Wellstar Orthopedics & Sports Medicine

Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center has earned three-star ratings—the highest ratings possible—in five cardiac surgery categories from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), placing it among a select group of programs nationwide achieving top-tier performance across a broad range of procedures and making it the only program in Georgia to achieve this distinction.

The STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD) star rating system is one of the most comprehensive and respected measures of quality in the industry, evaluating outcomes from hundreds of hospitals in North America and serving as a leading benchmark for clinical excellence. A three-star rating indicates performance that is significantly better than the national average in key measures such as survival, complication rates and adherence to evidence-based care.

“The STS three-star rating is the highest distinction a cardiac surgery program can earn, and even a single category is rare. Receiving it in five is extraordinary, and it’s a direct reflection of the trust patients place in Wellstar every day,” said Ketul J. Patel, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System. “Our physicians, clinicians and care teams are setting a national standard for quality and safety, making Wellstar a center of excellence for cardiovascular care. This is one of the many ways that Wellstar’s care teams are improving health outcomes in the Southeast.”

In the previous reporting cycle, the program achieved three-star ratings in four categories—an already rare and notable achievement for cardiac surgery programs nationwide. Building on that success, Wellstar Kennestone has now expanded to five three-star categories, underscoring sustained excellence and a continued commitment to advancing high-quality cardiac care.

Wellstar Kennestone received a three-star overall composite quality rating in five of six evaluated procedure categories:

• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
• Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
• Combined AVR and CABG procedures
• Mitral valve repair and replacement (MVRR)
• Multi-procedural cardiac surgery

The program also earned a two-star rating in the combined MVRR and CABG category.

“For patients, these ratings translate to better outcomes, fewer complications, improved survival and a smoother recovery after major heart surgery,” said Dr. Barry Mangel, chief of clinical service lines at Wellstar. “Achieving and sustaining this level of performance across multiple complex procedures is extraordinarily rare and reflects a deeply coordinated, team-based approach to care.”

Wellstar Kennestone’s cardiac surgery program brings together a highly integrated team of cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, intensivists, perfusionists, advanced practice providers, nurses, technologists and support team members. This collaborative approach enables the team to deliver consistently high-quality, coordinated care for patients with even the most complex heart conditions.

These results reflect a sustained commitment to clinical excellence, continuous improvement and delivering the highest standard of cardiovascular care to every person, every time.

For more information about heart care at Wellstar, visit wellstar.org/heartcare.

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, today announced a strategic partnership with Wellstar Health System to enhance the safety and quality of medication delivery for patients across its hospitals and care facilities.

Through this collaboration, Wellstar is building a more connected approach to medication management from the pharmacy to the bedside by combining BD Pyxis™ Pro medication dispensing technologies with BD Alaris™ Infusion Systems. By adopting the latest in dispensing and infusion technology, Wellstar is empowering clinicians with greater accuracy, real time visibility and streamlined workflows, helping them spend less time on manual processes and more time delivering safe, dependable care to their patients.

Powered by artificial intelligence, the new BD Pyxis™ Pro Dispensing Solution with Analytics in BD Incada™ provides Wellstar with enterprise wide visibility into medication inventory, including on demand insights through natural language queries. Customizable dashboards convert data into actionable intelligence, helping clinicians identify trends to ensure medication availability, reduce medication waste and optimize labor efficiency. And with BD Alaris™ Interoperability, Wellstar clinicians can use barcode scanning to verify patients, medications and smart pumps; send infusion orders directly from the electronic medical record and receive infusion statuses back into the EMR.

“At Wellstar, our focus is on delivering safe, innovative care to every patient, every time,” said Susan Wright, vice president of pharmacy services at Wellstar. “Partnering with BD to implement this technology strengthens our ability to focus on patient-centered programs and empower our teams to deliver care with confidence and compassion.”

Wellstar also participates in the Strategic Development Council for BD’s Medication Management Solutions business, where Wellstar leaders contribute expertise across enterprise pharmacy operations, medication safety, nursing and informatics. This input helps inform and shape future innovation at BD and drives next-generation solutions to meet the real world challenges faced by large, complex healthcare systems.

“BD is proud to partner with Wellstar to advance medication safety and help ensure patients receive the right medications at the right time,” said Connor Bates, worldwide president for medication management solutions at BD. “By integrating BD Pyxis™ and BD Alaris™ technologies, Wellstar is setting an example of how health systems can achieve connected, intelligent medication management that benefits both patients and clinicians.”

This collaboration reflects a shared vision to strengthen safety, efficiency and patient outcomes across the continuum of care, while positioning Wellstar as a leader in leveraging technology to improve the health of the communities it serves.

Access to high-quality healthcare should never depend on ZIP code, income or circumstance. At Wellstar, advancing health equity means meeting people where they are—both geographically and relationally. The Wellstar Center for Health Equity, operating through the Community Clinic Network (CCN), is a cornerstone of this commitment, expanding access to affordable, culturally responsive care through trusted community partnerships.

Why community health clinics matter

The CCN supports community residents with little or no access to healthcare. Across many communities within the Wellstar footprint, people face barriers that limit their ability to access healthcare. The goal of the CCN is to promote health and wellness while creating meaningful opportunities for individuals and families to reach their maximum health potential.

There are multiple community clinics throughout Wellstar's service area delivering affordable care to residents who might otherwise go without services. By strengthening access points outside of traditional hospital settings, community health clinics help reduce reliance on emergency departments for non-emergent needs and improve continuity of care.

Over the last several years the Center for Health Equity has partnered with:

• Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb
• Rock Springs Clinic
• CareLink of Northwest Georgia
• Someone Cares
• Troup Cares
• MUST Ministries

Connected through shared learning and partnership

Clinics within the CCN are connected through quarterly meetings sponsored by the Community Health team. These engaging gatherings serve as a space to highlight successes, exchange best practice and explore opportunities to share strategies that help combat common challenges.

By bringing clinic partners together on a regular basis, Wellstar fosters a learning community that strengthens relationships, supports innovation and reinforces a shared commitment to equitable, community-centered care. This work reflects Wellstar’s belief that sustainable health improvement is achieved through collaboration, trust and long-term investment in community-based solutions. By partnering with safety net clinics and supporting their success, Wellstar strengthens the healthcare infrastructure in under-resourced communities while advancing health equity across its service area.

Looking ahead

As community needs continue to evolve, Wellstar remains committed to strengthening and expanding its CCN partnerships. Through collaboration, shared learning and a steadfast focus on wellness and access, the CCN will continue to serve as a vital pathway to care—helping residents achieve better health outcomes and a higher quality of life.