New WellStar Trauma Care Serves Bartow

The Georgia Department of Public Health designated as a Level II Trauma Center, making WellStar Kennestone the only designated trauma center in WellStar Health System’s five county primary service area (Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Douglas and Paulding counties).

The designation comes after nearly two years of planning, implementation of a formal model for trauma care and the hiring of key physicians and support staff.

“This is an important day for not only WellStar but, more importantly, the residents of northwest Georgia as they now have access to high quality trauma care closer to home,” said Candice Saunders, executive vice president and WellStar Kennestone Hospital administrator, in a news release. 

“Exceptional emergency care is already available at four of the five WellStar hospitals; however, the addition of this trauma designation is a further demonstration of our commitment to bringing world-class healthcare to the communities we serve,” Saunders said.

A WellStar Trauma Steering Committee, made up of physicians and administrators, has been in place for nearly two years working on developing a model for trauma care and the implications of trauma designation. As part of the process, WellStar submitted data to the State of Georgia Trauma Registry over the past 10 months and had a state trauma site inspection from the Department of EMS/Trauma of WellStar Kennestone Hospital on Wednesday, Nov. 2.

As a Level II Trauma Center the facility is required to have 24/7 access to certain medical specialists, such as a neurosurgeon, orthopaedics and oral maxillofacial.

There are now 19 designated trauma centers (two of which are pediatric) in Georgia.

WellStar Kennestone Hospital, already an accredited chest pain and stroke center, is located at 677 Church St. and its emergency department of three trauma rooms and 63 exam rooms is one of the busiest in the state.

Last fiscal year, WellStar’s four emergency departments (WellStar Cobb, Douglas, Kennestone and Paulding hospitals) had 306,346 patient visits and served more adult patients than anyone in the state.