💙 Faces of Med Center Health: Wade Stone 💚 During a quarter-century as a Med Center Health administrator, working first with former CEO John Desmarais and then with current CEO Connie Smith, Wade Stone has seen numerous changes and rapid growth in the healthcare system that started as a small rural hospital 100 years ago. But Stone, now Med Center Health Executive Vice President, says one thing has remained consistent. “When I think about the vision that Mr. Desmarais had and that Connie has now,” Stone said, “there is a common thread: Doing what’s best for the community.” During Stone’s tenure, though, that community has grown substantially and Med Center Health has kept pace. “When I started, we had the Bowling Green campus and the Scottsville campus,” Stone recalls. “We may have had 1,800 employees. Now we have about 4,800 employees across six campuses. We probably had about 20 employed providers. Today we have more than 250 employed providers across multiple specialties.” Stone is very familiar with the growth in employed providers because recruiting and retaining that cadre of physicians, nurse practitioners, and specialists falls under his job description. That role requires Stone to work closely with the University of Kentucky College of Medicine Bowling Green Campus, which is located on the campus of The Medical Center at Bowling Green. “I work closely with the UK College of Medicine as it provides physician training, residencies, and fellowships,” Stone said. “That has been very rewarding.” The pipeline of medical professionals provided by the UK College of Medicine is vital to Med Center Health as it maintains its growth trajectory. “We recruit a lot of them to stay in Bowling Green,” Stone said. “We’re building up our employed providers. Several of them grew up around here.” Likewise, Stone grew up in what is now the Med Center Health service area. A Glasgow native, Stone grew up as the son of a pharmacist and a nurse. Now he is often back in his hometown as Med Center Health has established a clinic in Glasgow. “I didn’t plan to be in healthcare,” said Stone, who studied public administration at the University of Kentucky. “But it felt natural to me because of my mother and father. I was raised knowing what it meant to be in healthcare.” Now he knows what it means to be among the leaders of a healthcare system that is extending its reach and doing what’s best for several communities. “I’ve been able to be part of some unbelievable growth,” he said. “It has been an absolute joy.” ▶️ 100.MedCenterHealth.org

Innovation in vascular care can make a meaningful difference. In this edition of 90 Seconds to Better Health, vascular surgeon Brian M. Grant, M.D., explains how the Neuroguard IEP™ System helps protect patients during minimally invasive treatment for carotid artery disease. Watch to learn how this advanced technology supports safer, more precise care. Learn more at MedCenterHealth.org/vascular.

👉 Med Center Health offers three non-invasive, painless screenings that look for the most common vascular risks: Stroke, Aortic Aneurysm, and Lower Extremity Peripheral Arterial Disease. 📲 Call 270-796-3330 or text MCHDOC to 270-796-3200 to schedule an appointment. ▶️ bit.ly/40T0RXW