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  • Preeminent Wellstar Leaders Join Inaugural Class of Georgia Nursing Hall of Fame™
Article Category: Newsroom

Preeminent Wellstar Leaders Join Inaugural Class of Georgia Nursing Hall of Fame™

Wellstar’s first female CEO and its longest-tenured employee recognized for contributions to Georgia nursing and patient care

Published on February 17, 2022

Last updated 12:29 PM February 17, 2022

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Wellstar Health System is proud to announce that two extraordinary women have been inducted into the Georgia Nursing Hall of Fame™, produced by Georgia Nurses Foundation (GNF). Candice L. Saunders, FACHE, president and CEO of Wellstar, and Joyce McMurrain, MSN, RN, a nurse manager and coordinator of the Student Nurse Extern Program at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, were honored along with eight additional nurses at a recent inaugural inductee ceremony. The 10 inductees are exemplary registered nurses who made or are making improvements to advance the nursing profession locally, nationally, and internationally.

Wellstar Kennestone Hospital’s longest-serving team member, McMurrain, has been a nurse for nearly 60 years, with 56 years—and counting—served at Kennestone Hospital. For many years McMurrain was the nursing director/executive nursing director for Women's Services at Kennestone, and she also served in that position systemwide. She later transitioned to director of special projects, and is now cultivating the next generation of nurses through her role as nurse manager and student nurse extern program coordinator. She uses her vast experience to guide new nurses and helps nearly 100 nursing students each year gain invaluable hands-on experience in preparation for nursing careers. 

“Joyce has a natural ability to develop others and is committed to equipping students with the education and opportunities to excel in patient care and gain confidence in their job. She has been indispensable throughout Wellstar’s extraordinary growth and change and has contributed to its evolution to become one of Georgia’s largest and most integrated health systems,” says Saunders.

Saunders has served as a trustee of the American Hospital Association, chair of the American Hospital Association’s Regional Policy board for Region 4, and past chair of the Georgia Hospital Association. She was named one of Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women Leaders and among Georgia Trend Magazine’s 100 Most influential Georgians. A strong patient advocate who began her healthcare journey as a critical care nurse decades ago, Saunders has become a nationally recognized leader in improving community access to vital healthcare needs and enhancing the patient care experience. Saunders joined Wellstar in May 2007 as president of Wellstar Kennestone Hospital. She assumed the role of president and CEO in 2015, becoming the health system's first female CEO. 

“Candice’s impact on the nursing profession is evident through her continued commitment to attract and retain top nursing talent. Candice began her career as a critical care nurse, and she remains passionate about investing in programs and supporting the growth and development of nurses at every stage in their career to ensure our patients and communities have access to high quality, compassionate care for generations to come,” says Dr. O. Scott Swayze, Chair, Wellstar Health System Board of Trustees. 

Georgia Nursing Hall of Fame logo. Headshots of Candice Saunders and Joyce McMurrain

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Wellstar Paulding Medical Center Transforms Cancer Care With Major Renovation

On May 23, Wellstar Health System hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of a major renovation to bring advanced cancer treatments to people in Paulding County and surrounding communities. The event was hosted at Wellstar Paulding Medical Center in Hiram, Georgia, and attended by patients, physicians, healthcare leaders, team members, government officials and community partners.

“We strive to bring world-class healthcare to our neighbors every day,” said Ralph Turner, Wellstar senior vice president and president of Wellstar Paulding Medical Center. “We opened this new hospital almost 10 years ago, but that was not the finish line — just a stop on our journey. We continue to find new ways to keep pace with this community’s growth and provide the most comprehensive cancer care to this community.

Expanded capacity & new cutting-edge technology

The expansion enhances the patient experience by adding a new radiation vault to house a TrueBeam linear accelerator — an advanced system that delivers radiation therapy. While the capacity to treat people with cancer doubled, new technology brings more cutting-edge treatments to Paulding, alongside a modernized dressing room area offering patients more space and comfort. 

“This is a dream come true after seeing the growing need for cancer treatment in this area,” said Dr. William Thoms, Radiation Oncology medical director. “The new TrueBeam allows people to stay closer to home rather than driving outside our own community for radiation therapy."

The expansion enhances the patient experience by adding a new radiation vault to house a TrueBeam linear accelerator — an advanced system that delivers radiation therapy. While the capacity to treat people with cancer doubled, new technology brings more cutting-edge treatments to Paulding, alongside a modernized dressing room area offering patients more space and comfort.

New, advanced treatments in Paulding

Wellstar Paulding’s new linear accelerator also brings a leading-edge cancer treatment called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to Paulding County for the first time.

“SBRT will transform cancer care in our community,” said Dr. Rakendu Shukla, Wellstar radiation oncologist. “In the coming months, we will roll out new treatments previously unavailable in Paulding.”

SBRT is different from conventional radiation therapy because it delivers very high, precise doses of radiation directly to tumors that are traditionally difficult to treat. It is more powerful at killing tumors, and it decreases the amount of radiation that healthy tissue is exposed to, which decreases side effects. And the treatment can be delivered over a short course of time — around 1-5 days rather than weeks or months.

The renovated space is located at Wellstar Paulding Medical Center’s Outpatient Pavilion at 148 Bill Carruth Parkway in Hiram, Georgia.

On May 23, community leaders gathered to cut the ribbon on a cancer treatment expansion Wellstar Paulding Medical Center. Pictured l-r: Don Zarkou, VP, Oncology Service Line, Wellstar Health System; Ralph Turner, SVP, Wellstar Health System, President, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Dr. Michael Andrews, Chief Cancer Officer, Wellstar Health System; Dr. William Thoms, Radiation Oncology Medical Director, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Sandy Kaecher, Post II Paulding Commissioner; Nichole Rydahl, AVP, Operations, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Shawn Jackson, Manager, Radiation Oncology, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Dr. Rakendu Shukla, Radiation Oncologist, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center.

Pictured l-r: Don Zarkou, VP, Oncology Service Line, Wellstar Health System; Ralph Turner, SVP, Wellstar Health System, President, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Dr. Michael Andrews, Chief Cancer Officer, Wellstar Health System; Dr. William Thoms, Radiation Oncology Medical Director, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Sandy Kaecher, Post II Paulding Commissioner; Nichole Rydahl, AVP, Operations, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Shawn Jackson, Manager, Radiation Oncology, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Dr. Rakendu Shukla, Radiation Oncologist, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center.

In the last year, patients received nearly 8,000 radiation treatments. The radiation oncology team (pictured) often extended hours from 7 a.m. until 7 or 8 p.m. to accommodate patients.

Physicians and team members from the Wellstar Paulding Medical Center oncology team gathered for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of a major expansion to cancer services. 

Wellstar Paulding Medical Center’s new TrueBeam linear accelerator helps make cancer treatment more accessible to patients and brings a leading-edge cancer treatment called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to Paulding County for the first time.

Wellstar Paulding Medical Center’s new TrueBeam linear accelerator helps make cancer treatment more accessible to patients and brings a leading-edge cancer treatment called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to Paulding County for the first time. 

Learn more about Wellstar Paulding Medical Center.

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Lown Institute Recognizes Wellstar Among Most Charitable in the Country

A report by the Lown Institute ranking the value of nonprofit hospitals’ community investment found that Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center and Wellstar Cobb Medical Center are among the top 25 hospitals in the nation providing significantly more community benefit than they are receiving in tax exemption. 

Wellstar Kennestone ranked No. 1 in Georgia, while Wellstar Cobb was No. 2. Wellstar is the only health system with two hospitals included on the national top 25 list.

As the top provider of charity care in the state and one of the top 10 providers nationwide, Wellstar is committed to bringing expert, compassionate health services to those who need them. Last year alone, uncompensated and charity care at Wellstar exceeded $1.2 billion, providing care for at-risk and underserved communities across Georgia.

In addition to Wellstar Kennestone and Wellstar Cobb, Wellstar Douglas Medical Center, Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center and Wellstar Spalding Medical Center were recognized for spending more on financial assistance and community investment than the estimated value of their tax exemptions.

Read the full report from the Lown Institute. 

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Newsroom

Wellstar Celebrates Earth Day with Programs Addressing Food Waste

For Earth Day this year, Wellstar Health System is making a difference for our environment and supporting our neighbors facing food insecurity. The recently launched Organic Recycling Program at the Wellstar Corporate Office (WCO) in Marietta has already diverted almost one ton of food waste from landfills, preventing over 675 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

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