Locking in the future of high-quality healthcare

When Peter Locken, MD, enrolled in medical school at the University of Kentucky, he didn’t foresee that this would only be the beginning of his time in the commonwealth. Nearly 40 years later, Dr. Locken has not only adopted the bluegrass state as his home, but he found himself fully immersed in McCracken County where he provides advanced, lifesaving care to the entire region.

“When I began attending medical school, I had every intention of becoming a surgeon, but early on, my father was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 47 and it shifted the career that I had originally planned,” he said. “As my father was undergoing his treatment and walking the path of his cancer journey, I felt a calling to help others who were going through similar challenges and shifted my focus to radiation oncology.”

When reflecting on how he came to settle in western Kentucky, Dr. Locken said that Paducah was a natural choice. Dr. Locken envisioned a small community with a sophisticated medical center, and when he visited Baptist Health Paducah, that is exactly what he found.

“It was obvious that Baptist Health was an organization that was invested in maintaining the leading edge of care in all service lines, and as a physician who wanted to be able to bring metropolitan level care to a rural population, that was important to me,” he said. “That was years ago, now, with the development of the Ray & Kay Eckstein Regional Cancer Care Center alongside other acts of incredible generosity by community partners, we are able to offer levels of care that are as good as, if not better, than what you would find in major cities. The ability to have access to great care in our own backyard is something that helps to break down barriers to care for those who may not have the means to travel to get the treatment they so desperately need.”

 For Dr. Locken, investment in the wellbeing of others doesn’t begin and end with a shift at the hospital. When he and his staff noticed there were patients who were having to schedule care around when their social security checks were deposited, he and his staff came together to bridge the gap. Through a combined effort with Baptist Health Foundation Paducah, they developed the Your Fight Cancer Fund which ensures that patients are able to get the care they need, when they need it despite financial restraints.

“I’m just one person, but I am trying to do my part in helping to create a healthier community and help the people I have dedicated my life to serving,” he said. “When you think about what we can accomplish if we all come together, the possibilities are endless. Every dollar that is donated to Baptist Health Foundation Paducah stays local to help us do more for our friends, family and neighbors needing care.”

Through his time serving on the Baptist Health Foundation Paducah board of directors, Dr. Locken became more aware of the small operating margins that a not for profit hospital must work within.

“Healthcare finances are not what I would expect, but they are a large problem that our entire community is facing,” he said. “If we want to survive and thrive, we have to be able to meet the growing needs we are seeing as our population ages. It is only with philanthropy and the generosity of those around us that we are going to be able to continue to maintain the high level of care we have become accustomed to. It may not fall within my job description, but I feel it is my duty to give back with whatever means I have, and for me, that is my time, my talent and my treasure, because I truly believe in what we are doing here and that the best is yet to come for Baptist Health Paducah.”