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Wellstar and Sharecare Partner to Deliver Personalized Health and Wellness Platform

Leading healthcare system and digital health company partner to re-imagine healthcare experience

Published on March 03, 2021

Last updated 04:00 AM March 03, 2021

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Wellstar Health System and Sharecare

Wellstar Health System, one of Georgia’s largest and most integrated healthcare systems, and Sharecare, the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place, announced a strategic partnership to collaborate on unique, market-leading innovations in personalized care delivery, population health, and consumer engagement.

“People are at the center of everything we do,” said Candice L. Saunders, president and CEO, Wellstar Health System. “Our partnership with Sharecare was forged to deliver an innovative experience that will engage and empower people in improving their health and wellness in unprecedented ways. Together, we are building on our vision for the healthcare system of the future that empowers the consumer.”

Wellstar will leverage Sharecare’s digital engagement platform and expertise to equip its team members with enhanced resources and health information to take control of their day-to-day well-being. Through this partnership, Wellstar also will become the first “Sharecare-enabled” health system in the country, utilizing Sharecare’s solutions to accelerate the transformation to value-based care and applying resulting insights to optimize, expand, and, ultimately, re-imagine the overall consumer healthcare experience.

Platform Supports Team Members with Wellness Resources

Sharecare delivers each person a customized digital experience where they can easily access extensive information, engagement resources, and clinically validated tools to improve their individual health and well-being, no matter where they are in their health journey. In Summer 2021, Wellstar will roll out Sharecare’s award-winning virtual care platform to its 24,000 team members to help them manage their overall physical and mental well-being and navigate related employee benefits, all in one place. In addition to the comprehensive content and resources already available through Sharecare, the two organizations will focus on innovating incentives and rewards administration that tie to engagement and outcomes and capitalize on existing Wellstar workplace well-being strategies and programs, such as employee fitness centers and biometric screening programs.

“Our team members are dedicated to caring for Georgians each and every day,” said Saunders. “That’s why it’s important that we care for them with world-class solutions that equip them to be at their best.”

Closing Gaps in Care by Enhancing and Personalizing the Consumer Experience

As the country’s first Sharecare-enabled health system, Wellstar will work with Sharecare to co-develop consumer-facing offerings—available in Georgia through Wellstar exclusively through 2023—to achieve better health outcomes. To accomplish this, Wellstar will integrate its electronic medical record system with the Sharecare platform and utilize the digital health company’s robust portfolio of provider solutions, data management tools, and artificial intelligence capabilities to better identify and close gaps in care. Once a condition or potential care gap is identified, Wellstar providers can “prescribe” patients with additional information, digital therapeutics, and clinical programs through the secure, unified Sharecare platform, where in turn people can access those resources, monitor their progress, and, ultimately, become more engaged in their overall health and well-being.

“In addition to supporting our client partners throughout the pandemic, we have also continued to innovate and make strategic acquisitions—the collective impact of which has yielded new strategic opportunities, including accelerating our ability to bring our vision for the Sharecare-enabled health system to life,” said Jeff Arnold, founder, chairman, and CEO of Sharecare. “The key, however, was finding the right health system partner—one who shared our commitment to not only compassionate, community-driven care but also digital innovation and optimizing patient-clinician encounters through data. As a Georgian, I take pride in the fact that the ideal partner to help us realize this vision is Wellstar.”

Strategic Investment Fuels Innovation and Custom Development

To support the definition and development of the consumer-facing offerings, Wellstar has made a $10 million strategic investment in Sharecare, joining several investors who also are customers. The firms will collaborate on platform deployment, integration, and content strategy to drive value for all audiences, with a focus on the consumerization of healthcare and evolving the consumer healthcare experience. As Sharecare’s newest strategic partner, Wellstar is joining the company’s already impressive roster of investors, whose reach extends from the living room to doctors’ exam rooms and into the workplace. Select Sharecare strategic partners include hospitals, healthcare investment firms, and health plans, in particular HCA, Trinity Health, the Heritage Healthcare Innovation Fund and CareFirst; media companies Discovery Communications, Harpo Productions, and Sony Pictures Television; high-growth technology investment firms such as Claritas Capital; noted institutional investment funds such as Wellington Management; and other major reputable corporations such as Aflac Corporate Ventures, Quest Diagnostics, Wells Fargo, and Swiss Re. The partnership between Sharecare and Wellstar is the first of its kind for the two organizations.

The closing date of the strategic investment from Wellstar preceded the February 12, 2021 announcement that Sharecare has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Falcon Capital Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: FCAC), a special purpose acquisition company.

About Wellstar Health System

At Wellstar, people are at the center of everything we do. By listening actively to what people want, need and expect from their healthcare, Wellstar is able to provide “More than Healthcare. PeopleCare.”—at every age and stage. Nationally ranked and locally recognized for our personal, high-quality care, inclusive culture, and exceptional doctors and team members, Wellstar provides access to compassionate, high-quality care through our: 11 hospitals; 300+ medical office locations; 9 cancer centers; 74 rehabilitation centers; 3 hospice facilities; 1 retirement village; 29 imaging centers; 16 urgent care locations; and 5 health parks. As one of the largest and most integrated healthcare systems in Georgia, Wellstar is growing our services, footprint, capabilities, and ability to meet evolving patient needs. Our passion for people extends into the communities we serve. As a not-for-profit health system, we thoughtfully reinvest annually in prevention and wellness programs, as well as charity care for eligible patients. Our Wellstar Foundation also supports our mission to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve with funding for equipment, services, and programs that provide more than healthcare.

About Sharecare

Sharecare is the leading digital health company that helps people—no matter where they are in their health journey—unify and manage all their health in one place. Our comprehensive and data-driven virtual health platform is designed to help people, providers, employers, health plans, government organizations, and communities optimize individual and population-wide well-being by driving positive behavior change. Driven by our philosophy that we are all together better, at Sharecare, we are committed to supporting each individual through the lens of their personal health and making high-quality care more accessible and affordable for everyone. To learn more, visit sharecare.com.

About Falcon Capital Acquisition Corp.

Falcon Capital Acquisition Corp. is a newly incorporated blank check company whose business purpose is to effect a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. While the Company may pursue on initial business combination opportunity in any industry or sector, it intends to focus on business in the media, digital media/consumer technology, mobile gaming, interactive entertainment, health wellness/lifestyle and related industries which capitalize on its management team's expertise. The Company's management team is led by Alan G. Mnuchin, the founder and chief executive officer of Ariliam Group. The Company has formed an investment partnership with Eagle Equity Partners, which is a founding investor in the Company's sponsor.

Additional Information About the Business Combination and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed business combination, FCAC has filed a registration statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement") with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which includes a proxy statement/prospectus, and certain other related documents, to be used at the meeting of FCAC stockholders to approve the proposed business combination. Investors and security holders of FCAC are urged to read the proxy statement/prospectus, any amendments thereto and other relevant documents that will be filed with the SEC carefully and in their entirety when they become available because they will contain important information about Sharecare, FCAC and the proposed business combination. The definitive proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to stockholders of FCAC as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed business combination. Investors and security holders will also be able to obtain copies of the Registration Statement and other documents containing important information about the business combination and the parties to the business combination once such documents are filed with the SEC, without charge, at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: Falcon Capital Acquisition Corp., 660 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10065, Attention: Saif Rahman, Chief Financial Officer.

Participants in the Solicitation

FCAC and its directors and executive officers, under SEC rules, may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from FCAC's stockholders with respect to the proposed business combination. A list of the names of those directors and executive officers and a description of their interests in FCAC is contained in the final prospectus for FCAC's initial public offering, which was filed with the SEC on September 23, 2020, and is available free of charge at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to Falcon Capital Acquisition Corp., 660 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10065, Attention: Saif Rahman, Chief Financial Officer. Additional information regarding the interests of such participants will be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus for the proposed business combination when available. Each of Sharecare and its directors, executive officers and other members of its management and employees, under SEC rules, may also be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of FCAC in connection with the proposed business combination. A list of the names of such directors and executive officers and information regarding their interests in the business combination will be contained in the proxy statement/prospectus for the proposed business combination when available.

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Highlights

Inspire Implants Introduce Better Sleep Apnea Care

If you have sleep apnea, waking up tired may be your norm. Even if you wear a CPAP every night, you might not get the good night’s rest you need. Thankfully, there’s a different option available.

Positive airway pressure (PAP)—CPAP and BiPAP therapy—is the most common treatment for sleep apnea. It pushes pressurized air through a mask to keep your airway open so you can sleep better. But it doesn’t work well for everyone.

“For years, countless patients who have been intolerant of CPAP or BiPAP therapy have had few options for treatment,” said Dr. Michael Vick, an otolaryngologist with Wellstar. “What we have done in the past has been painful and unpredictable.”

Fortunately, if you don’t respond to PAP therapy, there’s good news. Wellstar is a multidisciplinary Center of Excellence for Inspire Implants—the first with the designation in Georgia and the second in the country. This hypoglossal nerve stimulator can reduce sleep apnea without the bulky mask.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder. It causes you to stop breathing off and on while you’re asleep. It can happen when something blocks your airway (obstructive sleep apnea) or if your brain doesn’t send the right signals to the muscles that control your breathing (central sleep apnea). Either way, your body doesn’t get enough oxygen.

To kickstart your breathing, your body triggers a survival reflex. The jolt wakes you up just enough for you to start breathing again. But it also breaks your sleep cycle, meaning you’re tired the next day. And without proper treatment, you can develop high blood pressure or other heart problems that can be life-threatening.

How is sleep apnea diagnosed?

You may have sleep apnea if you snore, wake up frequently at night or stop breathing when you sleep. An at-home or overnight in-clinic sleep test can diagnose you accurately.

At-home tests use a finger monitor to measure and record your airflow, blood oxygen level, breathing pattern and heart rate. We may suggest an in-clinic test called a polysomnogram if we think you have central sleep apnea. This test uses electrodes placed around your body to evaluate your arm and leg movements, blood oxygen level, brain activity, breathing, and heart and lung activity while you sleep.

Common treatments for sleep apnea

Oral appliances can treat mild sleep apnea, and surgery can address treatment-resistant sleep apnea. But two types of PAP therapy have long been the most common treatments for most people with moderate-to-severe sleep apnea:

  • Continuous PAP (CPAP): A machine delivers constant air pressure through a mask to keep your airway open during sleep.
  • Bilevel PAP (BiPAP): A similar machine uses a mask to deliver higher air pressure when you inhale and lower air pressure when you exhale.

More advanced sleep apnea treatment

PAP therapy is uncomfortable for many people. If it doesn’t work for you, an Inspire Implant can reduce your sleep apnea without the mask. The two-piece implant involves a sensor in your chest and a receiver that wraps around the hypoglossal nerve that controls your tongue.

Our ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists partner with lung and sleep medicine experts to place the device. They perform a minimally invasive procedure that requires two small incisions. This outpatient surgery requires minimal recovery time.

Once in place, the implant works simply. When turned on at night, the sensor sends a signal to the receiver that gently stiffens your tongue and palate with each breath, so your airway does not become blocked—all without waking you.

According to Dr. Vick, Inspire has been a breakthrough for many patients who cannot tolerate CPAP or BiPAP therapy. While success rates can vary depending on individual health factors such as body mass index (BMI), Inspire generally delivers higher satisfaction, fewer complications and a more comfortable recovery than previous surgical options.

“With Inspire, we have a successful and convenient treatment option with a high patient satisfaction rate. While it is a surgically placed device, there is far less risk of complications and downtime than anything we have previously offered,” he said. “If you cannot tolerate PAP therapy, you should consider Inspire.”

Learn more about Inspire at Wellstar and find an ENT who’s right for you.

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Highlights

Epilepsy Expert Explains Diagnosis and Treatment

The Weekly Check-up Atlanta


Having or witnessing a seizure can be frightening. But clinicians have made remarkable advances in diagnosing the causes and preventing future seizures with medications and surgery.

“Seizures often seem scarier to bystanders than to patients,” said Dr. Thomas Holmes, a Wellstar neurologist. “Most patients don’t even remember them.”

Epilepsy is more common than many realize—about 1 in 26 people will be diagnosed in their lifetime. On WSB’s The Weekly Check-Up, Dr. Holmes explained how epilepsy is diagnosed, why not all seizures mean epilepsy and what treatments are available.

As director of neurodiagnostics at Wellstar, Dr. Holmes helped Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center earn Level 3 Adult Epilepsy Center accreditation, recognizing its advanced care for patients with hard-to-treat seizures.

Diagnosing epilepsy

According to Dr. Holmes, a seizure happens when there's an “abnormal firing of neurons in the brain.” This electrical disturbance can cause a range of symptoms—some more visible than others. A person having a seizure may briefly lose consciousness, and other signs can include:

  • Trouble breathing or temporarily stopping breathing
  • Sudden falls without warning
  • Jerking movements or a sudden loss of muscle control
  • Loss of bladder or bowel control
  • Not responding to sounds or voices for a few moments
  • Staring spells, sometimes with rapid blinking

It’s important to know that not all seizures are caused by epilepsy. Other conditions like stroke, brain injuries, infections or tumors can also trigger them. That’s why gathering details from someone who witnessed the seizure—like a family member—can be helpful for doctors trying to make an accurate diagnosis.

When someone experiences a seizure, the first step is usually brain imaging. An MRI is often ordered to look for structural causes, and an EEG, which records the brain’s electrical activity, can help detect abnormal patterns. In some cases, patients may be asked to wear a portable EEG at home for several days to capture activity that doesn’t happen regularly. Both MRIs and EEGs are safe and painless.

For more advanced monitoring, Wellstar offers inpatient epilepsy monitoring units (EMUs) at Wellstar Kennestone, Wellstar MCG Health and Wellstar North Fulton Medical Centers. These specialized units provide around-the-clock observation and are among the few in Georgia offering this level of epilepsy care.

Medications and surgery for seizures and epilepsy

For most people with epilepsy, medication is the first and most effective treatment option. How long someone needs to stay on medication depends on several factors, including what’s causing the seizures and what clinicians find during ongoing monitoring.

Sometimes a seizure is triggered by a specific event, like a head injury. In those cases, Dr. Holmes explained, long-term medication may not be necessary. But if tests reveal a structural issue in the brain—like an area of damage—it usually means a higher risk of future seizures and longer-term treatment is often recommended.

“You don’t necessarily need to be on medication for life, even if you have epilepsy,” said Dr. Holmes. Patients are regularly monitored, treatment plans are highly personalized and care plans are revisited to ensure the best outcomes possible.

“If someone has been seizure-free for two to three years, has a normal EEG and no visible brain lesion, we’ll often discuss tapering off medication if the patient is open to it,” he said.

Some people may struggle with seizure control despite medication. About 10% of patients don’t respond well to drugs—but there are additional treatments available.

Wellstar’s EMUs can help determine where in the brain seizures are starting. In some cases, surgery to remove a small area of brain tissue can significantly reduce or even stop seizures. According to Dr. Holmes, this approach is successful in nearly 70% of cases.

Other advanced options include laser surgery or a responsive neurostimulation—when a small device is implanted in the brain to detect abnormal activity and deliver a pulse to stop a seizure before it starts.

Looking ahead, Dr. Holmes is optimistic. “There are going to be many options that are not drug-related,” he said. “Less invasive procedures are on the rise, and we’re learning more about the genetic causes of epilepsy—especially in children. Research and clinical trials may even lead us to gene therapies in the near future.”

Epilepsy care is evolving rapidly, and for many patients, that means more control, fewer side effects, and real hope for the future.

Epilepsy and Seizures Program at Wellstar

Our Epilepsy and Seizures Program is one of only a few such programs in Georgia. It provides comprehensive care to help children and adults manage seizures. The program also offers a streamlined pathway to determine if a patient is a candidate for advanced treatments, including minimally invasive surgery and deep brain stimulation.

Wellstar Children's Hospital of Georgia and Wellstar MCG Health in Augusta are Level 4 Comprehensive Epilepsy Centers, the highest designation by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers. Wellstar Kennestone is a Level 3 Adult Epilepsy Center.

Learn more about the Epilepsy and Seizures Program and Wellstar providers.

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Newsroom

Wellstar Selects Ketul J. Patel to Lead Next Chapter of PeopleCare

MARIETTA, Ga. (July 8, 2025) – The Wellstar Board of Trustees has selected Ketul J. Patel to become Wellstar Health System’s next president and chief executive officer. Patel currently serves as CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and president of the Pacific Northwest Region of CommonSpirit Health. He is expected to join Wellstar in late October.

Patel will succeed Candice L. Saunders, Wellstar’s current president and CEO, who announced her retirement in January following an exceptional career of service and accomplishment.

“We were fortunate to consider nearly 200 outstanding candidates from across the health care industry, including several strong internal leaders who reflect Wellstar’s deep talent,” said former Wellstar Board of Trustees Chair Frank Ros, who led the search committee. “Ketul stood out for his experience leading transformational growth while remaining focused on the needs of team members, patients, and the community.”

In his current role, Patel is responsible for 12 hospitals, more than 300 patient care locations, and 20,000 team members, including more than 5,600 employed and affiliated providers.

In January 2021, Patel led the merger of two of the Pacific Northwest’s leading health care organizations to form Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH), which today is one of Washington state’s largest premier health care providers. Under Patel’s leadership, VMFH became the only health system in Washington state to earn all “A” Leapfrog Patient Safety Grades, ranking among the best facilities in the nation.

Patel launched the VMFH Care Network in 2024 to provide expertise to independent hospitals and health systems throughout Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Montana. He oversees the Benaroya Research Institute, which is internationally recognized for autoimmune disease research, and the Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the U.S. designed specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS.

“It’s an honor to join the Wellstar team and help carry forward its mission of providing compassionate, world-class care to every person, every time,” said Patel. “Thanks to the leadership of Candice and her strong executive team, Wellstar is positioned to be one of the Southeast’s leading health care providers for years to come. I’m excited about the potential created by Wellstar’s forward-thinking investments in technology and innovation, strategic partnerships with academic organizations such as Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia, and its strong reputation as a great place to work.

“On a personal note, I look forward to becoming engaged in the metro Atlanta community and working alongside policymakers to expand access to care throughout Georgia,” said Patel.

Patel is a three-time honoree on Modern Healthcare’s list of the 100 most influential people in health care. He chairs the Washington State Hospital Association board and is past chair of the Greater Seattle Partners executive council. He also serves on the boards of Washington Roundtable, Challenge Seattle, and CEOs Against Cancer, and is a past member of the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board.

Patel holds master’s degrees in health administration and business administration from the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University.

“As we grow and evolve, it’s essential to have a leader who embraces both the heart and the strategy of health care,” said Saunders. “Ketul’s ability to connect with people on a personal level while navigating complex challenges ensures Wellstar will continue to thrive as a people-centered, forward-thinking organization.”

The Wellstar Board of Trustees is expected to confirm the selection later this month.

To learn more about Patel, visit wellstar.org/MeetOurCEO.

ABOUT WELLSTAR HEALTH SYSTEM

Wellstar personalizes the patient experience. We call it PeopleCare and it's only possible thanks to our 33,000 team members who provide expert compassionate care for every stage of life. PeopleCare also means we serve our communities as a non-profit 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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