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Article Category: Newsroom

Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center Receives Primary Stroke Certification

Published on July 07, 2023

Last updated 10:07 AM July 07, 2023

Exterior photo of Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center. The Joint Commission and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association logos. Text reads "Certification, Primary Stroke Center"

Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center recently earned Primary Stroke Certification from The Joint Commission.

Offered in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, achieving Primary Stroke Center (PSC) Certification means the hospital is making exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes. It’s a signal to the community that quality of care provided meets the unique and specialized needs of stroke patients.

Joint Commission-certified PSCs adhere to a set of standardized performance measures. Organizations collect monthly data for each measure in the set, and the data is then submitted quarterly to The Joint Commission.

“This important certification as a primary stroke center demonstrates our team’s commitment to a higher standard of clinical service,” says Coleman Foss, Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center President. “Stroke patients can be confident in the quality and safety of care, treatment and services delivered at West Georgia Medical Center.”

West Georgia Medical Center joins Wellstar's network of other stroke-certified hospitals, including Comprehensive Stroke Centers Wellstar Kennestone and Wellstar North Fulton, other Primary Stroke Centers Wellstar Cobb and Wellstar Spalding, and Remote Stroke Treatment Centers Wellstar Douglas and Wellstar Paulding.

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Greg Rodgers with his wife ringing the cancer bell

PeopleCare

GregCare

Picture a big swath of land out in West Georgia. It’s a little wild and a little cultivated, but it’s well cared for thanks to the Rodgers.

“My wife and I are blessed to live on this land,” Greg Rodgers said. “God instructs us to be good stewards of the land and we are dedicated to doing just that. We’re always mowing, planting and tending to fallen trees.”

Photo collage of Greg Rodgers on a tractor and his land

Much like their acreage, Greg sees his body as something that deserves to be maintained with care. And he’s an advocate that other men do the same. Seeing a doctor regularly and getting screened can help identify conditions earlier so they’re more treatable. Greg learned that from his personal experience with prostate cancer, and the team at Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center who helped him overcome it.

“It’s not so much my story as the story of the professionals at Wellstar—they’re tremendous people,” he said.

The right tests for an accurate diagnosis

Prostate health is not something to ignore. Greg understands this now after a routine PSA test—a simple blood test—came back abnormal in 2020. When PSA levels are checked regularly and rise over time, they can be a sign of prostate cancer.

Because of his elevated PSA, Greg began monitoring his prostate health and eventually, connected with Wellstar Urologist Dr. Richard Jadick in LaGrange. Dr. Jadick performed a UroNav fusion biopsy to investigate his climbing PSA. During the procedure, an MRI helps accurately target the biopsy location. This biopsy has a low false negative rate, meaning the results are more trustworthy than in the past. Greg’s results came back positive for prostate cancer.

Pursuing personalized, expert care

Because every case of prostate cancer is different, there are a range of options for treating it, from active surveillance (monitoring with imaging) to advanced treatments like robotic surgery and targeted radiation therapy that have fewer side effects than traditional treatments. 

Greg and Dr. Jadick discussed several options, but before Greg made any decisions, Dr. Jadick recommended he see Dr. Robert Taylor, a Wellstar radiation oncologist. 

Greg remembers having reservations about radiation therapy. But once he arrived for the appointment, he felt immediately at ease. “Dr. Taylor is a quiet, confident person with a kind smile,” he said. “He was really good at explaining everything, going through studies and the different procedures. He’s so methodical, so good at answering questions and so patient.”

The option they settled on was a high dose of targeted radiation aimed at the prostate during a shorter treatment course (20 days versus 44). A newer technology called SpaceOAR Hydrogel would separate the rectum from the prostate during treatment, preventing unnecessary radiation exposure—and side effects.

“When it comes to choosing the right treatment, everything is a balance between the risk level and a variety of other personal factors,” Dr. Taylor said. “We want to provide treatment that is the least disruptive and most effective.”

To be sure this was the best plan for Greg, Dr. Taylor requested a second opinion from Mayo Clinic. Wellstar experts have a direct connection to Mayo Clinic specialists through its Mayo Clinic Care Network membership. Wellstar physicians and patients can access eConsults—virtual second opinions—at no additional cost to patients.

Some additional imaging was recommended, which validated Dr. Taylor’s treatment plan. Greg moved forward with his cancer treatment with pure confidence.

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Illustration of a poinsettia plant

Highlights

Wellstar West Georgia Hospice Volunteers Sponsor their Annual Poinsettia Sale

Wellstar West Georgia Hospice in LaGrange has provided dedicated, compassionate care for patients for more than thirty years. This year, the facility hosts its 34th Annual Poinsettia Sale to share the beauty of the holiday season, while also collecting contributions that directly benefit its mission.

Once again you can continue the tradition when you purchase beautiful poinsettias through this program to share with your family, friends and business associates. The cost is $15 per plant.

Each plant is hand-delivered (free local delivery) by a hospice volunteer with a personalized card recognizing you and your recipient. Delivery dates for the flowers are Monday through Thursday, December 4 - 7, 2023, in plenty of time to enjoy their beauty all throughout the holiday season.

If you have questions, please call Sandy Melton at 706-845-3962 for assistance. Note that orders more than $75 will be acknowledged showing your tax-deductible contribution.

Funds raised will be used for patient care services for hospice patients at Wellstar West Georgia Hospice, as well as those being served in their own homes, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. West Georgia Hospice provides services to all regardless of their ability to pay.

Thank you very much for supporting the ongoing care efforts of West Georgia Hospice in our community. And don't delay: the deadline to place your order is November 1, 2023.

Your support of Wellstar West Georgia Hospice is sincerely appreciated, thank you!

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Parent with child on shoulders. Wellstar, affiliated with Medical College of Georgia logo

Newsroom

Wellstar and Augusta University Officially Launch Unified Health System

Wellstar Health System and Augusta University Health System (AUHS) are pleased to announce that today is our first day as a unified system. AUHS will now be known locally as Wellstar MCG Health. Together, Wellstar and Wellstar MCG Health will revolutionize healthcare and enhance the well-being of communities across Georgia. This transformative partnership is set to make a significant impact on the lives of people throughout the state.

Through this partnership, we are committed to investing in cutting-edge medical facilities and infrastructure, strengthening collaborations with rural hospitals, and providing greater access to digital health services and top-notch clinical care, such as the exceptional pediatric care offered by Wellstar and Children’s Hospital of Georgia. Most importantly, we’re focused on addressing the unique needs of each person and community we serve as effectively and compassionately as possible.

Our vision doesn’t stop there. This partnership also represents a powerful alliance between Wellstar Health System, the University System of Georgia, Wellstar MCG Health and one of the nation’s best public medical schools, Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia (MCG), to propel medical education and research forward. By continuing to build on the rich legacy of MCG and creating new opportunities for more physicians to be trained in a modern clinical environment, we are addressing physician shortages in our local communities and contributing to solving this challenge nationwide.

The possibilities that lie ahead are extraordinary, and we can’t wait to expand our shared commitment to enhancing the health and well-being of the people we serve across our great state. We are forging a path toward a brighter, healthier future for Georgia and beyond.

This statement is issued jointly by:

Sonny Perdue, chancellor, the University System of Georgia

Candice L. Saunders, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of Wellstar Health System

Brooks A. Keel, Ph.D., acting chief executive officer of Augusta University Health System and president of Augusta University

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