The care teams at Wellstar are dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of everyone we serve, and we thank our team members for their commitment to world-class care. We also thank Cobb residents for trusting the expertise of Wellstar to keep their families healthy and provide them with more than healthcare, PeopleCare.
Several Wellstar team members have been voted among the Best of Cobb:

• Bruce Alayof, MD
  Wellstar Center for Cardiovascular Care
  Best Cardiac/Vascular Specialist, Second Place


• Kyle Brown
  Wellstar Health Place
  Best Personal Trainer, Second Place


• Ryan Breshears, PhD
  Wellstar Clinical Psychology
  Best Psychologist, Second Place


• Ryan Cantwell, MD
  Wellstar Internal Medicine
  Best Family Physician, First Place
  Best General Practice Doctor, Second Place


• Kozue Cunningham
  Wellstar Health Place
  Best Massage Therapist, First Place


• Diedre Greene, MD
  Wellstar Pediatrics
  Best Pediatrician, Second Place


• Amy Gross
  Wellstar Outpatient Rehabilitation
  Best Physical Therapist, First Place


• Ashish Kapila, DPM
  Wellstar Podiatry
  Best Podiatry, Third Place


• Amy Kewin, MD
  Wellstar Pediatrics
  Best Pediatrician, First Place


• Keisha McClure
  Wellstar Health Place
  Best Massage Therapist, Third Place


• Eduardo Molinary, MD
  Wellstar Pulmonary Medicine
  Best Pulmonary Medicine, Third Place


• David Parks, MD
  Wellstar ENT
  Best ENT Specialist, First Place


• Dhaval Patel, MD
  Wellstar Center for Cardiovascular Care
  Best Cardiac/Vascular Specialist, Third Place


• Daniel Saade, MD
  Wellstar Pediatrics
  Best Pediatrician, Third Place


• Carolyn Smallwood, DO
  Wellstar Primary Care
  Best General Practice Doctor, First Place
  Best Family Physician, Second Place


• Randall Webb, MD
  Wellstar OB/GYN
  Best OB/GYN, Third Place


• Wellstar Atherton Place
  Senior Living and Memory Care
  Best Nursing Home, Third Place


• Wellstar Health Place
  Best Fitness Center/Gym, First Place


• Wellstar Health Place
  Best Yoga/Barre/Pilates Studio, Third Place


• Wellstar Health Place
  A Healthier You- Medical Fitness
  Best Weight Loss Clinic, Third Place


• Wellstar Pediatrics at 3707 Largent Way
  Best Pediatric Group, First Place


• Wellstar Pediatrics at 760 Kennesaw Avenue
  Best Pediatric Group, Second Place


• Wellstar Pediatrics at 121 Marble Mill Road
  Best Pediatric Group, Third Place

Wellstar’s expert cardiac care specialists partner with patients at every step, from preventative care to high-tech treatments and supportive life-changing advice. 

For Mike Clements, the innovative care he received at Wellstar has empowered him to meet his goals and be there for life’s special moments — including walking his daughter down the aisle at her wedding and meeting his first grandchild.

Life-saving LVAD implants 

In October 2020, Mike received a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implant to support his heart. An LVAD is a battery-powered pump that is surgically implanted and does the job of the heart, pumping blood throughout the body. The external rechargeable battery pack can provide up to 17 hours of power, and most patients with LVAD implants are able to return to work and other routine activities. 

For patients whose hearts cannot effectively pump blood on their own, an LVAD is life-saving technology. The device can either keep the patient healthy until they can receive a transplant or serve as an alternative to a heart transplant.

Your Wellstar cardiologist or heart failure specialist can help you determine if an LVAD is the right option for your heart care.

Mike’s decades-long Wellstar partnership

Mike has been a Wellstar patient for decades, beginning when he began experiencing heart issues and was referred to Dr. David Caras for a consultation. As a Wellstar heart patient, he was ready to receive life-saving care right when he needed it, years later.

After Mike received his LVAD implant, an interdisciplinary team of Wellstar providers helped him recover. After Dr. Richard Myung and Dr. Theresa Luu performed the surgery, he spent three weeks in inpatient rehabilitation at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, guided by an expert team who helped him adjust to life with the implant.

Mike had been on vasopressors to elevate his blood pressure, and when he lost circulation in his toes and developed gangrene, Wellstar Podiatrist Dr. Ashish Kapila performed an amputation of the toes to control the infection, which could have been particularly dangerous with the LVAD. 

And when Mike was determined to walk his daughter down the aisle for her June 2021 wedding, Wellstar helped make it happen. He began cardiac rehabilitation and physical therapy at Wellstar Vinings Health Park. He knew the aisle at the church was 40 feet long, so his physical therapy team measured the distance and practiced with him. 

In June, he was able to walk with his daughter at her wedding, with the support of his LVAD implant keeping his heart beating with every step. Then in August, he was able to enjoy another family milestone — the birth of his first grandchild.

Mike said Wellstar made his care personal and helped him feel supported on his heart health journey. The LVAD coordinators and nursing team in the critical care unit and cardiovascular ICU and on the blue floor at Kennestone became like family as he began his life with the LVAD, Mike said.

“I can’t say enough great things about Wellstar Health System. They truly deliver ‘PeopleCare,’ from the physicians to the clinical staff to the maintenance team that cleans the rooms,” Mike said. “Rather than taking a cookie-cutter approach, they take the time to know me and my healthcare needs and coordinate care seamlessly. I feel like we’re a team in this journey together.”

Mike walking his daughter down the aisle