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Article Category: Highlights

Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center Receives Highest Marks for Patient Safety

Hospital recognized for putting patients first, preventing infections, medical errors and accidents

Published on May 05, 2023

Last updated 03:15 PM May 05, 2023

Exterior photo of Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center. Wellstar logo. Text reads "Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade A"

Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center has been recognized with an “A” Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is a letter grade assigned to U.S. hospitals based on data calculated using 26 measures evaluating the hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from infections, injuries, and medical and medication errors.

“Patient safety is at the forefront of everything we do at Kennestone, and we are pleased to be recognized by the Leapfrog Group for earning an A grade,” said Callie Andrews, Wellstar Kennestone Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “Not only does an A grade affirm the high quality of care that we deliver to our patients every day, but this prestigious ranking also honors the critical role that our physicians, nurses and caregivers play in keeping our communities healthy and safe.”

The Hospital Safety Score was compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading experts on patient safety. The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety (April 2013), Hospital Safety Score is designed to give the public information they can use to protect themselves and their families.

To see how Wellstar Kennestone’s scores compare nationally and locally, visit the Hospital Safety Score website at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org, which provides information on how the public can protect themselves and loved ones during a hospital stay. Local hospitals’ scores are also available on the free mobile app, available at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.

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Illustration of hands holding heart. Wellstar and Lown Institute logos

Newsroom

Lown Institute Recognizes Wellstar Among Most Charitable in the Country

A report by the Lown Institute ranking the value of nonprofit hospitals’ community investment found that Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center and Wellstar Cobb Medical Center are among the top 25 hospitals in the nation providing significantly more community benefit than they are receiving in tax exemption. 

Wellstar Kennestone ranked No. 1 in Georgia, while Wellstar Cobb was No. 2. Wellstar is the only health system with two hospitals included on the national top 25 list.

As the top provider of charity care in the state and one of the top 10 providers nationwide, Wellstar is committed to bringing expert, compassionate health services to those who need them. Last year alone, uncompensated and charity care at Wellstar exceeded $1.2 billion, providing care for at-risk and underserved communities across Georgia.

In addition to Wellstar Kennestone and Wellstar Cobb, Wellstar Douglas Medical Center, Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center and Wellstar Spalding Medical Center were recognized for spending more on financial assistance and community investment than the estimated value of their tax exemptions.

Read the full report from the Lown Institute. 

Keep reading
An artistic representation of stroke experts inspecting a brain with a magnifying glass.

Highlights

Stroke prevention and the future of stroke care

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

Pictured: headshots of the panel of experts from Wellstar Health System and the CEO from a rural Georgia hospital discussing advances in stroke care.

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.

Keep reading
Illustration of group of people. Wellstar and Becker's Hospital Review logos.

Newsroom

Wellstar Executives Named 2023 Black Healthcare Leaders to Know

We know what makes Wellstar special – our people. It’s evident that people outside of our organization recognize that, too. Recently, we were able to celebrate four Wellstar leaders highlighted in Becker’s 2023 Black Healthcare Leaders to Know.

When we have leaders from diverse backgrounds, we have greater insight into the lived experiences of our team members, patients and communities. We help mitigate our blind spots, grow in compassion and empathy, and build a stronger organization. This leads to more personalized care, improved patient outcomes and a more inclusive place to work.

Join us in congratulating our four recognized leaders: Le Joyce Naylor, Senior VP and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, David Jones, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Mary Chatman, RN, PhD, Executive Vice President of Acute Care Operations and President of Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center and Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital, and Ralph Turner, Senior Vice President of Wellstar Health System and President of Wellstar Paulding Medical Center. Read their bios below.

Le Joyce Naylor: Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Wellstar Health System

Le Joyce Naylor offers systemwide thought leadership, strategic thinking and program direction for Wellstar Health System's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Her responsibilities include the design and implementation of programs to advance diversity efforts, achieving measurable outcomes and leading the health system's diversity and inclusion advisory council. Among her many accomplishments are the formation of 11 business resource groups, the recalibration of 11 diversity and inclusion councils and the implementation of Inclusion Cafés, an experience designed to enhance team member connection. She also leads efforts for team members to engage in inclusive virtual and in-person programming to advance cultural competence, humility, and personal development.

David A. Jones: Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Wellstar Health System

David A. Jones has overall responsibility for establishing, enabling, and maintaining organizational effectiveness and a positive employee and labor relations environment across Wellstar Health System. He creates and preserves positive relationships between employees and management throughout the 9-hospital system. Jones is an instrumental leader, equipping caregivers on the front lines with the resources needed to deliver world-class healthcare. Additionally, he believes that every team member should find joy in the workplace – it is his mantra. While keeping joy at the forefront of his mind, he leads critical initiatives to enhance the workplace dynamics of the more than 24,000 team members who are united around enhancing the health and well-being of every person they serve. 

Mary Chatman, RN, PhD: Executive Vice President of Acute Care Operations and President of Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center and Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital

Mary Chatman's leadership and collaborative work ethic can be seen throughout the health system. She is a seasoned leader with 32 years of healthcare experience. Having begun her career as a nursing assistant, Chatman is committed to providing patient-centered care and implementing effective operational strategies. She manages a team of more than 10,000, including finance, human resources, nursing, operations, and medical staff. A visionary leader, she led the charge for the 2020 opening of the Southeast’s largest emergency department at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center, which was designed to further enhance emergency and Level II trauma care for Georgians.

Ralph Turner: Senior Vice President of Wellstar Health System and President of Wellstar Paulding Medical Center

As senior vice president of Wellstar Health System and president of Wellstar Paulding Medical Center, Ralph D. Turner serves as the operating and strategic leader of a 112-bed inpatient facility, as well as its 49-bed emergency department, Level II Trauma Center, comprehensive cardiology services, oncology care, general surgery, neuro care, orthopedics, robotics and urology, as well as an inpatient rehabilitation program and comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation. Turner is responsible for leadership and management for all aspects of operations, including financial performance, clinical quality, employee, physician and community relations. He also oversees more than 1,330 team members as they pursue Wellstar’s vision of delivering world-class care to every person, every time.  

Congratulations to our leaders!

 

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