Wellstar, Affiliated with Medical College of Georgia, Adds Bacon County Hospital and Health System to Rural Hospital Virtual Care Network

Carter Fawcett has been reading to her four children since before they were born. As a fifth grade teacher, she knows the importance of immersing children in words, stories and songs, starting when they’re still in the womb.

“While I was pregnant with my firstborn, reading and singing to him was my whole attachment to motherhood,” she said. “The other three were just along for the ride, even in my belly, listening to me read aloud to my toddlers.”

Fawcett’s children are patients of Dr. Melissa Boekhaus, a pediatrician at Wellstar Pediatric Adolescent Center in Smyrna. Fawcett was thrilled to learn that the practice had implemented a literacy program called Small TALK, made possible thanks to generous donations from the Wellstar Foundation.

“I love knowing that Wellstar encourages families to read together,” she said.

Wellstar is the only health system in Georgia that provides a high level of literacy support throughout the entire spectrum of pediatric care, from pre-birth through third grade and beyond.

During various touchpoints, from prenatal care to pediatric well-child visits, Small TALK teaches parents and caregivers to tune into their child’s interests and activities. By regularly asking open-ended questions, even to newborns, children learn how to become conversational partners.

“We encourage parents to use their home language and speak in complete sentences using complex vocabulary to lift their child’s language and grow their understanding of the world,” said Lisa Liedke, manager of Small TALK for Wellstar. “Talking, reading, playing and singing together helps even the youngest children establish these skills.”

“Parents are their children’s first and best teachers,” Liedke said. “Empowering the family to have this intentional engagement carries this role from Wellstar to home.”

Small TALK allows healthcare professionals to work closely with families, explaining and coaching how to produce early healthy brain development and language acquisition. These conversations help monitor early development, address concerns and encourage early interventions through referrals if necessary.

“Just as children need food nutrition to grow their bodies, they require language nutrition to grow their brains,” Liedke said.

“If you’re looking for a charitable cause to support on Giving Tuesday, please consider the Wellstar Foundation,” said Fawcett. “Small TALK reaches children across all socioeconomic levels, setting them up with the foundational language tools they’ll need for educational success before they even start kindergarten.”

To learn more about the Wellstar Foundation or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit wellstar.org/give.

Language Development

• By the third trimester, a baby’s auditory channels are fully formed, and exposure to quality language creates neural pathways that build a foundational vocabulary for future learning.
• Eighty percent of brain growth and development occurs between pre-birth and age 3.
• By age 5, brain growth reaches 90%.
• In metro Atlanta, only one in five third graders are strong readers. Those not reading proficiently by this time are four times more likely to drop out of high school.

Small TALK Timeline

• In November 2022, with the support of philanthropy and partners through the Literacy and Justice for All initiative, Wellstar launched Small TALK at 13 of its pediatric offices in Cobb County.
• In 2023, the Small TALK program expanded to Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center’s Mother Baby Unit and NICU and is now embedded in prenatal classes.
• In February 2024, Small TALK received a $1.1 million donation from the Callaway Foundation to expand to OB/GYN and pediatric offices in West Georgia and Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center's Mother Baby Unit and NICU in LaGrange.
• In October 2024, Small TALK expanded to Wellstar pediatric offices in Douglasville, Hiram, Alpharetta and Smyrna.
• Today, Wellstar uses its internal and community partnerships to help build a bridge and close gaps in healthcare and education. The Small TALK team attends community events with Marietta City Schools and Cobb Collaborative, among others. Wellstar is building a literacy ecosystem representing healthcare’s involvement in the broader literacy space.

Many people in low-income neighborhoods go without essential healthcare services, with reasons including lack of insurance, unreliable transportation or inflexible work schedules. At Wellstar Center for Health Equity, we’re excited to offer a simple solution for people living in northwest Atlanta: no-cost digital health services. Digital health services, also called telehealth or telemedicine, allow people to schedule virtual visits with a healthcare professional to access the care they need—when they need it.

This solution is possible thanks to a partnership between Wellstar, Family Life Restoration Center in Mableton and Giving Health, a Georgia-based telemedicine provider. To participate, people can sign up at Family Life Restoration Center. Then, they can schedule online telehealth appointments using a phone, smart device or computer. The program provides 24/7 access to:

• Primary care providers for urgent and non-urgent needs
• Mental health counselors
• Free lab testing
• Referrals to other providers and community services

Participants can use the digital health service for up to a year. Staff and volunteers at Family Life Restoration Center can help participants apply for Medicaid and find a primary care practice when they are ready.

Health and wellness success with telehealth

While the telehealth program is new, Giving Health has provided telehealth for low-income and uninsured people since 2019. They also offer after-hours digital health services for many clinics in the Wellstar Community Clinic Network.

Family Life Restoration Center is also part of the Wellstar Community Clinic Network, which was launched nearly 10 years ago to better serve the most vulnerable and under-resourced people in our communities.

Many people in Mableton and other areas in South Cobb County are living below the poverty line. Many do not have a primary care provider or health insurance. Round-the-clock access to telehealth can make a significant impact on people’s lives, helping them experience better health and avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency department.

The Family Life Restoration Center provides community members with food, clothing, spiritual encouragement and referrals to nearby social services. Wellstar has worked with the center for over a decade to meet the community’s needs, including vaccination clinics, health screenings and patient education programs.

Check out the Wellstar Find Help Tool

Another way we’re meeting health needs in our community is with the Wellstar Find Help Tool. It allows people to search for free or reduced-cost resources, including:

• Clothing
• Financial assistance
• Food
• Housing
• Legal aid
• Personal care items
• Transportation

The tool, available in several languages, is one of several Wellstar initiatives to improve the health well-being of every person we serve by connecting them with resources such as nutritious foods, housing and education.

Learn more about the Wellstar Center for Health Equity.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (Dec. 2, 2024) – Wellstar MCG Health is transforming healthcare in the state and advancing medical education for the next generation of caregivers. A new 1-year progress report details the significant strides that have been made since Wellstar Health System and Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia (MCG) joined forces last year.

This strategic affiliation combines Augusta University’s academic excellence and research capabilities with Wellstar’s extensive healthcare expertise and resources. Since beginning the partnership on Aug. 30, 2023, Wellstar MCG Health has improved access to care, made substantial investments in facilities, and expanded innovative programs aimed at serving Georgia’s unique healthcare needs.

Highlights from the Year-One Progress Report:

• Expanded Access to Care:
  • Hired 129 new physicians, a net increase of 60 doctors in the region.
  • Opened multiple urgent care centers and launched the mobile "On the Go Primary Care" van to serve underserved communities.
• Enhanced Facilities and Technology:
  • Funded more than $82 million in capital improvements, including the first major remodeling of the Children’s Hospital of Georgia since it opened in 1998.
  • Modernized or replaced ultrasound equipment, operating room equipment, x-ray machines, anesthesia machines, defibrillators, and imaging workstations, among many other improvements.
  • Completed implementation of the Epic electronic medical records system well ahead of schedule in just 14 months, enhancing quality, safety, and accessibility for patients and clinicians alike.
• Support for Healthcare Workers:
  • Increased the minimum wage to $15 per hour, provided raises for 1,500 team members, and expanded wellness benefits, including mental health support and family care services.
• Advancements in Digital Health:
  • Partnered with more than 20 rural hospitals to provide telehealth services, allowing 75% of patients to remain in their local communities for care.
  • Became the first and only hospital in Georgia approved to offer an Acute Care Hospital at Home program.

“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made in this first year,” said Candice L. Saunders, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System. “From expanding access to care and enhancing our facilities to investing in our people, we’re dedicated to a brighter, healthier future for Georgia. This partnership is a testament to what we can achieve when we bring together academic and healthcare excellence.”

Dr. Russell Keen, president of Augusta University, added, “A great example of how Wellstar and Augusta University are collectively improving the lives of Georgians is the ongoing collaboration between MCG researchers and clinicians in the Georgia Cancer Center, the Children’s Hospital of Georgia and the MCG Center for Telehealth. I couldn’t be more pleased with the collaborative spirit, shared passion and culture of innovation that permeate Augusta University and Wellstar Health System.”

The Wellstar and Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia partnership will continue to evolve and expand its impact, with projects such as the new Wellstar Columbia County Medical Center, affiliated with the Medical College of Georgia, slated to open in 2026, which will bring acute care services to Georgia’s largest county without an existing hospital.