Wellstar Paulding Hospital Celebrates Fifth Anniversary

The MyChart Patient Portal is easy to use, can be accessed from anywhere and puts all your health records—and your family’s health records—at your fingertips. Mary Hyde, a Radiation/Oncology Care Coordinator at Wellstar Paulding Hospital, is constantly using MyChart to manage all her family’s healthcare needs.

She reaches out to doctors, pays bills, makes appointments and tracks their medical history. Mary can even see lab reports, request prescription refills, and review doctor’s notes.

“I use MyChart two or three times a week at least, sometimes more! I love the text and email updates, and that it lets me know when there are test results and bills to be paid,” Mary said. “Well, I don't love getting the bills, but it is a nice feature.”

Every member of Mary’s immediate family uses MyChart. She has her records, as well as proxy access for her two boys, and her husband has his own account. One of their boys has special medical needs that they are monitoring closely, so MyChart is convenient.

“Being able to look in MyChart to monitor his weight and labs, and reference these without having to carry around a notebook to different specialists who may not be on Epic (or in the Wellstar system) has been very helpful,” Mary explained. “I can pull up MyChart via the app in the exam room to show the doctor his growth or illness, so we can treat him effectively. It's literally been a lifesaver at times.”

Thanks to MyChart, Mary was able to identify her son’s unusual weight pattern. Before his seventh birthday, she noticed he was becoming very skinny. She looked back at his MyChart and discovered he had not gained any weight since his 6-year check-up. Mary used this information to consult with their pediatrician and other specialists to determine the cause and work towards a solution.

“MyChart just makes sense. It is so user-friendly, easy to use and helpful when you need to reference a previous doctor visit or the last time you took an antibiotic,” Mary said. “Let's face it: we are all busy and need an app to help us remember stuff like this!”

If you haven’t already signed up for access to the MyChart Patient Portal, it’s free, easy and you can do it today at wellstar.org/mychart. Just fill in the information, click “Sign up, I Don’t Have a Code,” and you will receive an email with access information in the coming days.

Wellstar Paulding Hospital’s ICU staff recently celebrated their success at improving patient safety by eliminating catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). They have been five years without a CAUTI in the ICU.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common types of healthcare-associated infections, accounting for more than 12 percent of infections reported by acute care hospitals, according to the CDC. Paulding’s ICU and infection control staff joined efforts to decrease the number of CAUTIs.

Some of the interventions were simple policy and process changes, while others required equipment changes. But it was the engagement of the front-line nursing staff that proved crucial to the efforts, which included:

• Performing CHG product use and bathing practices


• Eliminating/reducing indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) placement


• Education on appropriate indications for IUC placement


• Daily assessment of catheter necessity


• Reminding staff about the nurse-driven IUC removal protocol to improve awareness among staff


• Use of external catheter systems

Wellstar Paulding Hospital also celebrated another accomplishment recently. It won the Florida Sterling Georgia Oglethorpe Award, which recognizes the hospital’s exceedingly high performance in patient safety, workforce engagement, and financial stewardship.