Feeling Right in Radcliff
Residents of Northern Hardin County have quality healthcare nearby

A key to the quality of life in any community is the availability of quality healthcare. Access to doctors, clinics and a good hospital are important considerations for businesses and residents alike.

Fortunately for residents of Radcliff and Northern Hardin County, one of the top hospitals in the state is located within minutes of the city. Hardin Memorial Hospital is located south of Radcliff on 913 Dixie Avenue, in Elizabethtown. Another excellent provider of healthcare services is Ireland Army Community Hospital, at Fort Knox, which serves members of the armed services (both active and retired) and their families.

According to Hardin Memorial Hospital President David L. Gray, his facility has a long history of quality service to the area.

“If you look at the development of Route 313, with the proposed extension into Brandenburg, it could really increase the development in Northern Hardin County,” Gray said. “We are very positive about the future of this region. That is the reason why we have made a significant investment for our patients in and around Radcliff.”

The hospital president refers to Hardin Memorial’s commitment to invest $1.5 million for a new home for a new medical building for its CareFirst Urgent Care Center in Radcliff.

“Our CareFirst Urgent Care Center has served Radcliff since 1985,” Gray said. “And in 1998 Hardin Memorial opened the Family Care Center with Dr. Charlotte Ingwersen as a full-time family practitioner seeing patients Monday through Friday.”

He added that the new, larger facility will offer a wider variety of services for residents of Hardin County and the surrounding area. “The new center will offer full-time rehabilitative services, which we’ve been offering before this on just a part-time basis,” Gray said. “We will also offer x-ray and radiological equipment and services. There will be additional space where new physicians will be able to set up a practice and see patients.”

Plans call for the completion of the new and improved CareFirst Urgent Care Center sometime in 2003.

“People want healthcare that’s convenient and local. The other thing we’ve done is recruit an obstetrician-gynecologist for Radcliff,” Gray said. “That’s the first OB/GYN that Radcliff has had in several years.

“From a hospital standpoint, we really appreciate the support this community gives Hardin Memorial Hospital,” he added. “People here really appreciate and use our Wellness on Wheels Program.”

Using a mobile clinic, the Wellness on Wheels Program brings health screenings, examinations and other health services throughout the region. Gray says that Radcliff is a frequent location for these services.

Founded in 1954, Hardin Memorial Hospital is licensed for 300 beds, 270 of which are for acute care patients. Serving Hardin and 10 surrounding counties, the hospital treats more than 45,000 people a year in its emergency department; more than 1,500 babies are born and 11,000 patients are admitted to the hospital annually. Approximately 7,500 surgeries are performed at Hardin Memorial each year.

“There are approximately 110 hospitals in Kentucky,” Grau said. “If you look at the scope of services, we are usually ranked in the top 10. That allows people to stay in this community for health services and not have to go to Louisville.”

One of the most important services Hardin Memorial offers businesses is WorkWell, which focuses on employment and industrial health issues. The WorkWell program is designed to provide local employers with a diversity of services in the area of occupational medicine.

“As part of the WorkWell program, job assessments are completed to evaluate work functions,” Gray said. “We address ergonomic issues, perform pre-employment screenings, post-injury care and drug testing.”

According to Gray, Hardin Memorial Hospital plays a large role in making Radcliff, as well as all of Hardin County, a business-friendly location. “Potential employers call us at Hardin Memorial to find out what kinds of programs are offered. They want a community where excellent health care is available.”

With about 1,500 employees, Hardin Memorial Hospital is the county’s third-largest employer. Gray said that among his best and most experienced employees are former or retired military personnel who have settled in Radcliff.

“Diversity is a real strength here,” Gray said. “We’re fortunate because of it. A lot of former military people settle in Radcliff. Maybe that person is a registered nurse or a radiological technician and they go on to work for us at Hardin Memorial. I’ve found that former military personnel and their spouses make good employees.”




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