Wellstar Community Outreach
At Wellstar, community outreach is an important facet of our mission to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve.
- Community Outreach
Community Outreach at Wellstar
Wellstar Health System is a nonprofit organization and is committed to being an engaged community partner. At Wellstar, we are more than healthcare, we are PeopleCare, and our passion for people extends into the communities we serve. We are committed to elevating the health and well-being of our community through outreach and partnership that honors all voices. Wellstar relies on and values our community partners and the role they play in positively impacting the health and well-being of every person we serve. Wellstar partners with mission-aligned and other non-profit organizations to address priority health needs and social determinants of health as defined through our Community Health Needs Assessments, and that also further a social cause and provide community benefit. We work alongside our business and civic partners and leaders to amplify health awareness, contribute to economic development and growth, and to help our communities thrive through service. We also partner with both academic and other organizations dedicated to career development to help prepare the next generation of caregivers and healthcare workers in both clinical and non-clinical capacities. In addition to community partnerships, Wellstar also engages in our community through corporate volunteerism, sponsorships, event participation and speaking engagements that align with our areas of focus. Each request for Wellstar to provide community support is carefully considered. Please contact us about speaking engagements, sponsorships, events, and other partnership opportunities. If you would like to receive our monthly Community Update eNewsletter, please submit your request here: [email protected]Just a few outreach examples
Wellstar supports our partner organizations such as those providing access to food and housing by engaging our team members in volunteerism and community service through Wellstar’s CommunityCare initiative. Wellstar also provides health education and awareness on important health and wellness topics such as cardiac health and stroke prevention, breast and prostate cancer prevention, and mental health including suicide prevention, and substance abuse prevention and treatment.
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Highlights
Six Steps to Reduce Your Cancer Risk
By Wellstar Urologist Dr. Beau Dusseault
When seeking medical advice, many people turn to the internet. This wealth of information can be very helpful in uncovering the cause of common symptoms and providing general health tips. In fact, patients play an essential role on their healthcare team. However, many people fall into the online vortex of diets and vitamins while leaving the low-hanging fruit on the vine.
Here are six quick tips to reduce your risk of cancer:
- Prioritize sleep. Sleep deprivation can have a devastating effect on the immune system. A good night’s sleep will boost the body’s best defense against cancer.
- Don’t smoke. Smoking is not only the cause of innumerable cancers, but it also blunts immune system function.
- Exercise. Physical activity is associated with a lower risk of many cancers, including prostate cancer. Simply walking has a significant impact, but variety is even better.
- Eat a balanced diet. No supplement can replace a sensible diet.
- Control blood sugar levels. Diabetes and insulin resistance are linked to higher risks of cancer.
- Reduce stress. Take time to relieve the cumulative stressors of daily life by focusing on time management, task delegation and relationship building.
Whatever is good for the immune system is bad for cancer. Lifestyle choices are the foundation for any cancer prevention program. And the internet would agree—just in case you want a second opinion.
Wellstar offers screenings and care for several types of cancer, and our urologists are experts in prostate cancer care. With a simple blood test, we can screen for prostate cancer. Learn more about prostate cancer screening.
PeopleCare
GregCare
“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.”
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.
Highlights
What Women Should Know About Prostate Cancer
By Wellstar Urologist Dr. Reena Kabaria
Most women don’t spend much time thinking about prostate cancer until someone they know is touched by this disease. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and the second most common cause of cancer death in men. If a woman’s loved one is diagnosed with prostate cancer, here is some guidance she can use to stay informed and support them throughout their cancer care.
What is the prostate gland?
The prostate is an organ tucked away under a man’s bladder. The sole purpose of the prostate is to produce the fluid needed for reproduction. Although the prostate serves no other role, it is surrounded by several delicate structures responsible for urinary and other sexual functions.
Detecting and treating prostate cancer
Fortunately, recent advances in the treatment of prostate cancer usually allow men to keep sexual and urinary functions intact. In fact, early detection not only increases the likelihood of cure, but also minimizes the chances for side effects. At the most curable stage, prostate cancer does not usually cause any symptoms. Therefore, men aged 40 and above should ask their doctor when they should have a screening PSA blood test based on their individual needs and risks.
Many men with a new diagnosis have such a slow-growing form of prostate cancer that it can merely be observed over time. When exploring different treatment options, it's recommended that patients consult with both a urologist and a radiation oncologist.
Wellstar surrounds patients with compassionate care. Nurse navigators provide a highly personalized level of support and guidance throughout diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care. We also offer support groups if patients want to meet others who are dealing with the same diagnosis. While a cancer diagnosis is often upsetting and overwhelming for both patients and the people they love, our team stands with patients and families at every step.