Think you have to drive a long way for quality healthcare? It is a common misconception among Hardin County residents that a person might need to drive to Louisville or even somewhere out of state to receive specialized healthcare, however, we’ve learned in many instances this is not true. In our February session for Leadership Hardin County, the group learned more about the options available for a variety of healthcare needs here in our local area. Both longtime residents and class members newer to the area gained an increased awareness of healthcare services offered in our community.
Our day started at Lincoln Trail Behavioral Health Systems. Chuck Webb, the CEO and Group Director introduced us to his facility. This organization has grown tremendously in recent years. On a beautiful campus with qualified caring staff, a family could feel a loved one would be in a safe secure environment while being treated for mental health or substance abuse issues. (By the way, they serve a great breakfast.) Clearly, Lincoln Trail provides a vital service to our military community with the separate, dedicated program for military members and veterans. The staff is able to focus on the specific needs of the member and provide needed support for family members. The services offered for young people were especially interesting. Having this facility close to home would make it much easier for a family to remain involved in the treatment of their child and that family involvement would greatly contribute to the recovery. This tour and information provided by Lincoln Trail staff gives me a new respect for the medical personnel working with children every day.
A show of hands let us know not nearly enough citizens know Hardin County has a free clinic. Rebecca Farris of the Community Health Clinic explained how her office provides basic medical services for the uninsured, low income residents of Hardin and LaRue Counties. I was particularly pleased to learn these services are available to full time college students that qualify. Doctor bills can be a huge obstacle for a young single parent trying to better themselves and get ahead, the services offered here could be the difference in his or her ability to remain in school. This not for profit healthcare clinic has a volunteer staff and is always in need of volunteer support from both the medical and non-medical community.
The last presentation of the morning by Stephanie Powell shared the responsibilities of Lincoln Trail District Health Department. From the restaurant health inspections to health education in our schools the Health Department sets a large footprint. As a result of her presentation, I’ve realized the Health Department website is an excellent resource and have since visited seeking information a few times in the last week or so.
Hardin County is lucky to have many great healthcare facilities right here close to home. Some services, like the Fort Knox Warrior Transition Battalion and Soldier Family Assistance Center, help our soldiers and families in many ways – many of whom moved here from all over the country. Others, like Hardin Memorial Health, provide broad healthcare services for the entire local community and for many neighboring counties as well. We are lucky to have many other great facilities aside from these, but we are especially fortunate to have these two so close to home.
The Fort Knox Warrior Transition Battalion is able to provide complex care for our injured and ill so that they may return to service or transition into civilian life. This relatively new $50 million complex can handle many aspects of care and transition for our soldiers. Unlike a traditional hospital, these services include family living space, personally owned and rental housing, athletic field, and so much more. To help in the transition process, there is an internet café, college courses, financial advisors and other counseling services. There is even a child and youth services coordinator to help the rest of the family. It seems that they’ve thought to include every aspect of transition that they could think of, and I’m sure they are working to continually make improvements as they move forward.
Another major healthcare source in Hardin County which has continually improved since its founding in 1954 is Hardin Memorial Hospital. The facility is now a part of the Baptist Health network of Hospitals, and though 60% of their efforts go to help those in Hardin County, the surrounding region has also benefited from this institution. One of five babies born in Kentucky was delivered at a Baptist Health-owned or managed hospital, that is quite a network. Our healthcare facilities have a lot of work to do, because when compared to Europeans and others with different lifestyles, the American lifestyle is causing many of us to become increasingly obese costing the US exponentially more in healthcare expenses, especially toward the end of life. To help in the battle, Hardin Memorial keeps adding to its list of abilities every year, from sleep medicine, to the most up-to-date diagnostic imaging systems. They currently receive about 270,000 outpatient visits per year, which is more than double the population of Hardin County. That is a lot of work to do, and shows the reasons to continually improve and to continually expand. Recently, this corporation has been acquiring many various Elizabethtown medical centers, building the institution into an even more valuable commodity. The future is very bright for the citizens of Hardin County because of that initial investment back in 1954, and it will be exciting to see what more is to come in the future.
About the Authors:
Jackie D. Howard is the Marketing Director at A. Arnold World Class Relocation.
Heath Seymour is the Executive Director of the Elizabethtown –Hardin Co. Heritage Council.
