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Article Category: Newsroom

Wellstar Named National Healthcare Diversity Leader

Wellstar honored as one of ten U.S. healthcare companies with workplace diversity excellence

Published on September 23, 2021

Last updated 04:32 PM September 23, 2021

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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.”

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A healthcare provider consults with her patient

Highlights

Personalized Breast Care Close to Home at Wellstar North Fulton

By Wellstar Breast Surgeon Dr. Laura Pearson

I have never met a woman who enjoyed getting mammograms, including myself. They can be uncomfortable, awkward and anxiety-provoking—especially if you have had scares in the past or are at high risk for getting breast cancer.

There are so many additional resources for risk reduction and surveillance available that go hand-in-hand with mammograms. At Wellstar, reducing your risk and screening for cancer starts with a physical from your primary care doctor.

If you are at average risk of developing breast cancer, you should begin annual screening mammograms at age 40. If you have a family history or other risk factors, your doctor may recommend earlier or more frequent screening. If something is detected on a mammogram, the Wellstar Comprehensive Breast Health Program has nurse navigators who will help arrange diagnostic imaging, biopsy procedures and referrals to breast specialists. If you are diagnosed with cancer, the compassionate and oncology-trained nurse navigators with Wellstar Cancer Care walk patients through diagnosis, evaluation, treatment and beyond.

If you’re diagnosed with breast cancer, your treatment and care will transition from our Comprehensive Breast Health Program to the Wellstar Cancer Care team. In Wellstar STAT Clinics, which stands for Specialty Teams and Treatment, we put you at the center of your care plan. In our STAT Clinic for Breast Cancer, the care team, including breast oncology nurse navigators, surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, nutritionists and genetic counselors, will meet with you and your support system on the same day to formulate a treatment plan personalized to your specific cancer, as well as your personal and cultural needs. Patients are able to ask questions, make decisions and start treatment sooner, improving outcomes.

Many times, surgical intervention can be done as an outpatient procedure. We can also offer some people intraoperative radiation therapy, or IORT—the option of doing their radiation treatment in the operating room at the same time as their lumpectomy, meaning they are able to avoid four to six weeks of radiation treatments. Any other interventions, such as chemotherapy or radiation, including our CyberKnife for treatments like targeted partial breast radiation therapy, are found in the cancer center on Wellstar North Fulton’s medical campus. We have physical therapists, social workers and palliative care specialists who are there for you if the need arises.

Your Wellstar care team can also help you reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. Being overweight or obese or being a smoker can increase your risk. Patients at Wellstar have access to our Center for Best Health to assist in weight management. We also have smoking cessation programs and dietitians waiting to help you make healthier choices that can positively impact your health.

Wellstar provides more than healthcare, PeopleCare—working relentlessly to exceed national standards and our patients’ expectations while remembering the humanity of every patient. We are here for all the situations and stages of our patients’ lives by offering the tools and resources to be healthy and thrive. Wellstar clinicians live in the communities we serve. We must get physicals, mammograms and biopsies. We need help being our healthiest selves. We get sick and have family members who need compassionate care. PeopleCare means offering our patients world-class healthcare in the communities where they live and work.

Your care team can put your mammogram order in Wellstar MyChart to book online, or you can schedule by calling (678) 581-5900.

Visit wellstar.org/northfultoncancercare to learn more about cancer care at Wellstar North Fulton.

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New Medical College of Georgia Campus Opens at Wellstar Kennestone

Newsroom

New Medical College of Georgia Campus Opens at Wellstar Kennestone

MARIETTA, Ga. — With applause, camera flashes, and a ceremonial snip of the ribbon, Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia (MCG) officially launched its newest two-year clinical campus Tuesday at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center. The campus is MCG’s first in the Atlanta area.

The celebration of the new campus–known as MCG Atlanta at Wellstar Health System–marked a bold step forward in expanding medical education into the heart of Metro Atlanta, where 48 third- and fourth-year students will now live, learn and care for patients as part of their training. Their areas of focus will include internal and family medicine, pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry and neurology.

The event brought together leaders from Augusta University, the University System of Georgia and Wellstar Health System to celebrate the launch of MCG Atlanta at Wellstar Kennestone.

“This is a moment of pride, but also a moment of responsibility. Pride in the years of dedication, collaboration and vision that have brought the Atlanta campus to life, and in our students, faculty and partners who believed in this mission before it was fully realized," said Augusta University President Russell T. Keen. "Now, we have the possibility, the opportunity and the responsibility to do even more to strengthen the physician pipeline for Georgia."

University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue praised the collaboration as a model for the state’s future.

“It’s a great day to celebrate,” said Perdue. “We look forward to the leadership here at Wellstar Kennestone and know that great things will happen here.”

“When we joined forces with Augusta University, we promised to expand access to care, increase educational capacity and build a stronger healthcare workforce for Georgia. This campus is a powerful example of how we’re keeping that promise," said Candice L. Saunders, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System. “We’re honored to help train future generations of caregivers for every corner of Georgia.”

Following the ceremony, guests toured the new campus suite at 61 Whitcher St. The expansion builds on a decade-long relationship between MCG and Wellstar Kennestone, where students have been getting first-hand experience since 2015.

MCG’s statewide network now includes four-year campuses in Augusta, Athens and Savannah, and regional clinical campuses in Albany, Brunswick, Dalton, Rome and Savannah, making it one of the largest medical school networks in the country.

"MCG has the fourth largest class size in the nation," said MCG Dean David Hess. "That would not be possible without regional clinical campuses like this one. By increasing our capacity to educate more medical students, we’re directly addressing the physician shortage that affects communities across the state. More students mean more graduates, and more graduates mean more doctors ready to serve Georgia."

New Medical College of Georgia Campus Opens at Wellstar Kennestone

Classroom and collaboration spaces at MCG Atlanta at Wellstar Health System
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A healthcare provider works with the Da Vinci 5 robot

Highlights

New Robotic Surgery System at Wellstar Kennestone Brings Next-Level Care to the Community

Touch-sensitive technology. More precision. Better surgical images. A new robotic surgery platform at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center features all this and more. What does that mean for people in our community facing a complex surgery? Everything.

The Da Vinci 5 (DV5) platform allows experienced surgeons at Wellstar Kennestone to be even more precise during delicate procedures. Patients bleed less, heal with smaller scars and usually go home sooner.

“At Wellstar Kennestone, we’re redefining what’s possible in surgical care,” said Lorrie Liang, senior vice president and president of Wellstar Kennestone and Wellstar Windy Hill. “The DV5 demonstrates that we’re not just adopting advanced technology—we are advancing the standard of care across the region.”

What is robotic surgery?

Robotic surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery. The surgeon sits at a console and controls robotic arms equipped with tiny instruments. A 3D camera magnifies the surgical area. This allows the surgeon to see everything in high definition.

Wellstar Kennestone is one of the first hospitals in Georgia to offer the DV5. However, robotic surgery is not new at the hospital. Our surgeons began using Da Vinci Surgical System platforms in 2007. Today, we offer 17 state-of-the-art Da Vinci robotic surgical suites at several hospitals and two outpatient surgery centers. We use the system for many surgeries, including bariatric (weight loss), cancer and urology procedures.

A clear difference

Dr. Fritz Jean-Pierre has performed more than 2,500 bariatric surgeries in his career. And he’s excited about what the DV5 offers.

“The DV5 allows the surgeon to sense how much push-or-pull force they apply to delicate structures in the body,” said Dr. Jean-Pierre. “Essentially, the technology stops surgeons from putting too much strain on tissues as they maneuver the instruments. Less strain means less trauma and potential injury, leading to faster patient recovery.”

Dr. Jean-Pierre tailors surgery to each patient’s unique needs. The bariatric surgery he performs most often is the gastric sleeve. It involves removing a large portion of the stomach to limit food intake. Precision is essential, especially for patients who weigh more or have complex health conditions.

“After removing part of the stomach, the surgeon reconstructs the gastrointestinal tract. We use many sutures (stitches) to hold everything in place,” he said. “DV5 provides superior dexterity and control, leading to shorter, safer surgeries.”

Intuitive Surgical, the company that created the Da Vinci platform, designated Wellstar Kennestone as an “epicenter” for training in 2011. Surgeons from around the country come to Wellstar Kennestone to observe and learn robotic surgical techniques from Dr. Jean-Pierre and his colleagues.

The impact on outcomes

The DV5 allows surgeons to be more precise than ever, which affects patient outcomes. Dr. Scott Miller, a Wellstar urologist explained.

“The DV5 is ideal for many urologic procedures, such as prostate and kidney removal, bladder surgery and urinary tract reconstruction,” he said. “The improved range-of-motion and visualization features help us protect healthy tissues and nerves. As a result, we can lower the risk of serious side effects like infections and problems with bladder control and sexual function.”

Learn more about robotic surgery at Wellstar.

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