Hiral Badiwala, OD

Hometown: Elizabethtown, KY

Education: New England College of Optometry (Boston, MA), Fordham University (New York City, NY).

Community Support: Hiral has served as secretary of the New York-based Westchester-Rockland-Putnam Optometric Society.

Occupation: Hiral works as an optometrist with Visionworks in Elizabethtown.

Family: Hiral is married to Dr. Anesh Badiwala, a hospitalist with Baptist Health Hardin who serves as Medical Director for Baptist Health Medical Group, Central Region. They have two children.

Why is volunteerism important to the wellbeing of the community? Aristotle said it best: “The essence of life is to serve others and do good.” The wellbeing of the community — our community — is an objective and measurable notion of the strength of our people. The healthier our people, the stronger we are as members. Health and mental wellness are pivotal for growth of the region. Volunteering is how we can do our part for the wellbeing of our people. It takes a village, and being a part of that village is how it gets done.

How do you hope healthcare grows in your community? I hope to see healthcare reach all parts of our region, regardless of socioeconomic status, and remain unbiased to the people of the community.

Today, who or what are you most grateful for? My family, faith and the community we live in.