The 5 Dos and Don’ts of Managing Joint Health

Goodr, the innovative social impact company dedicated to ending food waste and hunger, and Wellstar Health System are teaming up for a fourth consecutive year to bring free, fresh food directly to communities throughout Metro Atlanta with a series of pop-up grocery markets.

The pop-ups will occur over five months: April, May, June, September and October.

For many Georgia families, accessing healthy food isn’t just a challenge—it’s a crisis. According to an October analysis by the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, 1.6 million Georgians received benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as food stamps).

Georgia is home to some of the largest food deserts in the country. Without nearby grocery stores, many residents rely on fast food and convenience stores, increasing their risk for chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. These mobile grocery pop-ups aren’t just about food—they deliver dignity, better health and hope.

“Health and wellness begin with access to nutritious food, which is a struggle for too many people in our community,” said Elise Lockamy-Kassim, assistant vice president for Wellstar Community Health and the Wellstar Center for Health Equity. “At Wellstar, we’ve found an exceptional partnership with Goodr and our network of community organizations to provide wholesome foods and health information.”

Each event will distribute approximately 20,000 pounds of fresh food, helping alleviate food insecurity for thousands of families. In addition to groceries, many events will offer free health screenings, nutrition education and wellness resources, reinforcing the connection between food and long-term health.

“These markets are more than just an opportunity for families to receive free groceries—they are a lifeline,” said Jasmine Crowe-Houston, founder and CEO of Goodr. “I’ve spoken with mothers who skip meals so their children can eat, seniors forced to ration what little they have and workers who spend most of their paycheck just to put food on the table. Thanks to Wellstar’s continued sponsorship, we serve those who need it most and work towards a future where no one must go hungry.”

All Wellstar Mobile Markets will be drive-thru events. Families must pre-register to attend (one registration per household) at wellstarmobilemarket.com or by emailing [email protected].

APRIL WELLSTAR MOBILE MARKET EVENTS:

Roswell
Thursday, April 3, 2025 | 5 – 6 PM
Roswell Organization for Community Development
Location: Zion Missionary Baptist Church
888 Zion Circle, Roswell, GA 30075
Registration now open

LaGrange
Saturday, April 5, 2025 | 10 – 11 AM
First Presbyterian Church - LaGrange
Location: AMC CLASSIC LaGrange 10
201 Main St., LaGrange, GA 30240
Registration now open

Griffin
Thursday, April 10, 2025 | 5 – 6 PM
New Mercy Baptist Church
730 Park Road, Griffin, GA 30224
Registration opens March 31

Douglasville
Thursday, April 17, 2025 | 10 – 11 AM
First Presbyterian Church of Douglasville
9190 Campbellton St., Douglasville, GA 30134
Registration opens April 7

Jackson
Tuesday, April 22, 2025 | 5 – 6 PM
Butts County Life Enrichment
Location: Jackson United Methodist Church
409 E 3rd St., Jackson, GA 30233
Registration opens April 14

Details on the May, June, September and October events will be released at a later time.

Wellstar and the Wellstar Foundation first partnered with Goodr in 2020 to tackle food insecurity during the pandemic. Initially focused on the pop-up Mobile Markets that provide food and fresh produce to thousands of families each year, the partnership has evolved to also include a Surplus Food Recovery service where unused food from hospitals is donated to community organizations.

At Wellstar, our comprehensive wound care and hyperbaric services are designed to help you heal. We combine advanced technology and a compassionate approach to support your recovery every step of the way.

Our team of experts specializes in managing severe and chronic wounds. Chronic wounds are caused when the body’s healing process is delayed, often as a result of common health problems such as diabetes or poor circulation. We work closely with patients and families to create personalized treatment plans using the most effective therapies.

From diabetic foot ulcers to non-healing surgical incisions, you can count on Wellstar to treat every wound with expertise and care.

Lifesaving wound care close to home

Chronic wounds affect millions of people nationwide. With convenient wound care and hyperbaric centers located throughout Georgia, Wellstar ensures world-class care is never far from home. We offer wound care services at multiple facilities including Wellstar Cobb Medical Center, Wellstar Douglas Medical Center, Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, Wellstar Spalding Medical Center, and also at clinics in LaGrange and Marietta.

Patients come to us with a range of chronic wounds, including:

• Chronic bone infections (osteomyelitis)
• Circulatory problems and vascular ulcers
• Compromised skin grafts/flaps
• Crush injuries
• Diabetic foot ulcers
• Injuries from late effects of radiation
• Non-healing surgical incisions
• Pressure ulcers
• Venous stasis ulcers

Unlike normal wounds, chronic or traumatic wounds show no significant signs of healing over a period of several weeks. When wounds are not treated successfully, they can lead to illness, limb loss or life-threatening infection.

“Many wounds require specialized care that general practitioners or urgent care clinics simply cannot provide,” said Dr. Ricardo Duran, medical director of wound care and hyperbaric medicine at Wellstar North Fulton. “Without expert attention, what begins as a small ulcer can spiral into a serious condition requiring hospital admissions—or worse, amputation.”

By partnering with a Wellstar wound specialist, you can take the first step toward healing.

“We’re dedicated to preventing these outcomes by addressing wounds early, thoroughly and with expertise,” Dr. Duran said. “Our goal is to restore not only health, but also hope and quality of life.”

Innovative therapies and techniques

At Wellstar, we use the latest therapies and cutting-edge techniques to promote healing and prevent complications. Our approach is multidisciplinary, meaning that board-certified physicians, nurses and specialists collaborate to design a care plan that works for you.

Your personalized treatment plan may include:

• Advanced wound dressings
• Antibiotic therapy
• Cellular and tissue-based products
• Compression therapy
• Growth factor therapy
• Negative pressure wound therapy
• Ostomy care and support
• Total contact casting
• Wound debridement

Advanced healing with hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Your Wellstar physician may recommend hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. This state-of-the-art treatment uses pressurized oxygen to enhance the body’s natural healing process. By delivering high levels of oxygen to the tissues, HBOT accelerates recovery, reduces inflammation and combats infection.

“HBOT has been especially effective for patients with diabetic foot ulcers, chronic infections and radiation injuries,” Dr. Duran explained. “Studies show that HBOT can improve healing rates by over 70% and reduce amputation risk by 50%, helping patients recover faster and get back to their lives.”

HBOT is provided in a series of treatments, each lasting approximately 90 minutes. A typical treatment plan is five sessions per week for four to six weeks. HBOT is available at Wellstar Cobb Medical Center, Wellstar Douglas Medical Center, Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, Wellstar Spalding Medical Center, and specialized centers including Wellstar Hyperbaric Wound Clinic in LaGrange and HyOx Medical Treatment Center in Marietta.

Commitment to high-quality care

Our wound and hyperbaric services reflect Wellstar’s commitment to innovative care. Every member of our team is dedicated to delivering the highest standard of care in a respectful and understanding manner.

If you or a loved one are facing the challenges of a difficult wound or slow healing, we invite you to learn more about our services. Our team is ready to help you navigate your recovery with confidence and clarity.

“Chronic wounds don’t have to control your life,” said Dr. Duran. “With the right care, healing is possible.”

Learn more about Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine at Wellstar and find a specialist near you.

No two hearts are alike, as Wellstar Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Frank Corrigan told listeners on 95.5 WSB’s The Weekly Check-up with Bruce Feinberg, DO.

During the show, Drs. Corrigan and Feinberg answered questions about the latest heart diagnostics and treatments, and described how personalized heart health has added benefits for patients.

From checkups with your primary care physician to targeted cardiac testing conducted by cardiac specialists, heart risk assessments are becoming more advanced. Dr. Corrigan discussed how tests like CT angiography and calcium scores provide personalized views of a patient’s risk factors for heart disease, the advances in minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat heart conditions, and the important role of cardiac rehabilitation.

“What fascinates me is how we can understand who’s at risk on a personal level,” said Dr. Corrigan. “We treat those risk factors to try to prevent many of the things that can happen from cardiovascular disease.”

Personalized cardiac risk assessment and diagnosis

Many people are familiar with two basic heart assessments: the electrocardiogram, also called an EKG and ECG, and a stress test.

• An EKG is a painless test that records the heart’s electrical activity.
• A stress test monitors a patient’s blood pressure, breathing and heart rate while the patient walks on a treadmill or rides a stationary bike.

Dr. Corrigan emphasized that while beneficial, these tests are only a few of the cardiac diagnostic and imaging tools available today.

“Stress testing became a standard of practice in the 1950s and 1960s. And for a while cardiologists recommended getting a stress test periodically,” Dr. Corrigan said. But stress tests have limitations.

“For the person who comes to our office for the first time with new symptoms like shortness of breath or chest discomfort, an imaging test called a coronary CT angiogram is often a more effective diagnostic tool than a stress test,” he said. “Many times, patients will have the beginnings of heart disease and narrowing in their heart arteries that we can see on CT scans. If we treat those patients with proactive therapies before they have a heart attack, we can often prevent it.”

Another valuable diagnostic tool is calcium CT scoring. This test measures plaque buildup in the heart’s arteries. The results help determine if patients need medication or further testing to evaluate their heart disease or heart attack risk.

Heart care with minimally invasive treatments

Dr. Corrigan explained that heart care is now subspecialized. Some cardiologists specialize in heart failure, while others focus on heart rhythm management—they’re electrophysiologists, or the “electricians” of cardiology. His specialty, interventional cardiology, or “the plumbers,” cares for people with blockages in their arteries.

In the past, most patients didn’t know they had a heart issue until they had an emergency cardiac event. Now, we have improved risk assessments, medical and family history evaluations and minimally invasive procedures. Physicians can diagnose and treat heart conditions before they advance.

Cardiac catheterization is one procedure that is part of more personalized heart care. A thin tube is inserted into an artery in the wrist or groin. Then, it is threaded through the blood vessel until it reaches the heart. A contrast dye makes blood vessels visible to an X-ray machine, which takes images at several angles. This allows cardiologists to pinpoint blockages.

If needed, an interventional cardiologist can open clogged arteries and insert stents. This keeps the arteries open and blood flowing.

“If someone arrives at the hospital with a heart attack, we most often treat them with a small needle puncture through their wrist,” Dr. Corrigan said. “Most patients are up walking around within hours and many go home the next day.”

For atrial fibrillation, or AFib, treatment, Dr. Corrigan noted, cardiologists now offer minimally invasive ablation procedures, in addition to medication and lifestyle changes to normalize heart rhythms.

“AFib ablations have revolutionized care for many patients. An ablation may offer better symptom control than medication alone,” Dr. Corrigan said. “However, results can vary. There are patients who have AFib ablations that do have recurrent atrial fibrillation.”

Dr. Corrigan cautions about taking supplements advertised to help with cardiac conditions, including AFib. “I’m not aware of any specific evidence of a supplement directly helping an abnormal heart rhythm,” he said. “A heart-healthy diet remains the best option for cardiac health.”

Cardiac rehab educates and empowers patients

As heart diagnostics and treatments become more personalized to patients’ genetics, medical histories and lifestyles, so does the preventive care provided to cardiac patients.

“The heart is a muscle and retraining it after a medical incident is incredibly important,” Dr. Corrigan said.

Cardiac rehab at Wellstar includes:

• Exercise programs tailored to patients’ needs and capacities to improve cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength
• Lifestyle education to help patients overcome unhealthy habits such as smoking and overeating and adopt proper nutrition and exercise routines
• Emotional support to help patients and their families cope with the stress of illness

Wellstar offers cardiac rehab with specially trained physical therapists and physiologists across our network of care. “The goal is to get people’s hearts and heart conditioning back to a really high level. It’s a fantastic program,” Dr. Corrigan said.

Know your heart health risks

Advances in personalized diagnostics and minimally invasive treatments are changing the future of heart care, improving outcomes and enhancing patients’ lives. Wellstar’s Know Your Heart screening program offers every patient an individualized health report. It also provides actionable recommendations for reducing risk factors and improving and sustaining heart health.

Take control of your heart health today. Learn more about heart care at Wellstar.