Importance of Colon Cancer Screening

Hiram, Georgia (April 2, 2026) – Wellstar Health System announced that Wellstar Paulding Medical Center achieved Magnet® redesignation in March through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. This honor reflects the organization’s continued nursing professionalism, teamwork and commitment to excellence in patient care. Wellstar Paulding first earned Magnet designation in 2021, and this redesignation affirms the team’s sustained dedication to advancing nursing practice and improving patient outcomes. For the first time, Wellstar Paulding was also recognized with Magnet with Distinction, an elevated honor awarded to organizations demonstrating exceptional performance across the Magnet model, joining only 80 hospitals nationwide.

The Magnet Recognition Program distinguishes healthcare organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence and high-quality care. Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center achieved Magnet designation in 2025.

With this redesignation, Wellstar Paulding continues to be part of the global community of Magnet-recognized organizations. About 10% of hospitals nationwide achieve Magnet recognition due to the program’s complex requirements and comprehensive evaluation process. Even fewer achieve Magnet with Distinction. This distinction further underscores Wellstar’s commitment to delivering world-class, compassionate and personalized care across the communities it serves.

“This achievement reflects the exceptional professionalism and commitment of our nursing teams,” said Mary Chatman, PhD, RN, Wellstar executive vice president of acute care operations and interim system chief nurse executive. “It reinforces Wellstar Paulding’s focus on nursing excellence, collaboration across disciplines, and delivery of high-quality and safe patient care.”

Magnet recognition is the gold standard for nursing excellence and is an important factor when patients and families evaluate healthcare organizations. U.S. News & World Report includes Magnet recognition as part of the methodology for its annual “America’s Best Hospitals" rankings, which assess the quality of inpatient care.

Research demonstrates that Magnet recognition provides measurable benefits to healthcare organizations and the communities they serve, including:

• Higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication, availability of help and discharge information
• Lower risk of 30-day mortality and reduced failure-to-rescue rates
• Higher job satisfaction among nurses
• Lower nurse reports of intent to leave their positions>

“This redesignation is a testament to our nurses and their dedication to patient-centered care,” said Shawn Bishop, vice president and chief nursing officer at Wellstar Paulding. “I am incredibly proud of the teamwork, leadership and excellence they demonstrate every day.”

The Magnet Model provides a framework for nursing practice, research and the measurement of outcomes. Through this framework, ANCC evaluates applicants across multiple components and dimensions to assess nursing excellence. The foundation of the model includes elements essential to delivering superior patient care, including strong nursing leadership, collaboration across specialties, and structured processes for measuring and improving the quality and delivery of care.

“This recognition is a testament to our commitment to supporting the nurses who deliver safe, high-quality care every day,” said Ketul J. Patel, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System. “Wellstar Paulding’s redesignation reflects a team that truly lives out what it means to be neighbors caring for neighbors, leading with heart, collaboration and pride in the community they serve."

ABOUT ANCC’S MAGNET RECOGNITION PROGRAM

The Magnet Recognition Program—administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the largest and most prominent nurses credentialing organization in the world—identifies healthcare organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and professionalism in nursing practice.

The Magnet Recognition Program is the highest national honor for nursing excellence and provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark for measuring quality of care. For more information about the Magnet Recognition Program and current statistics, visit nursingworld.org/magnet.

ABOUT WELLSTAR HEALTH SYSTEM

At Wellstar, people are at the center of everything we do. A nonprofit community healthcare system, we are nationally recognized for our personal, high-quality care, inclusive culture, and exceptional doctors and team members. We provide access to compassionate, high-quality care through our: 11 hospitals; 325+ medical office locations; 11 cancer centers; 91 rehabilitation centers; 35 imaging centers; 18 urgent care locations; five health parks; three hospice facilities; and one retirement village. Wellstar thoughtfully invests 100% of every dollar we make into initiatives that create healthier communities. To learn more about how we care for the communities we serve, visit Wellstar.org.

GRIFFIN, Ga. — Community leaders joined hospital executives Thursday as Wellstar Spalding Medical Center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open its new cancer center, improving access to oncology and infusion services for patients in Spalding County and the surrounding region.

The 6,475-square-foot expansion nearly doubles the hospital’s cancer treatment space and includes eight exam rooms, 14 infusion chairs, two blood draw stations, a dedicated lab, triage room, waiting area and administrative offices. An on-site infusion pharmacy will support chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapies and other outpatient treatments.

Care at the Wellstar Spalding Cancer Center is provided in partnership with Northwest Georgia Oncology Centers (NGOC), with additional support from an oncology nurse navigator who coordinates care and guides patients through treatment.

“People should be able to receive high-quality cancer care close to home,” said Kevin Smith, president of Wellstar Spalding. “By expanding both our cancer services and the specialties that support early detection and treatment, we’re making it more convenient for our patients to get the care they need.”

NGOC oncologist Dr. Dhivya Prabhakar has joined the Wellstar Spalding Cancer Center, further enhancing access to oncology care. She will be joined by a second oncologist this summer.

“What matters most to patients is feeling supported and understood throughout their cancer journey,” Dr. Prabhakar said. “With this expansion, people can stay in their community surrounded by a care team that knows them, listens to them and helps them navigate every step with clarity, compassion and hope. Our goal is to meet people where they are and partner with them in their care so they never feel alone in the process.”

Hospital leaders also highlighted growth in related services since the project began. Wellstar Spalding now offers endocrinology, which plays a key role in identifying endocrine-related cancers such as thyroid, adrenal and some pancreatic tumors. The hospital has also added a general surgeon specializing in breast surgery, expanding local options for evaluation and surgical care.