July and August Meetings

For a complete list of each hospitals' committee/department meetings, click "Read more>>."

July and August CME Events

For a complete list of June and July CME events, click "Read More>>."

Clinical Documentation Tip: Documenting Anemia

It’s critical to properly document Anemia to capture your patient’s severity of illness:

2010 WellStar Medical Staff Engagement Survey Results

To view the 2010 WellStar Medical Staff Engagement Survey, click "Read more>>."

Register Now for WellStar Foundation's Golf Tournament

WellStar Foundation's 17th Annual Golf Tournament will be held at the beautiful Marietta Country Club on Monday, Sept. 13, 2010. Teams for both the 8:01 a.m. and 1:43 p.m. shot-gun starts fill up quickly, so get your name in early!

Physician Networking Social

Don't miss a Physician Networking Social at Marietta Country Club on Thursday, Aug. 5 from 6 - 9 p.m.

Remembering Randy Grimes, M.D.

Randy Grimes, M.D., passed away Tuesday, May 18, 2010. He had been a valued member of the WellStar Cardiovascular Medicine family since 2001. Dr. Grimes will be missed terribly by the entire WellStar family. He always felt the best part of being a doctor was “helping the willing find health.”

Welcome New Medical Staff Members

For a complete list of new Medical Staff and Advanced Practitioners, click "Read more>>."

5-Star Nursing Model

A 5-Star Nursing Professional Practice Model, developed by WellStar nursing staff and leaders, recently was introduced to WellStar’s nursing team members. It provides WellStar with a foundation for world-class nursing care and showcases an ideal 5-Star patient experience.

WellStar Receives Two Clinical Distinctions

For the seventh consecutive year, the American Association for Respiratory Care has named WellStar a Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR) institution. Of the 5,000 hospitals in the United States, only 700 have achieved this distinction; WellStar’s recognition is for all five hospitals.

Quantum Radiology Updates

3D post-processing is available with WellStar and Quantum Radiology for the following musculoskeletal regions: all extremities, spine, maxillofacial, and joints, as well as soft tissue and muscular imaging.

WellStar Cobb Hospital Awarded Three-Year CARF Accreditation

CARF International recently announced that WellStar Cobb Hospital has been accredited for a  period of three years for its Inpatient Rehabilitation Program - Hospital: Adults and its Inpatient Rehabilitation Program - Hospital: Stroke Specialty Program Adults.  The latest accreditation is the fourth consecutive three-year accreditation that the international accrediting body has awarded to Cobb Hospital.

Clinical documentation Tip: Renal Status

This month’s “hot topic” from clinical documentation is renal status.  Acute renal insufficiency does not capture your patient’s severity of illness.  Renal insufficiency typically refers only to mild kidney dysfunction.  Renal insufficiency and A/CKD are not synonymous with Acute Kidney Injury or Failure; please do not use these terms interchangeably.

Microbiology Lab to Begin Molecular Testing

Within the next few months, the Microbiology Lab will be bringing molecular testing for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in-house. Each year, close to 4 million cases of Chlamydia and one million cases of gonorrhea occur in the United States. Co-infection of both organisms is not uncommon. Complications that can result from untreated infections can be serious and recent CDC recommendations call for expanded testing.

Ignore JAVA Installation Request

Please note that JAVA should not be updated on computer workstations. Installation of the update can prevent access to the Physician Portal.

Shadowing Opportunities for Students

The summer break brings an increase in requests to physicians to provide clinical experiences for students and others. Physicians are reminded that any person they bring to a WellStar facility in a shadowing or extern role must be processed by the Medical Staff office to assure that patients’ safety and privacy is preserved and that the experience for the student is a safe one.

2010 WellStar Medical Engagement Survey

Thank you to those of you who participated in this year’s Medical Staff Engagement Survey. We exceeded last year's participation rate for the System and at four of our facilities:

System: Increased from 51% to 53.7%
Kennestone: Increased from 52% to 55%
Cobb: Currently at 46%; last year was at 53.2%
Windy Hill: Increased from 37.3% to 51%
Douglas: Increased from 48.5% to 74%
Paulding: Increased from 52.84% to 74%

The survey for physicians ended on June 7. The Advanced Practitioners received their surveys the first week of June; this survey will run until July 7.

Patient Satisfaction

Control, decision-making, time, technical skills and appearance are five areas in which physicians can positively influence patient satisfaction. Learn the significance of each area by clicking "Read more>>."

June and July CME Events

For a complete list of June and July CME events, click "Read More>>."

June and July Meetings

For a complete list of each hospitals' committee/department meetings, click "Read more>>."