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Article Category: Newsroom

Wellstar Partners with Morehouse School of Medicine to Support At-Risk Populations

Published on March 24, 2021

Last updated 03:50 PM March 24, 2021

Wellstar partners with Morehouse to support at-risk populations.

Responding to vital needs among vulnerable communities during the pandemic, Wellstar is the first Georgia-based health system to become a national partner in new initiative

Wellstar Health System has joined Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM)’s National COVID-19 Resiliency Network (NCRN) of partners to further inform community-driven response, recovery, and resiliency strategies for addressing the impact of COVID-19 on communities.

In response to the needs of at-risk communities across the health system’s service areas, Wellstar has partnered with the MSM-NCRN and its 40 network partners across the U.S. to collaborate on offering COVID-19-related services to disproportionately impacted communities. As a not-for-profit system dedicated to providing “More than Healthcare. PeopleCare.” Wellstar is committed to addressing inequities that impact the health and well-being of people and communities through more than 450 community partnerships, Wellstar Community Health initiatives, and activities led by the Wellstar Center for Health Equity (WCHE).

One of the most critical barriers to health during the pandemic has been consumer access to reliable, science-based, culturally appropriate, and native language information resources, which the partnership will facilitate. Wellstar is the first Georgia-based health system to become a national partner in this important, new initiative.

“Wellstar is pleased to partner with Morehouse School of Medicine to provide vital information and resources for at-risk communities,” said Candice L. Saunders, president and CEO, Wellstar Health System. “The NCRN is a strong complement to the important work that our Wellstar Center for Health Equity is doing, and we are thankful for the collaboration.”

Morehouse School of Medicine’s National COVID-19 Resiliency Network Builds Community Resiliency

The MSM-NCRN coordinates a strategic and structured national network of national, state/territorial/tribal and local public and community-based organizations that, together, will work to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minority and rural populations. The network helps to provide awareness of culturally appropriate health education information and linkage to care, helping organizations and families recover from pandemic difficulties. In addition to educational and informational resources in at least 10 languages to accommodate cultural competency, initiatives will include COVID-19 testing, vaccinations following phases directed by DPH, training opportunities for community leaders.

“Our national network connects individuals, families, community organizations and clinical providers to timely and relevant COVID-19 information and services in their neighborhood,” says Dominic Mack, MD, MBA, professor of family medicine and director of the National COVID-19 Resiliency Network in the National Center for Primary Care at MSM.

“Morehouse School of Medicine’s National COVID-19 Resiliency Network is designed to not only provide structure to the resources that are on the ground-level fighting this pandemic but is an important resource for our partners in serving the underserved and getting people the healthcare they need,” said Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD., MSM president and dean. “Organizations such as Wellstar here in Georgia, its Wellstar Center for Health Equity, and the partnerships we cultivate, are critically important to the mission of health equity and in fighting and defeating COVID-19.”

Wellstar Center for Health Equity Addresses Health Inequities across Georgia

The WCHE addresses health inequities across Georgia to enhance the health and well-being of the people and communities served by Wellstar. Through partnerships such as the one with MSM-NCRN, the WCHE implements multi-disciplinary approaches to address deeply entrenched social disparities and healthcare gaps. Programs led by the WCHE over the past year include walk-up, pop-up COVID-19 family testing; distribution of masks and safety kits to at-risk communities; Congregational Health Network communications, collaboration, information, and support; Spanish-language educational information for Latinx communities; a technology-driven Community Transformation initiative for local non-profits; joint Webinars on health equity topics in collaboration with Partnership for Southern Equity, Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI), and Georgia Health Policy Center; and a series of “Mobile Market” free farmer’s market-style grocery shopping experiences for hundreds of families with Goodr.

The partnership between Wellstar and MSM-NCRN will extend the organizations’ reach and resources to enhance information access and drive positive impact.

The NCRN launch follows a $40 million award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health to coordinate a strategic network focused on delivering COVID-19-related information to communities hardest hit by the pandemic. The launch of the NCRN occurs alongside the release of new digital technology accessible through the NCRN website. It provides location-based recommendations on where community members can get a COVID-19 test or receive a COVID-19 vaccine when distribution increases in the coming months.

Learn more about our COVID-19 vaccine updates. To access MSM-NCRN COVID-19 resources, visit www.msm.edu/ncrn. 

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Exterior photo of Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center. Wellstar and Joint Commission logos.

Newsroom

Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center Receives Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification

Wellstar Health System announced today that The Joint Commission recognized Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, the most demanding stroke certification recognizing hospitals that have specific abilities to receive and treat the most complex stroke cases. With two of the eight Comprehensive Stroke Centers in Georgia, Wellstar Health System now offers stroke patients greater access to the highest level of stroke and aneurysm care. Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center is also Joint Commission certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center.

“For years, we have provided world-class stroke care for each and every patient when they need it most. This designation represents how hard we have worked to provide the very best quality care for patients in North Fulton County and across Georgia. We’re proud that our work and subsequent positive patient outcomes are being recognized,” said Dr. Michael Mendoza, medical director of the Stroke Program at Wellstar North Fulton.

Wellstar North Fulton’s certification allows more Georgians to have access to the most advance diagnostics and treatments for cerebrovascular disease such as stroke. This is important because Georgia is located in the Stroke Belt, which is comprised of 11 states in the Southeast where the associated mortality rate for stroke patients is 10 percent above the national average.

At Wellstar North Fulton and Wellstar Kennestone, patients have access to advanced diagnostics and therapies to care for even the most complicated strokes faster and more effectively. These include:

  • Neuro Intensive Care Units –  A multidisciplinary team of physicians and nurses who specialize in neurocritical care.
  • Minimally-invasive treatment – Wellstar is one of only four programs in the state that offer neuroendovascular treatment, such as minimally-invasive clot retrieval, patients can be provided with a much less invasive treatment technique.
  • Cutting-edge imaging – Neurointerventional biplane imaging shows detailed, 3D views of blood vessels in the brain. This allows neurosurgeons to flip neuroendovascular cases to an open neurosurgical case when needed.
  • Pioneering technology – Wellstar North Fulton was among the first hospitals in the country to use the groundbreaking Artemis Neuro Evacuation device to treat brain bleeds, a condition that was nearly impossible to treat in the past.
  • Around-the-clock care – Artificial intelligence such as VizAi allows quicker identification of patients who are candidates for thrombectomy and organizes care in a connected system by quicker response to identify and provide care as quickly as possible.

“Our team of neurosurgeons, neurocritical care physicians, neuroradiologists, advanced practice practitioners and nurses work together to perform world-class thrombectomies, aneurysm treatments, carotid surgeries and cerebral bypass procedures so that patients can regain their best quality of life. Additionally, our dedicated hybrid neurovascular suite is equipped with innovative bi-plane technology. This allows neurosurgeons to view highly detailed images of brain vessels, so we as a team can customize treatments in real time,” said Dr. Arthur Grigorian, neurosurgeon, Wellstar North Fulton.

“When you have a stroke, every second counts. Getting fast, expert stroke care can mean the difference between life, death, or lasting brain damage. We are proud to receive this prestigious certification at Wellstar North Fulton, informing the surrounding community that they don’t have to go far to receive the best treatment possible. We will continue to work hard to provide an interdisciplinary, innovative, and compassionate approach to safe and quality comprehensive stroke care to all the communities we serve,” said Jon-Paul Croom, president, Wellstar North Fulton and senior vice president, Wellstar Health System.

Wellstar is a leading provider of stroke and aneurysm services in Georgia and performs one of the highest numbers of thrombectomy and aneurysm treatments in the country. The Joint Commission is a United States-based nonprofit organization that accredits more than 22,000 healthcare organizations and programs.

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Photo of Bernice A. King. Text reads "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’" -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Newsroom

Wellstar Honors the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

On January 12, Wellstar honored the life, legacy and many contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a live-streamed tribute. The program included performances from The Wellstar Singers, interfaith prayers and a keynote address featuring a conversation between Dr. Bernice A. King, youngest daughter of Martin and Coretta Scott King, and Monica Kaufman Pearson, beloved former Atlanta news anchor. 

The program was themed around a 1957 quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Life's most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’" 

Throughout the program, Dr. Bernice A. King shared important life lessons instilled in her as a child, including the value of forgiveness and nonviolence. Dr. King provided insight about the state of the world, growing polarization and the need to take time to listen to those who we perceive as our enemies. 

Watch the program. 

As CEO of The King Center, Dr. Bernice A. King’s mission is to spread her father’s philosophy and methodology of nonviolence. Through programs like Nonviolence365®, Beloved Community Leadership Academy and Students with the King, she is working to make perspective-altering resources available to people of all ages. 

This program was pre-recorded in November at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. The conversation was held in front of a live audience including Wellstar leaders, members of the Minority Physician Business Resource Group and our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team.  

Wellstar is honored to celebrate the life and legacy of American Civil Rights Movement leader and activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and recognizes Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday. Team members are encouraged to take the day “on” by volunteering in the community.

Wellstar is proud to be a corporate sponsor partnering with The King Center on a variety of events leading up to the holiday on Jan. 16.

Keep reading
Headshot photo of Jill Case-Wirth. Wellstar and Healthcare Executive podcast logos.

Newsroom

Leadership for Intense Times

Healthcare professionals are trained to work with science, data and facts. But when the pandemic hit, leaders had to grapple with working through the unknown. According to Jill Case-Wirth, senior vice president and chief nurse executive of Wellstar Health System, core tenets of leadership, such as communication, courage, and the ability to establish trust, remained constant, while other characteristics moved more clearly into focus in 2020.

“Humility rose to the forefront,” Case-Wirth said. “You had to be comfortable being able to say, ‘I don’t know, but together we’re going to figure this out … and we’re going to do the best that we can with the information we have available.’”

“We learned a lot of things during COVID about leading differently that we shouldn’t let go of now,” she said.

Case-Wirth shared that data analytics is one of those growth areas for today’s healthcare leaders. Having the ability to review data, gain consensus on the insights, and then quickly develop a plan for an actionable change management strategy is essential for future successful leaders. As a registered nurse, Case-Wirth also places an imperative on planning for the future of nursing, pioneering a career pathway program that starts as young as middle school. In addition to partnering with local universities and technical colleges, she emphasized the importance of being “thoughtful that we have these programs in diverse communities” to reach a wide student population and grow a diverse workforce for the future.

Listen to more insights on Healthcare Executive Podcast.

Case-Wirth was also featured among other healthcare leaders in the article “Leadership for Intense Times” in the November/December issue of Healthcare Executive Magazine.

Keep reading
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