As technology and healthcare are both rapidly evolving, Wellstar is leading the way in forging partnerships and fostering collaboration to find creative solutions.

The Wellstar Foundation’s Healthcare Innovation Series brings together thought leaders, community partners and industry experts to discuss the future of healthcare and how to better serve Georgians. The most recent virtual event focused on workforce development, a long-standing challenge for many industries, including healthcare.

The event, titled “Building a Healthy Healthcare Workforce,” was hosted by Wellstar President and CEO Candice Saunders, Julie Teer, senior vice president of Wellstar and president of the Wellstar Foundation, and David Jones, Wellstar’s executive vice president and chief human resources officer.

By the year 2030, Georgia could face a shortage of 50,000 nurses. The demand for providers is increasing faster than the pipeline of new healthcare professionals, and the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new complications and challenges. To ensure that future generations of Georgians have access to high-quality care from expert providers, Wellstar and its community partners are dedicated to making progress in workforce development.

“Confronting these challenges and creating equitable access to care requires a healthy, strong and long-term pipeline of healthcare professionals,” Teer said during the event. “Bolstering our pipeline is critical for the economic prosperity of our local economies and to addressing deep-seated inequities in health.”

Keynote panelists and breakout session leaders included:

  • Sharon Mason, president and CEO of Cobb Chamber of Commerce
  • Katie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
  • Chris Pumphrey, president of Elevate Douglas Economic Partnership
  • Nancy Flake Johnson, CEO of Urban League of Greater Atlanta
  • Jill Case-Wirth, senior vice president and chief nursing executive at Wellstar
  • Brandi Allen, assistant vice president of graduate and undergraduate medical education at Wellstar
  • Natalie Jones, executive director of workforce development at Wellstar
  • Laura Dannels, chief talent officer at Wellstar

Attendees heard about workforce development challenges and how Wellstar and its partners are working to address them — through solutions like engaging youth in career exploration opportunities, forging partnerships with postsecondary academic institutions, and creating a positive, inclusive environment for team members.

Learn more about the Wellstar Foundation and how its strategic initiatives, which include workforce development, can transform healthcare.

Wellstar Foundation Healthcare Innovation Series: “Building a Healthy Healthcare Workforce”