Center for Health Equity
At Wellstar, we believe each and every person deserves to live their healthiest life, regardless of their circumstances. We aim to make healthcare accessible and equitable by offering world-class care, respect and dignity to everyone in our community, whether you are one of our patients or not. That’s what PeopleCare is all about.
Health Equity at Wellstar
Through the Wellstar Center for Health Equity (WCHE), we strive to address, impact and make lasting change for health inequities across Georgia. By putting systemwide initiatives and programs into action, the WCHE will help enhance the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve.
However, we know that health inequity is a complicated and complex issue. No one organization, policy or program can solve these problems alone. Using a collaborative approach, Wellstar has created strategic partnerships with government agencies, businesses, philanthropies, non-profit organizations and citizens to make a meaningful difference in our community.
By adopting a shared vision, we hope to achieve significant and lasting change. Together, Wellstar and its strategic partners address health inequities, such as:
- Access to Care
- Behavioral Health
- Food Access and Healthy Living
- Healthy Aging
- Maternal and Child Health
Access to Care
According to our Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), many members of Wellstar’s community have care access challenges in large part due to insurance constraints and provider access shortages. At Wellstar, we are committed to serving our community’s most vulnerable and under-resourced populations. Our community clinic partnership network helps increase access to care and provide reduced-cost outpatient medical services. By partnering with community clinics, healthcare systems like Wellstar can help reduce emergency department visits, decrease avoidable readmissions, boost patient satisfaction scores, and identify a patient’s health risk factors before an illness develops.Behavioral Health
Wellstar Behavioral Health offers a variety of services to assist the unique health needs of our community members. As part of our ongoing efforts, the Wellstar Opioid Steering Committee is focused on planning and implementing a comprehensive response to growing opioid misuse. A collaborative team of Wellstar providers, patients and communities have come together to help reduce opioid misuse, abuse and addiction. Three physician-led workgroups lead the charge using provider and patient education, clinical initiatives, and community awareness and engagement. To address the behavioral needs of community members and mitigate the role of mental health stigma, Wellstar's Soul Support delivers three evidence-based programs to provide mental health education and support to congregations.Food Access and Healthy Living
According to our CHNA, many Wellstar communities are caught in the vicious cycle of balancing housing and healthcare needs with their food needs. As a result, food insecurity and poor nutrition may lead to a higher risk of developing chronic diseases like obesity, hypertension and diabetes. To address this health inequity, Wellstar has begun food insecurity screening as a standardized protocol in vulnerable patient intake procedures, especially in areas in which a significant percentage of the patient population is identified as low income. Additionally, Wellstar facilitates fresh food distribution to families living in food deserts through a partnership with Goodr, Co. Click here to view our Food Access Strategy FrameworkHealthy Aging
Georgia is often ranked among the least healthy states for aging adults in the U.S. During the needs assessment process, community leaders and residents identified healthy aging as a health priority. Health challenges facing adults aged 65 and older include limited access to transportation, being on a limited or fixed income, poor nutrition, limited physical activity, provider shortages, poor continuity of care, limited or diminishing health literacy, and limited access to health advocates. Wellstar is committed to implementing renewed policies, practices, and partnerships aligned with age-friendly health system priorities.Maternal and Child Health
Georgia faces a persistent maternal and child health crisis, underscored by a 2025 "F" grade from the March of Dimes for high preterm birth rates and a maternal mortality rate where nearly 89% of deaths are considered preventable, with significant disparities affecting Black mothers. Wellstar Health System is addressing these challenges clinically by providing high-acuity care through Level III and IV NICUs, specialized Maternal-Fetal Medicine for high-risk pregnancies, and the opening of dedicated Obstetric Emergency Departments to ensure 24/7 specialized triage. In the community, Wellstar leverages a $5.5 million "Healthy Start" federal grant to deploy nurse navigators, doulas, and case managers to underserved rural "maternity deserts" in Butts, Spalding, and Troup counties, while also partnering with the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia to distribute "Pickles & Ice Cream" perinatal care packages. By bridging the gap between hospital-based excellence and grassroots advocacy—targeting social determinants like food access and health equity—Wellstar works to eliminate barriers to care and improve long-term outcomes for Georgia’s most vulnerable families.
