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Article Category: Newsroom

Wellstar MCG Health Appoints President

Ralph Turner, interim president, named president to spearhead full integration into Wellstar Health System

Published on April 01, 2024

Last updated 12:05 PM April 01, 2024

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Ralph Turner has been appointed senior vice president and hospital president at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center. Prior to his time serving in the role on an interim basis, he served as SVP and president for Wellstar Paulding Medical Center since 2022.

“Ralph has enthusiastically welcomed MCG Health team members into the Wellstar family. He’s doing an extraordinary job leading the integration of our people, processes and technologies into a culture that honors every voice and celebrates academic and clinical excellence,” said Mary Chatman, PhD, RN, Wellstar executive vice president of acute care operations.

Turner has held leadership roles at large, complex healthcare organizations, including MedStar Washington Hospital Center, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, and Cleveland Clinic. Turner received his doctorate in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and master’s degrees in healthcare administration and public administration from the University of Maryland and Troy University at Dothan, respectively. He served for more than 21 years in the U.S. Army before launching his healthcare career at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as director of the Clinical Engineering Division. 

Wellstar MCG Health includes the 478-bed adult hospital, the 154-bed Children’s Hospital of Georgia, the Georgia Cancer Center and more than 80 outpatient clinics across Georgia and South Carolina. The organization partners with Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia and offers an industry-leading cancer care and telestroke network, the region’s only Level I Trauma Center and the only Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for critically ill infants with an air transportation team. 

Serving as the regional coordinating hospital for Georgia’s East Central District, Wellstar MCG Health responds to statewide natural disasters and events impacting the health of Georgians everywhere. 

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Attendees celebrate at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Wellstar Spalding Cancer Center

Newsroom

Wellstar Spalding Medical Center Opens Cancer Center in Griffin

GRIFFIN, Ga. — Community leaders joined hospital executives Thursday as Wellstar Spalding Medical Center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open its new cancer center, improving access to oncology and infusion services for patients in Spalding County and the surrounding region.

The 6,475-square-foot expansion nearly doubles the hospital’s cancer treatment space and includes eight exam rooms, 14 infusion chairs, two blood draw stations, a dedicated lab, triage room, waiting area and administrative offices. An on-site infusion pharmacy will support chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapies and other outpatient treatments.

Care at the Wellstar Spalding Cancer Center is provided in partnership with Northwest Georgia Oncology Centers (NGOC), with additional support from an oncology nurse navigator who coordinates care and guides patients through treatment.

“People should be able to receive high-quality cancer care close to home,” said Kevin Smith, president of Wellstar Spalding. “By expanding both our cancer services and the specialties that support early detection and treatment, we’re making it more convenient for our patients to get the care they need.”

NGOC oncologist Dr. Dhivya Prabhakar has joined the Wellstar Spalding Cancer Center, further enhancing access to oncology care. She will be joined by a second oncologist this summer.

“What matters most to patients is feeling supported and understood throughout their cancer journey,” Dr. Prabhakar said. “With this expansion, people can stay in their community surrounded by a care team that knows them, listens to them and helps them navigate every step with clarity, compassion and hope. Our goal is to meet people where they are and partner with them in their care so they never feel alone in the process.”

Hospital leaders also highlighted growth in related services since the project began. Wellstar Spalding now offers endocrinology, which plays a key role in identifying endocrine-related cancers such as thyroid, adrenal and some pancreatic tumors. The hospital has also added a general surgeon specializing in breast surgery, expanding local options for evaluation and surgical care.

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Friendly photo of Thomas A. Kruse

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Thomas A. Kruse Selected as Wellstar Health System’s Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Growth Officer

MARIETTA, Ga. (Feb. 18, 2026) – Wellstar Health System announced today that Thomas A. Kruse will join the system as its new executive vice president and chief strategy and growth officer, effective March 30. Kruse has extensive experience guiding strategy for nonprofit health systems that embark on a path of sustainable growth and top-decile performance for clinical care, quality and safety, and patient experience.

“Patient needs are changing, our communities are growing, and we must evolve right alongside them. Tom will help shape our systemwide strategy and guide how we grow in the years ahead, with a clear goal of strengthening our reputation as a destination for care across the Southeast,” said Ketul J. Patel, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System.

Kruse will lead enterprise-level strategy and transformation, evaluate market expansion and affiliation opportunities, and drive initiatives that position Wellstar among the nation’s most respected and high-performing nonprofit health systems. He’ll partner with leaders across Wellstar and the communities it serves to identify opportunities for expansion and collaboration. Under Patel’s leadership, Wellstar will build on a strong foundation by advancing clinical excellence, strengthening academic programs and elevating quality, safety and patient experience.

“I’m honored to join Wellstar at such an important moment in its journey. The organization’s commitment to the communities it serves is inspiring. I look forward to working alongside the talented teams across the system to build on the already strong momentum and help expand access to high-quality care throughout Georgia and the Southeast,” said Kruse.

Most recently, Kruse was an independent health industry advisor and consultant for regional health systems, community hospitals and nonprofit organizations. He previously served as senior vice president and chief strategy officer for the Northwest region of CommonSpirit Health and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, where he led long-range strategy and partnership efforts that strengthened the organization and expanded its reach throughout the Pacific Northwest. The success of that work reflects Kruse’s experience as chief strategy officer for market-leading integrated health systems in highly competitive regions, including Hackensack Meridian Health, where he helped lead the creation of New Jersey's largest health system.

ABOUT WELLSTAR HEALTH SYSTEM
Wellstar personalizes the patient experience. We call it PeopleCare and it's only possible thanks to our 34,000 team members who provide expert, compassionate care for every stage of life. PeopleCare also means we serve our communities as a nonprofit health system, providing more than $1 billion annually in charity care and community programs and operating the largest integrated trauma network in the state of Georgia. We embrace innovation and technology, nurture early-stage companies through our venture firm Catalyst by Wellstar and train future generations of caregivers with academic institutions including the Medical College of Georgia. Wellstar honors every voice and is one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. To learn more, visit Wellstar.org.

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