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Article Category: Newsroom

Metro Atlanta Health Care Systems Address Public on COVID-19

Published on January 05, 2022

Last updated 12:15 PM January 05, 2022

Text bubble with "Omicron variant," health system logos

Six major health systems that serve metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia have unified to address the public regarding the latest COVID-19 impacts and the result of the rapid  spread of the Delta and Omicron variants.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory Healthcare, Grady Health System, Northeast Georgia Health System, Piedmont Healthcare and Wellstar Health System are once again experiencing a staggering surge in adults and children with COVID-19 symptoms and diagnoses. Collectively, the healthcare systems have experienced 100–200% increases in COVID-19 hospitalizations in the past eight days and the vast majority of inpatients are unvaccinated. This comes at a time when the health systems are preparing for an influx of patients with seasonal flu.

Emergency room activity has also increased significantly for both emergent and non-emergent situations, including those seeking COVID-19 testing without the need for further care or treatment. To keep emergency rooms available to individuals who have the most critical health needs, individuals should obtain care at the most appropriate medical facility for their condition and seek COVID-19 testing at primary care locations, public health and mass testing sites or use at-home testing kits.

While hospitals in metro Atlanta and throughout Georgia have best practices in place to actively manage capacity and provide high-quality patient care, we need the public’s help and support. Doing the following will help us all navigate this significant wave, minimize serious illness and hospitalizations from COVID, and better manage emergency room diversions and wait times at our facilities:

  • Get fully vaccinated for COVID-19, obtain the COVID-19 booster when eligible and get the seasonal flu vaccine.
  • Go to the most appropriate medical facility for your condition when you require care — and do not delay care if you are in need of immediate medical attention.
  • Please remember that emergency rooms are for those seeking examination and treatment for medical emergencies, not for routine COVID-19 testing or mild symptoms.
  • Please only call 911 with a true emergency. Local 911 operators and EMTs are overwhelmed with calls, so if there is not a real emergency, please call your medical provider for guidance.
  • Use at-home testing kits, public health testing locations or independent testing facilities if you need to be tested for COVID-19 unless you are ill and need medical care.
  • For routine COVID-19 tests, you can find a location near you on the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) website at: dph.georgia.gov/covidtesting.
  • Consult your provider for appropriate treatment options if you are diagnosed with COVID-19.
  • Continue to actively follow CDC and DPH guidelines, and practice the “3 Ws” safety measures — wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance.
  • Anticipate increased wait times for medical services. Due to the influx of patients and increased demands placed on our health care workforce, we ask everyone who enters our facilities to practice patience and kindness with each other and with our care team members who are providing expert, compassionate care.

The health and safety of our patients and communities remains our top priority. The six metro Atlanta health care systems will continue to work together to educate and inform the public regarding COVID-19 and address the most critical health needs impacting our area. We also would like to express our appreciation to the Governor for his support of our workforce and the newly announced funding to address staffing shortages at hospitals across the state due to COVID-19, and to the Georgia Department of Public Health for continued outreach to the public regarding issues affecting our patients, care team members and community.

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Newsroom

Women’s History Month Event Honors Impact of Female Leadership and Mentorship

On March 8, Wellstar’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hosted a fireside chat with leaders,  Beth Kost, Kem Mullins and Julie Teer, who also serve as Executive Sponsors to our Women’s Business Resource Group.  They engaged inn an important conversation about celebrating women in the workplace.  Focusing on the national theme for Women's History Month, "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories," they discussed women who have positively impacted their careers, the importance of mentorship and sponsorship, and advice they would give to female leaders of the next generation.

Kost is senior vice president and chief compliance officer of Wellstar, Mullins is executive president of ambulatory and business development, and Teer is senior vice president and president of the Wellstar Foundation. 

Women's History Month celebrates the contributions of women, past and present. President Jimmy Carter instituted the first National Women's History Week in March 1980. He said, "From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often, the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well." On March 8, we joined the world in celebrating International Women's Day and incorporate it into our month-long celebration of women's history.

Learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion at Wellstar.

Watch the virtual event below.

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Newsroom

Black History Month Event Celebrates Excellence, Looks to Future

On Wednesday, Feb. 22, Wellstar’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion partnered with the African American/Black Business Resource Group, B.R.A.V.E., to host an engaging conversation between Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, the Ford Foundation Professor of History, Race and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Dr. Hank Capps, Wellstar executive vice president and chief information and digital officer and B.R.A.V.E. Executive Sponsor. Focusing on “Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Inspiring the Future,” they discussed wrestling with the fundamental contradictions of our country’s past, addressing bias and holding unflinchingly to science and facts.

"Black History Month allows all individuals to reflect on the power of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in every facet of American culture. It is a time to understand and reflect upon Black stories of joy, pain and triumph. It is a time to come together to honor the great achievements of Black individuals, acknowledge and appreciate their many contributions to our society, both past and present, and to celebrate Black excellence," said Wellstar’s SVP and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Le Joyce Naylor.

Watch a portion of the program below.

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Newsroom

Wellstar Partners with Goodr to Launch Mobile Grocery Store to Address Food Insecurity

Wellstar Health System is proud to announce that Goodr, a sustainable food waste management and hunger relief company, just unveiled Goodr Mobile Grocery Store on March 8 at Atlanta City Hall. Wellstar is proud to sponsor this 26-foot truck stocked with grocery items, including fresh produce, milk, eggs, and shelf-stable items – all for free. The truck aims to bring Goodr's signature free grocery shopping experience to food-insecure communities.

Fully kitted with refrigerators, freezers, and shelving, families will enjoy an experience much like shopping for goods at a local grocery store. Beyond that, every aspect of the Mobile Grocery Store is about access – from the wheelchair ramp to the resource room for private health screenings or social services consultation.

Wellstar’s Community Health Needs Assessments identified food insecurity as a key social determinant of health impacting the well-being of the communities we serve across the state in both 2019 and 2022. In late 2020, Wellstar joined the Goodr partner network and launched the Wellstar Mobile Markets, a uniquely branded variation of the pop-up grocery markets. The Mobile Markets have reached communities in metro Atlanta and beyond.

“I’m honored to represent Wellstar Health System, the Wellstar Foundation, and our generous donors who have helped make this vision, the Goodr Mobile Grocery Store, a reality,” said Julie Teer, SVP, Wellstar Health System, and president, Wellstar Foundation. “At Wellstar, we truly believe each and every person deserves to live their healthiest life, regardless of their circumstances. And, for a person to live their healthiest life, they need sustainable access to fresh, nutritious food.”

Wellstar is incredibly excited for this next chapter in our partnership with Goodr, and we are honored to be the exclusive healthcare partner and sponsor for this new and innovative way to serve communities.

To truly improve the overall health of our communities, it will take all of us working together to address the social determinants of health. The Goodr Mobile Grocery Store is a perfect example of what we can achieve when we work together.

Wellstar has been dedicated for the past 30 years to making Georgia a healthier place for everyone, and it is because of philanthropy that we are able to reinvest in the communities we serve. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Goodr to offer these critical resources to more people through the Goodr Mobile Grocery Store, and we are excited to see how our organizations can continue to work together to further improve the health of our communities.

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