Wellstar Heart Care
Integrated, Collaborative Cardiovascular Care
Wellstar provides innovative, compassionate care across the entire spectrum of heart disease and conditions. Our expertise and award-winning care have made Wellstar a preferred destination for cardiac wellness.
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Expert Cardiovascular Care
From routine to complex, Wellstar offers comprehensive cardiovascular care. Our doctors are experts in cardiovascular disease and ensure a whole-person treatment plan tailor-made for you. Patients experience evidence-based treatment from a range of nonsurgical methods and minimally invasive procedures to highly complex cardiac surgery.
Our Care Philosophy
Wellstar understands that every person is different, and we know how to care for each unique cardiovascular system. Our team includes expert heart specialists who will craft a personalized treatment plan just for you, whether it is a lifestyle change, medication, an outpatient procedure, surgery or mechanical support. We are here to ensure you receive the specialized care you need. No matter where you live, you have access to the care that is right for you.
Our Care Team
At Wellstar, patients have access to a personalized, multidisciplinary care team who offers you comprehensive care from screening and diagnosis to treatment and support. Our team works together to ensure that you receive the complete heart care you need. We collaborate with experts in other medical specialties to provide you with exceptional care that addresses your individual needs. In addition to physicians with expertise in cardiology, a patient's care team may include nurses, therapists, dietitians and athletic trainers.
Board-certified physicians
Patients are cared for by board-certified and world-renowned heart specialists at award-winning cardiac care centers providing a network of support and patient-centered care. Some of our heart specialists are double and triple board-certified, ensuring your heart is in the best care.
Specialized Care
Our multidisciplinary teams often include board-certified physicians who have the most advanced training and knowledge in their fields. Our heart specialists directly connect to Mayo Clinic and can request detailed consultations and second opinions for complex cases at no additional cost to the patient.
Heart Care Research & Clinical Trials
The Wellstar Research Institute works closely with select local and national partners to enroll patients in clinical trials, often providing groundbreaking treatments years before FDA approval.Groundbreaking clinical trials in your community
When patients qualify, they have access to groundbreaking treatments, procedures and technologies through clinical trials, often years before the FDA approves them. Wellstar participates in more than 20 clinical research studies in structural heart, interventional cardiology, and heart failure, giving our patients access to advanced treatments close to home.National partners
The Wellstar Research Institute is attractive to drug and device companies researching because of our dedicated investigators, diverse patient base, and excellent reputation. We participate in trials with device manufacturers such as Medtronic, Boston Scientific and Corindus.A track record of clinical trial success
Because of clinical trials our patients have participated in, new therapies are now available more widely. One example of an advancement that came out of a clinical trial we participated in is an implantable, remote monitoring device for heart failure that detects symptoms and alerts physicians so they can avoid hospitalization.Thanks to our patients
Thanks to patients before you, many effective treatments are now available. And, there could be a trial that’s right for you. Patients who are interested in learning more should speak with a heart care specialist.Accreditations & Awards
Wellstar consistently receives awards and recognition from the nation’s authorities on healthcare quality. We continually strive to provide comprehensive, innovative care.The Joint Commission & American Heart Association
Wellstar Kennestone Hospital was the first in Georgia to receive the Comprehensive Cardiac Care Center certification — the premier cardiovascular award from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association. Primary Heart Attack Centers certified by both organizations provide fast, state-of-the-art treatment to prevent and treat heart attacks at Wellstar Cobb Hospital, Wellstar Douglas Hospital, Wellstar Paulding Hospital, and Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center.Our hospitals are also the recipients of many additional Get With The Guidelines awards from the American Heart Association recognizing their high level of care for people with heart attacks, heart failure, stroke and diabetes.
Emergency Cardiac Care Centers
Leaders in life-saving heart care, Wellstar has the largest network of hospitals in Georgia designated as ECCC by the Department of Public Health. When you or someone you know has a heart attack, you can trust Wellstar to provide fast and effective treatment. Our mission is to improve survival rates, reduce disability and improve quality of life from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and heart attacks.- Level I ECCC: Wellstar Kennestone Hospital
- Level II ECCC: Wellstar Cobb Hospital, Wellstar Douglas Hospital, Wellstar North Fulton Hospital, Wellstar Paulding Hospital
Wellstar Foundation
As a not-for-profit, gifts to the Wellstar Foundation make it possible to provide patients with additional resources and amenities for a higher level of comfort and care. Every dollar donated supports Wellstar's vision of delivering world-class healthcare, carried out through patient-centered programs, advancements in technology and making reliable healthcare available close to home. Your generosity also makes it possible to provide free heart screenings and diagnostic services to uninsured and underinsured patients every year. For more information about how to support our fight against heart disease, visit the Foundation.
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Newsroom
Wellstar Recognized for Expert Patient Care
Wellstar is dedicated to serving our communities with high-quality care that’s conveniently located and accessible when it is needed most.
Several Wellstar facilities have been recognized in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings for providing world-class care in a variety of specialties, including cardiology, neurology and cancer care. Hospitals ranked as high-performing in an area of care are in the top 10 percent in the country.
Our team is grateful to be recognized for our care and looks forward to continuing our mission to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve. To learn more about care at Wellstar, call (770) 956-STAR (7827).
Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center was recognized as high-performing in care for:
- Congestive heart failure
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Wellstar Cobb Medical Center was recognized as high-performing in treating:
- Congestive heart failure
- COPD
- Heart attacks
- Kidney failure
- Strokes
Wellstar Douglas Hospital was named high-performing in treating:
- Congestive heart failure
- COPD
- Kidney failure
- Pneumonia
- Strokes
Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center was ranked 32nd in the nation for rehabilitation services and the hospital ranked ninth in the state overall. It was also named a Best Regional Hospital, ranked number one in adult specialties and was recognized as high-performing in the following procedures and treatments:
- Heart bypass surgery
- Congestive heart failure
- Colon cancer surgery
- COPD
- Diabetes
- Heart attacks
- Hip replacement
- Kidney failure
- Knee replacement
- Lung cancer surgery
- Prostate cancer surgery
- Strokes
Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center was recognized as high-performing in treating:
- Congestive heart failure
- COPD
- Strokes
Wellstar Paulding Medical Center was named high-performing in care for:
- Congestive heart failure
- COPD
- Hip fractures
- Kidney failure
- Pneumonia
Wellstar Spalding Medical Center was recognized as high-performing in treating:
- Congestive heart failure
- COPD
- Strokes
Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center was named high-performing in treating:
- Congestive heart failure
- COPD
- Kidney failure
- Pneumonia
Newsroom
Wellstar Douglas Hospital Earns Advanced Certification
Wellstar Douglas Hospital recently attained advanced certification as a Primary Heart Attack Center (PHAC) by The Joint Commission and The American Heart Association. This means the hospital offers patients the next generation of cardiac care.
“Our cardiac experts in Douglas County are dedicated to doing what is best for the patient,” said Dr. Joshua M. Willis, Medical Director of Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Wellstar Douglas Hospital. “The Joint Commission certification shows that our cardiac program is designed to help people having heart attacks receive the fastest, most evidence-based care.”
Wellstar Douglas Hospital has 24-hour-a-day coverage to treat heart attacks. The hospital’s team communicates with first responders, so patients can get diagnosed and treated as fast as possible upon arrival at the hospital by ambulance.
“Everything we do is centered around giving each person the best chance for positive outcomes,” Dr. Willis said.
The hospital’s team aims to get patients diagnosed fast by performing cardiac tests within 10 minutes of arrival at the hospital. For patients who need surgical intervention, Wellstar Douglas Hospital’s interventional cardiologists perform percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) — a minimally-invasive procedure that restores blood flow to the heart — within a 90-minute-window.
According to Gene Morris, Director of Cardiac and Vascular Services, the cardiac team has performed 2,500 PCIs since the program launched in 2012.
Wellstar Douglas Hospital is also designated as an Emergency Cardiac Care Center (ECCC) Level II by the Georgia Department of Public Health.
To learn more about Wellstar Douglas Hospital, please visit the hospital webpage.
Highlights
Finding Answers with Wellstar’s Autonomic Program
For nearly 30 years, Madge Hand knew something was going on with her body, but never determined what was causing her head-spinning health issues.
She had been in and out of several hospitals, looking for answers and trying different treatments, but her physicians couldn’t pinpoint the right diagnosis.
Now with the help of Wellstar experts, Madge is managing her dysautonomia – a disorder of the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary body functions like heart rate – so she can get her health back on track.
A Dizzying Diagnosis
Madge, 79, started noticing symptoms when she was in her 50s. When she moved from lying down to sitting up or from sitting up to standing, her blood pressure would drop drastically — going as low as 60 over 30, compared to the normal level of about 120 over 80. Her doctors at the time were unable to determine the issue. She also experienced frequent nausea and was unable to eat.
She started rehab for general weakness. When she later broke her hip due to dizziness, she struggled to complete rehab because when she tried to walk, her blood pressure would drop and she would feel faint.
Madge has some answers and is now working with Wellstar’s autonomic program, one of only a few programs in the country certified to treat these disorders, to get back on track.
It turned out that Madge has dysautonomia — her autonomic nervous system isn’t working like it should, which affects her blood pressure and makes her feel faint. She is also managing her orthostatic hypotension, which causes her blood pressure to change suddenly when she stands. To prevent her blood pressure from suddenly dropping, she takes a steroid to keep it higher, along with midodrine, a medication used to treat orthostatic hypotension.
Only a few specialized programs are certified to treat autonomic disorders, but Madge can get the personalized care she needs close to home. Dr. Howard Snapper, a Wellstar cardiovascular disease specialist, is one of fewer than 50 physicians in North America board-certified to diagnose and treat these conditions. The autonomic center at Wellstar treats disorders of the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary body functions like heart rate, temperature, sweating and digestion.
Convenient, Expert Care
Madge’s first appointment with Dr. Snapper was virtual, keeping care convenient. As Wellstar has one of only two autonomic disorder programs in the Southeast, patients can travel long distances to see specialists. Virtual appointments remove barriers to care for autonomic disorders, and the program recently expanded care with two new advanced practice providers.
“Sometimes, the symptoms of autonomic disorders can be confused with signs of other conditions,” Dr. Snapper said. “However, Madge had many of the common symptoms, including sudden changes in blood pressure, nausea and fainting.”
Madge said she is grateful that the health issues she has been dealing with for almost 30 years are now being addressed.
“Since I started working with Dr. Snapper, I feel so much better,” Madge said. “Now I can complete my rehab, and I know how to keep my blood pressure under control.”
Wellstar offers virtual appointments with the autonomic program, as well as in-person visits in Woodstock. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Snapper, call (678) 324-4400.