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Article Category: Highlights

Get Connected: VIP Portal is Moving to Wellstar MyChart

Published on August 27, 2024

Last updated 03:37 PM October 01, 2024

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Wellstar, affiliated with Medical College of Georgia, is transitioning from the VIP Portal to Wellstar MyChart in November 2024. With MyChart you’ll be able to request prescription refills, manage your appointments, access your test results and message your care team.

We’ll help you throughout the transition process, but there are few ways you can prepare and stay proactive with your care. In this article, we’ll provide key dates to keep top-of-mind, instructions on how to create a Wellstar MyChart account, new features to explore in MyChart and answers to your questions. Check back often, as this page will be updated regularly with the latest information. Here’s what you need to know.

October 29, 2024, is the last day you can message your care team and request prescription refills in the VIP Portal. All VIP Portal functions will move to Wellstar MyChart November 2, 2024.

It is important to note that your health records in VIP Portal, such as after-visit summaries and lab tests results, will not transfer to MyChart. Instructions are provided in this article on how to download a copy of your records from the VIP Portal. You will no longer be able to download your records after April 1, 2025.

Access your new patient portal today! Sign up for a Wellstar MyChart account.

When can I create my Wellstar MyChart account?

Sign up for your MyChart account today! You can create your MyChart account at any time and patient portal functions will be activated beginning November 2, 2024.

Did the date for the transition from VIP Portal to Wellstar MyChart change?

Yes, the transition date for Wellstar MyChart has moved to November 2, 2024. If you have already created your MyChart account, great! Now you’re fully prepared for when Wellstar MyChart is available for use in November. Until then, you can continue to use your existing VIP Portal as you do today.

What is the Wellstar MyChart website address?

Visit mychart.wellstar.org. You can also learn more about MyChart at Wellstar at wellstar.org/mychart.

How do I create a Wellstar MyChart account?
  1. Go to mychart.wellstar.org.
  2. Click on Sign Up (I don’t have a code).
  3. Follow the instructions to create your account.

If all your information does not match what is in our system, someone will reach out to you by email within 48 hours or you can call the MyChart Help Desk at (470) 644-0419 for assistance.

Are there other ways to sign up for a MyChart account?

Yes, there are several options.

  • If you have an appointment scheduled with a Wellstar healthcare professional, after November 1, 2024, an activation code will be automatically sent to the email address you have on file. This email will detail the steps to activate your MyChart account and will include a link with your activation code. If you do not see an email following your visit, check your spam folder.
  • If you have recently been discharged and received a copy of your written discharge information from Wellstar, this will include an activation code to create your MyChart account. Activating your account using your written discharge information will require you to enter your zip code.
  • For assistance creating your account, call the MyChart Help Desk at (470) 644-0419.
Is there a MyChart app?

Yes, you can download the app in the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Can I access Wellstar MyChart in Spanish?

To view MyChart in Spanish, go to the MyChart login page and click Ver en Español in the top right corner. At this time messages from your provider are not translated into Spanish.

Am I losing any functionality I had in VIP Portal?

There are two changes to be aware of:

  • Currently in the VIP Portal you can message any provider. In Wellstar MyChart you can message providers who you have had a visit with in the past two years.
  • Your VIP proxies will not automatically transfer to MyChart. You will need to complete a new MyChart Proxy Form or use Proxy invites.
Will I be able to message my providers in Wellstar MyChart beginning November 2, 2024?

To message your providers, you must re-establish your relationship as their patient within MyChart. This is an automated process that occurs after you have had an in-person or virtual visit with your physician or advanced practice provider.

How do I schedule an appointment?

There are three ways to schedule an appointment:

  • Call (706) 721-CARE (2273) or (800) 736-CARE (2273) to connect with a representative who can help schedule your appointment.
  • Schedule your appointment in MyChart.
  • Call your physician’s office directly.
How do I schedule an appointment in Wellstar MyChart?
  1. Log in to your MyChart account.
  2. Click on Schedule an Appointment.
  3. From the list of your current providers, select the provider you’d like to see.
  4. Click Schedule Now.
  5. Fill in the requested information.
  6. Click Send Request.
It’s after October 29, 2024, and I need a prescription refill. What should I do?

You can request prescription refills through your pharmacy.

Can I request medication refills in Wellstar MyChart for medical office visits after November 2, 2024?

Yes, you can request refills through MyChart for medications ordered after November 2, 2024. Here’s how:

  1. Log in to your MyChart account.
  2. Click Menu.
  3. Click Medications.
  4. Select the pharmacy where you’d like to have your prescription filled.
  5. Select the medication to be refilled.
  6. Click Request Refill.
Will my healthcare records in VIP Portal transfer to my new Wellstar MyChart account?

Your healthcare records will not transfer from VIP Portal to MyChart. Here’s how to download your records.

  1. Log in to your VIP Portal account.
  2. Select Open My Record > Care Summaries.
  3. Here you will find your after-visit summaries, lab test results and other records.
  4. Select Download next to each document to save a copy to your electronic device.
  5. If you would like to print a copy for your personal records, select Print.

Wellstar reminds you to store your personal records and information in a safe, secure place.

How will the transition to Wellstar MyChart affect my VIP Portal access to my medical records?

You will have access to all your healthcare records prior to November 2, 2024, in the VIP Portal until April 1, 2025. In accordance with HIPAA laws (Code of Federal Regulation 164) and Georgia Statuses, your official medical records are stored within the Wellstar, affiliated with Medical College of Georgia, system. You have the right to access and obtain copies of your protected health information. To request your official medical records at any time, contact our Health Information Management Services Department at (706) 721-2948 or visit wellstar.org/request-medical-records for more information.

What happens to my VIP Portal healthcare records after April 1, 2025?

VIP Portal records will be available upon request after April 1, 2025. Click here to request your records.

When will I begin to see my healthcare records from Wellstar in MyChart?

Once you have created your account, you will begin to see your after-visit summaries, lab tests results and more in MyChart for Wellstar provider visits November 2, 2024, and later. These will include hospital and medical office visits.

What test results show in Wellstar MyChart?

You will be able to see your lab test results, mammogram results and chronic disease information in your MyChart account.

What test results do not show in MyChart?

HIV and genetic testing will not be in Wellstar MyChart. You can request those records here.

Will I have new functionality in Wellstar MyChart that I do not have in VIP Portal?

Yes, you will gain new functionality in MyChart. Some of the many features include:

  • Menu and search: MyChart will allow you to search for features using the Your Menu bar located on the top left of your screen.
  • Request records: MyChart has a feature called Share My Record that allows patients to request their medical records.
  • Schedule appointments: You can schedule appointments through MyChart without having to call your healthcare professional’s office.
  • Mammograms: You can schedule and view your mammogram report via MyChart. Your physician must first place an electronic order.
  • Proxy Access:
    • o   You can request adult proxy access for a family member or caregiver via your MyChart by searching the Sharing Hub, selecting Manage Friend and Family
      Access and following the prompts. 

      o   If you have power of attorney rights for an adult patient, you must provide a copy of your legal documents along with a completed Adult Proxy Form to gain
      MyChart proxy access. (Adulto Delegado Formulario en Español)

      o   For children 17 years old or younger, parents/legal guardians can be granted full access to their child’s MyChart account by completing a Child Proxy Form.
      (Formulario Para Representante de Menor en Español)

      o   When a patient turns 18 the parent/legal guardian’s proxy access will automatically be revoked because the patient is now a legal adult.

      o   Teen Access allows teens age 12 to 17 to have full access to their own MyChart account. Teens can invite family or legal guardians to have full proxy access to
      their account by using the adult proxy feature mentioned above.

  • Billing: 
    • o You can view and pay your bill through Wellstar MyChart beginning November 2, 2024.

      o You will now see cost estimates for your medical care via MyChart for dates of service November 2, 2024, and forward.

      o You will have the ability to set up a payment plan in MyChart.

    Who do I call if I have questions related to a patient bill I received for visits that occurred before November 2, 2024?

    If you have questions about your bill, payment plan or want to make a payment, contact (888) 531-0397 or visit the Patient Bill Portal. If you have questions about extended payment plans or Access One, contact (888) 458-6272.

    Who do I call if I have questions related to a patient bill that I received from Anesthesiology Associates for visits that occurred before November 2, 2024?

    Please call (866) 700-2989.

    Who do I call if I have questions related to a patient bill that I received from Emergency Physicians for visits that occurred before November 2, 2024?

    Contact (844) 703-5532.

    Who do I call if I have questions related to a patient bill in collections for visits that occurred before November 2, 2024?
    • Physician bill: If you have a question related to a bill in collections or have received a call from NRS, call (866) 591-7932.
    • Hospital bill:
      o If you have a question related to a bill in collections or have received a call from NRS and the first letter of your last name begins with A through K, call (866) 591-7932.
      o If you have a question related to a bill in collections or have received a call from BCA and the first letter of your last begins with L through Z, call (305) 909-2200.
      o If you have a question related to a bill in collections and have received a call from RSI, call (706) 222-4660.
      o If you are a South Carolina resident and you have a bill in collections, call (706) 222-4660.
    Who do I call if I have questions about my financial assistance application for visits that occurred before November 2, 2024?

    Call (706) 721-1301.

    Will I still call the VIP Portal Help Desk for my VIP Portal questions after October 29, 2024?

    No, you will call the MyChart Help Desk at (470) 644-0419. There will be a patient portal specialist available at this number to assist with any of your patient portal questions.

    I still have questions. Who can I contact for more information?

    We’re here to help. You can email us at [email protected], call us at (470) 644-0419 or send a fax to (770) 999-2306. The patient portal help desk hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM.

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Highlights

Wellstar Opens New Locations in Douglasville & Villa Rica

To serve our community’s growing healthcare needs, Wellstar has opened new urgent care, primary care and pediatric locations in Douglasville and Villa Rica.

Wellstar Urgent Care 

If you’re dealing with a minor injury or illness or need care after your physician’s regular office hours, going to urgent care is often the right choice. Wellstar Urgent Care centers provide quick, convenient care for non-emergency medical conditions such as coughs, colds, sprains, broken bones and minor bites, burns and cuts. Visit our new locations at:

Douglasville
2710 Fairburn Road, Suite 175
(943) 202-8640

Check in at this location

Villa Rica
662 Carrollton Villa Rica Highway, Suite 100
(943) 202-8590

Check in at this location

Wellstar Primary Care

Primary care is ongoing, comprehensive care and preventative medicine that helps you live a full, healthy life. Services include wellness exams, vaccinations, treatment for acute illnesses like flu and management of chronic conditions such as diabetes. Wellstar Primary Care often has same-day or next-day availability and is welcoming new patients. Visit our new locations at:

Douglasville
2710 Fairburn Road, Suite 150
(943) 202-8560

 

Villa Rica
662 Carrollton Villa Rica Highway, Suite 200
(943) 202-8560

Wellstar Pediatrics

From wellness checkups and immunizations to chronic and complex conditions, Wellstar Children's of Georgia focuses on the physical, mental and emotional well-being of every patient, helping families navigate care with confidence. Visit our new location at: 

Douglasville
2710 Fairburn Road, Suite 100
(943) 202-8660

Douglasville location

Douglasville location

Villa Rica location

Villa Rica location

 

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Highlights

Wellstar Experts Collaborate to Help People Fight Lung Cancer

From catching cancer to following through with expert care, Wellstar ensures patients never have to fight lung cancer alone.

We are dedicated to early intervention in lung cancer, which improves outcomes for patients. After detection of an abnormality on a CT scan, patients are immediately surrounded by an interdisciplinary support team devoted to their well-being.

Identifying lung cancer early

If you are at increased risk for developing lung cancer, talk to your care team about screenings. With a low-dose CT scan of the chest, it only takes a few seconds to check in on your lung health. These screenings are offered at several Wellstar imaging centers.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force has revised lung screening guidelines. Patients may qualify for screening if they are 50 to 80 years old and smoked for 20 years. If they are a former smoker, they may qualify if they quit less than 15 years ago.

“Finding lung cancer early leads to better outcomes, and screening with CT scans is recommended as the only proven way to minimize delay in diagnosis,” said Wellstar Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Daniel Fortes.

Because finding cancer and starting treatment sooner can be life-saving, Wellstar has invested in one of the nation's largest lung screening programs and an incidental nodule program. When people come into a hospital seeking care for something else—whether that be a health condition like appendicitis or a traumatic event like a motorcycle accident—they might get a scan of the abdomen or chest that also shows portions of the lungs.

Using artificial intelligence, reports of those scans are fed to report coordinators, categorized based on their risk level and if a patient is higher-risk, forwarded to nurse navigators for review. Nurse navigators consult with physicians about the findings, and Wellstar can then initiate care if cancer is suspected.

The program, which started in fall 2020, has identified a total of 203 lung cancers and 22 other types of cancer, as of November 2025.

Expert care and support at every step

From the very beginning, people with lung cancer at Wellstar are surrounded by a team of experts. Rather than go through the time-consuming process of driving to multiple appointments with different specialists, patients meet with all these physicians in one place.

The Wellstar Lung Cancer STAT Clinic—at Wellstar Cobb, Wellstar Douglas, Wellstar Kennestone, Wellstar North Fulton, Wellstar Paulding and Wellstar West Georgia Medical Centers, as well as Wellstar Cherokee Health Park and the Thoracic NOW Clinic at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center—give patients immediate access to specialists in medical oncology, radiation oncology, pulmonary medicine and thoracic surgery.

"We plan patients’ appointments ahead of time, ordering multiple tests that will be necessary for the treatment decision-making. These can include PET scans, CT scans, MRIs and/or a pulmonary function test," Dr. Fortes said. "We’re always gaining time in the patient’s overall treatment because we are anticipating and creating a plan as a team."

Getting multiple expert opinions from the start not only gives patients peace of mind, it speeds up treatment, too. In the United States, the average time between an abnormal scan and the beginning of treatment is 60 to 90 days. The STAT Clinic reduces that time to as little as 14 days. Time-to-treatment affects long-term survival in patients with lung cancer.

"We have data to show that if we delay treatment, even in early-stage cancers, we decrease the chance of a cure," Dr. Fortes said. "The goal of the STAT Clinic is to get them the quickest we can into their final treatment plan."

High-tech surgery options

For many patients, surgery is a crucial part of lung cancer treatment. Wellstar offers several minimally invasive options, reducing recovery time for patients.

More than 90% of lung cancer surgeries at Wellstar are performed using either the Da Vinci Surgical System or Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery techniques (VATS).

Minimally invasive surgeries reduce pain, scarring, blood loss and infection, as well as time to recover—getting patients back to work and other routines quicker.

The Da Vinci system is equipped with 3D cameras and instruments that can make very intricate, precise movements, allowing for shorter incisions and more accurate surgery. Some patients can leave the hospital as early as the next day.

For biopsies, Wellstar has completed 500 procedures using the Ion system, a robotic-assisted platform.

The system uses a three-dimensional spatial recognition technology that helps guide a catheter down the airway, deep into the lung, all the way to small nodules where biopsies can be performed. The robotic catheter maintains its shape and stability throughout the biopsy process, significantly improving diagnostic yield compared to other modalities.

"The better the image and the more certainty we have of the spatial location of the catheter, the better we can avoid complications by making sure we are not too close to a blood vessel or the edge of the lung," said Dr. Fortes.

To reduce your risk of lung cancer and keep your lungs healthy, talk to your primary care team and follow a few tips, such as exercising and avoiding smoking. Learn more about treatments on our lung cancer care page.

Keep reading
Person breathing

Highlights

Make Lung Health Your Habit

Whether you’re running a marathon or simply running errands, having healthy lungs helps you to live comfortably and do the activities you enjoy.

Lung health is an important part of overall wellness. It’s best to prevent health issues before they start, and Wellstar experts will partner with you to personalize a plan to keep your lungs healthy. 

Book an appointment online to check in with a clinician about your lung health and follow these tips to breathe a little easier.

Don’t smoke or vape

If you are a smoker, keep in mind that there are both short-term and long-term benefits to quitting. One to nine months after the last cigarette, your shortness of breath should decrease. Within 10 years of quitting, a former smoker's risk of developing lung cancer is 30% to 50% below that of a person who continues to smoke.

Also, if you don’t smoke, do not pick up the habit. Nicotine is highly addictive, even more so than many other drugs including narcotic opiates, according to Wellstar Pulmonologist Dr. Hitendra Patel.

Dr. Patel said that vaping is gaining popularity, especially among younger people. However, vaping irritates a person’s airways and increases their risk of asthma.

“Nothing but air should go in and out of the lungs,” Dr. Patel said. “Any other chemical or substance, or inhalation of smoke of any kind, is going to be detrimental and harmful.”

Wellstar Primary Care Physician Dr. Jignesh Dholaria said misinformation about vaping is common.

“People have the notion that vaping is somehow safer and that it doesn’t have the same chemicals that cigarettes do,” Dr. Dholaria said. “We’re seeing a lot more harmful effects from vaping just because we don’t always know all the chemicals that are in these vapes. That has caused a lot more lung-related injuries.”

Get your exercise and sleep

While staying active is a critical component of overall wellness, it’s especially important to keep your lungs in top shape.

“As you’re breathing in and out, getting rid of carbon dioxide and inhaling more oxygen, that helps your tissues, which helps you feel better overall,” Dr. Dholaria said.

Even if it is raining—or if pollutants are especially high that day and you’re worried about lung irritation—there are ways to get your steps in. Dr. Patel recommends going to an air-conditioned shopping mall or store to get some exercise if being outside is not an option.

“Continuing to exercise to the fullest of your body’s ability is an important step of maintaining whatever lung health you have,” Dr. Patel said. “If you start with healthy lungs, staying on an exercise program and regimen is vital.”

Balance that exercise with some rest, too. Dr. Patel, who is also the medical director of the Wellstar sleep program, said being well-rested can ward off sickness, including some respiratory illnesses.

“If you don’t sleep well, that means your immune system is not going to function as well as it should,” he said.

Try breathing exercises

In addition to getting your sleep, some relaxation and breathing techniques can have benefits for both mental wellness and lung health. 

Dr. Patel recommends “4-7-8 breathing,” which involves inhaling for four seconds, holding your breath for seven seconds and then exhaling for eight seconds.

Benefits of breathing exercises may include lower stress and anxiety levels, lower blood pressure and better sleep.

Manage your asthma

If you have asthma, know your lungs and avoid the environmental triggers that cause the condition to flare up, Dr. Patel said. Common triggers include pet dander, seasonal changes, allergens like perfume and smoke inhalation. 

Asthma can also run in families, although there is often no specific reason why a person develops asthma, Dr. Patel said.

“Sometimes people underestimate how bad asthma can be,” Dr. Patel said.

If you have asthma, see your primary care physician to monitor your lung health. Pulmonologists specialize in caring for people’s lungs, and they often collaborate with primary care clinicians to create personalized plans to manage their patients’ asthma.

Ask your care team about screenings

Early detection is key in cancer treatment, but many lung cancers present in later stages, Dr. Patel said.

“In that area in the middle of the lungs and the middle of the chest, there are no pain fibers or pain sensors in there,” Dr. Patel said. “If a tumor occurs there, patients don’t know it. They don’t feel it, and it doesn’t hurt them.”

Lung cancer is sometimes found when it spreads and causes complications, Dr. Patel said.

If you are at increased risk for developing lung cancer, ask your care team about screenings. You should consider screenings if you are a current or past smoker. Visit our lung cancer screening page to learn more about if screening, which involves low-dose CT scans, could benefit you. To keep up with your lung health, find a Wellstar physician near you.

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