Wellstar Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
Your favorite activities make everyday life your own, and bone or joint pain can keep you sidelined. At Wellstar, our skilled and caring team is ready to help you find relief and get back to life with less pain and more freedom.
Orthopedic specialists here offer complete care for all types of bone, joint and soft tissue injuries and conditions. From diagnosis and treatment through rehabilitation and recovery, we’ve got your back.
Orthopedic Services
Locations
News
Our Team
More Articles
Highlights
Make Health Your Habit as a Family
At Wellstar, we understand how important your family’s health is to you. That’s why we partner with people and families across all ages to provide the continuing care each person needs to live their healthiest, fullest life.
By following tips from Wellstar pediatric and primary care experts to prioritize healthy habits at every stage, families can work together to take charge of their health and foster a lifetime of well-being.
Toddlerhood & early childhood
Building a strong foundation
Early childhood is a prime time to establish healthy behaviors as children’s brains are rapidly developing, making them highly receptive to learning.
“Nurturing healthy habits in childhood provides a strong foundation for long-term physical, emotional and social success,” said Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, a pediatrician at Wellstar East Paulding Pediatric Center and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
By incorporating several key habits into their children’s daily routines, parents can set the tone for a healthy, thriving life.
Prioritize a balanced diet: Preparing meals with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and dairy not only supports children’s growth and development, but also introduces positive eating habits that can last a lifetime.
Additionally, “Let kids decide when they are full,” Dr. Dolgoff said. “Avoid using food as a reward or punishment.”
Establish routines: This includes fostering healthy sleep habits by creating a consistent bedtime routine, instituting regular meal and snack times, keeping kids active and limiting screen time.
“For children under 2, avoid screens,” Dr. Dolgoff advised. “For ages 2 to 5, limit to one hour of high-quality programming a day.”
Model healthy habits: “Children naturally observe and mimic their parents’ actions,” Dr. Dolgoff shared. “Be a role model by making healthy choices yourself, like exercising regularly, eating well and managing stress effectively. Kids are more likely to adopt positive habits when they see their parents practicing them.”
Middle childhood & adolescence
Encouraging healthy choices
As children grow and desire more of a say in the decision-making that affects them, parents should actively encourage their involvement while still ensuring their choices align with healthy behaviors.
Cook and eat meals together: Healthy foods fuel children’s physical growth and brain development. Involving kids in meal planning and cooking not only teaches them about the importance of healthy eating, but also fosters connection and quality time.
“Create the weekly grocery list together, cook and eat together,” said Dr. Neety Patel, a primary care physician (PCP) with Wellstar in West Cobb. “Eating together is a great way to set aside 30 minutes (or more) to enjoy your food, talk about your day and bond.”
Swap screen time for movement and creativity: Set boundaries around recreational screen time and encourage activities like reading, drawing, storytelling or outdoor play, Dr. Dolgoff suggested. Limiting screen time an hour before bed can help ensure kids get the recommended amount of sleep (9 to 12 hours for ages 6 to 12; 8 to 10 hours for teens).
“Too much screen time can negatively impact mental health,” said Dr. Dolgoff, “while creative activities boost cognitive development and emotional expression.”
According to Dr. Dolgoff, parents should also schedule time for at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. “This can include walks, sports, dancing or family games. Movement promotes physical health, reduces stress and helps kids focus better in school."
Make it a team effort: Instilling healthy values takes a village, so remember to involve the whole family in decision-making. “Kids feel more motivated and empowered when they are part of the process,” explained Dr. Dolgoff.
Wellstar Primary Care Physician Dr. Nikia Garland, who practices family medicine in West Cobb, added that setting realistic goals together promotes a sense of shared responsibility. “Use each other as an accountability partner,” she said.
And when children show progress or achieve success, don’t forget to celebrate. “Celebrations reinforce the idea that healthy habits are rewarding,” Dr. Dolgoff said.
Young adulthood
Taking charge of health management
Young adulthood is a period marked by significant life changes and evolving responsibilities. By teaching young adults to make healthcare a priority—even though they may feel invincible—parents can help set them up for future success.
Coordinate the transfer to adult-oriented care: Between ages 18 to 21, as students graduate or transition to life beyond high school, parents should coordinate the “handoff" from their pediatrician to an adult PCP.
“The transition from a pediatrician to an adult PCP is a critical step in helping teens take charge of their healthcare,” said Dr. Patel. “Transitioning ensures no gap in care.”
Making this switch empowers young adults to proactively take charge of their health management by establishing a plan to continue with annual physicals and age-appropriate health screenings.
Encourage discussion: Parents can further support their children during this transitional stage by maintaining open and honest communication about health topics.
“Parents can help by starting the conversation early, discussing the upcoming transition and why it’s important,” said Dr. Dolgoff. “Involve the teen in the process. Let them participate in selecting an adult PCP. Show them how to schedule appointments, refill prescriptions and understand health insurance. Teach them about their medical histories, including allergies, medications and any chronic conditions. Emphasize the importance of annual physicals and the benefits of preventive care.”
Adulthood
Maintaining long-term wellness
By the time young adults reach their mid- to late-20s, they should strive to have an established relationship with their primary care team, helping them stay ahead of injury and disease with regular screenings and preventative care.
Schedule annual physicals: Annual checkups create a baseline that can be used to track a person’s health over time. These exams are one of the best ways to catch and treat early signs of illness before they turn into serious health problems.
“During patient’s physicals, I review my wellness tips with them,” Dr. Garland shared. "It includes how to eat healthy (and what to do if you don’t), how to get restful sleep, getting physical activity, adequate water intake and daily stress relief.”
Limit processed foods and sugar: Eating a balanced diet rich in whole foods can make a huge difference when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, lowering the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, and improving energy levels.
“It seems simple and obvious to preach, but in our busy lives, we often tend to eat on the go,” said Dr. Patel. “A freshly cooked meal can do wonders for your day.”
Stay active to age well: Exercise has many benefits for adults as they age, from staving off chronic disease to enhancing strength and balance to boosting mental health.
“Regular movement can maintain your muscle and bone strength and improve most musculoskeletal pains,” said Dr. Patel. For adults, Dr. Garland noted that she typically recommends getting 30 minutes of daily continuous physical activity or 10,000 steps a day.
“If you enjoy the gym, go for it,” said Dr. Patel. “If not, get active any way you are able—go for a walk, a hike, a bike ride, take a dance lesson with your loved one, do a Zumba class on YouTube (it's free!) or some chair yoga.”
However, it’s important to know your limits, added the physician. “If something starts to hurt excessively, scale back and talk to your provider if you're not sure,” she said. “Some movement is better than no movement!”
Take control of your family’s health by finding a Wellstar pediatrician or a Wellstar primary care provider near you.
Highlights
When Community Meets Care: Why Resources Matter and How Wellstar Find Help is Changing Lives
“Jane” sits quietly in the exam room, clutching the discharge papers the doctor has just handed her. Her blood pressure has improved, but she is still overwhelmed with worry—not because of the diagnosis, but because of what awaits her outside the hospital.
She has a new prescription in her hand, but no reliable transportation to pick it up, and a diet plan to follow, but an empty fridge at home. She has advice to rest, but a job that didn’t offer paid time off, which will mean no way to pay her utilities or her rent.
Her doctor has done everything right medically—yet Jane still is not set up completely for a positive health outcome.
This is the moment where health systems face a truth we cannot ignore: Health doesn't begin in the exam room, and it doesn’t end there either. It lives in kitchens, workplaces, neighborhoods, families and within our communities. It is shaped by whether someone can afford groceries, find safe housing or get to their appointments.
These everyday circumstances—known as social determinants of health or non-medical drivers of health—affect nearly every outcome. They determine whether treatment plans succeed, whether chronic conditions worsenand whether families thrive or struggle. In fact, research shows that up to 80% of health outcomes are tied to social determinants, not clinical treatment alone.
And for too long, patients like Jane have been left to navigate these challenges alone.
A Shift in Healthcare: PeopleCare
Imagine if every healthcare visit didn’t only diagnose health needs, but also understood life needs:
- “Do you have access to healthy food?”
- “Are you worried about housing or utilities?”
- “Do you need transportation to follow-up appointments?”
This is the movement taking place today: healthcare shifting beyond treating illness to supporting everyday well-being. Medicine can lower blood pressure, and community support can keep it down.
Enter Wellstar Find Help: Support at Your Fingertips
To bring this vision to life, Wellstar has introduced Wellstar Find Help—a tool that connects individuals with thousands of community resources including:
- Food assistance
- Housing and utilities
- Transportation
- Employment support
- Mental health services
- Senior and caregiver programs
It’s a pathway, a bridge and a lifeline. All resources can be found very easily by entering the ZIP code for the person in need within the community. Refer your friend, a family member, a fellow church member or even yourself if you need it.
Here’s what makes it truly powerful. Anyone can use it—anytime, anywhere, from home or phone, and it’s built directly into Wellstar’s medical record system. That means when someone is sitting in a room like Jane was—overwhelmed, uncertain, quietly carrying life burdens—the care team doesn’t just send them home with instructions.
They can help them right there, in the moment by connecting them to real support before they walk out the door.
Healing happens in community
When community resources meet medical care, everything changes. A father on dialysis doesn’t miss treatment because a ride fell through. A mom recovering from surgery has healthy meals for her family. A senior gets help with housing instead of silently struggling. People don’t just survive. They thrive because sometimes the strongest medicine is hope.
Sometimes hope looks like a bus pass, a food pantry referral or a team member who says, “You don’t have to figure this out alone.”
Wellstar Find Help will assist us in figuring it out together or at least give us a place to start. Wellstar Find Help is more than a website. It’s a community initiative that suggests care doesn’t end when the hospital doors close, that supports every person's right to dignity, access and opportunity and acknowledges that healthcare isn’t just about treating bodies—it’s about overall well-being. For patients like Jane, that can make all the difference.
Community health challenge: working together to change lives
For community partners
You are the backbone of healthcare beyond the medical building walls. Our community’s food banks, housing organizations, transportation services, senior programs and faith-based organizations provide stability and opportunities for patients to heal as a whole. We invite you to:
- Claim your organization: share your programs, capacity and preferred referral pathways.
- Help us lift barriers proactively rather than reactively.
- Stay connected.
Healthcare needs you, and our communities thrive when we all work together. Together we can create and sustain a network of support that meets people where they are and then lifts them where they deserve to be.
Visit wellstar.findhelp.com to learn more and find resources.
Newsroom
Wellstar Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King with Inspiring Systemwide MLK Day Streaming Event and Call to Action
On January 15, 2026, Wellstar Health System marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day through a powerful systemwide streaming event, viewed across hospitals, health parks, practices and offices via in-person watch parties and virtual access. Thousands of team members paused together to reflect, learn and recommit to service through a shared experience designed to unite the system.
Anchored by the theme “Carrying the Torch, Expanding the Dream: The Enduring Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King,” the program centered on Coretta Scott King’s essential, and often underrecognized, leadership. Beyond her role as partner and strategist in the Civil Rights Movement, Coretta Scott King founded The King Center, helped secure the establishment of the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday and extended the movement globally through advocacy for peace, economic justice and human rights, including early and sustained support for LGBTQ+ equality. Her work underscored that the movement’s progress depended on courageous, collective leadership.
The streaming event featured a reflective musical performance by cellist Okorie Johnson and an interfaith prayer by Wellstar Director of Spiritual Health Rev. Sarah Murray. Wellstar President and CEO Ketul J. Patel offered opening remarks and kicked off a compelling conversation between Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center, and Monica Kaufman Pearson, former Atlanta news anchor and current host for Atlanta News First and Peachtree TV. Their dialogue explored the enduring relevance of both leaders’ teachings, emphasizing nonviolence as a guiding philosophy alongside unity, moral courage and action as essential to creating positive change. Wellstar Chief Human Resources Officer David A. Jones offered brief closing remarks as the executive sponsor of the event.
In keeping with the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy, Wellstar encourages team members to carry this work forward not only by participating in volunteer opportunities on MLK Day, but by engaging in service and advocacy throughout the year, reinforcing the ongoing commitment Wellstar has to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging across the communities it serves.
The virtual program is available for on-demand viewing at https://youtu.be/bksp8gadNVM.