Wellstar Uses Innovation and Technology to Improve Healthcare: Highlights from Health Connect South Conference

The Hardy family, founders of Hardy Family Automotive, announced a $1 million donation to support the expansion of Wellstar Paulding Medical Center and its new Graduate Medical Education (GME) residency program.

Guided by the message, “We love you and we need you,” the Hardy family has served Paulding County since 1978. That same spirit—neighbors caring for neighbors—is at the heart of care at Wellstar Paulding. The generous donation from the Hardy family will help Wellstar expand access to care close by for people in Paulding County.

“We are incredibly grateful to have a state-of-the-art hospital serving our friends and family right here in the heart of our community,” said Rene Hardy Gordon, dealer principal of Hardy Family Automotive. “The pride that our community feels for Wellstar Paulding is something we deeply share.”

As one of the fastest-growing counties in Georgia, Paulding County continues to experience rising demand for healthcare services driven by rapid growth, an aging population and increasing patient acuity. However, the pipeline of healthcare workers nationwide is not growing at the same pace. This investment in the health and well-being of Paulding County will help ensure families have access to the care they need for generations to come.

A $300 million investment in Paulding County

Wellstar Health System is investing more than $300 million to expand the Wellstar Paulding campus, including the construction of a seven-story hospital tower and a 467-space parking deck to improve access for patients and families. 

The first phase of the tower, expected to open November 2027, will add 56 beds—increasing the hospital’s current 112-bed capacity by 50%. The expansion will also enhance heart and vascular care services with an additional cath/procedure lab, 20 dedicated recovery spaces and two procedure rooms for advanced heart imaging such as transesophageal echocardiography. Imaging services will grow as well, with expanded CT, X-ray and nuclear medicine capabilities and two new ultrasound spaces. A second phase planned for fiscal year 2029 will add another 56 beds and additional procedural capacity.

“Paulding County is home to so many families who deserve access to excellent care close to where they live,” said Sharon Robinson, vice president of the Wellstar Foundation. “The Hardy family’s investment helps us grow our physician training programs in a way that supports both today’s patients and the long-term health of this community.” 

Expanding the physician pipeline

In response to physician shortages—particularly in rural areas—Wellstar recently launched a GME residency program at Wellstar Paulding. 

The new program will create 30 physician positions focused on internal medicine with an emphasis on rural primary care. GME programs are one of the most effective strategies for strengthening physician pipelines, as communities that train physicians are more likely to retain them. 

Over the past decade, Wellstar has grown its GME program from 14 trainees in 2016 to nearly 300 today across its teaching hospitals. In partnership with Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia, another 500 physicians are in training at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center. With the addition of the Wellstar Paulding residency, Wellstar will soon support more than 860 physicians in training statewide. 

The Hardy family’s pledge will help the Wellstar Foundation and community partners raise an additional $3 million to complete the training spaces that will house the Wellstar Paulding residency program in the new tower. 

A hospital growing with its community

Wellstar Paulding employs approximately 1,900 team members and operates one of the busiest emergency departments in the region, with 40 adult and pediatric bays. The hospital has received numerous recognitions for quality and safety, including the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Magnet designation for nursing excellence, a Leapfrog “A” safety rating and a CMS 4-star quality rating. 

In recent years, Wellstar has expanded outpatient access across Paulding County by adding 69 exam rooms at seven practices in Hiram and Dallas, with an additional 46 exam rooms planned over the next three years. 

“Our parents, Charles and Jeannette Hardy, instilled in us the importance of caring for the community that has supported our family for generations,” said Gordon. “As Wellstar Paulding grows with the addition of the new tower and the launch of its GME program, we believe investing in local healthcare is one of the most meaningful ways we can give back.”

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — Community members, local officials and healthcare leaders gathered to celebrate the ribbon cutting of Wellstar’s newest cancer care facility, marking a significant milestone in expanding oncology services for Bartow County. The facility began seeing patients Feb. 23, but the event offered the community its first look inside the expanded space and an opportunity to recognize the teams behind the project.

The nearly 15,000-square-foot building doubles local infusion capacity and adds space for chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and other medical oncology ervices. The facility features 15 exam rooms, three triage rooms, 28 infusion chairs, eight blood draw stations, a dedicated laboratory, an on-site compounding pharmacy, and expanded areas for clinical consultations and care coordination.

“This new facility is part of our commitment to expanding access to compassionate, high-quality care across the Southeast,” said Ketul J. Patel, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System. “For the people who call Bartow County home, that commitment means advanced cancer treatment where they live, delivered by a team supporting them every step of the way.”

The new location expands cancer care with Wellstar and partners in care Northwest Georgia Oncology Centers, enabling access to the latest therapies and strengthening collaboration among oncologists, advanced practice providers, pharmacists and support teams. In Cartersville, a dedicated team of two medical oncologists and four advanced practice providers now delivers personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient’s diagnosis. Patients also have access to supportive services, including genetic counseling, financial navigation and education with a clinical pharmacist.

“This space was designed with our patients’ needs in mind,” said Dr. Michelle Ojemuyiwa, a Wellstar oncologist and hematologist who practices in Cartersville. “With more room, additional infusion chairs and an on-site compounding pharmacy, we can care for more patients efficiently while maintaining the personalized, attentive approach they expect throughout their treatment.”

The new Wellstar cancer care facility is located at 65 Cloverleaf Drive in Cartersville.

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.