WellStar Cobb Hospital Opens Inpatient Burn Unit

  From left, Kem Mullins;  Ilona Wozniak; Thomas McNamara, M.D.; Victoria Gallespie, RN;  Jocelyn Hills-Beasley, NP (JMS);  Becca Coley, RN; Callie Carter, PAC; Kathy Hunt, RN; Peggy Sterbenz MA, RN; Veronica Martin; and Claus Brandigi , M.D. (JMS)

In late May, WellStar Cobb Hospital opened an inpatient burn unit in collaboration with the Joseph M. Still (JMS) Burn Center.

 “We are excited about opening this new unit,” said Kem Mullins, senior vice president and Cobb Hospital president. “It will provide patients who must undergo long-term burn care and treatment an option closer to home. We estimate the new unit will have approximately 365 admissions in the first year. Initially, the unit will provide care for patients with burns on 20 percent of their bodies or less and who are 14 years of age or older.”

For the past seven years, Cobb has had a collaborative partnership with JMS, offering outpatient burn care and treatment. Based in Augusta, Ga., JMS is the largest burn center in the United States. They extend their expertise through four specialized burn centers in hospitals across the Southeast. Cobb’s center has delivered more than 20,000 treatments to patients in the local community and those who travel from across Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and beyond for these critical services.

JMS will provide the medical director and 24/7 physician coverage to the new inpatient burn unit. Approximately 25 WellStar nurses and other team members have been hired to staff this specialized unit. WellStar hospitalists, infectious disease and other sub-specialists also will play an important role in the care of these patients. The burn unit is located on the second floor, North Tower of Cobb.