The true value of local healthcare

Born and raised in Richmond, Kentucky, Lee Anne Browder grew up with a desire to stay in the hometown that helped to shape the person she is today. Years later, not only has she fulfilled her wish, but she’s helping to create brighter days for the residents of Madison County.

“After my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer, she began receiving chemotherapy at Baptist Health Richmond,” said Lee Anne. “The ability to get the care she needed without having to travel an hour down the road made a huge difference for our family. It was while she was undergoing treatment that I told her I wanted to do something to help other families in similar situations to feel like they still had bright days ahead of them.”

Following her mother’s passing, Lee Anne created the Brighter Days Ahead Foundation to honor her mother’s memory and to begin actively helping cancer patients and their families who were experiencing times of uncertainty. Through her work, Lee Anne has helped Baptist Health Richmond to fund items from heated recliners to televisions to help enhance the patient experience for those receiving infusions or long-term cancer care.

“During this time, my stepfather was diagnosed with a rare gastrointestinal tumor that also required cancer medication as a form of treatment,” she said. “The team at Baptist Health Richmond helped me to have many more years with him, and time is something you can’t put a price on. The value of regional healthcare can’t be summed up in terms like convenience and proximity, it’s community.”

Lee Anne is grateful for the new cancer center that is going to further increase access to care and provide the latest practices and technology to other families requiring lifesaving cancer treatment.

“When you are sick you don’t want to travel, and if you are undergoing cancer treatments, odds are, you may not be capable of traveling long distances,” she said. “Baptist Health Richmond is helping our community to be the best it can be. Our hospital isn’t just about business as usual, but about relationships. It’s just a different feel to be cared for by people you know and are confident you can count on. That’s the true value of local healthcare: reliability and comfort.”