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a physician, my mom was a nurse,
and my brother is a doctor. Growing up in Kenya, I saw firsthand
what it means when communities don’t have access to care, traveling with my parents to remote
areas where that reality was impossible to ignore. That experience
never leaves you,” said Patel.
“It shaped everything about
how I lead and why closing the
gap in healthcare access feels so
personal to me. I ended up taking
a different path than my family,
pursuing health administration
after my time as an undergraduate
at Johns Hopkins, but the mission
has always been the same. This
work has never felt like a job. It
feels like a calling, and I’m grateful
every day for that.”
He brings an insight that
includes the whole scope of the
modern hospital, from a sprawling
enterprise to the core, the most
important part of the experience—
the treatment and a focus on the
patient.
“When I joined Wellstar, the
first thing I did was listen. I spent
time with our people, across our
health system, asking them what
they were proud of and where we
had opportunities to improve,”
said Patel. “What I found was a
best-kept secret: nationally recognized clinical programs, one of the
largest physician networks in the
Southeast, and a culture that’s people-focused, and multigenerational. We’re building on this strong
foundation by empowering the
people closest to the bedside
and expanding access across the
Southeast, while never losing sight
of the fact that our patients are at
the center of everything we do.”
Patel has taken over at Wellstar
in perhaps as difficult time as ever
for American healthcare. Georgia
has seen a run of hospital closures,
particularly in rural areas. Hospital workforce is a constant issue
across the country, margins are
thin and the insurance business is
byzantine. The issues are particularly acute in the South.
“The challenge runs deeper
than most people realize, and
not just in Georgia. Twelve of the
bottom 15 states for healthcare
in the entire country are in the
South, and mortality rates here
run nearly 70 percent higher than
the healthiest states,” said Patel.
“This isn’t just a few communities
falling through the cracks, it points
to a region in crisis.”
Partners & Community Support
With the central role it plays in
the community, Wellstar receives
tremendous support from partners
of all kinds. In April, Wellstar announced a $1 million donation from
the Hardy family of Hardy Family
Automotive to support the expansion of Wellstar Paulding Medical
Center and its new Graduate
Medical Education (GME) residency program. The hospital’s role in
the community was evident in the
donation from the Hardys.
“We are incredibly grateful
to have a state-of-the-art hospital
serving our friends and family right
here in the heart of our community,” said Rene Hardy Gordon, dealer
principal of Hardy Family Automotive. “The pride that our community
feels for Wellstar Paulding is something we deeply share.”
“Solutions mean partnerships.
Our Digital Care Network is a powerful example of what that looks
like in practice,” said Patel. “Rural
hospitals across Georgia partner
with Wellstar, giving their patients the benefit of our clinical
expertise close to home. It keeps 70
percent of rural patients in their local hospitals, reduces readmissions,
and keeps families together during
some of the most difficult moments
of their lives.”
Another recent philanthropic
effort will make a tremendous
contribution to Wellstar’s mission.
Tom Golisano, the founder of
Paychex, announced a $50 million
investment in Wellstar Children’s
Hospital of Georgia, affiliated with
Augusta University’s Medical
College of Georgia. The gift is the
largest in Wellstar history, demonstrating Golisano’s faith in both
Wellstar and Augusta University.
Wellstar Children’s also joined the
Golisano’s Children’s Alliance, a
national network of twelve leading
children’s hospitals.
“Children’s hospitals are essential to the health and future of our
THE HARDY FAMILY, FOUNDERS OF HARDY FAMILY AUTOMOTIVE
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