Media Room
Public Relations Contacts
The Wellstar Public Relations Department is committed to fostering media partnerships and prides itself on responding to requests in a timely manner.
Reporters with inquiries should contact the public relations team at [email protected].
For urgent deadlines, please call the public relations team at (470) 644-0232. Your media request should include your:
- Contact information (phone and email)
- Deadline
- Name of the outlet or publication
- Topic and interview questions
Filming and Photography Policy
Due to COVID-19 safety concerns, we’re restricting media access to Wellstar facilities. Note that all physician, team member and patient interviews should be coordinated through a Wellstar public relations representative.
For more information, please contact the public relations team at [email protected] or by phone at (470) 644-0232.
Releasing Patient Information
Wellstar takes the privacy of our patients seriously. Our policy is to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which means we cannot release patient information, conditions or confirm when a patient is receiving care at a Wellstar facility.
About Wellstar Health System
Who is Wellstar?
Wellstar has a deep-rooted community character: One that’s led generations of clinicians to serve, generations of patients to seek care and generations of team members to seek employment within our health system.
Today, we’re one of the largest and most integrated healthcare systems in Georgia with more than 24,000 team members—including 6,000 nurses and more than 3,000 physicians and advanced practitioners—providing compassionate, high-quality care. We’re also the only health system with a network of Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 trauma centers in metro Atlanta. These centers help us serve the most critical patients with a range of emergency care options.
Together, we’re proud to have served one out of every six Georgians, including patients from 148 out of 159 Georgia counties. And our journey continues as we work to reach patients and families in new communities in new ways—ever in the pursuit of the best in innovative, world-class healthcare close to home.
Learn more about Wellstar Health System
Wellstar Health System News
Newsroom
Mary Chatman, Executive Vice President of Wellstar Health System and President of Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center and Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital, Named Chair-Elect of the Georgia Hospital Association Board of Trustees
Mary Chatman, PhD, RN, executive vice president (EVP) of Wellstar Health System and president of Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center and Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital, was named chair-elect of the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) on Nov. 10. Chatman, who has served on the GHA Board since February 2020, will lead the Board in developing strategies for GHA hospital members, advocating for the highest quality care for patients and supporting adequate reimbursement for hospitals.
“Mary Chatman is a visionary leader whose vast leadership skills have benefited Wellstar hospitals and the communities they serve,” said GHA President and CEO Earl Rogers. “She is a strong patient advocate and we look forward to her expertise and leadership of our Board.”
In addition to serving as a Wellstar EVP and president of two of the system’s hospitals, Chatman oversees the operations of the seven other Wellstar hospitals. In 2020, she led the opening of Wellstar Kennestone’s new emergency department, the largest in the Southeast.
Prior to serving in her current role, Chatman was the chief operating officer and chief nursing officer at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, where she was responsible for managing the 654-bed hospital and its nursing operations. She also served as interim chief information officer for Memorial and completed the electronic health record conversion to EPIC.
This year, Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Chatman to the state’s Healthcare Workforce Commission, where she has helped address challenges in the hiring and retention of healthcare workers.
Chatman has been recognized locally and nationally as a prominent leader and strong patient advocate in health care. Atlanta Daily World recognized her among the 2018 Women of Excellence. Diversity MBA Magazine named her among the 2018 Top 100 Under 50 Executive & Emerging Leaders and 2020 Top 100 Women of Influence. Profiles in Diversity Journal named her a 2020 Women Worth Watching® in STEM award winner. Chatman was recognized by Atlanta Magazine among the 2021 Women Making A Mark honorees and by Becker’s as one of the 75 Black Healthcare Leaders to Know 2022. She was also named the 2020 West Cobb Citizen of the Year for serving on the frontlines for Cobb County, fighting COVID-19 and collaborating with local leaders.
Chatman is deeply involved in the community, serving as board member for United Community Bank and active in the fight to find a cure for type 1 diabetes. She is a member of the American Nurses Association and the American College of Healthcare Executives. She earned her Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.
Newsroom
Dr. Hank Capps Awarded 2022 Georgia CIO of the Year® ORBIE® Award in Healthcare
This month Dr. Hank Capps, Wellstar Health System’s executive vice president, chief information and digital officer, and founder and president of Catalyst by Wellstar, was honored by GeorgiaCIO with the 2022 CIO of the Year® ORBIE® Award in the healthcare category.
The CIO ORBIE Awards is the premier technology executive recognition program of its kind that recognizes CIOs in Georgia who have shown excellence in technology leadership. Since its inception in 1998, over 500 CIO winners have received the prestigious ORBIE Award. The ORBIE signifies exceptional leadership, innovation, and vision, representing the characteristics and qualities that inspire others to achieve their potential. GeorgiaCIO is led by an advisory board of CIOs from prominent organizations in Georgia who set the direction for events, membership, and annual Awards program.
“Every organization is technology-dependent, but strong leadership is the X-factor that can turn mundane IT into a remarkable strategic differentiator,” said Brandon Van Orden, GeorgiaCIO Chair. “The ORBIE Awards are meaningful because they are judged by peers – CIOs who understand the challenges of technology leadership.”
Within one year of joining Wellstar, Dr. Capps led the creation and launch of Catalyst by Wellstar, a first-of-its-kind global digital health and innovation center designed to disrupt the future of healthcare. Dr. Capps has also led the transformation of the core technology functions of the organization, including reorganizing around customer needs, launching the Wellstar Data and Insights Institute, and accelerating implementations of ERP, Device Integration, core infrastructure modernization, and data governance initiatives with the main goal to make work easier for clinicians and team members.
“PeopleCare is at the forefront of every project let by the Wellstar team. For myself and the dedicated team at Wellstar, the greatest reward is caring for patients each day,” said Dr. Hank Capps.
Dr. Capps and his team of experts are committed to changing the model from sick care to PeopleCare, by harnessing new technologies and always-connected networks to make care more personalized and focused on well-being through prevention. Some specifics include:
- Relaunched the flagship wellstar.org site, growing monthly sessions 96% in one year, while reducing bounce rates from 70% to 16.5%
- Led access initiatives that drastically increased physician discoverability and digital booking across Wellstar’s online appointment tools, driving more than 16,000 bookings in 12 months
- Guided the launch of a new, consumer-facing mobile app
- Led creation of immersive audio in Team Member Wellness Rooms, where 95% of users felt positively impacted and reported improved mental state
- Achieved the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s (HIMSS) Stage 7 Ranking for Digital Transformation
- Received Epic Gold Star 9 (top 10 percentile in the nation)
- Earned Level 9 ranking and Digital Health Most Wired recognition from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME)
- Advisory Board Member, leading investment in Engage Venture Platform, May 2021 – present
This recognition is a testament to the nearly 1,000 digital, technology, data, and innovation team members who help deliver on Wellstar’s mission of improving the health and well-being of every person served.
Newsroom
Wellstar Paulding Medical Center Breaks Ground on New Radiation Technology
Wellstar Health System announced a multimillion-dollar investment to bring cutting-edge radiation therapy to Wellstar Paulding Medical Center in Hiram, Georgia on November 2, 2022.
“Our motto is ‘Neighbors Caring for Neighbors’ and these new technologies will enhance access to medical care for every neighbor in Paulding County,” said Ralph Turner, Wellstar senior vice president and president of Wellstar Paulding Medical Center. “Our team is focused on providing a patient-centric experience. Having a short drive and the comforts of home and family nearby helps the healing process.”
Breaking ground for groundbreaking radiation technology
The expansion will enhance the patient experience by adding a new radiation vault to house a second linear accelerator — the technology that delivers radiation therapy — and is slated for completion in early 2023.
In the last year, patients received nearly 8,000 radiation treatments. The radiation oncology team often extended hours from 7 a.m. until 7 or 8 p.m. to accommodate patients.
During a recent press conference, a group of patients, physicians, healthcare leaders, team members, government leaders and community partners ceremonially broke ground on the major expansion of Wellstar Radiation Oncology. The facility is located on the ground floor of Wellstar Paulding Medical Center’s Outpatient Pavilion at 148 Bill Carruth Parkway in Hiram, Georgia.
The new machine will also bring a leading-edge cancer treatment called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to Paulding County for the first time. This radiation technology uses multiple X-ray beams to treat tumors with highly precise, high-dose radiation to any location in the body, preserving surrounding tissue, organs and nerves. The technology allows patients to have significantly fewer treatment sessions.
“This is a huge step forward for cancer care for the people of Paulding County,” said Dr. William Thoms, who has served as the radiation oncology medical director for Wellstar Paulding Medical Center since 2017. “This expansion will allow people to stay in our community for more advanced treatments with shorter wait times.”
The renovation will also modernize the dressing rooms and add more space to increase patient comfort.
