WellStar Medical Group New Providers – June

Please welcome the following new providers who joined WellStar Health System in June.

Martha Ximena Aguilera, M.D., FACS - (not pictured) Dr. Aguilera received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Northeastern Illinois University and her medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She completed her internship and residency in surgery at Saint Vincents Hospital of New York. She previously worked as a general surgeon at WellStar Cobb Hospital and at Cinica de Ortopedia y Medicina Laboral in Bogota, Columbia. 

Dr. Aguilera is board certified in surgery. She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Jeffrey Ellington, M.D.

Jeffrey Ellington, M.D. - Dr. Ellington earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Berea College and his medical degree from University of Kentucky. He also completed his residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at University of Kentucky.

Dr. Ellington is board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics. In his spare time, he enjoys skateboarding with his son, hiking with his family, and raising and showing Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs with his daughter.

John Joon Han, D.O.

John Joon Han, D.O. - Dr. Han earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan and his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Wayne State University College of Nursing. He earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Han is board certified in internal medicine.

Hamilton Lam, M.D.

Hamilton Lam, M.D. - Dr. Lam earned his bachelor’s degrees in biology and arts from Emory University where he also earned his master’s degree in public health and his medical degree. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Emory University Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Lam has worked as a hospitalist at Community Hospital South in Indianapolis, Ind., Southern Regional Medical Center in Riverdale, Ga. and Floyd Medical Center in Rome, Ga.

Dr. Lam is board certified in internal medicine and is certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support.

Charles M. Moore, M.D.

Charles M. Moore, M.D. - Dr. Moore received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Alabama and his medical degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. He completed his internship in general surgery and his residency in emergency medicine at the University Hospital of Jacksonville in Florida.

Joanne Zhiwen Zhu, M.D.

Dr. Moore is board certified in emergency medicine. He is married with two daughters. Is his spare time, he enjoys hunting, camping, woodworking, church youth ministry and medical missions.

Joanne Zhiwen Zhu, M.D. (Moving to full time as of June 10) - Dr. Zhu earned her master’s degree in molecular biology from the University of Florida and her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of North Carolina Hospitals.

Dr. Zhu is board certified in internal medicine. She is a member of the Society of Hospital Medicine.

WellStar Physician Biking Entire East Coast to Benefit Pediatric Cancer Research Glenn Hirsch, M.D., Pedaling Nearly 3,000 Miles in Honor of Nephew

As a teenager, Glenn Hirsch, M.D., had an ambitious goal: To ride his bicycle across the country. By the time he hit his 40s, he’d completed some long rides to benefit the MS Society, but still had not reached his cross-country goal.

When he turned 50 in 2000, he figured he’d better get moving. And he did – in a big way. He fulfilled his dream by riding 3,200 miles – from Seattle to Washington, D.C., in 48 days – to benefit the American Lung Association.

Glenn Hirsch, M.D.

For his next adventure, Dr. Hirsch thought about hiking the Appalachian Trail. But after he suffered a heart attack in late 2000 and underwent bypass surgery in 2001, the biking bug returned.
“During my post-op check with the cardiovascular surgeon, I was given a new weight restriction for lifting – 22 pounds,” he explained. “I figured my bike was light enough to lift, so three weeks after the surgery I took a short ride in the neighborhood. Later that fall, I took my first ride on the Silver Comet Trail.”

Then in 2004, the family medicine physician made an eight-day trek from San Francisco to Los Angeles to benefit the Arthritis Foundation.

The biker doc was back – and ready for an even bigger challenge. In 2006, Dr. Hirsch’s 11-year-old nephew, Ian, lost his battle with leukemia. Ian’s family founded the I Care I Cure Foundation to support research for gentler, more humane treatment for childhood cancers. In 2009, Dr. Hirsch began a 3,000-mile bike trip from Key West to Maine to raise money for that foundation and to honor Ian. Biking along the East Coast Greenway in segments, Dr. Hirsch, 62, has traveled through eight states so far, covering more than 1,800 miles.

One of the first WellStar Medical Group physicians, Dr. Hirsch, who practices at WellStar East Cobb Medical Center, joined the System in 1995. He credits WellStar with giving him the flexibility to reach his biking goals – and take time off to recuperate from his open heart surgery.

“I’m happy to be a part of an organization that supports me in all parts of my life,” said Dr. Hirsch. “You’re never too old to fulfill your dreams,” he added. “On my cross-country trek, I was inspired by a 79-year-old man who was on the ride. He paced himself – and he did it.”

Dr. Hirsch will finish his ride in 2013, the same year the Hirschs celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. If you would like to follow “Uncle Glenn’s East Coast Greenway Bike Ride,” visit
http://icareicureicycle.blogspot.com, a blog created by Lynn Hirsch, Dr. Hirsch’s wife. The blog also provides a link for making contributions to I Care I Cure.

A blog headline last month featured the following quote from Lance Armstrong: “Chasing records doesn’t keep me on my bike. Happiness does!” According to Lynn Hirsch, the statement also applies to her husband. “Glenn isn't after any records, he isn't the fastest rider and he has his aches and pains when he gets off his bike after a long ride. But he loves cycling and has spent some of his happiest moments on his bike,” she wrote that day.

2010 WellStar Medical Staff Engagement Survey

The annual WellStar Medical Staff Engagement Survey, ending on June 7, is well underway. The survey provides an opportunity for members of the Medical Staff team to share feedback and identify areas for further improvement. This year, for the first time, advanced practitioners will be included in the survey.

Physician Published in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Journal

William D. Lyday II, M.D., with Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates, was published in the April 2009 issue of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Dr. Lyday is the lead physician on the statement for "Radiofrequency ablation of Barrett’s esophagus: outcomes of 429 patients from a multicenter community practice registry."

WellStar Physician Published in Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation

Laura Peno-Green, M.D., was published in the November/December issue of the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention (JCRP). Dr. Peno-Green is the lead physician on the statement for "Patient and Program Outcome Assessment in Pulmonary Rehabilitation." (AN AACVPR STATEMENT)