New Technology at Wellstar is Improving Outcomes for Complex Brain Bleed Patients

By Wellstar Breast Surgeon Dr. Laura Pearson

I have never met a woman who enjoyed getting mammograms, including myself. They can be uncomfortable, awkward and anxiety-provoking—especially if you have had scares in the past or are at high risk for getting breast cancer.

There are so many additional resources for risk reduction and surveillance available that go hand-in-hand with mammograms. At Wellstar, reducing your risk and screening for cancer starts with a physical from your primary care doctor.

If you are at average risk of developing breast cancer, you should begin annual screening mammograms at age 40. If you have a family history or other risk factors, your doctor may recommend earlier or more frequent screening. If something is detected on a mammogram, the Wellstar Comprehensive Breast Health Program has nurse navigators who will help arrange diagnostic imaging, biopsy procedures and referrals to breast specialists. If you are diagnosed with cancer, the compassionate and oncology-trained nurse navigators with Wellstar Cancer Care walk patients through diagnosis, evaluation, treatment and beyond.

If you’re diagnosed with breast cancer, your treatment and care will transition from our Comprehensive Breast Health Program to the Wellstar Cancer Care team. In Wellstar STAT Clinics, which stands for Specialty Teams and Treatment, we put you at the center of your care plan. In our STAT Clinic for Breast Cancer, the care team, including breast oncology nurse navigators, surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, nutritionists and genetic counselors, will meet with you and your support system on the same day to formulate a treatment plan personalized to your specific cancer, as well as your personal and cultural needs. Patients are able to ask questions, make decisions and start treatment sooner, improving outcomes.

Many times, surgical intervention can be done as an outpatient procedure. We can also offer some people intraoperative radiation therapy, or IORT—the option of doing their radiation treatment in the operating room at the same time as their lumpectomy, meaning they are able to avoid four to six weeks of radiation treatments. Any other interventions, such as chemotherapy or radiation, including our CyberKnife for treatments like targeted partial breast radiation therapy, are found in the cancer center on Wellstar North Fulton’s medical campus. We have physical therapists, social workers and palliative care specialists who are there for you if the need arises.

Your Wellstar care team can also help you reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. Being overweight or obese or being a smoker can increase your risk. Patients at Wellstar have access to our Center for Best Health to assist in weight management. We also have smoking cessation programs and dietitians waiting to help you make healthier choices that can positively impact your health.

Wellstar provides more than healthcare, PeopleCare—working relentlessly to exceed national standards and our patients’ expectations while remembering the humanity of every patient. We are here for all the situations and stages of our patients’ lives by offering the tools and resources to be healthy and thrive. Wellstar clinicians live in the communities we serve. We must get physicals, mammograms and biopsies. We need help being our healthiest selves. We get sick and have family members who need compassionate care. PeopleCare means offering our patients world-class healthcare in the communities where they live and work.

Your care team can put your mammogram order in Wellstar MyChart to book online, or you can schedule by calling (678) 581-5900.

Visit wellstar.org/northfultoncancercare to learn more about cancer care at Wellstar North Fulton.

Cheers and history intertwined on Friday, August 15, 2025, as Ray and Ellie Williams—both proud U.S. Navy veterans—marked an extraordinary milestone: their 80th wedding anniversary. Their remarkable love story began on one of the most pivotal days in American history, when Japan announced its surrender, bringing World War II to a close and ushering in a new era of peace.

Ray, now 101, served 21 years in the Navy, including during WWII and the Korean War. Ellie, who will turn 100 on August 31, proudly served in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) program, a pioneering initiative for women in the U.S. Navy Reserve. The two met in April of 1945 when Ray returned from the Pacific and was sent to the Navy headquarters in Gainesville, Ga., where Ellie worked in the administration office. They married after a whirlwind four-month courtship.

The couple exchanged vows on August 15, 1945, the same day Japan announced its surrender, marking the beginning of peace and the end of a global conflict. Their wedding day, linked to V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day), has become a symbol of love, sacrifice and the enduring strength of the human spirit.

Ray and Ellie remember their wedding day well. “It was a wonderful day,” said Ellie. “All the guys were celebrating that the war was over.”

“The mood in the nation was ultimate joy and relief,” said Ray. “And, of course, we had the personal joy of being newlyweds, so it was a double-joy for us.” 

Now residents of Wellstar’s Atherton Place, Ray and Ellie were among the honorees at a special ceremony on Friday, hosted by the community. The event, which also paid tribute to the many veterans who call Atherton Place home, brought together family, friends, fellow residents and Wellstar team members to celebrate not only the couple’s milestone, but also the legacy of service that defines the community.

The ceremony included a proclamation by Marietta Mayor Steve Tumlin, who declared August 15, 2025, as “Ray and Ellie Williams Day.”

“Their commitment to each other is truly inspiring,” said Anita Perkins, manager of resident care at Atherton Place. “It’s an honor to care for them and to celebrate their incredible bond with our entire community.”

Located on the campus of Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center, Atherton Place offers a vibrant and supportive environment for seniors, several of whom are veterans. The event highlighted the community’s commitment to honoring its residents’ lives and legacies.