Wellstar Primary Care Providers: Partners in Your Care

From a balancing a busy work schedule to running errands around town, it can be easy to keep putting off important wellness appointments. However, an annual visit with your Wellstar primary care provider is one of the best investments you can make in your health.

Just like building savings in a bank account, each preventative care appointment adds more value to your health. That’s because, instead of just getting treatment just when you feel sick or experience symptoms of a serious condition, preventative care helps you stay ahead of potential medical problems.

Taking the time to schedule an annual wellness exam can pay off in the long run.

Early detection for everyone

At Wellstar, we preventative care is the key to living your fullest, healthiest life. During an annual exam, our primary care providers use preventative screenings to help catch major diseases early and prevent chronic conditions.

While different types of tests may be recommended based on your age, gender and medical history, common screenings include a:

• Physical exam
• Family history questionnaire
• Check of your vital signs
• Blood pressure test
• Blood cholesterol analysis
• Body mass index (BMI) assessment

Atypical results may indicate an increased risk of certain diseases like diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure. Your primary care provider may order extra testing or refer you for follow-up care with a Wellstar specialist, such as a cardiologist, neurologist or oncologist.

Understand your risk factors

Knowledge is power. Understanding the results of your wellness exams can help you take charge of your health and make informed decisions about your care.

The results of your health screenings may reveal certain personal risk factors. Some of your risk factors can’t be changed, such as your age, genetics or family medical history. Others are under your control and can be adjusted to help you live well, including eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise and choosing not to smoke.

Understanding your test results and risk factors can help you become your own wellness advocate. Armed with knowledge about your health, you can often reduce the effects of a serious condition, improve your outcome or avoid certain health complications altogether.

Your wellness check-up is also a safe space to discuss your health goals and medical concerns. Whether you need help maintaining a healthy weight or managing a chronic condition, your Wellstar primary care provider will create a tailored care plan just for you, based on your unique health needs.

Don’t delay your annual exam. Schedule a visit today by clicking the ‘Book Appointment’ button at the top of any webpage.

At Wellstar, we deliver personalized care to every patient, every time. That’s because we know you are more than a number, diagnosis or medical chart. Our dedicated experts support you through every stage of your wellness journey, providing care that is as unique as you.

That’s what PeopleCare is all about.

Because we know preventative care plays a major role in staying healthy, our primary care providers (PCPs) will build a PeopleCare plan just for you.

Your PeopleCare plan is your unique blueprint for better health. It doesn’t look like anyone else’s. PCPs create tailored treatment plans for each patient, based on your health concerns, family medical history and results from routine wellness exams.

Using these building blocks, PCPs can form an action plan and often get ahead of major health problems like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. That’s exactly what happened for Nan Harman-Dempsey and Frank Ryan.

Four Tests for Better Health

Wellness exams arm you with knowledge, so you can take control of your health.

No matter your age or medical history, it is recommended to get a medical check-up at least once a year. At your next doctor’s visit, make sure to “know your numbers” for:

1. Blood Pressure A blood pressure test uses an arm cuff and pressure gauge to measure the pressure in your arteries as your heart pumps. This simple test can help diagnose hypertension (high blood pressure), hypotension (low blood pressure), heart disease and other conditions.
2. Blood Glucose Level With just a drop of blood, your doctor can analyze the amount of sugar, or glucose, in your blood. Elevated levels can indicate the onset of diabetes and an increased risk for heart disease, heart attack, peripheral vascular disease or stroke.
3. Blood Cholesterol A lipid panel is a simple blood test that shows your cholesterol levels, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL) often called “bad” cholesterol. Abnormal cholesterol levels can indicate clogged arteries which may lead to heart disease, heart attack, peripheral vascular disease or stroke.
4. Body Mass Index (BMI) The body mass index (BMI) estimates human body fat, using a person’s weight and height. People with high BMIs may be at an increased risk for health problems, including heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes and more.

Wellness for Everyone

For both men and women, basic wellness exams are an important step in staying healthy.

• Men For men, colonoscopies and prostate exams are key to catching major diseases early. In addition to a digital rectal exam (DRE), a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is a quick way to screen for prostate cancer. Using a blood sample, specialists analyze the levels of PSA. Higher than normal readings may indicate the presence of prostate cancer.
• Women For women, an annual well-woman exam can help keep your reproductive health in check. Typically, these screenings include a mammogram, pelvic exam and pap smear to spot potential breast or gynecologic cancers.

To schedule a primary care appointment, call (770) 956-STAR (7827) or click the “Book an Appointment” button at the top of the page.

Wellstar Health System announces the opening of its first integrated primary care office on the Atlanta BeltLine. Designed to provide easy accessibility to Atlantans who live, work, and play on and around the BeltLine, Wellstar Primary Care offers health care for all ages, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory services by appointment and on a walk-in basis. Having a highly accessible primary care facility in this vibrant area of Atlanta underscores Wellstar's commitment to understanding and investing in the present and future healthcare needs of patients, families and communities throughout the state.

"For the past four years, Wellstar has been focused on understanding and meeting the needs of this community. We have invested $4.3 million in Wellstar Primary Care on the Atlanta BeltLine, which will serve residents and visitors to that area, as well as surrounding neighborhoods, such as Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park," said Joe Brywczynski, senior vice president of health parks development at Wellstar Health System. "The new Wellstar Primary Care practice will help reduce barriers to healthcare and is designed to provide convenient world-class, personalized care."

The 7,500 square foot facility features:

• X-ray and CT scanning
• 3D mammogram, ultrasound and laboratory services
• Six patient exam rooms and a procedure room

“We value Wellstar’s sponsorship and longstanding support of the Atlanta BeltLine, and we are thrilled that they are opening this location,” said Rob Brawner, Executive Director of the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership. “Having excellent primary care directly on the BeltLine - where many Atlantans work, live, and play - is reassuring and an asset to the entire community.”

Wellstar Primary Care is located on the ground floor of Edge on the BeltLine, a multi-use complex with apartments, restaurants and other retail, located on the Atlanta BeltLine between Edgewood and Dekalb avenues.

Dr. Randolph Taylor II will serve as the primary care physician at Wellstar Primary Care and Terrica Rumph, DNP, as nurse practitioner. The practice is now accepting appointments for primary care, imaging and lab.

The address for the new facility is 670 DeKalb Avenue SE, Suite 106, Atlanta, GA 30312. Patients can schedule appointments, and walk-ins will be accepted. The primary care practice will be open every day from 8 AM – 6 PM.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (470) 267-0570 for primary care and (678) 581-5900 for imaging.