Media Room

Wellstar Health System is shaping the future of leadership training and development through an initial training program with Moth+Flame, an award-winning virtual reality (VR) provider and technology studio. 

On May 18-19, 2022, Catalyst by Wellstar, the health system's global digital health and innovation center, along with Wellstar Leadership Development and Moth+Flame hosted the health system's first-ever VR-based leadership development training, focused on emotional intelligence. Across the two days, more than 100 Wellstar leaders participated in an immersive, VR-powered learning experience to prepare them to lead their teams through ongoing change in the healthcare industry. 

"Partnering with Moth+Flame is an opportunity for us to gain a deeper understanding of how virtual reality can impact the way we care for and engage with our patients, consumers and each other," said Hank Capps, M.D., FAAFP, Wellstar's executive vice president and chief information and digital officer. "Our team members are essential in creating curated healthcare experiences, and we hope this initial training will showcase how VR technology can help our team be even more effective, compassionate and culturally competent leaders."

Studies show virtual reality learners learn four times faster than traditional methods and are 275 percent more confident to act on their training. This initial training aims to validate these numbers with a select group of Wellstar's clinical and leadership teams to elevate the organization's leadership development programming. At the end of the two-day training, Wellstar measured an increase in levels of confidence in the material learned and 97 percent of participants reported they would recommend this training.

"We've seen that investment in high quality training can improve retention across all industries," said Kevin Cornish, Founder and CEO of Moth+Flame. "By training in a simulated life-like environment, our product offers employees immersive training that helps them feel more confident. The metrics in Wellstar's launch show a continued trend that virtual reality is proving to be one of the most effective tools for professional development." 

"Virtual reality and other technologies can open the door for us to take our leadership and team development to the next level," said Laura Dannels, Wellstar's chief talent officer. "These outcomes show us what's possible when we think outside of the box and embrace solutions from across industries. Our goal is to support our leaders as they guide their teams in creating exceptional consumer and team member experiences."

Unlike most typical VR experiences, Moth+Flame leverages real people instead of virtual avatars, which helps provide a more profound, meaningful experience for the end users. During the session, Wellstar leaders used headsets and iPads to immerse themselves in scenarios designed to prepare them to guide their teams through moments of change. This video describes more about the training.

"This 30-minute VR training on emotional intelligence was more effective and comprehensible than two full days of in-person training," said Michael Collins, Wellstar team member and participant.

Catalyst by Wellstar and Moth+Flame were connected through Engage, a first-of-its-kind collaborative innovation and corporate venture platform. Engage brings together industry-leading corporations, enterprise startups and universities with the shared mission of elevating Atlanta and the Southeast as a leading technology and innovation hub. Wellstar is proud to be the only healthcare organization to partner with Engage as the health system works to create new solutions to transform health and well-being.

Wellstar Health System, one of Georgia’s largest and most integrated healthcare systems, announced yesterday it will open the Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center in early 2023 on the Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center campus in Roswell, Georgia. The Center will also serve as one of only two locations in metro Atlanta featuring state-of-the-art CyberKnife® technology for radiation therapy.

Located at 4500 Hospital Blvd., the Cancer Center will offer comprehensive cancer services, including nationally-recognized, expert and experienced physicians; medical oncology; radiation oncology; imaging and many medical specialties all in one convenient location. Oncology surgery will continue to be performed at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital, on the same campus. 

“Wellstar North Fulton has been delivering expert, compassionate cancer care and support to North Metro Atlanta residents for many years,” said Jon-Paul Croom, president of Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center. “Our expansion of cancer services enables patients to receive the most advanced and robust offering of treatments available to beat cancer – close to home.”

The organization broke ground yesterday on the $12 million expansion project to accommodate cancer services and house Wellstar’s second CyberKnife system, a non-invasive treatment for cancerous and non-cancerous tumors and other conditions where radiation therapy is needed. Wellstar began using the CyberKnife System at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital in 2006 to treat conditions throughout the body and can be an alternative to surgery or for patients who have inoperable or surgically complex tumors. CyberKnife can reduce radiotherapy timelines from the traditional eight weeks to as little as one to five days.

“We are committed to providing the best treatment options for our patients and are proud to bring the CyberKnife system to this community,” said Dr. Mark McLaughlin, radiation oncology medical director for Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center. “With this state-of-the-art CyberKnife technology, we can deliver high precision radiation in fewer radiotherapy sessions with the goal of making treatment easier and improving outcomes for patients.”

During the next year, Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center will further enhance cancer services by:

• Increasing the number of physicians providing medical oncology care.
• Increasing the physical space in the 4500 Medical Plaza where medical oncologists see patients.
• Implementing a Head and Neck STAT Clinic in July 2022 that gathers all cancer specialists to meet with the patient on the same day, in the same place, to tailor a treatment plan. The Head and Neck STAT Clinic follows the successful implementation of Wellstar North Fulton’s current Breast and Lung STAT Clinics.

Multi-disciplinary physician experts at Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center include:

• Dr. Faisal Bhutta, Pulmonologist
• Dr. Arthur Grigorian, Neurosurgeon
• Dr. Greg Coffman, General Surgeon
• Dr. Sachin Lavania, Pulmonologist
• Dr. Nagender Mankan, Medical Oncologist
• Dr. Mark McLaughlin, Radiation Oncologist
• Dr. Satyen Mehta, Medical Oncologist
• Dr. Scott Miller, Surgical Urologist
• Dr. Laura Pearson, Breast Surgeon
• Dr. Theolyn Price, Thoracic Surgeon
• Dr. Evelyn Reynolds, Gynecological Oncologist
• Dr. Fiyin Sokoya, Otolaryngologist

To learn more about Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Services, please visit our cancer care page. To learn more about the CyberKnife System, please visit cyberknife.com.

Wellstar Health System supports people with cancer throughout their journeys, from early screening to diagnosis to treatment. However, our encouragement and dedication to delivering world-class, compassionate care doesn’t end in remission.

Across our system, Wellstar honors the bravery and strength of survivors every day, rejoicing in each milestone. This National Cancer Survivors Day, we are proud to pay tribute to people who have conquered cancer while offering hope to those still fighting.

This year’s Cancer Survivors Day theme, “There’s No Place Like Hope,” exemplifies Wellstar’s commitment to being a steadfast source of encouragement for cancer survivors and fighters across Georgia.

“Cancer Survivors Day is a true celebration of life, healing and hope for the future. The special moment allows us to pause, reflect and cherish victories over cancer. It also gives an outpouring of support to people currently diagnosed with the disease — that way, they know they are never fighting alone,” shared Nicole Centers, executive director of the oncology service line & nurse leader at Wellstar Health System.

Several Wellstar facilities will host Survivors Day events — and you can be a part of the celebration.

• Wellstar Kennestone Hospital – Hosted at Wellstar Acworth Health Park on Saturday, June 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. To RSVP, call (877) 366-6032 and select option 0.


• Wellstar Douglas Hospital – This is a drive-through event hosted at 6002 Professional Pkwy in the medical office building behind Wellstar Douglas Hospital on Saturday, June 4 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.


• Wellstar Cobb Hospital – Hosted at the Wellstar Cobb Hospital Cancer Center parking lot on Monday, June 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. To RSVP, send an email to [email protected].


• Wellstar Paulding Hospital – Hosted at Veterans Memorial Park located at 240 Constitution Boulevard in Dallas, GA on Sunday, June 5 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.


• Wellstar North Fulton Hospital – Hosted at the Wellstar North Fulton Hospital campus on Sunday, June 5 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. To RSVP, send an email to [email protected].


• Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center – Hosted at the Wellstar Enoch Callaway Cancer Center parking lot on Saturday, June 4 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. To RSVP, send an email to [email protected].

Learn more about how Wellstar is fighting cancer in Georgia.