(Story and photos courtesy Lisa Kaylor, Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia)
Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia officially cut the ribbon on its updated lobby Oct. 13 with a ceremony attended by donors, dignitaries from Wellstar, Wellstar MCG, Augusta University and the city of Augusta.
There was also a very special guest in attendance, Dr. Charles Howell, who throughout his career has been one of Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia’s biggest advocates. From the stage he watched, visibly touched, as a giant purple curtain fell, revealing the words “Dr. Charles G. Howell Jr. Lobby” stretching across the lobby wall, greeting guests as they enter.
“I’m a little embarrassed,” Howell said as he took the podium.
He went on to say that many times over the years, patient families told him they didn’t know where to go for care, and now any patient who walks through the door of the children’s hospital will find physicians who are board-certified in many specialties.
“You get the best care without saying anything, and for that I am very proud,” he said.
The moment had been kept top-secret, even from many event organizers. Planners knew they were organizing a special recognition, but the identity and exact nature of the surprise was revealed to leaders on a need-to-know basis to avoid spoiling the surprise. Leaders who knew, agreed that this was just as it should be. After all, Wellstar Children’s would not exist without Howell’s steadfast advocacy.
There’s a well-known story that Howell offhandedly mentioned the need for a children’s hospital to a patient’s father —a spark that would lead to securing the necessary funding just a few years later. Howell did not know the comment was made to the chief aide to Rep. Tom Murphy, then-Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives. Ten years later, the Children’s Hospital of Georgia was a reality. Howell was also instrumental in designing the children’s hospital, involving children and families in the process to ensure their needs were met. Wellstar Children’s opened in 1998 and expanded pediatric inpatient capacity from 32 to 154 beds. Howell was one of Georgia’s greatest advocates for children’s healthcare.
As part of the celebration, Mayor Garnett Johnson read a proclamation declaring Oct. 13 “Dr. Charles Howell Day,” and presented him with a plaque.
Wellstar MCG President Dr. Ralph Turner also thanked Howell for his dedication and service to Georgia’s children.
“When someone dedicates their lives to taking care of our children and just makes one profound statement that grows into an entire facility, and he dedicates 40 years of his life taking care of children, this today just feels right,” he said.
As a pediatric surgeon for 40 years, Howell has performed more than 16,000 procedures. He graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 1973 and, following a pediatric surgery residency at a children’s hospital in Philadelphia, returned to Augusta to practice.
In addition to operating on nearly 400 children each year, Howell pioneered a pediatric ECMO program and the pediatric trauma. He also served as capital campaign co-chair to assist in bringing the Ronald McDonald House to its current location, just steps away from the children’s hospital. In 2018 following his 40-year surgical career, he retired as Surgeon-in-Chief at Wellstar Children’s and chief of the department of Surgery for Wellstar MCG Health. He returned to the health system in 2019 as CEO of the hospital’s physician practice group.
The lobby of Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia was the first large renovation project at the children’s hospital since it was built in 1998. The renovation includes new flooring, removal of an old fountain, and updated furniture. A donor wall has also been installed to recognize the generous donors who help Wellstar Children’s fulfill its mission of providing patient-and-family-centered care for every family who seeks care at Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia.
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