most valuable outcomes of this evaluation was the expert guidance provided on how to strengthen and scale the program. WE Public Health offered strategic recommendations focused on deepening community partnerships, supporting long-term sustainability and enhancing evaluation practices. These insights will serve as a roadmap as we continue refining the CTP to maximize impact and equity. 

Why this matters

The findings from this evaluation affirm the transformative impact the CTP has had on both the health outcomes of individuals and the broader community. By fostering partnerships, addressing key social determinants of health and investing in sustainable technology solutions, the CTP is helping to create lasting change in the communities we serve.

As we continue to work with WE Public Health, we are excited to build upon these results and expand our efforts to address health inequities across Georgia. The partnership between Wellstar, WE Public Health and our grantees continues to serve as a model for how community-driven programs can drive sustainable improvements in health and well-being.

Learn more about WCHE. 

Keep reading
Rendering of medical center location

Newsroom

Proposed Wellstar Hospital in Acworth Would Strengthen Access to Care, Create Jobs

MARIETTA, Ga., (June 23, 2025) – Wellstar Health System has filed its Certificate of Need (CON) application to build a 230-bed medical center that will address a critical need for hospital beds and emergency services in Acworth and nearby counties. The proposed Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center at Acworth would be conveniently located across from Wellstar’s busiest health park and would significantly reduce travel time for patients requiring emergency care.

Wellstar today shared new details on the proposed hospital, which would be an eight-story, 675,000-square-foot facility with 70 emergency department bays and 8 operating rooms. Wellstar’s filing included extensive information on the critical need for a new hospital in the area, and why Wellstar is uniquely able to provide that care.

The community response since the proposed hospital was first announced last month has been highly positive, with dozens of business and community leaders throughout Cobb, Paulding, Cherokee and Bartow counties expressing their support through letters. Wellstar will partner with community members throughout the application and development process and engage a community advisory council.

“Caring for the communities we serve is always our top priority when we look for opportunities to grow,” said Candice L. Saunders, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System. “Over the past few years, we have been able to increase access to healthcare across Georgia and into our rural communities by partnering with local leaders, businesses and organizations to identify and meet the rapidly expanding needs of our patients and their families.”

If approved, the proposed Acworth hospital would provide several benefits for the health and well-being of the region:

  • Easier access to emergency care. The proposed $1 billion hospital’s primary service area has more than 340,000 residents today and is expected to grow to 365,000 by 2030. The area’s population over 65 is projected to grow even more rapidly, which is significant because the need for inpatient and emergency services increases with age.
  • Expanded access to care for patients regardless of their ability to pay. The proposed hospital, like all Wellstar facilities, would care for all who need help regardless of their ability to pay. It is estimated that 50% of patients served by the hospital would use Medicare, Medicaid or lack insurance. The Wellstar system as a whole provides more than $1 billion annually in charity care and other community benefits.
  • Enhanced healthcare throughout the region. The proposed hospital would relieve pressure on Wellstar Kennestone, which currently has an occupancy rate of 98.5%. It would improve Wellstar Kennestone’s capacity to treat the most critical patients and accept transfers with fewer delays by allowing less serious patients to be cared for at Acworth.
  • Jobs and economic development. The proposed hospital would create more than 1,500 healthcare and related jobs with competitive wages that would help bolster the economy in surrounding areas. Wellstar is listed among the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For.
  • Provide broader access to Wellstar’s integrated care network. This includes Georgia’s largest integrated trauma network, urgent care sites, specialists and primary care physicians, imaging, pharmacy and lab services.

“Wellstar has a proven history of delivering exceptional care with long-term benefits for Georgia families, and this new hospital will bring greater access to trusted, exceptional, quality care close to home,” said Sharon Mason, president and CEO, Cobb Chamber of Commerce. 

The proposed hospital at Acworth is one of many ways Wellstar is improving access to care for communities across Georgia. The health system is expanding Wellstar Kennestone with a new 192-bed tower for additional specialty care; expanding Wellstar Paulding Medical Center with a new 56-bed tower and parking deck to meet growing community need; adding a new oncology center to Wellstar Spalding Medical Center to help keep cancer care local; upgrading and expanding facilities in the Augusta area, including building a new 100-bed hospital and medical office building in Columbia County; and, in affiliation with Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia, providing a Digital Care Network that supports rural hospitals across Georgia.

ABOUT WELLSTAR HEALTH SYSTEM

Wellstar personalizes the patient experience. We call it PeopleCare and it's only possible thanks to our 33,000 team members who provide compassionate care for every stage of life. PeopleCare also means we serve our communities as a non-profit health system, providing more than $1 billion annually in charity care and other community benefits, 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, earning Newsweek's recognition as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity, and one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For. To learn more, visit Wellstar.org.

Keep reading
Wellstar team member accesses patient supplies

Highlights

Supply Chain Keeps Care Moving with WellBin

Behind every successful patient interaction is a supply chain that works quietly but powerfully in the background. The Wellstar supply chain team uncovered critical gaps in our supply room processes—from expired products and unused inventory to time-consuming manual counts and inconsistent practices across departments. These challenges not only impacted efficiency and cost, but also posed risks to patient safety and regulatory compliance if left unaddressed.

The WellBin story

Managing medical supplies across a health system the size of Wellstar is a complex task. Led by Michael McCullough, senior vice president of supply chain at Wellstar, the supply chain team completed an internal analysis revealing that inefficiencies drove up labor and distribution costs due to rush orders, excess handling and overall waste. These challenges increased the risk of stockouts and overstocking, frustrated clinicians who had to compensate for supply gaps and raised the potential for canceled surgical cases.

One major issue was expired products caused by poor inventory rotation, which posed risks to both compliance and patient care. The team also found that 30% of items in supply rooms were “no-move”—sitting unused on shelves and resulting in wasted space and unnecessary costs.

Additionally, supplies ordered in bulk arrived in boxes, causing overstocks and failing to meet the Joint Commission’s guidelines for avoiding corrugated cardboard on patient floors. Manual supply counting consumed hours of team member time, often leading to inaccuracies and delays. The lack of standardized processes across departments created imbalanced stock levels, while reliance on “tribal knowledge” made it difficult to consistently manage supplies and train new team members. Addressing these pain points became a critical priority for the team as they looked to improve supply chain management across the system.

Display of carefully organized medical supplies in bins on shelves


Streamlining supplies with WellBin

To tackle these problems, Wellstar rolled out an innovative medical supply system called WellBin—Wellstar’s version of the BlueBin system—which was tailored to our supply chain workflows and patient care standards. This two-bin Kanban system is customized and designed around our clinicians’ needs, ensuring they have the right amount of supplies, exactly when they need them. To achieve this, clinicians follow three simple steps:

  1. Pull supplies from the front bin.
  2. Pull the full bin from the back to the front when the front bin is empty.
  3. Put the empty bin in the designated area on top of the rack.

By following this simple process every time, our supply rooms remain organized, efficient and consistently stocked with everything clinicians need. Supplies rarely expire, stockouts are uncommon and waste is significantly reduced.

Wellstar and BlueBin worked hand-in-hand to tailor WellBin with key customizations that support the unique needs of our teams. These include:

Optimized inventory levels

While BlueBin recommends three to five days of inventory, Wellstar increased on-hand stock levels to eight days. This ensures clinical teams always have what they need and reduces costs related to frequent reordering.

Silver cart supply delivery

Supplies from our Consolidated Service Center (CSC) are grouped by supply room and delivered on carts rather than pallets. This eliminates the need for team members to spend up to 90 minutes per day breaking down pallets and reduces cardboard waste on patient floors—supporting Joint Commission compliance.

In-room staging

Instead of using a centralized staging area for replenishment, Wellstar processes replenishment directly within supply rooms—reducing lost bins, excess handling and space constraints.

Dedicated implementation team

Rather than relying on external teams for setup, Wellstar worked with BlueBin to train our own teams to manage builds and maintenance. This approach ensures long-term sustainability, enables faster issue resolution and cuts implementation costs by 50%.

“WellBin transformed our supply chain from a reactive, inefficient process to a proactive and clinician-friendly system,” said Jeremy Stewart, supply chain lean manager at Wellstar.

Team member at work delivering medical supplies


WellBin makes a difference

Since implementing the WellBin system, Wellstar has seen significant improvements across the supply chain. Expired products have been reduced significantly, boosting patient safety and ensuring better compliance. The system has eliminated time-consuming manual counts, freeing up team member hours and increasing overall efficiency. By standardizing processes across departments, WellBin has minimized reliance on tribal knowledge. This makes it easier for contract and float nurses to find the supplies they need quickly.

Clinician satisfaction has improved, and fewer stockouts mean smoother patient care without interruptions. The reduction in waste has also led to cost savings and stronger regulatory compliance.

“Before WellBin, we were constantly scrambling for supplies,” said Kori Rippet, radiology manager at Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center. “Now, everything is where it should be, and our team can focus on patient care instead of inventory.”

Lessons learned

Implementing WellBin has taught us valuable lessons about improving supply chain management at Wellstar. Clinician involvement proved critical to the smooth adoption of new processes. Customizing BlueBin’s system into WellBin allowed us to better meet Wellstar’s unique needs and boosted team member engagement. Using actionable data and analytics helped the team make informed adjustments and drive continuous improvement. Ongoing training for on-site teams has supported compliance and proper system use. Proactive Gemba walks—on-site observations of workflow in action—by the supply chain team have enabled real-time problem solving right where it matters most.

"WellBin didn’t just optimize our inventory—it empowered our teams to deliver better care,” said Wellstar CSC Executive Director Adam Flood. “By reducing waste, improving efficiency and enhancing team member satisfaction, WellBin has become a cornerstone of Wellstar’s operational excellence.”

WellBin has been installed at Wellstar Kennestone, Wellstar Cobb, Wellstar Paulding, Wellstar Douglas, Wellstar Spalding and Wellstar Sylvan Grove Medical Centers. Installation is underway at Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, Wellstar Roosevelt, Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center, Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia and Wellstar Windy Hill. Wellstar Health Parks are slated for WellBin in 2026.

Keep reading
Back to Top
Branding illustration
Wellstar Logo
More than healthcare. PeopleCare.
Branding illustration
For Job Seekers & Team
Careers Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Onboarding
For Students
Students Portal
Graduate Medical Education
Medical Residency Pharmacy Residency
For Business
Corporate Purchasing
For the Media
Media Room Community Health Needs Assessment
Help
Contact Us Pay Your Bill Policy & Privacy Information Hospital Transparency Information Price Transparency
For Job Seekers & Team
Careers Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Onboarding
For Students
Students Portal

Graduate Medical Education
Medical Residency Pharmacy Residency
For Business
Corporate Purchasing
For the Media
Media Room Community Health Needs Assessment
Help
Contact Us Pay Your Bill Policy & Privacy Information Hospital Transparency Information Price Transparency

Copyright © 2025 Wellstar Health System. All Rights Reserved.

Wellstar does not discriminate on, exclude people or treat them differently on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity or expression or any other type of discrimination prohibited by law.

Cookie Preferences

We use cookies for booking and general analytics. Learn more about our internet privacy policy.