Wellstar Kennestone Expands Care with New Tower

The Hardy family, founders of Hardy Family Automotive, announced a $1 million donation to support the expansion of Wellstar Paulding Medical Center and its new Graduate Medical Education (GME) residency program.

Guided by the message, “We love you and we need you,” the Hardy family has served Paulding County since 1978. That same spirit—neighbors caring for neighbors—is at the heart of care at Wellstar Paulding. The generous donation from the Hardy family will help Wellstar expand access to care close by for people in Paulding County.

“We are incredibly grateful to have a state-of-the-art hospital serving our friends and family right here in the heart of our community,” said Rene Hardy Gordon, dealer principal of Hardy Family Automotive. “The pride that our community feels for Wellstar Paulding is something we deeply share.”

As one of the fastest-growing counties in Georgia, Paulding County continues to experience rising demand for healthcare services driven by rapid growth, an aging population and increasing patient acuity. However, the pipeline of healthcare workers nationwide is not growing at the same pace. This investment in the health and well-being of Paulding County will help ensure families have access to the care they need for generations to come.

A $300 million investment in Paulding County

Wellstar Health System is investing more than $300 million to expand the Wellstar Paulding campus, including the construction of a seven-story hospital tower and a 467-space parking deck to improve access for patients and families. 

The first phase of the tower, expected to open November 2027, will add 56 beds—increasing the hospital’s current 112-bed capacity by 50%. The expansion will also enhance heart and vascular care services with an additional cath/procedure lab, 20 dedicated recovery spaces and two procedure rooms for advanced heart imaging such as transesophageal echocardiography. Imaging services will grow as well, with expanded CT, X-ray and nuclear medicine capabilities and two new ultrasound spaces. A second phase planned for fiscal year 2029 will add another 56 beds and additional procedural capacity.

“Paulding County is home to so many families who deserve access to excellent care close to where they live,” said Sharon Robinson, vice president of the Wellstar Foundation. “The Hardy family’s investment helps us grow our physician training programs in a way that supports both today’s patients and the long-term health of this community.” 

Expanding the physician pipeline

In response to physician shortages—particularly in rural areas—Wellstar recently launched a GME residency program at Wellstar Paulding. 

The new program will create 30 physician positions focused on internal medicine with an emphasis on rural primary care. GME programs are one of the most effective strategies for strengthening physician pipelines, as communities that train physicians are more likely to retain them. 

Over the past decade, Wellstar has grown its GME program from 14 trainees in 2016 to nearly 300 today across its teaching hospitals. In partnership with Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia, another 500 physicians are in training at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center. With the addition of the Wellstar Paulding residency, Wellstar will soon support more than 860 physicians in training statewide. 

The Hardy family’s pledge will help the Wellstar Foundation and community partners raise an additional $3 million to complete the training spaces that will house the Wellstar Paulding residency program in the new tower. 

A hospital growing with its community

Wellstar Paulding employs approximately 1,900 team members and operates one of the busiest emergency departments in the region, with 40 adult and pediatric bays. The hospital has received numerous recognitions for quality and safety, including the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Magnet designation for nursing excellence, a Leapfrog “A” safety rating and a CMS 4-star quality rating. 

In recent years, Wellstar has expanded outpatient access across Paulding County by adding 69 exam rooms at seven practices in Hiram and Dallas, with an additional 46 exam rooms planned over the next three years. 

“Our parents, Charles and Jeannette Hardy, instilled in us the importance of caring for the community that has supported our family for generations,” said Gordon. “As Wellstar Paulding grows with the addition of the new tower and the launch of its GME program, we believe investing in local healthcare is one of the most meaningful ways we can give back.”

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — Community members, local officials and healthcare leaders gathered to celebrate the ribbon cutting of Wellstar’s newest cancer care facility, marking a significant milestone in expanding oncology services for Bartow County. The facility began seeing patients Feb. 23, but the event offered the community its first look inside the expanded space and an opportunity to recognize the teams behind the project.

The nearly 15,000-square-foot building doubles local infusion capacity and adds space for chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and other medical oncology ervices. The facility features 15 exam rooms, three triage rooms, 28 infusion chairs, eight blood draw stations, a dedicated laboratory, an on-site compounding pharmacy, and expanded areas for clinical consultations and care coordination.

“This new facility is part of our commitment to expanding access to compassionate, high-quality care across the Southeast,” said Ketul J. Patel, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System. “For the people who call Bartow County home, that commitment means advanced cancer treatment where they live, delivered by a team supporting them every step of the way.”

The new location expands cancer care with Wellstar and partners in care Northwest Georgia Oncology Centers, enabling access to the latest therapies and strengthening collaboration among oncologists, advanced practice providers, pharmacists and support teams. In Cartersville, a dedicated team of two medical oncologists and four advanced practice providers now delivers personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient’s diagnosis. Patients also have access to supportive services, including genetic counseling, financial navigation and education with a clinical pharmacist.

“This space was designed with our patients’ needs in mind,” said Dr. Michelle Ojemuyiwa, a Wellstar oncologist and hematologist who practices in Cartersville. “With more room, additional infusion chairs and an on-site compounding pharmacy, we can care for more patients efficiently while maintaining the personalized, attentive approach they expect throughout their treatment.”

The new Wellstar cancer care facility is located at 65 Cloverleaf Drive in Cartersville.

Hiram, Georgia (April 2, 2026) – Wellstar Health System announced that Wellstar Paulding Medical Center achieved Magnet® redesignation in March through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. This honor reflects the organization’s continued nursing professionalism, teamwork and commitment to excellence in patient care. Wellstar Paulding first earned Magnet designation in 2021, and this redesignation affirms the team’s sustained dedication to advancing nursing practice and improving patient outcomes. For the first time, Wellstar Paulding was also recognized with Magnet with Distinction, an elevated honor awarded to organizations demonstrating exceptional performance across the Magnet model, joining only 80 hospitals nationwide.

The Magnet Recognition Program distinguishes healthcare organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence and high-quality care. Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center achieved Magnet designation in 2025.

With this redesignation, Wellstar Paulding continues to be part of the global community of Magnet-recognized organizations. About 10% of hospitals nationwide achieve Magnet recognition due to the program’s complex requirements and comprehensive evaluation process. Even fewer achieve Magnet with Distinction. This distinction further underscores Wellstar’s commitment to delivering world-class, compassionate and personalized care across the communities it serves.

Magnet recognition is the gold standard for nursing excellence and is an important factor when patients and families evaluate healthcare organizations. U.S. News & World Report includes Magnet recognition as part of the methodology for its annual “America’s Best Hospitals" rankings, which assess the quality of inpatient care.

Research demonstrates that Magnet recognition provides measurable benefits to healthcare organizations and the communities they serve, including:

• Higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication, availability of help and discharge information
• Lower risk of 30-day mortality and reduced failure-to-rescue rates
• Higher job satisfaction among nurses
• Lower nurse reports of intent to leave their positions>

“This redesignation is a testament to our nurses and their dedication to patient-centered care,” said Shawn Bishop, vice president and chief nursing officer at Wellstar Paulding. “I am incredibly proud of the teamwork, leadership and excellence they demonstrate every day.”

The Magnet Model provides a framework for nursing practice, research and the measurement of outcomes. Through this framework, ANCC evaluates applicants across multiple components and dimensions to assess nursing excellence. The foundation of the model includes elements essential to delivering superior patient care, including strong nursing leadership, collaboration across specialties, and structured processes for measuring and improving the quality and delivery of care.

“This recognition is a testament to our commitment to supporting the nurses who deliver safe, high-quality care every day,” said Ketul J. Patel, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System. “Wellstar Paulding’s redesignation reflects a team that truly lives out what it means to be neighbors caring for neighbors, leading with heart, collaboration and pride in the community they serve."

ABOUT ANCC’S MAGNET RECOGNITION PROGRAM

The Magnet Recognition Program—administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the largest and most prominent nurses credentialing organization in the world—identifies healthcare organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and professionalism in nursing practice.

The Magnet Recognition Program is the highest national honor for nursing excellence and provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark for measuring quality of care. For more information about the Magnet Recognition Program and current statistics, visit nursingworld.org/magnet.

ABOUT WELLSTAR HEALTH SYSTEM

At Wellstar, people are at the center of everything we do. A nonprofit community healthcare system, we are nationally recognized for our personal, high-quality care, inclusive culture, and exceptional doctors and team members. We provide access to compassionate, high-quality care through our: 11 hospitals; 325+ medical office locations; 11 cancer centers; 91 rehabilitation centers; 35 imaging centers; 18 urgent care locations; five health parks; three hospice facilities; and one retirement village. Wellstar thoughtfully invests 100% of every dollar we make into initiatives that create healthier communities. To learn more about how we care for the communities we serve, visit Wellstar.org.