Georgia’s New Infusion Center Design Emphasizes Patient Support

By Roxanne Squires

HARIM, Ga. – WellStar Health System announced the opening of its new Imogene Walraven Waldrop & Charles W. Waldrop outpatient infusion center designed to enhance patient comfort and emotional support.

The one-story, 2,806-square-foot Infusion Center at WellStar Paulding Hospital offers treatment to patients undergoing cancer and other medical treatments while providing a work space conducive to creating and delivering a healing environment.

The new facility surpasses the size of its former program’s facility, offering the capacity to serve 12 patients simultaneously.

An interdisciplinary team, patients and their families worked closely with the architect and design team to create an open area filled with natural light, warm colors and comfortable patient bays to provide optimal patient care delivery.

“When we began designing the Imogene Walraven Waldrop & Charles W. Waldrop Infusion Center, our mission was to deliver the best patient experience possible,” said John Kueven, WellStar senior vice president and president of WellStar Paulding Hospital. “We understand how crucial it is for patients to be in an environment that offers support and privacy to focus on healing. Thanks to the generous gift from Ms. Waldrop, this new center brings that vision to life, and allows our staff to provide safe, convenient care to a larger number of Paulding County residents in a compassionate setting.”

All 12 patient bays—an increase from five patient bays in the former facility—include a motorized, reclining chair, personal television and a modular station for storage.

The new space also offers a lounge and nourishment center for patients, family members and caregivers.

Each patient bay also has enough room for a caregiver to accompany the patient for treatment.

Additionally, the Infusion center is in the North Professional Office Pavilion, which is connected to WellStar Paulding Hospital, allowing timely support, if needed, from hospital response teams.

Every patient bay located in the Imogene Walraven Waldrop & Charles W. Waldrop Infusion Center is outfitted with a personal television and mobile device charging station. To further streamline medication management, the center’s medication room includes an Omnicell automated dispensing system. The facility also features WiFi.

“As someone who has been personally impacted by cancer, I felt it was important to support a local outpatient infusion center for Paulding County,” said Imogene Walraven Waldrop. “When my brother, Bobby, and sister, Doris, battled cancer, they had to travel long distances to receive treatment. This experience, as well as the discovery that cancer rates are above the state average in Paulding County, led me to contribute to this worthy cause. When I learned that 100 percent of every dollar donated to the WellStar Foundation would go to this project, I knew that my gift to the Foundation would make the biggest impact on the community. I’m hopeful this facility will make a positive difference in the lives of Paulding residents for years to come.”

The center provides patients with a broad range of services and treatments such as chemotherapy, blood transfusions, therapeutic phlebotomy, and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. Patients can also receive rabies vaccines, IV antibiotics, injections and medications for conditions including Crohn’s disease, osteoporosis, and asthma.

Construction of the Imogene Walraven Waldrop & Charles W. Waldrop Infusion Center started on Aug. 8, 2018 and was completed on Oct. 15, 2018.