Article Category: Newsroom
Wellstar Expanding Cancer Care in Spalding County
Published on April 30, 2025
Last updated 04:54 PM April 30, 2025
At
Wellstar Spalding Medical Center,
we are your dedicated healthcare partner—putting you at the center of your cancer care and helping you navigate with clarity, hope and compassion. That’s why we’re proud to expand our medical oncology and infusion services to better serve our community.
The state-of-the-art cancer care facility promises greater access to advanced cancer treatments and improved convenience for patients in the Spalding community and surrounding areas.
“At Wellstar, we believe healthcare isn’t just about providing services—it’s about delivering the right care, at the right time, with the right heart,” said Kevin Smith, Wellstar senior vice president and president of Wellstar Spalding Medical Center. “We have made a generational commitment to transform healthcare for all and ensure every person has access to personalized care that helps them spend more time being a person than a patient. That’s what we mean when we say we’re about more than healthcare–we’re about PeopleCare."
Scheduled to open this winter, the expanded center will offer a range of cancer care services, including:
- Medical oncology services with partners in care Northwest Georgia Oncology Centers (NGOC), including the latest targeted therapies, immunotherapy and chemotherapy to fight various types of cancer
- Outpatient infusion services
- Infusion Pharmacy, an onsite compounding pharmacy for timely medication preparation
- Resources for patient education with a clinical pharmacist and nurse
- Onsite support services, including oncology nurse navigator
- Eight patient exam rooms
- Triage room
- 14 infusion chairs
- Two blood draw stations
- Dedicated lab
- Waiting area
- Administration offices
- Nurses stations
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Newsroom
Wellstar Paulding Medical Center Achieves ANCC Magnet Recognition® with Distinction
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:
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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>
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.
Newsroom
Wellstar Spalding Medical Center Opens Cancer Center in Griffin
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.
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Highlights
Helping Patients Screen for Colon Cancer Through ColoCare Connect
When caught early, colorectal cancer is much more treatable, yet many people face barriers that prevent them from getting screened. Through the ColoCare Connect Program, Wellstar is working to make preventive care more accessible for communities who need it most.
In 2024, Cobb & Douglas Public Health, with support from the Wellstar Foundation, provided funding to expand colon cancer screening across Cobb and Douglas counties with the launch of ColoCare Connect. The community-based program, led by Wellstar Center for Health Equity and the Community Health team, focuses on education, resources and supplying at-home screening tests with the help of trusted local clinics.
Meeting patients where they are
Instead of patients having to navigate additional appointments, ColoCare Connect partnered with community clinics that were already providing care. These included BWell Medical & Wellness Center, Someone Cares, Bethesda Community Clinic and The Rouse Foundation.
Our partners provided patients with fecal immunochemical tests (FIT kits) that allowed them to complete colorectal cancer screening at home. During the grant period alone, the program distributed 435 FIT kits.
A strong community partner: BWell Medical & Wellness Center
One example of ColoCareConnect’s impact is BWell Medical & Wellness Center, which distributed more than 100 FIT kits and continues to collaborate with Wellstar to help people get screened.
The clinic serves a diverse population that includes working families, the elderly, underserved residents and people living in assisted living or personal care homes.
“Our focus is on accessible, patient-centered care that emphasizes prevention and early intervention,” said Vivian Adu-Aboagye, director of BWell Medical & Wellness Center. “Many of our patients face barriers such as transportation challenges, time constraints or limited access to preventive services.”
The partnership stood out because it offered a practical and patient-friendly solution.
“Many patients delay colon cancer screening due to fear, cost concerns or scheduling challenges related to their colonoscopy,” she added. “The FIT kits provide a convenient option that fits naturally into routine primary care visits.”
Making screening part of everyday care
At BWell, team members speak with patients during their visits to determine if they need colorectal cancer screening. They provide education and distribute kits during appointments, then follow up about returning the kit.
Patients have said they appreciate the privacy and convenience of the kits. Many of them had previously avoided screening due to concerns about invasive procedures or difficulty taking time off work. By removing common barriers, like transportation challenges, scheduling conflicts and fear, patients who may have otherwise skipped their colon cancer screenings were able to get checked.
Building toward healthier communities
ColoCare Connect demonstrates the power of community partnerships in advancing health equity. By equipping trusted local clinics with resources and support, the program expanded access to life-saving screening.
As the program continues, partnerships like these help ensure that more individuals have the opportunity to participate in early detection and receive follow-up care when needed. This ultimately improves outcomes and strengthens community health across the region.
Connecting patients to ongoing support
Screening is an important first step, but access to information and support beyond the clinic is also critical. Community members can use Wellstar Find Help to locate colorectal cancer screening programs, patient navigation services and financial assistance resources available in their ZIP code.
If your screening has an abnormal result, care teams can help coordinate next steps, answer questions about a colonoscopy and identify financial assistance options when needed. By pairing clinic-based screening with community-based support resources, Wellstar and its partners are working to ensure patients do not have to navigate the process alone.