Wellstar Women's Health

Wellstar Health System has partnered with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia (HMHBGA) to provide maternal health resources in support of new mothers and birth givers in Georgia. Through Wellstar Community Health and the Wellstar Center for Health Equity, the partnership supports pregnant and postpartum birth givers and encourages positive maternal health and wellness by providing vital resources and education.

According to the 2019 HMHBGA State of the State Report, 58 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in Georgia were preventable. Wellstar’s participation expands HMHBGA’s Pickles & Ice Cream perinatal care package project created to help address pregnancy mortality. Started in 2021, the Pickles & Ice Cream program through Wellstar plans to reach 150 birth givers a month.

The free care packages will include:

• A blood pressure monitoring system
• Breastfeeding book and journal 
• Thermometer and probe cover
• Breastfeeding storage bags
• Compression stockings

Alongside these vital tools, educational information will include topics such as postpartum care planning and safe sleeping. As one of the key partners in this initiative, Wellstar will also distribute COVID-19 safety kits, including cloth masks, hand sanitizers, and informational materials to new mothers. 

HMHBGA has impacted the health and well-being of women, children, and families for the past 48 years by supporting the community through direct services, advocacy, and community education. 

The Wellstar Center for Health Equity is an extension of Wellstar’s long history of community engagement and allyship to provide people-centric care, and was formed to convene, activate, and support community partners and advocates to address, impact, and drive lasting change at a grassroots level.

Pregnant or postpartum moms, birth givers and organizations serving pregnant women may request a care package. For more information, please visit this link.

If you’re a woman suffering from pain or discomfort due to uterine fibroids, you’re not alone. An estimated 26 million women in the U.S. have uterine fibroids — and more than 15 million will experience symptoms or health concerns.

Uterine fibroids are common, non-cancerous growths in the uterus, affecting 20 to 80% of women by age 50. Often, these benign tumors are small and do not cause issues.

However, for some women, the growths can lead to painful symptoms, including:

• Heavy or prolonged periods
• Pelvic pain or pressure
• Frequent urination
• Trouble emptying your bladder
• Constipation
• Enlargement of lower abdomen

While all women can develop uterine fibroids, Black women are disproportionately affected. Black women often have fibroids at younger ages, larger growths and more severe symptoms compared to other racial groups.

Pain doesn’t have to be part of life. Women experiencing fibroid pain can find expert care, advanced treatments and support at Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital.

Fibroid care close to home

Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital provides a minimally-invasive treatment called uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), which can help improve symptoms and quality of life. While fibroids can also be treated with surgical options like a hysterectomy, UFE offers a non-surgical solution that preserves the uterus.

During this procedure, an interventional radiologist inserts sand-like particles into the artery that supplies the fibroid, blocking its blood supply. This method prevents estrogen and other nutrients from reaching the tumor, which can cause the fibroid to shrink up to 50%.

Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital’s trained imaging team performs UFE every day, offering a wealth of expertise and experience. Providing high-quality, comprehensive fibroid care close to home can make all the difference for people with fibroid pain.

“UFE offers many women a minimally-invasive solution to treat fibroid symptoms,” said Dr. Jordan Ray, interventional radiologist with Quantum Radiology, who works with the imaging team at Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital. “When this uterine preservation therapy is compared with other treatment options, patients recover faster and experience better outcomes without the need for surgery.”

In addition to a quicker recovery time and fewer complications, women who choose UFE at Wellstar also benefit from Wellstar Fibroid Care Coordinators.

Wellstar Fibroid Care Coordinators help the process go smoothly for patients, including scheduling appointments, obtaining insurance verification and coordinating referrals. One-on-one care is provided at every step, from pre-op to surgery and through recovery.

With complete fibroid care and a supportive team at Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital, women can get back to living pain-free.

For more information and to find out if UFE is the right treatment for you, call (678) 581-5900.

Whether she’s riding motorcycles with her husband, enjoying a roller coaster with her daughter or keeping others well as a chiropractor, Kimberly Smith-Howard stays busy. 

But Kimberly still makes time to visit Wellstar Spalding Regional Hospital for her regular screenings like mammograms — and says she has made health and wellness a priority since her breast cancer diagnosis in 2006.

Kimberly, who has lived in the Griffin area since high school, had just turned 40. She saw her gynecologist for her annual checkup and got her first mammogram. It came back abnormal, and so did her Pap smear. She was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer and cervical pre-cancer.

Kimberly said maintaining a positive attitude helped her through treatment, and she was encouraged along the way by a team of experts.

“When people are going through such a bad time, and they’re not feeling well, it really means so much to have healthcare professionals who are concerned as much about your mental health as they are your physical health,” Kimberly said. “They’re not just there to do a job, get through the day and go home. They’re there to really encourage the patient and make them feel better physically and mentally.”

After chemotherapy, radiation, a lumpectomy and a hysterectomy, Kimberly has stayed healthy for 15 years. Her diagnosis renewed her focus on her own wellness, and she decided to enter the healthcare field herself. In 2011, she went back to school, earning a bachelor’s degree in health coaching and later her chiropractic degree from Life University. Now, she is working on a master’s degree in positive psychology. 

Kimberly still goes to Wellstar Spalding Regional Hospital for care.

“I’ve always had the most compassionate nurses and the most competent doctors. Everybody has always treated me really well,” she said.

That care she relies on is convenient as well, she added.

“I love being close to home. I love that I have a hospital that does such a great job that’s right at my back door,” Kimberly said.

She encourages women to make time for health screenings and seek care if something seems wrong.

“Always do your routine check-ups and take care of yourself. Know your body,” she recommends.

To schedule a mammogram, call (678) 581-5900.