Wellstar Kennestone Hospital Celebrates 71 Years of Community Service and Care Excellence

Wellstar Health System has been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of ten 2021 Top Organizations for Diversity from across the nation. Wellstar is the only health system in Georgia included in the inaugural listing and was honored for demonstrating a commitment to workforce diversity, including leadership positions. 

“Healthcare organizations widely promote their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts when they're first announced. But it's more important to track success and make sure those initiatives deliver on the long-term results the companies and communities they serve expect. This year, we increased the cadence of our diversity recognition program and expanded eligibility to include companies as a whole, as well as individuals,” said Modern Healthcare editor, Aurora Aguilar. “The 2021 class of Top Diversity Leaders lead the pack in healthcare. These are people and companies that exemplify ‘walking the walk.’”

This is the inaugural year for Modern Healthcare’s Top Organizations for Diversity awards, which recognize healthcare companies that are “bolstering the diversity of their workforces” at all levels.  

“Wellstar is committed to fostering an inclusive culture and workforce that mirrors the communities we serve and celebrates our diversity,” said Candice L. Saunders, president and chief executive officer, Wellstar Health System. “Some of our greatest impacts are a direct result of the diversity of our people: the incredible talent we attract, the daily contributions of our team members, the positive effects we create in our communities, and the programs, resources, and initiatives we implement as a leading healthcare provider. Being recognized as one of Modern Healthcare ten Top Organizations for Diversity honors not just what we do, but who we are.”

Inclusion drives positive impact 

Wellstar has a long-standing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. In 2020, Wellstar formally launched the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council to identify opportunities to grow and drive positive change for its communities, patients and team members. The Council holds regular listening sessions to ensure the voices of team members across the organization are heard and reflected in a connected cycle of feedback across the system. Every Wellstar facility and department is represented in Wellstar’s diversity efforts.

Nurturing a diverse workplace that mirrors its communities, approximately 81% of Wellstar’s employees are women, and just over half (51%) of the workforce is comprised of minorities. When it comes to ascension, 47% of Wellstar’s executives and 77% of frontline managers are women, while minority executives make up 21% of the workforce, with minorities in 38% of the frontline management roles.  

Wellstar believes every person should have access to safe, high-quality healthcare and offers inclusive medical services across its System. In 2019, Wellstar opened a family medicine practice providing specialized health services to people who identify as LGBTQ+. Additionally, physicians are trained to talk about specific issues that the LGBTQ+ community may encounter and support patients through transition goals with gender-affirming care. Wellstar also employs native-language interpreters across the System to serve patients and their families, including a team of full-time Spanish interpreters, a Mandarin Chinese interpreter, as well as full-time Nationally Certified American Sign Language interpreters to support Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients and their families.

Health system acknowledged as employer of choice and diversity advocate 

Wellstar is regularly recognized for diversity excellence, including accolades from Diversity MBA magazine, Diversity Best Practices, Working Mother/Working Father, and National Association for Executive Women (NAFE), among others. Wellstar recently received two awards exemplifying excellence that include Great Place to Work® and PEOPLE magazine’s 2021 PEOPLE Companies that Care®, and Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2021 Healthiest Employers. Wellstar has been recognized for outstanding diversity efforts and named in Fortune’s “Best Companies to Work For” and “Best Workplaces for Diversity.”

Wellstar’s expert cardiac care specialists partner with patients at every step, from preventative care to high-tech treatments and supportive life-changing advice. 

For Mike Clements, the innovative care he received at Wellstar has empowered him to meet his goals and be there for life’s special moments — including walking his daughter down the aisle at her wedding and meeting his first grandchild.

Life-saving LVAD implants 

In October 2020, Mike received a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implant to support his heart. An LVAD is a battery-powered pump that is surgically implanted and does the job of the heart, pumping blood throughout the body. The external rechargeable battery pack can provide up to 17 hours of power, and most patients with LVAD implants are able to return to work and other routine activities. 

For patients whose hearts cannot effectively pump blood on their own, an LVAD is life-saving technology. The device can either keep the patient healthy until they can receive a transplant or serve as an alternative to a heart transplant.

Your Wellstar cardiologist or heart failure specialist can help you determine if an LVAD is the right option for your heart care.

Mike’s decades-long Wellstar partnership

Mike has been a Wellstar patient for decades, beginning when he began experiencing heart issues and was referred to Dr. David Caras for a consultation. As a Wellstar heart patient, he was ready to receive life-saving care right when he needed it, years later.

After Mike received his LVAD implant, an interdisciplinary team of Wellstar providers helped him recover. After Dr. Richard Myung and Dr. Theresa Luu performed the surgery, he spent three weeks in inpatient rehabilitation at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, guided by an expert team who helped him adjust to life with the implant.

Mike had been on vasopressors to elevate his blood pressure, and when he lost circulation in his toes and developed gangrene, Wellstar Podiatrist Dr. Ashish Kapila performed an amputation of the toes to control the infection, which could have been particularly dangerous with the LVAD. 

And when Mike was determined to walk his daughter down the aisle for her June 2021 wedding, Wellstar helped make it happen. He began cardiac rehabilitation and physical therapy at Wellstar Vinings Health Park. He knew the aisle at the church was 40 feet long, so his physical therapy team measured the distance and practiced with him. 

In June, he was able to walk with his daughter at her wedding, with the support of his LVAD implant keeping his heart beating with every step. Then in August, he was able to enjoy another family milestone — the birth of his first grandchild.

Mike said Wellstar made his care personal and helped him feel supported on his heart health journey. The LVAD coordinators and nursing team in the critical care unit and cardiovascular ICU and on the blue floor at Kennestone became like family as he began his life with the LVAD, Mike said.

“I can’t say enough great things about Wellstar Health System. They truly deliver ‘PeopleCare,’ from the physicians to the clinical staff to the maintenance team that cleans the rooms,” Mike said. “Rather than taking a cookie-cutter approach, they take the time to know me and my healthcare needs and coordinate care seamlessly. I feel like we’re a team in this journey together.”

Mike walking his daughter down the aisle

Wellstar Health System has received two prestigious awards that exemplify excellence: Great Place to Work^® and PEOPLE magazine’s 2021 PEOPLE Companies that Care^®, and Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2021 Healthiest Employers.

The two accolades underscore Wellstar’s focus on “More than healthcare. PeopleCare.”—putting people first both inside and outside the walls of Wellstar across the many communities and regions served by the health system.

“People are at the center of everything we do at Wellstar, and these awards underscore our dedication to compassionate care and wellness for everyone we serve,” said David A. Jones, chief human resources officer, Wellstar Health System. “We are honored and humbled by this recognition, and commit to continuing to nurture our culture of caring and excellence.”

National recognition in PEOPLE magazine for putting people first

Great Place to Work^® and PEOPLE magazine have honored Wellstar as one of the 2021 PEOPLE Companies that Care^®. This is Wellstar’s first time being named to this prestigious list, this year coming in at 50th place of the 100 companies recognized. Earning a spot means that Wellstar is one of the best companies to work for in the country. Wellstar is one of only four Georgia-based companies and one of only six health systems included in the ranking.

Wellstar was highlighted for its LGBTQ+ primary care family practice in Atlanta and for the more than $900 million invested last year in charity care, unreimbursed care and community programs as a leading non-profit health system.

“These companies show up for humanity in a variety of ways—from showing compassion for their employees to giving back to their communities to putting diversity, equity and inclusion in the forefront,” says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work^®. “They are paving the way for more socially responsible business and are fostering high-trust workplaces for all. Congratulations to the winners of the PEOPLE's Companies that Care list!”

The PEOPLE Companies that Care award is highly competitive and based on analysis of survey responses from more than five million current employees across all industries and U.S. geographies. Companies were only considered if they are a Great Place to Work-Certified^™ organization.

Prioritizing health and wellness for team members

Wellstar was recognized on the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2021 Healthiest Employers list in the “Extra Large Company” category as one of only two health systems included. Healthiest Employers recognizes the innovative organizations that have created robust healthy workplace programs and companies that go “above and beyond to create a culture of wellness.”

Wellstar was included in this prestigious list as an organization that takes proactive measures to “better the lives of employees through innovative programs and leadership commitment.”

The assessment measures wellness programming in six categories: leadership commitment, foundational components, strategic planning, communication and marketing, programming and interventions, and reporting and analytics.

In addition to serving its mission to enhance the health and well-being of everyone in the communities it serves, Wellstar invests significantly in its more than 24,000 team members across Georgia, with broad and innovative resources, programs, and initiatives. From wellness rooms, concierge services, fitness facilities and services, and childcare support, to paternity leave, wellness apps, and mental health services and hotlines, Wellstar is committed to putting people first and caring for those who provide care for Georgians each and every day.