WellStar Kennestone Hospital Volunteers Donate $500k

Volunteers at WellStar Kennestone Hospital donated $500,000 to the WellStar Foundation to build a new surgical waiting room for hospital guests. The project, completed earlier this year, more than doubled the waiting room area and features flat screens that provide real-time patient tracking.

“As volunteers, we take great pride in assisting patients, hospital guests and WellStar team members,” said Brenda Castile, WellStar Kennestone Hospital volunteer president. “Through interacting with so many people at the hospital every day, we have developed a strong understanding of projects that will positively contribute to the quality of care.”

Castile continues, “We recognized the need for a space where families could comfortably wait while their loved one received care. We couldn’t be happier with the way the surgical waiting room turned out but are even more proud to provide this designated area to hospital guests.”

As a Level II Trauma Center and the largest Emergency Department in Georgia in terms of patient volume, WellStar Kennestone Hospital performs nearly 9,000 inpatient surgeries per year. Another 8,000 surgeries are performed each year at the WellStar Kennestone Outpatient Pavilion.

Jeff Cooper, vice president of operations at WellStar Kennestone Hospital, said, “The surgical program at WellStar Kennestone Hospital is among the top in the state. From standard and specialized procedures through to a safe recovery, we strive for excellence with every patient interaction. Our hospital volunteers play a significant role in this effort and we are grateful for them.”

In addition to their fundraising efforts, volunteers also accompany patients to and from the hospital entrance, provide directions when needed and are available to answer general hospital-related questions.

For information on volunteering at a local WellStar hospital, visit wellstar.org/volunteer.

To learn more about the ways in which the WellStar Foundation is advancing local healthcare services or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit wellstar.org/give or call 770-956-GIVE (4483).