FAQ FOR DR. LENHARD
I have called the WellStar phone number multiple times, but I am still having trouble getting an appointment.
Wellstar is working very hard with a group of highly trained employees to answer voice mails for appointments. Dr. Lenhard expresses his sincere appreciation for your dedication to him and for your patience with the scheduling process! Please phone (470)267-0720 Mon. through Friday from 8:00AM to 4:30PM to schedule your appointment.
What insurance plans will Dr. Lenhard be taking?
Dr. Lenhard will be on most major insurance plans. The lists that you may find online may not be complete as this information is changing and updating. Please call the office for the current and most up to date list of insurance plans.
How do I know if I need a physical or follow up visit with Dr. Lenhard?
Most insurance companies allow a “physical” or “wellness” exam once yearly (at least 366 days from the prior physical). Some offer it every calendar year (Ok to be less than 366 days from the prior physical). His advice is to look on MyChart list of prior appointments. Choose the “Visits” button. Then choose “Appointments and Visits”. Then look at the prior visits and view the After Visit Summary (AVS) documents. The AVS should state what the visit was for and when and why he wants you to return to the clinic. Please use this as a guide to answer the staff member’s question as to why you are coming in to see me. Regardless, Dr. Lenhard will assess your needs at each and every office visit and review your Health Maintenance.
Can I get blood work prior to my visit with Dr. Lenhard?
Dr. Lenhard personally chooses and orders each lab test that is needed. Furthermore, he must input these orders himself into EPIC. To do this for every single patient prior to their office visit is virtually impossible. This will have to be handled on a case-by-case basis. Please feel free to ask Dr. Lenhard via MyChart.
I need prescription refills. Can Dr. Lenhard refill them for me?
Yes. Please call the office for prescription refill requests or via MyChart.
I am trying to refill my medicines, but they are not listed in MyChart.
Dr. Lenhard can only refill medications if he is the original prescriber. So, if you need refills but another physician prescribed them previously, then simply just list the medications you need in MyChart.
What is the Cures Act and how does that affect me?
The Cures Act is an act of Congress that authorizes the Office of Health Information technology to set guidelines on the release of patient information to you. Specifically, these include but are not limited to, labs, pathology, radiology and office notes. But for the majority of Dr. Lenhard’s patients, this affects lab reporting procedures. When this goes into effect, the patient may get the labs results prior to Dr. Lenhard reviewing them. Furthermore, your lab results may be completed in a “piecemeal” fashion. Dr. Lenhard will review your labs when all the results are complete. So, Dr. Lenhard and the staff asks for your patience regarding lab, radiology and other tests that are released to you. If Dr. Lenhard ordered the test, then he will result and deliver his comments to you as soon as possible.
Dr. Lenhard and many of his colleagues agree that the Cures Act has many benefits. The problem arises when a result that has significant consequences is released to the patient prior to Dr. Lenhard (or any other physician) has a chance to review the labs and instruct the staff on what to do. For example, a lab test comes back showing leukemia or a pathology specimen comes back showing cancer. Because of the Cures Act, these labs could end up in your possession before Dr. Lenhard can review the labs and set up a plan for you. Thus, despite the angst of an abnormal lab result, Dr. Lenhard asks patience from everyone as we work through the details of the Cures Act.
What is Dr. Lenhard’s lab and radiology resulting procedure?
Dr. Lenhard personally reviews every lab result as they come in. Dr. Lenhard will review the labs when all the labs are complete. For example, Dr. Lenhard may order 7 lab tests and 5 come back in one day. He will wait until the remaining 2 tests are complete before reviewing the results as a whole. In general, lab results come in 3 categories: completely or essentially normal, some abnormalities are present and/or action is needed, and severely abnormal labs.
If the labs are completely or essentially normal, then you most likely you will not receive a phone call from the office. Dr. Lenhard will send your labs to you directly via MyChart with his comments.
If the labs have some abnormalities and/or action is needed, then you will receive a phone call from the office and you will get your labs sent to you via MyChart directly from Dr. Lenhard. Please wait for the phone call from the office before emailing Dr. Lenhard about your questions regarding your labs.
If your labs are severely abnormal, then you will get a phone call from our office to discuss these labs prior to them being released to MyChart (if possible).
Why are my labs referring to me as “patient” or in the 3rd person?
Dr. Lenhard uses a computer based dictation software. The results of the labs are not only meant for the patient, but also for the staff—especially when action is needed. So, please do not take offence that the labs are not dictated as a personal letter to you. It is simply Dr. Lenhard’s method of dictating the labs in order to assure that all parties (the patient, the staff, and all other clinicians in Wellstar that may view the labs) understand Dr. Lenhard’s thought process regarding the labs.
Thank you.
Summer of 2019 Sabbatical Golf Trip
Sabbatical Highlights
I was on sabbatical for several months in the Summer of 2019. The highlight was the 1800 mile driving golf tour loop I made from Atlanta to Detroit and back.
In other sabbatical news I traveled and focused on my fitness by practicing Yoga, walking in Marietta, hiking in the North Georgia mountains, golfing, attending Orange Theory fitness classes, using free weights, dumbbells and kettlebells in training sessions. I was able to drop 12 pounds in 6 weeks. It was great to have had the time to catch the Braves games, read the daily newspaper and complete crossword puzzles.
Most important of all, I enjoyed spending time with my wife, kids, extended family and dogs!!
Q&A with Dr. Lenhard about the Covid 19 Vaccine
Dr. Lenhard received his 2nd Covid Vaccine on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 5 pm.
Pam Tinsley received her 2nd Covid Vaccine on Friday, January 15 2021
Last updated: January 15, 2021 at 4 pm
It has been a momentous week with the release of the vaccine to patients older than 65!! Wellstar has done 1000 Covid Vaccines every single day this week! I am proud to be a Wellstar physician because Wellstar is using its resources to vaccinate as many people as we can. Together, we will be part of the solution to this pandemic. Below are some common questions that have come up this week.
How does Dr. Lenhard and Pam feel after getting their vaccines? Dr. Lenhard tolerates vaccines quite well. After the first vaccine, Dr. Lenhard had absolutely no effects from it other than a sore arm from the needle entering his muscle. Pam on the other hand felt a little weak after the first vaccine, but that subsided after one day. For the second vaccine, Dr. Lenhard took 1000 mg of Tylenol 1 hour prior and 12 hours after the vaccine. At about 16 hours after the vaccine, Dr. Lenhard had a little headache (Grade 2-3 out of 10) and a little dizziness. This could have been dehydration or a little “caffeine low”. But other than that, he has had no effects after the second vaccine. Pam has done very well after the second vaccine. She didn’t even take Tylenol!
Can I get the vaccine if I am not 65 years old? The answer is no. The Georgia Department of Public Health is in charge of distributing the vaccine to the various entities in the State of Georgia. Every entity is obligated to immunize only those indicated by the Department of Public Health. So, if you are not a healthcare worker, long term care facility staff or resident, or an adult over the age of 65, then you cannot get the vaccine right now.
What if I am a caregiver for a person over the age of 65? You are interpreting the DPH website correctly. It does state that. However, according to our Chief Medical Officer, “as a system, we have not gotten approval yet. Stay tuned…things are changing rapidly.”
I am having trouble getting an appointment for my first Covid Vaccine. What do I need to do? Wellstar is working tirelessly to contact every person over age 65 to get them their vaccine. There is a telephone work queue that multiple staff members are working to contact patients to get them an appointment. If you have not received a MyChart message, then you will get a phone call soon from the work queue.
I got my first vaccine, but I don’t have an appointment for the second vaccine. What should I do? Each facility that is giving the vaccine has a different schedule on how they are administering the vaccine. So, you will either get a phone call or a MyChart message to schedule the second vaccine.
I heard that Georgia is near the bottom of the list of states for vaccination rates. What is going on there? I am not too worried about statistics. Each state in the USA has their own set of resources and Departments of Public Health. Each state has a different rollout based on the individual needs of the state. The bottom line is that Wellstar is doing it’s very best to immunize as many folks and as fast as possible. However, our resources are limited. Wellstar needs to be able to carry on normal operations in the doctor’s offices and the hospitals. Last month, Wellstar was at 133% of capacity compared to July. Now we are at 150% of capacity. Staff are being re-deployed throughout the system to meet the pressing needs of our patients.
Last updated: January 10, 2021 at 1 pm
As many of you are aware, the Georgia Department of Public Health will allow health care systems to immunize patients greater than age 65 with the Covid-19 Vaccine starting on Monday, January 11. Wellstar is committed to our community to accomplish this task. But this task is Herculean in terms of logistics.
Many of you may have received a MyChart email about scheduling for your Covid-19 Vaccine. But I have received many messages from you asking questions about this process. Below is a list of some Questions and Answers regarding this process. I hope that this answers your questions.
I received a letter from Dr. McIntyre and not Dr. Lenhard. Who is Dr. McIntyre? Dr. Sophia McIntyre is the Chief Medical Officer of Wellstar Medical Group. She is sending the MyChart communication on behalf of the nearly 300 primary care physicians at Wellstar. This message is legitimate and reflects my message to you.
Why does the communication refer to a Generic Covid-19 Vaccine? The Covid-19 vaccine is being given at a variety of locations including the five Wellstar Health Parks. When you schedule for the vaccine, we don’t know which brand you’ll get at the time of making the appointment. So, we are simply calling it “generic” for the time being. You will receive the Pfizer or Moderna Vaccine.
Why have I not gotten an invite for the vaccine yet? Wellstar is in the process of sending out e-mails via MyChart. In fact, as of today (January 9), Wellstar still has about 175,000 e-mails to send out. To avoid overloading the system, the e-mails are going out in waves. Wellstar has an algorithm on how they are sending out the e-mails that is too complicated to elaborate here.
Why did one spouse get an invite, but the other spouse did not? This may be related to algorithms by Wellstar. Some of the algorithms include zip code (one spouse may have a 5 digit zip code, but the other may have the 9 digit zip code). Other algorithms include age and medical issues. Bottom line, Wellstar is committed to getting the e-mail to all patients over 65 who are on MyChart.
Can I call the phone number on my MyChart e-mail to schedule my vaccine? Yes. But there are limited schedulers who can handle the phones. We even had schedulers working a 12 hour shift on Saturday, January 9 and an 8 hour shift on Sunday, January 10. It is best to try to schedule using the online application that is embedded in the e-mail.
Will you be giving the Covid Vaccine in your office? No. The vaccine needs to be reconstituted by trained personnel. And because of the storage requirements of the vaccine, Wellstar is only giving the vaccine in several locations including all five of the Health Parks.
In summary, I ask for your patience as Wellstar works as hard as possible to achieve this vital public health campaign.
Last updated: December 28, 2020 at 6 pm
When did you get the vaccine? Wellstar has been having meetings with all of it’s clinicians for weeks about Covid. Once the Pfizer vaccine was approved, we had twice weekly conference calls about vaccine distribution to the Wellstar clinicians and staff. Things were changing quickly, but eventually at 7:30 pm on December 22, 2020, I received my first of two Covid vaccines.
How did this vaccine differ than prior vaccines, like flu shots? There was a bit more paperwork. I got an official card from the CDC showing my vaccine date. But it was a typical intramuscular injection. It felt no different than a flu shot. I did take 1000 mg of Tylenol about 2 minutes after the vaccine.
How did you feel after you got the vaccine? Today is Christmas Day. So, it’s been 3 days since my vaccine. I have felt fine. Other than a little ache in the arm, I felt fine. No aches or pains. I even had my usual 5 am workout the next morning.
Why did you hold that sign while getting your vaccine? The American Board of Internal Medicine encourages its diplomats to take selfies of them getting the vaccine. They provided the template for the sign. I have spoken to patients in the office about my feelings on the vaccine. Not since World War II has there been an event where every single American has a role in a crisis. In WWII when the men went to war, the women that stayed behind helped with the war effort (i.e. Rosie the Riveter). Now, in 2020, we need to get America back to work. We need to get the economy going again because many businesses are suffering. Jobs are harder to come by. Once 75% of Americans are immunized, then hopefully, we can get back to a “normal” lifestyle. That’s why I feel it is my patriotic duty to take the vaccine. Not only as an American citizen, but also as a physician who has a strong desire to be able to treat patients safely.
What do you say to folks who don’t want to get the vaccine? I have spoken to a lot patients about getting the vaccine. The vast majority are willing and ready to get the vaccine. I have received a lot of MyChart e-mail messages about patients wanting to get the vaccine. And this is great! But to those who are wary, I encourage them that it’s times like these when we need to take a “leap of faith”. The process has been vetted by independent (not government) physicians. I know that the US Government is paying billions of dollars to Pfizer and Moderna. But their research has been free of governmental involvement. So I tell patients, you can either be part of the 75% (or more) citizens who are heroes who will take the vaccine or be part of the 25% that is willing to wear masks for the next several years while the rest of the country moves to a more “normal” life. It’s not a political statement, it’s just science and population health.
What are your thoughts on how quickly the vaccine was produced? That is certainly a concern. But literally tens of thousands of scientists all around the world basically stopped what they were doing to work on this vaccine. Obviously and thankfully, pandemics don’t happen often. Pandemics are extraordinary events that require extraordinary efforts by scientists. And in this case, I believe that Science Will Win. Pfizer took out a full page ad in the New York Times making this statement when they got Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA. Check out this 60 Minutes episode about the creators of the Pfizer vaccine. I really like the part where the report tries to put words into the scientist’s mouth saying that this vaccine is a “miracle”. Her rebuttal is classic basically saying that “Science Will Win”!
Bill Whitaker reports on the scientists and advances in biotechnology behind a COVID-19 vaccine that could help end the pandemic. https://cbsn.ws/37z46ZUSubs...
Then what is Operation Warp Speed? As best as I understand it, Operation Warp Speed is more of a supply chain provider. Just like states were fighting on getting ventilators and personal protective equipment, we can’t have states fighting to get the vaccine. So Operation Warp Speed will distribute the vaccine. But it’s more than just the vaccine. It’s the alcohol wipes, band-aids, syringes and needles, sharps containers. Remember, we are going to be giving 300 million doses of vaccine in the coming months. Companies who plan to administer the vaccine will need lots of supplies. Check out this 60 Minutes Episode about Operation Warp Speed:
How does the vaccine work? The human body fights infections with a humoral and cellular response. The humoral response is by making antibodies and the cellular response is using T-cells and B-cells. A good explanation can be found here:
When will you get the vaccine in your office? That’s a great question. Right now, the answer is “I don’t know”. I have heard that CVS will be giving vaccines to those in nursing homes. And that Kroger is going to get the vaccine as well. Wellstar will need approval from the State of Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH). But as far as when we’ll get it in the office, I am not sure right now. One of the main problems with the Pfizer vaccine is that it’s only stable for 6 hours after you reconstitute it. So, that’s why Wellstar made each team member sign up to get the vaccine to make sure they didn’t waste any. Wellstar plans to immunize immediate family members of it’s Team Members. This is a logistical challenge. Wellstar is working on early planning, bulk orders and templated visits to accommodate family members. But this also requires the “OK” from the DPH. Wellstar expects this to begin in late January. Vaccinating family members will be a “test run” on the logistical challenges of when we deliver the vaccine to our patients.
But I have heard that some vaccine is being given at local pharmacies? Is this true? It may be true. It also may be part of the State of Georgia’s Department of Public Health to start immunizing older patients and nursing home residents.
How is the Covid Surge going? It is not going well right now. Wellstar hospitals, as of December 28, are at 133% capacity from their peak in July. Wellstar has required more nursing staff to run the hospitals. Wellstar has requested in November for 10% of all LPN’s, RN’s and Nurse Practitioners to be redeployed to the hospital to help with this surge. In fact this has affected our practice here at Baker Road. We just hired a new nurse practitioner: Elise Pacitti. Two weeks after she started with us, she was chosen to leave the office and work in the hospital for the next six weeks starting in January. On December 28, Wellstar has made another request for 10% (which is a total of 50 people leaving the Wellstar offices) to help in the hospital.
How does the redeployment affect your patients? The normal ratio of ICU nurses to patients is 1:2. Wellstar’s goal is to prevent that ratio going to 1:3 or even 1:4. On the Medical and Surgical Floors, the ratio is 1:6. Wellstar is trying to prevent that from going to 1:7 or even 1:8. So, that means that some offices may close and ask clinicians to do more telemedicine visits and/or work from home. Everyone has to do their part in this fight and we are certainly doing ours by having Elise leave the office for 6 weeks.
What do you do if a patient was positive for Covid? When can they get the vaccine? Great question. Those folks need to wait 90 days after the diagnosis of Covid before getting their vaccine. There is a great list of FAQ’s below at the CDC website. Some folks would like to choose the Pfizer vaccine or the Moderna vaccine. I don’t think that will be possible. I don’t think you’ll have a choice on what you get. But both are 95% effective.
OFFICIAL WELLSTAR COVID-19 VACCINE INFO
Below is an e-mail that you may have received from Wellstar that includes official information. It includes links to the CDC about Covid-19 vaccines. Please take a moment to review the information.
WELLSTAR E-MAIL
THANK YOU for your interest in learning more about the COVID-19 Vaccines. It’s always been our privilege to care for you and your family, even more so during these extraordinary times. Wellstar is following the CDC’s guidelines in distributing the vaccines, which means some will be offered a vaccine sooner than others. We intend to offer vaccine to every patient who wants one, as more doses become available.
The CDC has developed a number of resources to help us all understand the safety and effectiveness of the new COVID-19 vaccines. They also explain why the vaccine is so important. Review the following materials to learn more:
1. Safety Is a Top Priority: The U.S. vaccine safety system ensures that all vaccines are as safe as possible.
2. Benefits of Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine: Getting a COVID-19 vaccine may help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19.
3. Ensuring COVID-19 Vaccines Work: Clinical trials provide data and information about how well a vaccine prevents an infectious disease and about how safe it is.
4. Frequently Asked Questions: Covers questions about planning, development, getting vaccinated and safety.
UPDATE
Welcome to Wellstar Primary Care at Baker Road in Acworth, Georgia.
LOCATED IN THE PUBLIX SHOPPING CENTER
Wellstar Primary Care
3501 Baker Road, Suite 100, Acworth, GA 30101
Phone: 470-267-0620
Fax: 770-999-2746
DIRECTIONS:
0.5 MILES WEST OF I-75 AT EXIT 277. (KNOWN AS THE CABELLA’S EXIT WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE FROM OUR OFFICE).
ARRIVING VIA I-75: TAKE HWY 92 AND CROSS BAKER ROAD MAKING A LEFT INTO THE SHOPPING CENTER.
OR
TURN LEFT ON BAKER ROAD, MAKE A RIGHT ON NORTHRIDGE DRIVE AND A RIGHT INTO THE SHOPPING CENTER. OFFICE IS AT THE END.
NOTE: SONIC IS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF OUR OFFICE IN THE SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT. THE OFFICE IS ON THE SAME CORNER AS WAFFLE HOUSE AND ZAXBY’S.
Views of our modern and sleek office
Wellstar Primary Care sign installation—February 2020
Meet our Staff…
Dr. Steven Lenhard is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine primary care physician. Dr. Lenhard specializes in treating hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol. He is experienced in offering thorough reviews of complex patients with multiple medical conditions. Dr. Lenhard performs wellness examinations at appropriate time intervals as he sees fit for the patient.
Dr. Lenhard’s interest in science and teaching led him to pursue medicine. While in medical school, he decided to focus on primary care and to be the “quarterback” of patients’ healthcare. Thus, Dr. Lenhard likes to tell his patients that he knows “a little bit about every specialty”. He prides himself on being an educator and adviser to his patients.
Dr. Lenhard has stayed in Georgia his entire adult life attending the University of Georgia, then Emory School of Medicine and then staying at Emory for a 3 year Internal Medicine Residency Program.
Upon completion of his residency, he worked for Wellstar in Marietta for 8 years. With the same group of physicians, he left Wellstar to pursue a private practice setting in Marietta for 6 years. That same group then joined Piedmont Physicians Group in Marietta. Dr. Lenhard stayed with Piedmont for 10 years and decided it was time for a change. In June 2019, Dr. Lenhard left Piedmont and spent the next 4-5 months on a sabbatical before rejoining Wellstar in November 2019. Dr. Lenhard was integral in designing the office space at Baker Road which opened in February 2020. You will notice that Dr. Lenhard personally chose the artwork for the office showcasing America’s National Parks.
Pam Tinsley APRN, has joined me at our new office on Baker Road. Pam is an extremely caring and experienced Nurse Practitioner whom Dr. Lenhard has worked with for over 15 years in Marietta. Pam and Dr. Lenhard work hand-in-hand taking care of our patients and we have similar practice styles. If Dr. Lenhard had to choose one word to describe Pam, it would be: “Thorough”. Together, Pam and Dr. Lenhard will be sure to provide the best PeopleCare for you at the practice!
Meet our LPN’s
Tori W.
Bridget Y.
Tori W and Bridget Y are our extremely capable Licensed Practical Nurses. They take your phone calls, answer labs, and provide superior communication between Dr. Lenhard, Pam and Elise with you! Tori and Bridget have two decades of experience together. They try their very best to help you as much as possible by telephone and by e-mail. They are always happy to say “Hi” to you when you’re in the office so they can put a face with your names and voices. If you want to meet Tori and Bridget, just ask your medical assistant and we’ll set it up!
Meet our Front Office Staff
Diana J.
Kayla M.
Our Front Office Staff is committed to making your entry to our office a pleasant and smooth process. Our Front Office Staff handles intake forms, makes phone calls regularly to reach out to patients and schedules follow up visits.
Baker Road Front Office Staff has a passion for helping our patients. We go beyond the “call of duty” to assist the patients with whatever they might need within office guidelines. It’s called “PeopleCare” here at Wellstar!
Meet our Phlebotomist
Denise M.
Denise has many years of experience at drawing blood. She is aware that getting blood taken is not everyone’s favorite experience. But Denise is very skilled and tries to put everyone at ease.
Medical History Document
PRINT DOCUMENT - CLICK HERE
Call to schedule:
(470)267-0620
For Questions, please review our FAQ below.
Stay Well,
Dr. Steven Lenhard
Dr. Lenhard’s Guide to Pertinent Basic Lab Tests
This is a guide to basic lab tests. It is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all labs. But these are the ones that I do most often. Many lab panels have other tests within them that may not be clinically significant and therefore, I have not included them below.
I hope this helps!
CMP—Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
· Sodium, Potassium, Chloride and Calcium are basic electrolytes
· Bicarbonate gives clues on the acid-base status in the blood
· BUN and Creatinine gives clues on the kidney and hydration status
· Glucose is the sugar reading
· Total protein (albumin + globulin) is the total amount of protein in the blood
· Albumin is the most common type of protein in the blood
· Globulins are the second most common type of protein in the blood and fights infections
· Bilirubin and Alkaline Phosphatase are liver enzymes related to the bile ducts
· AST and ALT are liver enzymes related to the liver cells
CBC—Complete Blood Count
· WBC is the white count or infection fighting cells
· Hemoglobin and Hematocrit are the amount of red (oxygen carrying) cells in the blood
· Platelets are the clotting cells in the blood
· Neutrophils are a type of white cell that fights bacteria
· Lymphocytes and monocytes are a type of white cell that fights viruses
· Eosinophils are a type of white cell that is involved with allergies
· MCV is the size of the red cells
Lipid Panel
· Total cholesterol is the sum of the LDL+HDL+(Triglycerides/5). It is not a helpful number to assess atherosclerotic risk.
· LDL is low density lipoprotein or the “bad” cholesterol.
· HDL is high density lipoprotein or the “good” cholesterol
· Triglycerides are a type of fat that comes from sugars and starches
Thyroid Function Studies
· TSH is thyroid stimulating hormone. High levels indicate an underactive thyroid and low levels indicate an overactive thyroid. It seems counterintuitive, but it’s true.
· Free T4 is thyroxine—the actual thyroid hormone
PSA
· The PSA is surrogate marker of prostate volume. This number can go up with prostate cancer, infection or prostate enlargement
Urinalysis
· The basic urine dipstick checks for hydration status, red cells, white cells, and protein
Microalbumin
· This test is to check for early signs of hypertensive or diabetic kidney disease
Hemoglobin A1c
· This test is a 3-month running average of your blood glucose levels
Hepatitis C
· This is a screening test for Hepatitis C antibodies
