As Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center celebrates our 72nd birthday, we are grateful for the opportunity to serve our growing community. We also are very grateful for the ongoing partnership and support our community affords us as we continue to evolve and grow to meet the changing healthcare needs of patients and families. This year has been a true testament of excellence in the quality of care we provide at Kennestone. Even through the challenges that the past several years imposed upon us, we have led by taking care of each other, our patients and our communities.
We are honored to continue to be recognized alongside Wellstar and its network of award-winning hospitals as we worked hard, together, to exceed the national standards of care. Among the awards and distinctions bestowed to Kennestone were the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer, a first for Wellstar; Stroke Gold Plus award from the American Heart and American Stroke Associations; the very coveted Georgia Oglethorpe award; and several disease specific re-designations through The Joint Commission.
Our Vision: To deliver world-class healthcare to every person, every time.
This year also brought a meaningful opportunity to continue to support our commitment to growth by preparing for the enabling work of a new, state-of-the-art bed tower. This new tower replaces the Baird building on campus and allows us to expand our patient care capabilities. The new tower is expected to be complete by late 2025 and open in 2026. In the meantime, we are engaging with our front line team members, providers, patients and a neighborhood advisory council and listening to their specific needs and desires as we consider this building’s amenities. Among such sought-after features will be private patient rooms.
Additionally, the tower will offer:
- Expanded and state-of-the-art Neonatal ICU
- Expanded, all-private cardiovascular and neuro care services
- Rooms designed specifically for patient, family and healthcare provider comfort and functionality
- New kitchen, cafeteria and in-room dining services
- And much more
All of this will be enabled by technology to ensure the expertise housed within the tower is accessible to everyone. Sustainability is also a key factor as we finalize the tower’s design and materials.
Innovation
Technology continues to be a priority area for innovation in the healthcare industry and at Kennestone Medical Center. For example, in 2021, we opened a new Hybrid CVOR which enables us to offer advanced cardiovascular operations and procedures with the most up-to-date technology available. Additionally, we have a Neuro Robot in the Vascular Institute and a a Cardiac Robot in the Cath Lab. These robots offer more precise tools for delicate procedures and assist surgeons with life-saving techniques, while also offering additional safety to physicians by reducing their exposure to radiation. This very exciting robotic technology also presents a tremendous opportunity for impact in the future. Robotics will enable our world-class physicians to leverage their expertise and expand our care to rural areas by assisting with operations remotely.
As we advance our mission through deploying a refreshed strategic plan, we look forward to innovating new care models to serve our patients, leveraging digital innovation and heavily investing in ambulatory spaces in order to increase our primary care footprint for easy access to care.
Our Mission: To enhance the health and wellbeing of every person we serve.
We learned a tremendous amount about disease crises as we watched how this hospital and the entire U.S. healthcare system pivoted to the dedicated care of Covid. In spite of the profound toll the pandemic had on employees everywhere, we remarked at the resiliency of our workers and clinical excellence of our providers and caregivers. We cannot thank you enough for the overwhelming show of support you gave our teams during that time. You nourished their minds and hearts and helped them thrive through incredibly challenging times.
Kennestone’s birthday and our new fiscal year represents a renewed hope in our journey, together, as our country continues to heal, grow and move past the devastating effects of Covid. It is more important than ever to stand in support of one another and continue to invest in resources for our staff. As the health and wellness of our teams continues to be of utmost importance, we continue to work with our staff to implement new and expanded employee programs, including wellness rooms and relief perks as a way to renew and refresh. Health equity also remains a priority. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team is dedicated to providing each team member with resources including book study groups, dialogue forums, videos and other tools which optimize technology resources for learning aimed at honoring every voice and ensuring equitable care to our patients and their families. This is a theme we carry through our community involvement, as well.
We remain excited to welcome new hires to Kennestone and Wellstar, especially new graduates who have chosen our medical center as their first clinical site. You are the reason we do what we do. We pledge to never stop striving to improve your health and wellness and remain committed to advancing care. Thank you for the trust you place in us to serve you and your loved ones. We are grateful to be your care provider of choice.