About Us | Wellstar Health System

Everyone should have high expectations. We do.
Your community. Your future.

At Wellstar we all share common goals. That’s what makes us so successful – and such an integral part of our communities. We want the same things, for our organization, for our patients, and for our colleagues.

As Georgia's most integrated healthcare provider, Wellstar provides our team members the opportunity to work where they live and grow their career in a single organization. As a not-for-profit, we pride ourselves on investing in the communities that we serve. We do this along with providing educational opportunities and benefits designed to help our colleagues grow their skills and careers.

Meet Our Leaders

Candice L. Saunders leads Wellstar, one of Georgia’s largest and most integrated nonprofit health systems with more than 300 locations, including 11 hospitals and 25,000 team members. Drawing on her background as a critical care nurse, Saunders has become a nationally recognized leader in improving community access to vital healthcare needs and enhancing the patient care experience. She has received leadership recognition from numerous organizations, including being named to Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women Leaders, Atlanta Magazine’s 500 Most Powerful Leaders, The Atlantan Magazine’s Top 25 Most Influential Atlantans, and Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Most Admired CEOs.

Candice L. Saunders, FACHE

President and CEO

Leo Reichert provides advice and counsel to Wellstar’s Board of Trustees and senior leadership team. He leads the legal team for the System and its affiliates, and also leads Wellstar’s government relations efforts. His prior experience includes representing hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers in a broad range of litigation and regulatory matters. Reichert has been named a Georgia Superlawyer for Healthcare Law and has been listed in Chambers USA, Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

Leo Reichert
Executive Vice President and General Counsel

Jim Budzinski oversees the finances for Wellstar, ensuring financial stability so that the System can continue to fulfill its role and responsibility as a leading nonprofit provider of community outreach, resources, and education while providing compassionate, medical expert care to Georgians. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and has received numerous professional and leadership awards. Budzinski is active in the community and serves as a trustee on the boards of various nonprofit organizations, including MUST Ministries and Tommy Nobis Center.

Jim Budzinski, MBA, MHA, CPA
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Dr. John Brennan oversees Wellstar’s clinical integration, including its physician network, population health, safety, quality, service lines, clinical research, enterprise project management office, enterprise intelligence, care coordination, and center for health equity. He is board-certified in Emergency Medicine and has more than 25 years of diverse, national experience as a practicing physician, teacher, author, and administrator. Brennan is a nationally renowned physician and speaker who lectures on various healthcare topics related to value based care, strategy, and innovation.

John A. Brennan, MD, FACEP, MPH
Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Integration Officer

Kem Mullins creates growth strategies and partnerships for Wellstar, and he leads the System’s expansive network of outpatient facilities. He analyzes and explores new business opportunities based on industry forces, emerging competition, and shifts in a variety of local markets. Mullins has been with Wellstar since April 2012 and brings 25 years of healthcare administration experience. He applies his strong business development skills in areas such as physician relations, team building, healthcare management, and managed care. Mullins is a long-standing fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Kem Mullins, FACHE
Executive Vice President, Ambulatory Division and Business Development

David Jones supports the advancement of organizational effectiveness, and a positive employee relations environment throughout Wellstar’s workforce of approximately 25,000. Drawing on his nearly 30 years of experience in HR leadership positions in the healthcare, academic, and corporate sectors, Jones provides senior executive leadership and oversight for the delivery of Wellstar’s human capital strategy, culture design, workforce planning and development, and diversity and inclusion. Many at Wellstar know him as the Chief Joy Officer. In 2021, Great Place to Work® and Fortune named Wellstar one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For®.

David Jones, SHRM-SPC, SPHR
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer

Dr. Mary Chatman oversees operations for five hospitals, five health parks and 40+ outpatient departments, and manages a team of more than 10,000, including finance, human resources, nursing, operations, and medical staff. Having started her career as a nursing assistant, Chatman is committed to providing patient-centered care and addressing vital community needs. She has been recognized locally and nationally as a strong patient advocate, leader and community partner. She is a former Cobb County Citizen of the Year; was chosen as an examiner and Fellow with the National Baldrige Performance Excellence Program and was recently honored in Atlanta Magazine’s 2021 “Women Making A Mark.”

Mary Chatman, PhD, RN
Executive Vice President, Wellstar Health System
President, Wellstar Kennestone Hospital and Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital

Dr. Hank Capps advances the System’s digital strategy to design the healthcare system of the future while evolving and optimizing operational technology-based platforms, processes, and partnerships. His team identifies gaps and opportunities in healthcare delivery, operational excellence, and consumer engagement to create solutions that enhance and transform the healthcare experience. Capps is the lead architect for Catalyst by Wellstar, the first-of-its-kind global digital health and innovation center created and operated within a health system to holistically address healthcare disruption by harnessing problems, solutions, investments, and partnerships across industries.

Hank Capps, MD
Executive Vice President and Chief Information & Digital Officer

Jill Case-Wirth advances the System’s strategic direction of nursing, fostering a culture of safety, high reliability, and top decile quality performance, leading 7,300 nurses across Wellstar’s 300 locations. As a nurse who has served at the bedside, she is passionate about advancing the role of nursing to transform patient care and achieve performance excellence. She has been nationally recognized for creating impactful partnerships at the intersection of education and practice to grow the nursing workforce. Throughout her career she has served on state and national councils and was most recently chosen as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

Jill Case-Wirth, MHA, BSN, RN
Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive

Beth Kost oversees Wellstar’s compliance program, including regulatory compliance, privacy, and cybersecurity. She fosters a culture of ethical conduct and business practices among team members and across multiple enterprise operational departments, and provides oversight in the areas of medical coding, health information management, and clinical documentation improvement. Kost has been an active member of professional and community organizations and is currently a member of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce and the Honorary Commanders Association.

Beth Kost
Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer

Julie Teer oversees Wellstar’s philanthropic strategy and partnerships with focus on elevating efforts to secure vital resources for Wellstar Health System. As lead strategist, Teer is responsible for building strategies that align community engagement and education with philanthropic efforts; driving strategic investments to fuel and accelerate Wellstar’s nonprofit mission; and developing strong long-term relationships with individuals, foundations, corporate donors, and funders. Teer has more than 20 years of diverse experience and expertise in nonprofit and national political fundraising, communications, and government relations.

Julie Teer
Senior Vice President and Foundation President

Le Joyce Naylor leads the systemwide thought leadership, strategic planning, and implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at Wellstar. Bringing 15 years of experience in the field of healthcare, she is a skilled and dedicated leader who collaborates with others across the System to advance DE&I strategies and programs that positively impact and amplify the voices of the communities that Wellstar serves. Naylor guides Wellstar in the commitment to prioritize, grow and deepen DE&I and cultural competence initiatives.

Le Joyce Naylor, MA, CCDP/AP
Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer

slide 10 of 10 Mary oversees all aspects of operations for two hospitals, three Health Parks, and 46 outpatient departments, working with the Senior Team which includes VP’s for Finance, Human Resources, Nursing, Operations, and Medical Staff. Mary has been recognized as a 2018 Women of Excellence recipient in Atlanta, received a Nursing Achievement Award, recognized nationally by the MBA Diversity Magazine as a ‘Top 50 under 50’ and most recently, recognized as a Fellow in the Malcom Baldrige Program. Mary Chatman, RN, PhD Executive Vice President, President of Wellstar Kennestone Hospital

Company Culture

We are Georgia grown and nationally recognized as an Employer of Choice. Featured on the FORTUNE ‘100 Best Companies to Work For®’ list and Working Mother Magazine’s Best Companies list, we place enormous value on quality, safety and our team members with many other accolades to support our work. We are known nationally for our innovative care models, consistently looking at total patient wellness and work to ensure that our systems support that focus.

Variety - Our growing network of facilities offers a range of sizes and specialties that provides an environment to match the needs, goals and preferences of nearly any professional.
Flexibility - Wellstar offers the ability to transfer seamlessly within our network, while retaining seniority and benefits, allowing our team members to grow their skills and careers in the same supportive environment they are already a part of.

Support - From the most advanced technological innovations, continuous training and education, to truly stellar benefits and recognition for your accomplishments, Wellstar offers all of the resources our team members need to succeed.

See why Wellstar is certified as a Great Place to Work

Everyone should have high expectations. We do.Your community. Your future.

Meet Our Leaders

Candice L. Saunders, FACHE

President and CEO

Leo ReichertExecutive Vice President and General Counsel

Jim Budzinski, MBA, MHA, CPA​​​​​​​Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

John A. Brennan, MD, FACEP, MPH​​​​​​​Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Integration Officer

Kem Mullins, FACHE​​​​​​​Executive Vice President, Ambulatory Division and Business Development

David Jones, SHRM-SPC, SPHR​​​​​​​Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer

Mary Chatman, PhD, RN​​​​​​​Executive Vice President, Wellstar Health SystemPresident, Wellstar Kennestone Hospital and Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital

Hank Capps, MDExecutive Vice President and Chief Information & Digital Officer

Jill Case-Wirth, MHA, BSN, RNSenior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive

Beth Kost​​​​​​​Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer

Julie Teer​​​​​​​Senior Vice President and Foundation President

Le Joyce Naylor, MA, CCDP/AP​​​​​​​Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer