Community Health and Wellness

Scroll down for a list of resources including: 

• Career exploration, volunteer, scholarship and shadow opportunities
• Mental Health resources at Baptist Health
• Community and national resources
• SANE/Forensics at Baptist Health Hardin

About Community Health and Wellness 
With the help of generous donors, Baptist Health Hardin is expanding care and outreach across nearly 12 counties. In areas with limited inpatient services or only satellite locations, our Community Health and Wellness Team—together with the Wellness on Wheels (WOW) mobile unit—bridges the gap, bringing essential resources directly to those who need them most.

In August 2024, we completed our second Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), led by a committee of local leaders. Together, we identified three of the most urgent health concerns facing our region:

• Smoking, vaping, and lung cancer
• Mental health and substance abuse
• Access to healthcare

Baptist Health Hardin is committed to addressing these challenges head-on. In fiscal year 2023 alone, we provided $5.2 million in charity care and invested another $7.9 million in community benefits—including health improvement programs, education for future healthcare professionals, and subsidized services.

The reality is that many of our patients face barriers such as limited transportation and few options for consistent care. For them, the Community Health and Wellness Team is more than a resource—it’s a lifeline.

Your philanthropic support ensures we can continue to meet these needs, expand vital programs, and create healthier communities for all.

Resources

Career exploration, volunteer, scholarship and shadow opportunities

Explore healthcare careers and get involved at Baptist Health Hardin. Whether you’re a student interested in medicine, nursing, or another health field, there are opportunities to learn, volunteer, and grow. 

Student Connections:

• Volunteer Opportunities & Auxiliary Scholarship
  Contact: Pat Howell – [email protected] 
• Shadow Opportunities
  Contact: Adrienne Buckman – [email protected] 
  Contact: Heather Johnson – [email protected] 
• Pre-Med Academy
  Contact: Jamie Hickerson – [email protected] 

Mental Health resources at Baptist Health

Compassionate behavioral health support—available when you need it.

• Baptist Health Behavioral Health Resource Connection
  Call 800.395.4435 or email [email protected] 
  Available seven days a week, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Community and national resources
Find help and support in your community and beyond.

• Call or Text 988 – Suicide & Mental Health Crisis Lifeline
• My Life, My Quit – Free, confidential help to quit tobacco or vaping.
  Visit mylifemyquit.org or text “Start My Quit” to 36072
• Hardin County COPE Guide – Download PDF
  (Guides for Grayson, LaRue, and other counties coming soon)
• Goodwill Opportunity Center – Elizabethtown
  Offers a wide variety of support services including job assistance, legal aid, benefits support, and more.
  Visit goodwillky.org/elizabethtown
• FindHelpNow.org/ky – Locate treatment and recovery resources in Kentucky
• Domestic Violence Hotline – Call 800.799.7233 or text 88788

SANE/Forensics at Baptist Health Hardin
Supporting victims with specialized forensic care.

The SANE/Forensic Program at Baptist Health Hardin provides trauma informed, comprehensive medical/forensic exams to all victims of violence. We can care for those affected by sexual assault, domestic/intimate partner violence, child abuse, elder abuse, human trafficking and physical assault. We can provide care for individuals across the lifespan from infants to the geriatric population.

A forensic nurse is a registered nurse that has undergone additional training and specializes in caring for those affected by violence. They bridge the gap between medical care and the legal system.

Learn more: About Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE)

General Services

• Create a forensic record with a specialized assessment
• Head to toe assessment
• Photo injury documentation
• Evidence collection
• Assistance with reporting to law enforcement
• Safety planning
• Free follow up care

Those affected by sexual violence may also receive additional services to include:

 

• Emergency contraception
• Sexually transmitted infection testing and prophylactic treatment
• HIV prophylactic treatment
• Advocate at bedside

Intimate details of the assault are stored separately from a patient’s medical record.

Only the patient can consent or assent to an exam.

If you have been a victim of sexual violence

• Get to a safe place, if you are in immediate danger, call 911.
• Know that it is NOT your fault and do not blame yourself.
• Contact someone you trust for support.
• Call the rape crisis hotline (270.234.9236).
• Seek urgent medical attention.
• Don’t do anything to change your appearance: Do not shower, use the bathroom, brush your teeth, or comb your hair. Keep the clothes you wore at the time of the attack.
• Discuss law enforcement reporting options with a SANE or an Advocate.
  

If someone discloses to you that they have been abused:

• Listen calmly.
• Believe them and take their disclosure seriously.
• Offer support by reassuring them it isn’t their fault, and you care about them.
• Ask how you can help them.
• Ask if they are safe.

If you would like to talk with a Forensic Nurse regarding your situation, please call our 24-hour Helpline at 270.979.7233.