The anchor of the community

The importance of community service and quality local healthcare runs deep in Mike Bowers’ roots. His father, a doctor, helped found the hospital in Mike’s small Arkansas hometown, and his mother founded the auxiliary there. Now, as chairman of the board of directors for Baptist Health Foundation Hardin, he is continuing the family legacy — and not just because it’s how he was raised, but because he believes passionately in the hospital’s mission and understands the profound impact it has on the 10-county area it serves.

“I hope people understand how important Baptist Health Hardin is to the community,” says Mike, a businessman who has made Elizabethtown his home for more than two decades. “We touch the lives of more people than any other organization in this community.”

Donating to Baptist Health Hardin allows the hospital to provide better facilities, acquire innovative medical equipment, offer the latest treatments, and attract the best doctors. That’s especially important as Hardin and the surrounding area continues its exponential growth, Mike says. With the auto industry and other employers attracting more residents to the community, population is expected to double in the next five years. It’s imperative that infrastructure, such as the hospital, is able to meet that demand. 

Donor support has helped the hospital invest in new facilities such as the outpatient medical pavilion, opening in 2024, that will include a comprehensive cancer center, medical offices, and advanced surgery suites under one roof. This allows for more comfortable, convenient care for patients and their caregivers to get the services they need close to home.

“It used to be that everyone went to Louisville for care, but they don’t do that anymore because they know they can get extra good care at Baptist Health Hardin,” says Mike.

Mike can attest to the hospital’s high quality of care, having been a patient himself and welcoming many of his grandchildren into the world at Baptist Health Hardin. The physicians and staff are second to none.