Wellstar MCG Health:
Longstanding commitment to patient- and family-centered care

For over 30 years, Wellstar MCG Health, an academic medical center in Augusta, GA, has been a national exemplar for patient- and family-centered care. Early in its PFCC journey, Pat Sodomka, administrator of MCG’s Children’s Medical Center (now Golisano Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia), oversaw the design and building of the children’s hospital, ensuring that it supported PFCC practice. From 2004-2010, Pat held dual positions of Senior Vice President for Patient and Family Centered Care, MCG Health, Inc., and Director, Center for Patient- and Family-Centered Care, Medical College of Georgia. During her leadership tenure, she advanced the practice of patient- and family-centered care and developed strategically important partnerships with patients and families. Patient and family advisors served on design planning teams; an advisor served on the Architect Selection Committee for the Georgia Cancer Center (formerly the MCG Georgia Cancer Center). Patient and family advisors were important to the creation of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence, the development of the electronic medical record, the Visioning Retreat for the Emergency Department, and as patient and family faculty for the medical school.

Tragically, Pat Sodomka died of breast cancer in 2010. The Pat Sodomka Leadership Award was established to honor her extraordinary legacy and commitment to advancing the practice of patient- and family-centered care. The award recognizes a member of the medical center’s leadership team who exemplifies the principles of patient- and family-centered care and demonstrates a commitment to integrating these principles into leadership practices, organizational culture, and the delivery of care. Nominees are evaluated on their ability to:

• Motivate and inspire others to further the culture of Patient- and Family-Centered Care.
• Demonstrate an ability to lead by creating or developing programs, projects, or activities that impact the enterprise through Patient- and Family-Centered practices.
• Develop creative ways to accomplish goals and objectives, share ideas with their team, and empower others to strengthen and enrich the PFCC culture.
• Achieve results that continue the PFCC journey and is recognized by others for dedication to this practice.
• Demonstrate the ability to listen and communicate effectively.
• Display high levels of optimism and confidence.
• Passionate about what they do and is committed to the success of PFCC.

Through the years, recipients of this special leadership award show the breadth of PFCC leadership and have included: AVP for Perioperative Services, Manager of Pharmacy (PharmD), Director of Ambulatory Nursing (RN), Director of Pediatric Palliative Care (Physician), Director of Emergency Department and Interim Chief Nursing Officer (RN), Unit Nurse Manager, awarded Posthumously (RN), Director of Rehab Services, and Manager of Operational Excellence.

MCG 2017-2027

Since 2017, Julie Moretz, MPH, has provided executive leadership for Patient Experience and the Center for Patients and Families at Wellstar MCG Health, overseeing patient- and family-centered care practices and other programs dedicated to supporting the experiences of patients and families. Her longstanding connection to the organization dates back to 1995, when she worked alongside Pat Sodomka in advancing the early foundations of PFCC. In January 2027, Julie will assume the role of President and CEO of the Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care (IPFCC). For more information about her career and contributions to PFCC.

In 2023, the academic medical center entered a new chapter through its partnership with Wellstar Health System, Georgia’s largest health system, becoming Wellstar MCG Health. The medical center continues its longstanding academic affiliation with the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, integrating patient care, medical education, and research.

For decades, Wellstar MCG Health (WMCG) has embraced the important role of families and caregivers as essential partners in patient care. This longstanding commitment to family presence remains a cornerstone of the organization’s patient- and family-centered care practices and has recently helped lay the foundation for expanding family presence across all Wellstar market hospitals. Beyond family presence, WMCG continues to elevate the voices of patients and families through meaningful engagement of patient and family advisors, including their perspectives to help inform decisions, shape policies, improve care processes, and strengthen the overall patient and family experience.

Annual Celebration of PFCC and Exemplary Practice

“I always look forward to this PFCC Conference as a chance to grow as a professional.”
“Best thing we do as a system every year...thank you!”

For 19 years, MCG has held an annual educational conference on patient- and family-centered care (PFCC) to advance the understanding and practice of PFCC and to celebrate individuals and departments for exemplary leadership and practice. The conference is held in the spring.

The 19th Annual PFCC Conference brought together more than 500 participants around the theme Seeds of Change: Cultivating What Matters Most, inspiring thoughtful reflection and renewed commitment to patient- and family-centered care. Keynote speaker Stephanie Abbott, a cancer survivor and former healthcare executive, shared her powerful and deeply personal story that resonated with attendees.

In alignment with the Seeds of Change theme, each speaker, including patient/family advisors, participated in a symbolic moment as they took the stage—planting a ‘flower’ to represent what is important to cultivate patient- and family-centered outcomes. Wellstar MCG Health speakers included Anthony Carter, Manager, Environmental Services (Where Seeds Take Root); members of the WMCG PeopleCare Patient and Family Advisory Council (Planting with Purpose); Ralph Turner, WMCG SVP/President (Growing in the Same Direction); Andrea Putzier, AVP, Perioperative Services (What We Nurture Grows); and Dr. Matt Lyon, Director, WMCG Digital Health (Cultivating the Culture).

A highlight of this annual half day event is the presentation of the PFCC Awards.

By Nomination:

PFCC Awards (patient/family advisors also serve on selection committee)

• PFCC Family Choice — Consistently exemplifies the four core concepts of Patient- and Family-Centered Care.
• Pat Sodomka Leadership Award — Motivates and inspires others to further the culture of Patient- and Family-Centered Care. (see detailed criteria above)
• By PFCC Committee Selection: PFCC Ambassador — A PFCC change-agent, influencer, and champion of collaboration and compassionate care.
• PFCC Partnership — Recognizes a team that exemplifies the power of partnership in advancing PFCC.
• PFCC Difference Maker — Seeks new approaches, identifies areas for improvement and implements solutions to enhance patient care.

Additionally, the PFCC Impact Award has been presented and supports innovative programs that make a meaningful difference in the experiences of patients and families. One such initiative, the Clothes Closet, was introduced more than six years ago through the collaborative efforts of a nurse and physician who recognized a simple yet important patient need. Whether patients have had their clothing cut away during emergency trauma care or lack the resources to obtain clean clothing upon discharge, the Clothes Closet ensures they can leave the hospital with dignity. Today, this ongoing program continues to demonstrate how frontline innovation can address practical patient needs while supporting timely discharges, improving patient throughput, and, most importantly, preserving the dignity of those we serve.

As WMCG prepares to celebrate its 20th Annual Patient- and Family-Centered Care Conference, this milestone represents two decades of commitment to advancing PFCC principles and practices throughout the organization. The conference has served as an important forum for bringing together health care professionals, frontline team members and patients and family advisors to share innovative practices, celebrate successes, and learn from one another. More importantly, it reinforces the value of authentic partnerships with patients and families in shaping the delivery of care. As this PFCC Conference enters its third decade, it will continue to inspire colleagues to translate PFCC principles into meaningful action, strengthen partnerships, and identify new opportunities to embed patient- and family-centered practices into the culture and everyday operations of health care.