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  • Women’s History Month Event Honors Impact of Female Leadership and Mentorship
Article Category: Newsroom

Women’s History Month Event Honors Impact of Female Leadership and Mentorship

Published on March 20, 2023

Last updated 08:01 AM March 21, 2023

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On March 8, Wellstar’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hosted a fireside chat with leaders,  Beth Kost, Kem Mullins and Julie Teer, who also serve as Executive Sponsors to our Women’s Business Resource Group.  They engaged inn an important conversation about celebrating women in the workplace.  Focusing on the national theme for Women's History Month, "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories," they discussed women who have positively impacted their careers, the importance of mentorship and sponsorship, and advice they would give to female leaders of the next generation.

Kost is senior vice president and chief compliance officer of Wellstar, Mullins is executive president of ambulatory and business development, and Teer is senior vice president and president of the Wellstar Foundation. 

Women's History Month celebrates the contributions of women, past and present. President Jimmy Carter instituted the first National Women's History Week in March 1980. He said, "From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often, the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well." On March 8, we joined the world in celebrating International Women's Day and incorporate it into our month-long celebration of women's history.

Learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion at Wellstar.

Watch the virtual event below.

 

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Newsroom

Wellstar Paulding Medical Center Transforms Cancer Care With Major Renovation

On May 23, Wellstar Health System hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of a major renovation to bring advanced cancer treatments to people in Paulding County and surrounding communities. The event was hosted at Wellstar Paulding Medical Center in Hiram, Georgia, and attended by patients, physicians, healthcare leaders, team members, government officials and community partners.

“We strive to bring world-class healthcare to our neighbors every day,” said Ralph Turner, Wellstar senior vice president and president of Wellstar Paulding Medical Center. “We opened this new hospital almost 10 years ago, but that was not the finish line — just a stop on our journey. We continue to find new ways to keep pace with this community’s growth and provide the most comprehensive cancer care to this community.

Expanded capacity & new cutting-edge technology

The expansion enhances the patient experience by adding a new radiation vault to house a TrueBeam linear accelerator — an advanced system that delivers radiation therapy. While the capacity to treat people with cancer doubled, new technology brings more cutting-edge treatments to Paulding, alongside a modernized dressing room area offering patients more space and comfort. 

“This is a dream come true after seeing the growing need for cancer treatment in this area,” said Dr. William Thoms, Radiation Oncology medical director. “The new TrueBeam allows people to stay closer to home rather than driving outside our own community for radiation therapy."

The expansion enhances the patient experience by adding a new radiation vault to house a TrueBeam linear accelerator — an advanced system that delivers radiation therapy. While the capacity to treat people with cancer doubled, new technology brings more cutting-edge treatments to Paulding, alongside a modernized dressing room area offering patients more space and comfort.

New, advanced treatments in Paulding

Wellstar Paulding’s new linear accelerator also brings a leading-edge cancer treatment called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to Paulding County for the first time.

“SBRT will transform cancer care in our community,” said Dr. Rakendu Shukla, Wellstar radiation oncologist. “In the coming months, we will roll out new treatments previously unavailable in Paulding.”

SBRT is different from conventional radiation therapy because it delivers very high, precise doses of radiation directly to tumors that are traditionally difficult to treat. It is more powerful at killing tumors, and it decreases the amount of radiation that healthy tissue is exposed to, which decreases side effects. And the treatment can be delivered over a short course of time — around 1-5 days rather than weeks or months.

The renovated space is located at Wellstar Paulding Medical Center’s Outpatient Pavilion at 148 Bill Carruth Parkway in Hiram, Georgia.

On May 23, community leaders gathered to cut the ribbon on a cancer treatment expansion Wellstar Paulding Medical Center. Pictured l-r: Don Zarkou, VP, Oncology Service Line, Wellstar Health System; Ralph Turner, SVP, Wellstar Health System, President, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Dr. Michael Andrews, Chief Cancer Officer, Wellstar Health System; Dr. William Thoms, Radiation Oncology Medical Director, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Sandy Kaecher, Post II Paulding Commissioner; Nichole Rydahl, AVP, Operations, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Shawn Jackson, Manager, Radiation Oncology, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Dr. Rakendu Shukla, Radiation Oncologist, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center.

Pictured l-r: Don Zarkou, VP, Oncology Service Line, Wellstar Health System; Ralph Turner, SVP, Wellstar Health System, President, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Dr. Michael Andrews, Chief Cancer Officer, Wellstar Health System; Dr. William Thoms, Radiation Oncology Medical Director, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Sandy Kaecher, Post II Paulding Commissioner; Nichole Rydahl, AVP, Operations, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Shawn Jackson, Manager, Radiation Oncology, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center; Dr. Rakendu Shukla, Radiation Oncologist, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center.

In the last year, patients received nearly 8,000 radiation treatments. The radiation oncology team (pictured) often extended hours from 7 a.m. until 7 or 8 p.m. to accommodate patients.

Physicians and team members from the Wellstar Paulding Medical Center oncology team gathered for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of a major expansion to cancer services. 

Wellstar Paulding Medical Center’s new TrueBeam linear accelerator helps make cancer treatment more accessible to patients and brings a leading-edge cancer treatment called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to Paulding County for the first time.

Wellstar Paulding Medical Center’s new TrueBeam linear accelerator helps make cancer treatment more accessible to patients and brings a leading-edge cancer treatment called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to Paulding County for the first time. 

Learn more about Wellstar Paulding Medical Center.

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Newsroom

Lown Institute Recognizes Wellstar Among Most Charitable in the Country

A report by the Lown Institute ranking the value of nonprofit hospitals’ community investment found that Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center and Wellstar Cobb Medical Center are among the top 25 hospitals in the nation providing significantly more community benefit than they are receiving in tax exemption. 

Wellstar Kennestone ranked No. 1 in Georgia, while Wellstar Cobb was No. 2. Wellstar is the only health system with two hospitals included on the national top 25 list.

As the top provider of charity care in the state and one of the top 10 providers nationwide, Wellstar is committed to bringing expert, compassionate health services to those who need them. Last year alone, uncompensated and charity care at Wellstar exceeded $1.2 billion, providing care for at-risk and underserved communities across Georgia.

In addition to Wellstar Kennestone and Wellstar Cobb, Wellstar Douglas Medical Center, Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center and Wellstar Spalding Medical Center were recognized for spending more on financial assistance and community investment than the estimated value of their tax exemptions.

Read the full report from the Lown Institute. 

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Illustration of people recycling apple core and banana peel

Newsroom

Wellstar Celebrates Earth Day with Programs Addressing Food Waste

For Earth Day this year, Wellstar Health System is making a difference for our environment and supporting our neighbors facing food insecurity. The recently launched Organic Recycling Program at the Wellstar Corporate Office (WCO) in Marietta has already diverted almost one ton of food waste from landfills, preventing over 675 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

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