Wellstar Children's of Georgia
Child Life Specialists
At Wellstar Children’s of Georgia, our Child Life Specialists are expertly trained in helping children and youth navigate the challenges of illness, injury or disability, hospitalization, treatment or new diagnosis.
About Us
- What is a Child Life Specialist?
- The Healing Power of Play
- Understanding Care
- Preparation
- Support for Patients and Family
- Grief and Bereavement Support
- Grief Resources
What is a Child Life Specialist?
A Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) is a healthcare professional who helps children, teens, and families understand and cope with injury, illness, hospitalization, or death and loss. Their goal is to help reduce anxiety, fear, pain, and misconceptions pertaining to medical experiences. Often through play, child life specialists enable children to explore, learn, and develop effective coping skills for facing challenging events.
What education does a Child Life Specialist need?
To become a CCLS, a four-year undergraduate degree is required. Some Child Life Specialists also choose to earn a master’s degree, which offers advanced training in working with pediatric patients.
Every member of our team is a CCLS by national examination.Association of Child Life Professionals.
The Healing Power of Play
Play helps children make sense of the world—and it’s especially important in a healthcare setting. Our Child Life Specialists use play to:- Support healthy development and positive coping strategies
- Prepare children for medical procedures in age-appropriate ways
- Help children process their experiences and emotions
- Give children choices and a sense of controlEncourage normal development and positive coping throughout healthcare experiences
Helping Children Understand Care
Our team of Child Life Specialists understands that children and teens cope best when they are prepared for healthcare encounters in ways they can understand. We use our knowledge of child development to provide education tailored to each child’s age and needs. Using play, technology and realistic medical equipment, Child Life Specialists help explain diagnoses, procedures and tests in developmentally appropriate ways.We’re also a resource for caregivers and parents who want to better understand how children develop, respond to challenges and cope with stress.
Preparation
Hospital visits and medical procedures can be stressful for children and their families. Children may feel nervous, have questions or misunderstand what’s happening based on unfamiliar medical terms. By preparing children honestly and in age-appropriate ways, Child Life Specialists help to:
- Reduce anxiety
- Build trust with care team members
- Identify stressors and teach coping skills
- Offer choices and a sense of control
We guide children through what to expect—what they may feel, see, hear, taste and smell—so they feel more confident and informed. Using developmentally appropriate language, pictures and medical tools, we help children make sense of their experience and express any fears or concerns.
Support for Patients and Family
Child Life Specialists help children and their families develop positive coping skills and establish plans and techniques for facing challenging events. Coping strategies are unique to each child and family.For Parents
- Honestly explaining to your child how something may feel without minimizing their emotions or the experience
- Informing team members of important facts about your child
- Remaining positive, calm and supportive toward your child
- Providing your presence/full attention and offering specific praise before, during and after a procedure
- Utilizing comfort positioning so that your child can always see and touch you
- Preparing yourself for your child’s upcoming procedure
For Children
- Distraction: Refocusing your child’s attention on an activity they find engaging
- Imagery: Asking your child to close their eyes and recall a positive place or memory
- Breathing: Encouraging your child to take slow, deep breaths
- Comfort: Bringing along your child’s favorite blanket or stuffed animal to hold before, during or after the procedure
Grief & Bereavement Support
Child Life Specialists are trained in how children understand and respond to the death of a loved one. They provide guidance on talking to children about a loved one who has died or is nearing the end of their life. Using play, art and developmentally appropriate language, Child Life Specialists help children and teens understand the death, express emotions and create keepsakes in memory of their loved one.Helping Children Deal with Grief
Camp Tranquility and Camp Dogwood are one-day events for children and adults who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Both are sponsored by Wellstar Hospice Care.Camp Tranquility
Camp Tranquility is a community workshop for families who have lost a loved one. Adults and children ages 6 and older participate in sessions designed to support healthy grief expression. Participants connect with others experiencing similar losses while learning:
- Age-specific strategies for processing grief
- Self-care and stress reduction
- Parenting through loss
- Talking to children about death and grief
- Activities for family healing over time
Camp Dogwood
Camp Dogwood is a free, one-day event for children ages 6 to 12 in West Georgia and surrounding areas who have experienced the loss of a loved one.Founded in 1997 as an outreach of West Georgia Hospice, the camp now serves up to 60 children each summer, supported by about 80 volunteers.
Through art, games and stories, campers:
- Understand that everyone grieves
- Learn healthy ways to cope
- Find meaningful ways to remember loved ones
- Build coping skills while enjoying fun, supportive activities
Additional Resources & Grief Support Materials
Services & Resources
- Opportunities for play, growth and development in the healthcare setting
- Healthcare education for children and families
- Procedural and surgical preparation and support
- Strategies for coping with stressful situations
- Advocacy that promotes emotional safety for children, teens and families
- Support of siblings during their brother's or sister’s hospitalization
- Illness education and coping support for children and teens whose loved one is hospitalized
- Grief and bereavement support
- Guidance for parents and caregivers on child development and ways to manage stress and trauma
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At Wellstar, we deliver expert care with a human touch. From surgeries and interventions to routine screenings, our dedicated expert teams provide treatment that’s just as personal as it is advanced. With hundreds of locations including hospitals, clinics and offices, our reach is expansive and our approach is always individual. Expert care, made human. That's PeopleCare.
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Atlanta City FC Selects Wellstar Health System as Official Healthcare Provider
ATLANTA – Oct. 1, 2026 – Atlanta City FC has selected Wellstar Health System, a nationally-ranked and locally recognized healthcare provider based in Georgia, as the official healthcare provider of the club.
Through this multi-year partnership, Wellstar and Atlanta City FC will ensure the club’s athletes receive a high level of care on and off the pitch, while developing community and philanthropic efforts focused on the health and wellbeing of all women and female athletes.
Partnerships are developed through shared values, common goals and an aligned vision for the future,” said AMB Sports and Entertainment President Tim Zulawski. “As an Atlanta-based healthcare provider with a shared commitment to women’s health and delivering best-in-class care for female athletes, Wellstar is a perfect partner for Atlanta City FC. We’re proud to have Wellstar as our Official Healthcare Provider and look forward to working together to make a positive impact in our community as we continue to lay the foundation of our NWSL club.” For Wellstar, the partnership creates new opportunities to engage the community in their health and wellness.
By combining Wellstar's expertise in women's health, sports medicine, orthopedics, rehabilitation, primary care, and specialty care with the visibility and community reach of Atlanta’s new National Women’s Soccer League franchise, we can engage more people where they live, work, and gather and connect them with the care they need,” said Wellstar President and CEO Ketul J. Patel. “The team’s decision to choose Wellstar reflects the strength of our physicians, clinicians, team members, and the high-quality care we provide across Georgia every day. “
The partnership also aligns with Wellstar’s focus and expertise in women’s health, providing a full range of services from preventive and reproductive care to maternity, high-risk pregnancy and advanced orthopedic, cardiovascular and cancer services with one of the Southeast’s largest physician networks. Wellstar also is investing in innovative women’s health programs, including remote pregnancy monitoring and personalized breast cancer risk assessment, to ensure more women have access to quality and trusted care.
Women’s health is about recognizing that women have unique healthcare needs at every stage of life,” said Paula Greaves, MD, Chief of Women’s Health for Wellstar Health System. “By partnering with Atlanta City FC, we have an opportunity to bring together our expertise across women’s health, sports medicine and specialty care to support these athletes as whole people, not simply as competitors. This partnership also provides us with opportunities to engage with and support women of every age and background as we rally behind our new hometown NWSL team, on and off the pitch.”
As Atlanta City FC continues building its club and community presence ahead of its inaugural season, Wellstar will play an integral role in supporting the health and wellbeing of players and the broader community through a shared commitment to excellence, community impact and service. Together, the organizations will develop opportunities to expand access to women’s health resources, promote healthy lifestyles and create meaningful community impact.
Learn more about Atlanta City FC
Newsroom
Social Rx (Art Pharmacy) and Wellstar: Advancing Whole-Person Health Through Community Connection
Wellstar’s partnership with Social Rx (Art Pharmacy) redefines how we support people’s overall health—using arts and culture as a powerful tool to address social, emotional and behavioral health needs across our communities. This initiative is one way Wellstar puts PeopleCare into action by recognizing that health is shaped not only by care at hospitals and doctor’s offices, but also by connection, purpose and community.
“As healthcare continues to evolve, arts and health is gaining recognition as a powerful tool for advancing equity, improving well-being and supporting whole-person care. At Wellstar, we are proud to help lead this work by connecting patients to community-based experiences that foster healing, connection and long-term health,” said Dr. Glenda Francis, director of operations for the Wellstar Center for Health Equity.
Social prescribing enables health professionals to formally prescribe non-clinical community activities—like creative workshops and performances—to improve a patient's health.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, poor social relationships, social isolation and loneliness can increase the risk of heart disease by 29% and risk of stroke by 32%. People with strong perceptions of belonging to a community are 2.6 times more likely to report good or excellent health than people with a low sense of belonging.
“Our nation has an epidemic of loneliness that can contribute to people suffering from heart disease, stroke and premature death,” said Dr. Earl Stewart Jr., medical director of health equity for Wellstar. “Meaningful social engagement can help people overcome isolation and improve their behavioral health.”
The results to date show that this model is not only engaging—it produces meaningful outcomes for patients.
Driving measurable improvements in health and well-being
Recent quarterly outcomes demonstrate the meaningful difference this program is making for Wellstar patients.
Outcomes among 67 events include:
- 80% of attendees saw improved health and well-being
- 53% experienced reduced behavioral health symptoms
- 80% of those who were experiencing loneliness felt less lonely
- 88% active engagement in the social prescriptions
- 83% attendance rate at events
- Participants rated the program an average 9.7 out of 10
A patient’s story: from isolation to connection
For one Wellstar program participant, the experience became a turning point in her health journey. Initially referred through Social Rx because of anxiety and social isolation, she began attending pottery and arts-based classes in her community.
At first, participation felt unfamiliar, but over time she found herself looking forward to each session. The creative environment gave her space to decompress, express herself and connect with others in a way that felt safe and supportive.
“I learned how to relax and take better care of myself,” she shared. “I’ve really enjoyed participating—and I will continue to go back.”
Beyond the classes, her care team saw an improved mood, increased engagement and a growing sense of confidence. What began as a referral became a sustainable tool for managing her mental health and building connection.
Sustained outcomes beyond participation
The impact of the program extends beyond the experience itself:
• 100% of participants reported progress toward their health goals, with 30% fully achieving them.
• 80% reported continued improvement in blood pressure readings over time.
These results suggest the benefits of social prescribing can continue well beyond the initial experience.
Expanding access through community partnerships
The success of this program is grounded in strong partnerships with local arts and cultural organizations. Atlanta Shakespeare Company, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Zoo Atlanta, Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre, Spivey Hall and others all contribute to a growing network of community partners supporting this work.
These partners play a vital role in creating welcoming, culturally relevant experiences that communities enjoy.
Advancing health equity through social prescribing
The program has also meaningfully reached populations that have historically faced barriers to care, including Black/African American patients and women.
By reducing barriers and offering accessible, community-based experiences, Wellstar is advancing health equity and meeting patients where they are.