Two Major Announcements Made at Aug. 18 Board of Trustees Meeting

During a specially-called Board meeting on Aug. 18, 2011, WellStar Health System Board of Trustees officially appointed Reynold J. Jennings as WellStar President & CEO, and nine Solaris Heart & Vascular physicians signed a letter of intent to join WellStar Medical Group.

Reynold J. Jennings Is Officially WellStar’s New President & CEO
"Over the past two weeks, Mr. Jennings has had the opportunity to meet with many WellStar team members and local community hospital board leaders," said Randall Bentley, Sr., Chairman of the WellStar Board of Trustees, in a memo to team members and medical staff. "We have received an overwhelmingly positive response to his strong ethical values, leadership experience and healthcare expertise. The Board firmly believes he is the right person to lead our System and help us achieve our vision of delivering world-class healthcare." 

Mr. Jennings will start on Aug. 22, and plans to spend the first few weeks reviewing various WellStar materials and touring facilities to learn more about WellStar’s programs, plans and initiatives.
"I have been very impressed with Mr. Jennings’ commitment to our community and WellStar," added Bentley. "He and his wife, Patsy, have already made arrangements to give back a portion of his salary to the WellStar Foundation to establish a new fund for employees who are victims of disasters or those in emergency hardship situations. This is very much a reflection of his loyalty to WellStar and to his firm conviction of the excellent healthcare being delivered to our communities through our System." 
Click here to view a detailed biography on Mr. Jennings.
 
Nine Cardiologists Previously with Solaris Join WellStar Medical Group
Drs. Antonio Baute, Wm. Michael Brown, Paul Guichard, Dennis Incorvati, Salvatore Mannino, Dhaval Patel, Bryan Piedad, David Zimmerman and Amy Elsass have signed a letter of intent to join WellStar Medical Group, Cardiovascular Medicine. All of these physicians are currently with Solaris Heart & Vascular, which will dissolve as a corporation after the acquisition. Pending the finalization of all contracts, the planned effective date is Nov. 1, 2011.
“Further integration between our physicians and hospitals is essential for our vision of delivering seamless, integrated world-class healthcare,” said Jim Budzinski, executive vice president & chief financial officer of WellStar. 
These physicians will begin practicing out of the following WellStar Medical Group, Cardiovascular Medicine locations:

55 Whitcher Street, Suite 350, Marietta, GA 30060
120 Stonebridge Parkway, Suite 110, Woodstock, GA 30189
210 Oakside Lane, Suite C, Canton, GA 30114
 
“Through this integration, WellStar Cardiovascular Medicine will be able to provide better access, quality and clinical outcomes as well as service to our community through the WellStar Cardiac Network. By integrating with WellStar, Solaris Heart & Vascular patients will benefit from a seamless healthcare experience,” said Robert Jansen, M.D., interim president of the WellStar Medical Group.