Wellstar Leader Addresses Rising Cancer Rates in Younger Women at Health Connect South

When every second counts, having access to advanced technology and expert care can make all the difference. On September 10, Wellstar AirCare completed its first patient transport using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)—a lifesaving therapy for people with severe heart or lung conditions.

Taking Flight with Lifesaving Technology

For months, Wellstar teams prepared for this moment. Perfusionists, cardiovascular surgeons, flight crews and many others came together to ensure that patients who need ECMO could safely and quickly receive it—even when ground transportation was improbable or impossible.

Their work paid off. This month, AirCare One lifted off with its first ECMO patient on board. The crew worked quickly to stabilize the critically ill cardiovascular patient and minimize bedside time at the referring hospital. Once in the air, they successfully transported the patient to the ECMO center.

“The AirCare and ECMO teams made this success possible through countless hours of planning, education, crew resource management, dry runs, training flights and simulations,” said Zack Lancaster, executive director of Air Medical Transport. “The program is safe, efficient and ready, and it will be a game-changer for many.”

What Is ECMO?

ECMO is an advanced therapy that supports patients with serious cardiac or pulmonary conditions such as heart attack or pneumonia. By temporarily taking over the work of the heart and lungs, ECMO gives the body time to heal after trauma, organ failure or in preparation for major surgery.

Wellstar Kennestone and Wellstar MCG Health Medical Centers are among the few facilities in Georgia with the expertise and technology needed to provide this advanced treatment.

Expanding Access to Care

The successful AirCare transport marks an important milestone for Wellstar—and for the communities we serve. With the ability to rapidly transport ECMO patients by helicopter, more people across Georgia can reach lifesaving care when they need it most.

“This mission represents a new chapter for AirCare—not only as Wellstar’s dedicated critical care transport team, but also as a trusted regional partner in ECMO patient care,” Lancaster said.

Following the transport, leaders at the referring hospital praised the AirCare team for their professionalism and expertise, noting that Wellstar is now their first choice for advanced cardiovascular ICU and cardiac support transport.

Learn more about Wellstar AirCare.

Healthcare leaders gathered at Health Connect South to discuss the key healthcare challenges and opportunities facing medical institutions nationwide. Wellstar President and CEO Candice L. Saunders, Augusta University President Dr. Russell T. Keen and Medical College of Georgia Dean Dr. David Hess spoke with 11Alive's Cheryl Preheim about advancing healthcare throughout Georgia. They highlighted how investing in cutting-edge facilities and rural hospital collaborations helps meet the unique needs of communities across Georgia.

At the heart of this partnership is a shared goal: making sure every person, in every part of Georgia, has access to high-quality, personalized care. Whether it's through strengthening rural hospitals, expanding digital health options or bringing care directly to patients via telehealth, the organizations are working together to improve access to care and rethink what healthcare can look like.

"As we look to the future, we are keeping our eye on how the role of technology is still revealing itself. It is very exciting as we continue to work together and bring the strength of academic research and clinical expertise to our community," said Saunders.

One example already making a difference? The Wellstar Digital Care Network is improving rural hospitals’ access to cardiology, stroke and pediatric subspeciality services across the state, enabling Georgians in rural areas to receive care closer to home.

And that's just the beginning. By blending the deep clinical expertise and medical records data, this collaboration is helping to develop innovative care models that improve health outcomes.

“Combining our forces to leverage the clinical data and research capabilities that we have can translate to better health outcomes for people across the entire state. Being able to offer more clinical trials for Georgians is certainly an early win. We are truly doing more together than we could have in our own arenas,” said Keen.

Improving access to care and growing Georgia's healthcare workforce are top priorities. Medical College of Georgia is already one of the largest medical schools in the country. With more than 350 teaching sites and four regional campuses, it trains future doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals where they're needed most, and about half of new physicians establish their practices where they train. That means more providers in more places—ready to meet the state's growing and changing needs.

Georgia's healthcare challenges are real, from aging populations to rising rates of chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension. The state faces some significant hurdles. AU, MCG and Wellstar are collaborating to expand care and use data in more innovative ways to get ahead of these issues, not just respond to them.

Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, Wellstar Children’s of Georgia pediatrician and author of the bestselling book “Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right,” uses her “no time, some time, never all the time” philosophy to provide families with guidance around screen time.

At nearly every wellness visit, Dr. Dolgoff talks with parents about how to set healthy limits with screen time. “We’re seeing language delays in children from too much screen time,” she explained.

Some signs that children may be spending too much time on social media, gaming or watching videos can include:

• Aggression
• Difficulty handling boredom without a screen
• Trouble connecting with peers
• Sleep disruption
• Poor focus in school
• Withdrawing from hobbies or activities they once enjoyed

Dr. Dolgoff’s advice? Parents should follow expert recommendations and know the difference between learning-focused content and pure entertainment. “You want to know what your kids are doing on their screens, and you want to know how long they’re doing it for,” she said.

Troubling trends in children’s media habits

Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization that advocates for children’s health in the digital age. Its most recent survey of the digital habits of children 8 and younger showed that by age 2, 40% of children have their own tablet. By age 4, that number climbs to 58%.

The survey also found that 1 in 5 children use mobile devices during meals, at bedtime or to cope with emotions.

Dr. Dolgoff stresses that parents must monitor and regulate their children’s digital use across all platforms. Yet the same survey shows gaps in how families co-view content: 62% of parents occasionally watched YouTube with their children, compared to only 17% on TikTok.

The survey also found that screen use varies by income. Children in lower-income households spend twice as much time on screens (3 hours, 48 minutes) as those in higher-income households (1 hour, 52 minutes).

Guidelines for screen time by age

As a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Dolgoff suggests that parents know and follow the organization’s screen time guidelines for children:

• Under 18 months: No screen time
• 18 to 24 months: Only educational content with parents
• 2 to 5 years: No more than one hour per day
• 6 years and older: Balanced screen time that doesn’t interfere with family, friends and schoolwork

These guidelines are based on the science of children’s and adolescents’ brain development. abies’ brains begin developing before birth, and the early years of life have remarkably rapid brain development.

What do screen time limits look like?

According to Dr. Dolgoff, parents don’t need to worry if little ones under 18 months use screens for video chats with loved ones like grandparents. But she adds an important distinction: “Content matters. Mindlessly scrolling through TikTok videos is not what we want children doing for hours each day.”

Fortunately, children’s programming has expanded considerably since the parents of today were kids. YouTube Kids, PBS Kids, Netflix, Apple TV and other streaming services serve a variety of programs.

Here are some healthy screen time choices, along with suggested time limits:

• Toddler (2 to 3 years): Video call with grandparents and 30 minutes of educational programming such as Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood or Sesame Street with parents watching
• Elementary school (6 to 10 years): Homework on Chromebook or other platform and 30 minutes of YouTube Kids, unstructured outside play and bedtime stories
• Teens (13 years and older): Homework time and no more than two hours of other screen use for gaming or socializing with friends

While watching shows or movies with children, parents can spark curiosity and critical thinking by asking open-ended questions such as:

• “What do you think will happen next?”
• “How would you feel if that happened to you?”
• “Could this happen in real life?”
• “How would you have made this better?”

Most importantly, parents should help children see screens as just one part of life—not a substitute for family time, active play or friendships.

Sound screen habits begin with parents

Young children develop social and communication skills by observing, listening, talking (babbling counts!), reading, singing and playing with parents, siblings and others. The American Academy of Pediatrics advocates that parents put down their phones so they can focus on those activities and interactions.

For help, parents can turn to apps designed to monitor their smartphone and tablet use. They can also examine their habits by asking themselves questions such as:

• “Am I scrolling at the dinner table?”
• “Am I texting while driving?”
• “How much are my children watching me use my phone for entertainment?”
• “Am I setting a good example by having hobbies and interests that don’t involve screens?”

Experts advise ways to set and enforce limits

The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Academy of Pediatrics understand the temptations of screens and parents’ difficulty setting limits. Some of their advice for parents:

• Avoid using screens as pacifiers, babysitters or to stop tantrums.
• Create tech-free times, with extended breaks and tech-free zones, including the meal table.
• Learn about and use parental controls on devices, including phones, tablets, laptops and televisions.
• Make family outings technology-free—and that includes cameras.
• Remove screens from bedrooms 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime.
• Set a timer when using a device as a reminder to turn it off or put it away.

Tips for enforcing screen-time limits

It’s in children’s nature to resist when they don’t want to stop doing something pleasant or fun. It’s the parents’ job to stick to the limits they’ve set. Some more ideas for managing children’s reactions to screen-time limits include:

• Have a designated “quiet spot” for younger children to calm down if they rage after time on a device is up.
• Offer alternatives after a device is turned off. Those could include playing a board game, reading a book together, playing with a favorite toy or creating an art project.
• Warn children before their time limit is up.

Resources for parents

• The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry on screen time limits, music and music videos, video games, movie and video choice, and screen violence
• Common Sense Media
• Google and Apple content about online safety and parental controls
• Healthychildren.org, a website of the American Academy of Pediatrics
• know2protect, guidelines for protecting children online from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security