Wellstar CEO Candice L. Saunders to Retire

Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center has earned three-star ratings—the highest ratings possible—in five cardiac surgery categories from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), placing it among a select group of programs nationwide achieving top-tier performance across a broad range of procedures and making it the only program in Georgia to achieve this distinction.

The STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD) star rating system is one of the most comprehensive and respected measures of quality in the industry, evaluating outcomes from hundreds of hospitals in North America and serving as a leading benchmark for clinical excellence. A three-star rating indicates performance that is significantly better than the national average in key measures such as survival, complication rates and adherence to evidence-based care.

“The STS three-star rating is the highest distinction a cardiac surgery program can earn, and even a single category is rare. Receiving it in five is extraordinary, and it’s a direct reflection of the trust patients place in Wellstar every day,” said Ketul J. Patel, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System. “Our physicians, clinicians and care teams are setting a national standard for quality and safety, making Wellstar a center of excellence for cardiovascular care. This is one of the many ways that Wellstar’s care teams are improving health outcomes in the Southeast.”

In the previous reporting cycle, the program achieved three-star ratings in four categories—an already rare and notable achievement for cardiac surgery programs nationwide. Building on that success, Wellstar Kennestone has now expanded to five three-star categories, underscoring sustained excellence and a continued commitment to advancing high-quality cardiac care.

Wellstar Kennestone received a three-star overall composite quality rating in five of six evaluated procedure categories:

• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
• Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
• Combined AVR and CABG procedures
• Mitral valve repair and replacement (MVRR)
• Multi-procedural cardiac surgery

The program also earned a two-star rating in the combined MVRR and CABG category.

“For patients, these ratings translate to better outcomes, fewer complications, improved survival and a smoother recovery after major heart surgery,” said Dr. Barry Mangel, chief of clinical service lines at Wellstar. “Achieving and sustaining this level of performance across multiple complex procedures is extraordinarily rare and reflects a deeply coordinated, team-based approach to care.”

Wellstar Kennestone’s cardiac surgery program brings together a highly integrated team of cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, intensivists, perfusionists, advanced practice providers, nurses, technologists and support team members. This collaborative approach enables the team to deliver consistently high-quality, coordinated care for patients with even the most complex heart conditions.

These results reflect a sustained commitment to clinical excellence, continuous improvement and delivering the highest standard of cardiovascular care to every person, every time.

For more information about heart care at Wellstar, visit wellstar.org/heartcare.

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, today announced a strategic partnership with Wellstar Health System to enhance the safety and quality of medication delivery for patients across its hospitals and care facilities.

Through this collaboration, Wellstar is building a more connected approach to medication management from the pharmacy to the bedside by combining BD Pyxis™ Pro medication dispensing technologies with BD Alaris™ Infusion Systems. By adopting the latest in dispensing and infusion technology, Wellstar is empowering clinicians with greater accuracy, real time visibility and streamlined workflows, helping them spend less time on manual processes and more time delivering safe, dependable care to their patients.

Powered by artificial intelligence, the new BD Pyxis™ Pro Dispensing Solution with Analytics in BD Incada™ provides Wellstar with enterprise wide visibility into medication inventory, including on demand insights through natural language queries. Customizable dashboards convert data into actionable intelligence, helping clinicians identify trends to ensure medication availability, reduce medication waste and optimize labor efficiency. And with BD Alaris™ Interoperability, Wellstar clinicians can use barcode scanning to verify patients, medications and smart pumps; send infusion orders directly from the electronic medical record and receive infusion statuses back into the EMR.

“At Wellstar, our focus is on delivering safe, innovative care to every patient, every time,” said Susan Wright, vice president of pharmacy services at Wellstar. “Partnering with BD to implement this technology strengthens our ability to focus on patient-centered programs and empower our teams to deliver care with confidence and compassion.”

Wellstar also participates in the Strategic Development Council for BD’s Medication Management Solutions business, where Wellstar leaders contribute expertise across enterprise pharmacy operations, medication safety, nursing and informatics. This input helps inform and shape future innovation at BD and drives next-generation solutions to meet the real world challenges faced by large, complex healthcare systems.

“BD is proud to partner with Wellstar to advance medication safety and help ensure patients receive the right medications at the right time,” said Connor Bates, worldwide president for medication management solutions at BD. “By integrating BD Pyxis™ and BD Alaris™ technologies, Wellstar is setting an example of how health systems can achieve connected, intelligent medication management that benefits both patients and clinicians.”

This collaboration reflects a shared vision to strengthen safety, efficiency and patient outcomes across the continuum of care, while positioning Wellstar as a leader in leveraging technology to improve the health of the communities it serves.

Augusta, Ga. (April 21, 2026) – Wellstar Health System announced today the launch of a new Rural Community Consortium, a network of healthcare providers, public health organizations and community service groups coordinating maternal care and resources across nine rural Georgia counties.

Anchored by Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center’s Rural Healthcare Access Partnership, an initiative funded by a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, the Rural Community Consortium supports women and families in Jefferson, Burke, Emanuel, Washington, Glascock, Warren, McDuffie, Jenkins and Johnson counties—areas defined as maternity care deserts.

The Rural Healthcare Access Partnership brings together local healthcare providers, community organizations and businesses to provide free support and care for pregnant women and families in rural communities. Services include pregnancy and postnatal support, childbirth and parenting education, breastfeeding guidance and care coordination. Through the Rural Community Consortium, organizations and individuals collaborate to share resources, refer eligible participants and strengthen community-based care.

"We're facing a maternal health crisis in the Southeast, where too many mothers don’t receive the prenatal care they need, and they are dying from preventable complications. We can do better. I've always believed in the power of partnerships, and what we're building here in Georgia can transform outcomes across the entire region," said Ketul J. Patel, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System.

In Georgia, 15.8% of women live more than 30 minutes from the nearest hospital with maternity services, compared with 9.7% nationwide. Limited access to care can increase the risk of pregnancy complications and infant mortality, particularly in rural communities. Georgia also faces significant disparities in maternal health outcomes. More than half (56%) of maternal deaths in the state occur among Black mothers, who represent about one-third of Georgia’s population.

“While many of these women will likely deliver their child at Wellstar MCG Health, traveling more than 30 minutes to regular—sometimes weekly—appointments prior to childbirth is not always feasible. For some patients, it becomes a choice between getting vital prenatal care and putting food on the table because of the time off required,” said Dr. Chadburn Ray, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Wellstar MCG Health. “Providing access to these vital resources closer to home means mothers don’t have to make these difficult decisions. Getting appropriate prenatal care can significantly reduce the risk of infant and maternal mortality.”

Through the Rural Community Consortium, Wellstar clinicians collaborate with Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia and community-based organizations to improve access to care coordination, clinical services and support programs for expectant and new mothers. The program also increases access to midwives and doulas, who provide clinical and non-clinical support throughout pregnancy and during the first year after childbirth. Consortium partners help families access housing assistance, food programs, workforce development resources and essential baby supplies.

Each member of the Rural Community Consortium plays a critical role in providing coordinated care and reducing maternal mortality. Wellstar also administers a Healthy Start program in Spalding, Butts and Troup counties. That program has served more than 1,300 mothers, fathers and infants since it began in 2024. Over 80% of infants from participating families received well-child visits on schedule, while 70% of mothers completed recommended preventive health visits—helping reduce risks for both mothers and babies.

“The Healthy Start program in West Georgia has touched the lives of more than 1,000 residents and provided support through doulas and resource referrals,” said Tiffany Bryant, Rural Healthcare Access Partnership program interim director. “There were many great saves and catches that brought people back into maternity care that could otherwise have resulted in worse health outcomes.”

The Rural Healthcare Access Partnership initiative builds on Wellstar’s broader efforts to address the maternal healthcare crisis in Georgia. In 2024, the health system received a HRSA grant to expand maternal health services and wraparound support for families in Butts, Spalding and Troup counties.