Change for the Better

At Wellstar Health System, the drive for excellence is rooted in security

The pandemic was a catalyst for personal change like no other. For security expert Richard "Rick" Kollmar, it was a turning point sparked by some very compelling inspiration: his family tradition of caregiving. "My brother is a doctor, my sister is a physical therapist, and my grandmother's a retired nurse. I saw the sacrifices that they were making," he recently told BOSS.

Amidst the crisis, he made a decision after leaving his role as CSO for Honeywell International to turn his interests toward healthcare. "I had 25-plus years of experience in security, and I wanted to use that experience to protect those that are saving the lives of others." Twenty of those years were spent in leadership roles at the FBI, including a Division Chief in the cyber division. He retired from the Washington, D.C., headquarters as Deputy Assistant Director in the National Security Division.

Today, as Vice President and Chief Security Officer at Wellstar Health System, Inc., Kollmar and his teams are responsible for the security of 32,000 employees, about 4 million patients and visitors who visit their campuses each year and securing roughly 18 million square feet of Georgia real estate. The $7 billion not-for-profit system is composed of 11 hospitals, 329 medical office locations, 11 cancer centers, 91 rehabilitation centers, 35 imaging centers, 20 urgent care locations, five health parks, three hospice facilities, and two retirement villages. And for the sixth time in the system's history, this year Wellstar earned a place on the Fortune 100 Great Places to Work 2024 rankings.

Kollmar became the system's first Chief Security Officer in 2022. "I thought that was the closest I could get to public service," he recalled. "My time with the FBI was very rewarding and I knew there was a great need, especially in healthcare, for elevated security.