Salude CEO and Director of Rehab Named Finalists in the Gwinnett Chamber Healthcare Excellence Award

ATLANTA (Dec. 11, 2015) – Salude Chief Executive Officer Alan Wang, MD, SFHM, FACP and Director of Rehabilitation Vicki Braun have been named finalists for the Gwinnett Chamber Healthcare Excellence Awards. The winners in each award category will be unveiled at the Dec. 15 ceremony at the Infinite Energy Forum in Duluth during the ceremony at 5:30 p.m.

The program recognizes excellence and innovation and honors the efforts of individuals and organizations making a significant impact in the healthcare community. The finalists provide examples of best practices to emulate in providing quality healthcare.

“At Salude, it is our privilege to work in an environment that has a team-based patient and family-centered approach. We could not do what we do without our team working together to provide clinical excellence and superb rehabilitation services,” said Salude CEO Dr. Alan Wang. “We are humbled and honored to be recognized for the dedication and support we give each day to our patients in recovery care.”

Dr. Wang was named a finalist in the Physician of the Year – Specialist category while Vickie Braun was named a finalist in the Healthcare Professional category.

Dr. Wang helped start the Emory Hospital Medicine Program. He served as site medical director at several locations in Atlanta. From October 2008 – July 2013, he served as the director of the Emory Section of Hospital Medicine. Under his leadership, the Division of Hospital of Medicine grew to be the largest academic hospital medicine program in the country and the largest hospital medicine system in the state of Georgia. Dr. Wang is a Senior Fellow in Hospital Medicine and Fellow of the American College of Physicians.

Braun has been an occupational therapist for 35 years and a manager of therapy for 21 of those years. She helped start a 25-bed program for patients with traumatic brain injuries. She has spearheaded several research projects with the Veterans Administration focused on interventions to help improve family care giving of older veterans. Braun has worked in acute care, outpatient and home health care and skilled nursing facilities.

The Physician of the Year category recognizes an individual who has exhibited excellence by giving outstanding patient attention and responding to the needs of their families, while also leading a top-performing practice.

The Healthcare Professional category honors an individual who has demonstrated dedication, leadership and support to the industry from nurses and medical assistants to pharmacists and physical therapists.

Other categories include: Community Leadership, Corporate Achievement, Executive Administrator, Healthcare Agency, Healthcare Professional, Physician of the Year – Dentist, Primary Care and Specialist and Volunteer Service. 

Salude Hosts WALK! with Aegis Therapies 2015 Event with Executive Chef

Sept. 28 – Oct. 2: Five-Day Program of Events and Activities Dedicated to Promoting Active Aging and Healthy Lifestyles

Suwanee, GEORGIA (September 28, 2015) — Salude, a healthcare provider that will redefine transitional care, hosts WALK! with Aegis Therapies 2015 kick-off event on Monday, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. with Aegis Therapies executive chef Darin Leonardson hosting the celebratory first anniversary festivities with former patients and all of the Salude staff.

He will host a live and entertaining cooking demonstration highlighting healthy foods and nutrition. He will make delicious, antioxidant smoothies in a fun way and prepare a tasty spinach and pomegranate salad from the Aegis Therapies EnerG™ Cookbook for all participants.

The WALK! with Aegis Therapies takes place from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2. This award-winning program is a five-day celebration of health and wellness that will involve thousands of participants at Aegis Therapies client locations across the nation, including independent living facilities, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, skilled nursing facilities, and other locations as well as at-home participants in the community.

Community members are invited to create their own WALK! team and join the WALK! withAegis Therapies for free by registering anytime between August 1 and October 1 at www.walkwithaegis.com.

“We invite the community to join us for this fun-filled week that encourages active aging and educates participants about healthy living at any age,” said Salude Executive Director, Dee Desai. “Our patients, their families and our whole staff are looking forward to this event and our motivational WALK! Chef on Sept. 28.”

Aegis Therapies, one of the largest contract rehabilitation companies in the country, provides rehabilitation services at Salude. WALK! with Aegis Therapies 2015 is presented by the EnerG™ by Aegis wellness program and the International Council on Active Aging® (ICAA). The events are in support of ICAA’s annual Active Aging Week, which is celebrated throughout the U.S. and Canada during the last week of September. To see more about our events, go to www.aegistherapies.com.

Each day of WALK! with Aegis Therapies 2015 will feature a walking activity and an additional wellness activity. Walking activities will take place to upbeat songs on custom-made CDs narrated by national fitness expert Chris Freytag. Participants who are not able to complete planned walks will have the option of engaging in other physical activities.

Participating sites will calculate miles walked daily by event participants at each location and Aegis Therapies staff will calculate a national total of miles walked during WALK! with Aegis Therapies 2015. Participants in the 2014 program collectively walked close to 100,000 miles by the end of the week!

“Aegis Therapies is committed to our community service and to spreading the knowledge that remaining active as people age is vital to health and quality of life,” said Martha Schram, President of Aegis Therapies. “WALK! with Aegis Therapies reinforces the importance of nourishing our emotional and intellectual health, in addition to maintaining our physical well-being.”

Schedule of WALK! with Aegis Therapies 2015 Activities

In addition to a daily walking exercise, each day of WALK! with Aegis Therapies will incorporate another dimension of wellness as follows:

Monday (9/28) – Intellectual Wellness — Participants will engage in creative and stimulating mental activities including trivia questions about America and brain teasers.

Tuesday (9/29) – Emotional Wellness — Participants will engage in activities that encourage them to stay positive, connect with others, and remain physically active. Attendees will write thank you or caring notes to friends, loved ones, or caregivers. Alternatively, they may engage in another activity that promotes positive thinking.

Wednesday (9/30) – Spiritual Wellness — Participants will be encouraged to merge the physical realm of wellness with the spiritual as they complete a 15-minute guided meditation segment.

Thursday (10/1) – Occupational Wellness — During this day’s events, participants will engage each other in a game that will involve going through the alphabet and listing as many occupations as they can for each letter.

Friday (10/2) – Social Wellness — On this day, activities will promote social wellness and the importance of socializing with others. Socializing involves using good communications skills, having meaningful relationships, respecting yourself and others, and creating a support system that includes family, friends, and caregivers.

Salude Partners with the City of Suwanee

"In an effort to continue our mission to serve our community’s health care needs, we jumped at the chance to provide first aid for concert goers at one of the largest community events of the year." 

ATLANTA (August 12, 2015) – Salude, a healthcare provider that will redefine transitional care, has partnered with the Suwanee community to provide support and health care services for some City of Suwanee events. For the Suwanee Annual August Concert and Wing Fest on Saturday, August 8, where thousands came to Town Center Park to listen to bands, The 101, The Athens Ban, Brent Daniel and Soul Asylum, Salude was a public art sponsor and provided first aid for the event. Four Salude employees were stationed at a first aid tent to provide concert goers with immediate first aide when needed.

“Staying active in our community is a great opportunity to connect with our friends and neighbors as well as new community members,” said Salude CEO Dr. Alan Wang. “In an effort to continue our mission to serve our community’s health care needs, we jumped at the chance to provide first aid for concert goers at one of the largest community events of the year. We hope to continue to give benefit to our patients in need of transitional and physical recovery care as well as become an even more valuable healthcare resource to our community.”

“Salude has quickly become a great community partner for the City of Suwanee,” said Suwanee Assistant City Manager Denise Brinson. “We appreciate that Salude went above and beyond in response to Suwanee’s one percent for art developer initiative and continues to provide support for public art as a Suwanee SculpTour sponsor. We were happy to welcome Salude as a public art sponsor to our annual August Concert and Wing Festival and appreciate the first aid service they provided onsite.”

This is the 11th year for Suwanee’s annual August Concert. Last year, the community added the wing festival to the concert experience. Salude Business Office Administrator, C.J. Caballero, also participated in the wing-eating contest where the winner had to eat 10 wings.

Salude will also participate later this year in Suwanee’s Trek or Treat on October 31 at Suwanee Creek Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Jolly Holly-day on December 4 at Town Center Park happening at 6:30 p.m.

Salude recently celebrated its first anniversary with more than 80 team members including administrators, clinical staff, nurses, doctors, dining staff and concierge staff. In February, Salude was recognized for being a significant contributor to the arts in this community with an ArtWorks! Gwinnett Fusion Award.

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Salude Presents Community Service Grant

On April 16, following an extensive community search, Salude awarded a $1,000 Community Service Grant to North Gwinnett Cooperative to aid in their mission to provide food, medication assistance, and utilities assistance to residents of Buford, Sugar Hill, and Suwanee, Georgia. 

Dee Desai, Salude Executive Director, and Dr. Alan Wang, Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director, presented the check to Kim Phillips, Executive Director for North Gwinnett Cooperative. Attendance included Suwanee Mayor Jimmy Burnett and his wife, Karen Burnett.  Event photos were submitted to the Buford Newspaper and City of Suwanee Magazine.

The North Gwinnett Cooperative was formed in 1991 as a ministry that provides food, clothing, financial assistance, and spiritual support to those in need. 

Originally formed by Sugar Hill United Methodist Church in 1991, the ministry is now supported by additional congregations, area businesses, civic organizations, schools, and individuals who generously donate food, clothing, and financial resources.

Salude Wins ArtWorks! Gwinnett Fusion Award

“In our mission to focus on quality healthcare and the ‘art of recovery’ experience, the artwork we have incorporated throughout the building enhances our mission and provides the peace and tranquility we hope our patients feel to comfortably focus on their recovery.”

ATLANTA (February 6, 2015) – Salude, a healthcare provider that will redefine transitional care, has won in its category for Corporate Arts Citizen – Organization at the 4th Annual Artworks! Gwinnett Fusion Awards ceremony on Feb. 2 at the Aurora Mainstage Theatre in Lawrenceville. The awards ceremony was produced by the non-profit arts organization ArtWorks! Gwinnett in an effort to honor contributors who made a significant impact on the Gwinnett arts community in 2014.

The evening was enhanced with live entertainment from local performers who took to the stage throughout the night to display a variety of talents.

“We are overjoyed to have won our category and be recognized as a significant contributor to the arts in this community for 2014,” said Salude CEO Dr. Alan Wang. “In our mission to focus on quality healthcare and the ‘art of recovery’ experience, the artwork we have incorporated throughout the building enhances our mission and provides the peace and tranquility we hope our patients feel to comfortably focus on their recovery.”

With the ArtWorks! Gwinnett Fusion Awards, the outstanding contributions of local artists, arts organizations, arts educators and corporate supporters of the arts were recognized. There were more than 70 nominations in 14 awards categories, and the Fusion judging panel narrowed the nominations to no more than three nominees per category.

Wang adds,”It is a privilege to support local artists, this community and to give benefit to our patients in need of transitional recovery care. We hope to become an even more valuable healthcare resource in the community in the future.”

ArtWorks! Gwinnett is an nonprofit organization striving to improve the economy and quality of life in Gwinnett by promoting and strengthening the arts while connecting artists and arts organizations with the broader community and each other. For more information, visit artworksgwinnett.org.

Salude Named a Finalist in the 4th Annual ArtWorks! Gwinnett Fusion Awards

“In our mission to focus on quality healthcare and the ‘art of recovery’ experience, the artwork we have incorporated throughout the building enhances our mission and provides the peace and tranquility we hope our patients feel to comfortably focus on their recovery,” said Salude CEO Dr. Alan Wang.

ATLANTA (January 30, 2015) – Salude, a healthcare provider that will redefine transitional care, has been named a finalist for the Artworks! Gwinnett Fusion Awards produced by the non-profit arts organization ArtWorks! Gwinnett. The awards will be unveiled at the Feb. 2 ceremony at the Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville with the ceremony beginning at 7 p.m.

“In our mission to focus on quality healthcare and the ‘art of recovery’ experience, the artwork we have incorporated throughout the building enhances our mission and provides the peace and tranquility we hope our patients feel to comfortably focus on their recovery,” said Salude CEO Dr. Alan Wang.

With the ArtWorks! Gwinnett Fusion Awards, the outstanding contributions of local artists, arts organizations, arts educators and corporate supporters of the arts will be recognized. There were more than 70 nominations in 15 awards categories, and the Fusion judging panel narrowed the nominations to no more than three nominees per category.

“It is a privilege to support local artists, this community and to give benefit to our patients in need of transitional recovery care,” adds Wang. “We are humbled and honored to be recognized for supporting the arts in our community. We hope to become an even more valuable healthcare resource in the community in the future.”

Salude was named a finalist in the following category:

Corporate Arts Citizen – Organization – Salude

Other categories include: Lifetime Achievement Award, Vision Award, Arts Educator of the Year Award, Arts Volunteer of the Year Award, Community Impact Awards and Corporate Arts Citizen Awards.

For more information regarding event registration, please visit http://artworksgwinnett.org or contact the ArtWorks! Gwinnett executive director, Raye Varney at 678.474.1701 or rvarney@artworksgwinnett.org.

Salude Named a Finalist in Four Categories in the Gwinnett Chamber’s Healthcare Excellence Awards

“Having opened Salude earlier this year with the assistance of the Gwinnett Chamber, we are humbled and honored to be named finalists in four categories,” said Salude CEO Dr. Alan Wang. 

ATLANTA (November 25, 2014) – Salude, a healthcare provider that will redefine transitional care, has been named a finalist in four categories for the Healthcare Excellence Awards produced by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. The awards will be unveiled at the Dec. 4 ceremony at the Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta held from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

“Having opened Salude earlier this year with the assistance of the Gwinnett Chamber, we are humbled and honored to be named finalists in four categories,” said Salude CEO Dr. Alan Wang. “Providing the much-needed transitional recovery care for our patients has been a privilege, and we hope to become an even more valuable healthcare resource in the community in the future.”

With the Healthcare Excellence Awards, the Gwinnett Chamber pays tribute to those who are leading the way through innovation, patient and family care, philanthropic efforts and volunteerism. Designations in the following areas will be given: Community Leadership, Corporate Achievement, Executive Administrator, Healthcare Professional, Physician of the Year and Volunteer Service.

Salude was named a finalist in the following categories:

•    Corporate Achievement – Salude
•    Executive Administrator – Devangi Desai, LNHA, MBA/MHA – Salude
•    Healthcare Professional – Vickie Braun, DOR – Aegis Therapies
•    Physician of the Year – Specialist – Alan Wang, MD, SFHM, FACP – Salude

“Healthcare is essential to our community in many ways, said Gwinnett Chamber President and CEO Dr. Dan Kaufman.” Not only does it affect every individual on a personal level, but it also is considered a strategic economic development tool for attracting companies to relocate to or expand and invest in Gwinnett County. Moreover, health care professionals and services comprise a significant part of our community’s economy, creating jobs and fueling our education sector as well.”

For more information regarding event registration or partnerships, please visit HealthcareExcellenceAwards.com or contact Program & Events Manager Cally D’Angelo at 678.957.4958 or CDAnglo@GwinnettChamber.org.

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