Owensboro Health

Dr. Wanda Figueroa leads RiverValley Behavioral Health. Years ago, RiverValley and Owensboro Health made a decision that’s rare in healthcare: work together rather than compete. RiverValley launched Kentucky’s first mobile mental health crisis team and statewide crisis text line, and Owensboro Health has worked alongside them to strengthen the integration of primary care and behavioral health across the region, a partnership that has reduced hospitalizations and emergency room visits related to mental health. When collaboration replaces competition, communities grow stronger. This is your hospital. And that makes all the difference.

State Representative Suzanne Miles helped bring HealthForce Kentucky to life. The idea was simple: stop waiting for healthcare workers to come from somewhere else. Grow them here. Owensboro Health was the catalyst, bringing together nine colleges and universities to build a pipeline of local talent. When you invest in your own people, the whole community gets stronger. This is your hospital. And that makes all the difference.

A strong community takes care of its own, and that is exactly what Owensboro Health has done for more than a century. Buzz Backstrom has felt that support every time he needed it, not only through excellent care but through the guidance that helped him make important decisions along the way. Because caring for a community is about more than what happens inside the hospital. It is about being present before, during and long after the moment of care. This is your hospital. And that makes all the difference.

Claude Bacon leads the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation, working every day to bring jobs and investment to the region. He sees firsthand how Owensboro Health sits at the center of that effort, not only as the largest employer west of I-65 but as a source of stability for thousands of local families. The impact reaches far beyond the hospital walls, supporting restaurants, shops, contractors and small businesses all across the region. When Owensboro Health succeeds, the entire community grows stronger. This is your hospital. And that makes all the difference.

Chris Gaddis spent decades pouring into students across this region, and now he sees the impact of that work every time he walks through the hospital doors. He runs into former students and even the children of former students, all serving in roles from housekeeping to nurse anesthetist. It's friends, neighbors and familiar faces caring for the same community they grew up in. This is your hospital. And that makes all the difference.

Dr. Andy Collins is the Medical Director of Owensboro Health’s Geriatric Service Line. Growing up in Hazard, Kentucky, he learned early how much families rely on their older generations. Here in Owensboro, he sees that same connection every time he goes to a ballgame or community event, watching three and four generations doing life together. That is what inspires his work. He wants seniors to stay healthy and independent so they can keep showing up for the moments that matter most with the people who love them. This is your hospital. And that makes all the difference.