WellStar Paulding Hospital awarded for innovation in COPD & diabetes care

HIRAM, Ga. – Vizient MidSouth, an organization dedicated to delivering high-quality, affordable healthcare, presented two Brilliance Awards to WellStar Paulding Hospital this March. The hospital was recognized for innovation and excellence in clinical care for patients with COPD and diabetes.
“Team members and physicians in Paulding are collaborating on new ideas to elevate our community’s health,” said Vicky Hogue, chief nursing officer at WellStar Paulding Hospital. “These programs for COPD and diabetes have had a direct impact on keeping patients healthy after leaving the hospital and helping them stay out of the hospital.”
The Brilliance Awards recognize healthcare organizations that are leading best practices. The hospital won second place for its focus on diabetes care, which led to better controlling blood sugar for patients with diabetes while in the hospital. Patients were included in setting their own meal schedules and food services notified clinical team members about percentages of food eaten. Additionally, since this program was put into place, the hospital received Joint Commission accreditation as a Center for Diabetes Excellence.
Paulding Hospital also won third place for lowering readmission rates for patients with COPD. A Readmission Task Force met biweekly to assess avoidable and unavoidable trends related to the COPD readmission rate. Since the implementation of both programs, WellStar Paulding Hospital has greatly reduced readmission rates and improved patient care with readmission rates for these patients reaching groundbreaking lows of zero percent.
“The Brilliance Awards provides an excellent opportunity for Vizient MidSouth members to connect and learn about best practices from other organizations,” said David McDonald, interim president and CEO of Vizient MidSouth. “Our members have successfully improved patient care in their communities, and we are proud to celebrate their accomplishments.”

About WellStar Health System
WellStar Health System, the largest health system in Georgia, is known nationally for its innovative care models, focused on improving quality and access to healthcare. WellStar consists of WellStar Medical Group, 240 medical office locations, outpatient centers, health parks, a pediatric center, nursing centers, hospice, homecare, as well as 11 hospitals: WellStar Atlanta Medical Center, WellStar Atlanta Medical Center South, WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center (anchored by WellStar Kennestone Hospital), WellStar West Georgia Medical Center, and WellStar Cobb, Douglas, North Fulton, Paulding, Spalding Regional, Sylvan Grove and Windy Hill hospitals. As a not-for-profit, WellStar continues to reinvest in the health of the communities it serves with new technologies and treatments. For more information, visit wellstar.org.

About Vizient MidSouth
Vizient MidSouth is a membership alliance for not-for-profit healthcare providers that exists to ensure its members deliver cost-effective care by connecting them with the knowledge, solutions and expertise that accelerate performance.