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.
Article Category: Newsroom
Wellstar Celebrates Earth Day with Programs Addressing Food Waste
Published on April 21, 2023
Last updated 12:05 PM April 21, 2023
Wellstar launches organic recycling program
The WCO Bistro prepares food for all of Wellstar’s health parks, hospital bistros and the entire system’s catering.
This recycling program at the WCO is a partnership between Wellstar Community Health, the Wellstar Foundation, Catalyst by Wellstar, Wellstar Strategic Community Development and Goodr, a sustainable food waste management and hunger relief company.
Food scraps like onion and banana peels are recycled and composted at Gainesville Waste and Recycle. Special bins are used to collect the scraps. Food compost helps the soil retain moisture and nutrients, reduces the need for pesticides and fertilizers, and sequesters carbon dioxide (storing it in the soil away from the atmosphere), according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The benefits to our environment don’t stop there. Every three pounds of waste diverted creates one pound of soil, which means we have created about 650 pounds of healthy soil in one month. In a year, it’s also calculated that the carbon sequestered would be the same as 4.4 acres of forest – the size of over three football fields.
Wellstar also has other programs that reduce our carbon footprint and give back to our communities on a systemwide level.
The surplus food recovery program with Goodr launched in September 2020 at Wellstar Cobb Medical Center. Leftover food is donated to food delivery resources for underserved communities. The program has expanded to Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital and Paulding Medical Center, helping serve over 14,000 meals and preventing over 17,000 pounds of waste and nine thousand pounds of carbon emissions. Another partnership with Second Helpings Atlanta to deliver food from the Wellstar Corporate Office has already served 3,304 meals, diverting nearly two tons of food from landfills. Second Helpings Atlanta is a nonprofit organization working to reduce hunger and food waste in metro Atlanta.
As a nonprofit organization, Wellstar is committed to the health and well-being of our communities, and that commitment extends beyond the walls of our hospitals and health parks. For more information on how the Wellstar Foundation makes these programs possible, visit wellstar.org/foundation.
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Newsroom
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.
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.
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.
Newsroom
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.
Highlights
Wellstar Health System Partners with Georgia State University to Increase Respiratory Therapy Student Enrollment Through Wellstar Foundation Grant
Wellstar Health System and Georgia State University’s Department of Respiratory Therapy in the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions announce a $320,000 grant to expand the pipeline of respiratory therapy (RT) professionals.
"Respiratory therapists are a vital part of the care team and are in critical demand – a trend exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and felt throughout the healthcare industry," said Julie Teer, president of the Wellstar Foundation. "The Wellstar Foundation is proud to increase the workforce pipeline by collaborating with and funding Georgia State to hire an additional faculty member to lead a new clinical cohort of RT students at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center."
The faculty shortage is a major barrier to increasing program enrollment and adding this position will result in a 20 percent increase in the program’s enrollment capacity.
"Highly educated respiratory therapists will always be needed, but due to the pandemic and the burnout of healthcare practitioners, the job market is wide open for new graduates," said Dr. Doug Gardenhire, chair of the Department of Respiratory Therapy.
Over 150,000 respiratory therapists work in the United States, and 92,000 are likely to retire by 2030. In addition to faculty shortage, demand for professionals that outpaces the capacity of degree programs also contributes to the national shortage of respiratory therapists. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of RT positions will grow by at least 19 percent through 2029 due to an aging population and increased cases of respiratory illness.
"There are more than 17,000 advertisements for needed respiratory therapy positions around the country, and the need is no different in metro Atlanta," said Gardenhire. "This partnership with Wellstar allows us to educate and graduate more baccalaureate and master’s degree prepared respiratory therapists."
Georgia State’s RT program is one of only two U.S. programs to receive the American Association for Respiratory Care Apex Award for three consecutive years. The award recognizes respiratory care in clinical care facilities and educational programs that highlight best practices with evidence-based medicine. Over the past decade, every Georgia State RT graduate has earned a 100 percent pass rate on the licensure exam.
"This grant helps strengthen our relationship with Wellstar and will bring more of our students into the Wellstar system for clinical practice and potentially for employment after graduation," said Dr. Huanbiao Mo, dean of the Lewis College. “Congratulations to RT faculty and leadership for forging this successful clinical partnership."
Explore how the Lewis College at Georgia State is producing respiratory therapists and other professionals prepared for the frontlines of healthcare at lewis.gsu.edu. See how corporate and foundation partner and individual donor dollars are making a difference at Georgia State at giving.gsu.edu. Learn how Wellstar Foundation, through philanthropy and partnership, is making a meaningful difference in the health of our communities at wellstar.org/foundation.
