Wellstar Kennestone Hospital Celebrates 5-Year ECMO Anniversary

As we look forward to the Fourth of July holiday, fireworks, swimming, and grilling offer plenty of fun summer activities for families across Georgia. However, it's important to be cautious with fireworks, which can quickly turn your Independence Day celebrations sour.

While public fireworks displays have safety measures in place, fireworks at home may be less safe, especially for kids. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, an estimated 14,700 people were injured by fireworks in 2024, with burns accounting for 37% of all emergency room visits.

Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, a Wellstar pediatrician and representative for the American Academy of Pediatrics, warns that the most common injury from fireworks is a hand burn.

“But it can be worse, such as a hand fracture, cuts or even the loss of a finger,” she said. “Facial injuries, including burns and eye injuries, are also common. If you're going to handle fireworks, please be very careful.”

Dr. Earl Stewart Jr., an internal medicine physician and medical director of health equity with Wellstar Health System, has seen many times how climate and extreme weather can impact health. He reminds families that summer celebrations can bring a range of seasonal health risks.

“We often see more water-related injuries this time of year, such as drownings, boating accidents, and even head or spine injuries from diving into shallow water,” he said. “And with Georgia’s extreme heat, it’s important to plan ahead to avoid heat exhaustion, heat stroke and sunburns. Even surfaces like metal components of playground equipment and seat belts can cause burns after they’ve been exposed to the sun for long periods.”

Dr. Stewart also noted the importance of being mindful of summer pests and plants.

“Insect bites, allergic reactions, poison ivy, bee stings and even snake bites can quickly turn a fun day outdoors into a medical emergency. Vigilance and preparation equate to staying safe and alive,” he said.

As for sparklers, Dr. Dolgoff cautions parents not to underestimate their danger.

“Sparklers burn at about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit—hot enough to melt some metals. They account for a high percentage of injuries, emergency room visits, and fires every year. The sparks can cause burns and eye injuries.”

She also recommends soaking used sparklers in a bucket of water before discarding them.

If your family plans to participate in Fourth of July activities, remember the word FIRE with these essential safety tips:

• Families: Never hold a lit firework in your hand or point it at another person. Children should never handle fireworks, including sparklers.
• Injury: Only light fireworks outdoors, away from people, homes and flammable materials. Wear protective eyewear to prevent eye injuries.
• Run Away: Move away quickly after lighting a firework. Don’t light more than one at a time and never try to re-light a dud.
• Extinguish: Keep a bucket of water nearby to douse fireworks that don’t go off or cause a mishap. Soak both used and unused fireworks before discarding.

Marietta, GA— Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center has achieved a rare milestone in cardiac care, earning the highest possible rating—three stars—in four categories evaluated by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). This distinction places Wellstar Kennestone among the elite cardiac surgery programs in the U.S. and Canada.

The STS Star rating system is one of the most rigorous, verified and respected measures of quality in healthcare, based entirely on objective patient outcomes and implemented medical care processes. The latest analysis evaluates performance during a three-year period, from January 2022 to December 2024. Wellstar Kennestone earned the coveted three-star rating in the following key areas: isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG, or open-heart surgery), aortic valve replacement (AVR), AVR + CABG, and multiprocedural cardiothoracic surgeries.

“This extraordinary recognition reflects the world-class quality of care offered by Wellstar,” said Lorrie Liang, senior vice president and hospital president of Wellstar Kennestone and Wellstar Windy Hill. “To achieve this gold standard, a health system must demonstrate both clinical excellence and rigorous standards for follow-up care. At Wellstar, we provide all of this, along with a warm, people-centered experience. It’s what we call ‘PeopleCare.’”

Previously, Wellstar Kennestone had earned three-star ratings in two categories. This latest achievement marks a significant advancement, solidifying its position as a national leader in cardiothoracic surgery.

“This new accomplishment speaks volumes about the skill, precision, and teamwork of our cardiothoracic team,” said Dr. Richard Myung, medical director of cardiothoracic surgery at Wellstar Kennestone. “We’re proud to deliver exceptional outcomes for patients from across the Southeast who have some of the most complex heart conditions.”

“This amazing recognition is about the great lengths we go to care for our patients, and why people travel from across the region to receive their care at Kennestone,” added Karrie Davis, Director of Wellstar Cardiothoracic Surgery Services and the Structural Heart and Valve Program. “We care for every patient like they’re a family member or close friend. That’s why we hold ourselves to the highest standards.”

STS ratings reflect not only surgical excellence, but also the quality of care patients receive in the critical 30-day period following surgery. These results highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach—one that includes surgeons, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, nurses, cardiologists, respiratory therapists, rehabilitation specialists, critical care specialists, hospitalists, advanced practice providers and many others.

“This achievement is a testament to the entire care continuum,” said Cindy Holcomb, Wellstar executive director of cardiovascular nursing at Wellstar Kennestone. “From the operating room to recovery and rehabilitation, every team member plays a vital role in delivering outstanding outcomes.”

With a team of more than 110 cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons, the Wellstar Center for Cardiovascular Care is home to one of Georgia’s most comprehensive cardiovascular programs. Its flagship, Wellstar Kennestone, was the first hospital in the state to earn the prestigious Comprehensive Cardiac Care Certification—the highest distinction awarded by the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association.

For more information about Heart Care at Wellstar, visit wellstar.org/heartcare.

This article was originally published on Atlanta Business Chronicle on May 19, 2023.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. The Georgia Department of Public Health reports the state had the 12th highest stroke death rate in the country. Georgia is also part of the “stroke belt,” an area of the southeastern United States with stroke death rates 30% higher than the rest of the nation.

As the leading — but preventable — cause of disability, stroke can happen at any age.

Stroke is a medical emergency, meaning the blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients. When this happens, brain cells start to die and abilities controlled by that area of the brain, such as speech or muscle control, are lost.

New drugs and new advanced treatments — such as the Tigertriever and Artemis — are helping reduce the death and disability impact of stroke, as well as comprehensive care programs and innovative hospital partnerships that expand stroke services into rural areas.

Physicians from Wellstar Health System and the CEO of a hospital in northeast Georgia joined Atlanta Business Chronicle to discuss stroke prevention and the future of stroke care.

Panelists & moderator

• Dr. Rishi Gupta, Endovascular Neurologist and Co-Medical Director of Neuro Care
• Dr. Ashis Tayal, Vascular Neurologist, Wellstar, Director of Neuro Care Network
• Van Loskoski, CEO, Stephens County Hospital
• David Rubinger, Market President & Publisher, Atlanta Business Chronicle; Moderator

What is stroke, screening and secondary prevention

David Rubinger: Dr. Tayal, set the stage for us about the definition of stroke.

Dr. Ashis Tayal: A stroke is a sudden injury of the brain due to blockage or rupture of an artery in the brain. Injuries to the brain and disability can vary significantly.

The most common, ischemic stroke injury, is due to obstruction of an artery that causes a loss of blood flow to a critical part of the brain which damages the brain rapidly.

The other type of stroke is hemorrhagic stroke, where there’s a rupture of an artery, bleeding into the brain, or the surfaces of the brain, and that is called an intracerebral hemorrhage or a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Rubinger: I think Americans have become a little better educated as to who’s at risk for stroke, but why don’t you walk us through that. Who would be a potential stroke candidate?

Tayal: High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most common risk factor for both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. High blood pressure is an extremely common but controllable condition. Almost 80% of people have hypertension as they’re getting older.

Other risk factors include diabetes associated with elevated blood sugars causing accelerated blockage of arteries and high cholesterol, which can be related to diet and genetics.

Atrial fibrillation, a common heart arrhythmia that occurs as people get older, also places people at risk for the most severe and disabling types of strokes. And plaque buildup in specific arteries of the neck and brain also leads to an increased risk of stroke.

Smoking is another risk factor. Many adults still smoke despite a lot of progress in stroke treatment, and smoking puts people at risk for different types of stroke.

Rubinger: What about atmospheric things like stress and other areas like that? How does that play into it? Or do those things manifest themselves because of the other underlying physical conditions?

Tayal: I don’t view stress, in and of itself, as a risk factor for stroke. I think that’s more related to people’s environments and their own personalities and how they respond to stress. I do think people who are under undue stress can have poor lifestyle habits, and those poor lifestyle habits, whether poor eating habits, smoking, weight gain or lack of exercise, can lead to conditions that increase the risk for stroke.

Rubinger: So how is the healthcare system doing treating strokes? Do you believe that what’s going on at the primary care provider’s office is helping or do we have a way to go?

Tayal: In the United States, preventive care has improved the treatment of risk factors that lead to stroke, but communities must maintain routine checkups as many of the risk factors are silent.

There are improved treatments for hypertension, more aggressive treatment for diabetes, and more efforts at smoking cessation. Just the fact that we treat hypertension better than we did a generation ago has had a great impact on lowering the prevalence of stroke.

That being said, some of the most exciting work on stroke has often been done in the area of acute treatment of stroke with clot-busting drugs, catheter-based treatments and medications to protect the brain during an acute injury.

Rubinger: Has pharmacology gotten better in terms of the hypertension medicines that are out there? Have anti-cholesterol medicines improved in recent years?

Tayal: In the past, healthcare providers were often undertreating people with hyperlipidemia — high cholesterol — and not fully appreciating the benefits of significant reductions in cholesterol levels. For example, we’ve learned that driving cholesterol down into much lower ranges under 55 mg/dL can benefit our patients who have vascular disease as a cause for their stroke.

In the fight against high cholesterol, newer medications that prevent the absorption of cholesterol are now available. Recent developments have led to the discovery of a new underutilized class of drugs called PCSK-9 inhibitors that are highly effective.