And it shows.

At age 30, Austin looks like he’s in the physical prime of his life. He feels that way too. Still, as good as he feels today is as bad as it was eight years ago, when he was 22 and barely able to walk.

Austin was always an active person. He was a college cheerleader at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond. He then enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve. He had also taken up powerlifting, to keep up his physical fitness. One day in 2017 — during a powerlifting competition — he walked up to the barbell, intending to deadlift it.

He dug his heels into the ground, took a deep breath and hinged at the hips, pulling the bar up. However, at the apex of his motion, he stood up too tall, too quickly.

“Whenever I stood up and I overcorrected like that, I knew it,” Austin said. “It all hit me, and I knew something wasn’t right.”

Austin herniated a disc in his lower back, but he wasn’t sure how badly he was injured until the next day, when he started experiencing both bowel and bladder incontinence at work. He went straight to the hospital, where he needed an emergency discectomy.

“There was a lot of pain and a lot of restricted movement,” Austin said. “The doctors removed the disc. They didn’t do a fusion or anything, so I ended up bone-on-bone with my vertebrae. Whenever I was sitting down, getting up, it was catching and causing a lot of pain. I couldn’t really do anything.”

But Austin experienced more than just constant pain.

He got an infection in his spine. He couldn’t move his left leg, and he developed a tremor in his left hand. He spent time in an inpatient rehabilitation facility to clear the infection and learn how to walk again.

“I couldn’t run, couldn’t lift, couldn’t play with my kids,” Austin said. “I was restricted from what I could do.”

‘That’s how I knew I was back’

Austin’s road to true recovery hit another roadblock in 2023.

His pain was come-and-go, and one afternoon he thought he’d get on the trampoline and jump around with his kids. He felt a twinge in his back. He reaggravated his injury.

“It was just one of those things,” he said. “I felt that pain and knew I still wasn’t really right.”

He finally came in contact with Mitchell J. Campbell, M.D., spine surgeon at Norton Leatherman Spine, who talked to Austin about his options. Other doctors had suggested a typical spinal fusion, but Dr. Campbell had other ideas. Austin was still young, and his bones and joints were still in good shape. Dr. Campbell recommended an artificial disc replacement at the lowest two vertebrae of the lumbar spine. The surgery would remove the worn-out disc in Austin’s lower back and replace it with an artificial one, made of a combination of metal and plastic.

“A fusion is analogous to taking a wheel off an 18-wheeler,” Dr. Campbell said. “Something picks up the load. In this case, it’s the other 17 wheels. But with a disc replacement, we’ve now replaced the wheel, keeping the car intact. Now, the spine is going to continue to move as it should, so the wear and tear, or the next-level degenerating, has just been diminished.”

Austin agreed, and in September 2023, Dr. Campbell performed the surgery.

“There was a lot of nervousness,” Austin said. “[Dr. Campbell] explained the risks, and hearing them aloud made me nervous. But he triple-checked and made sure I was OK with them, which helped calm me down and give me the confidence to get through it.”

‘The right operation the right way’

“If you pick the right person and do the right operation the right way, [an artificial disc replacement] is life changing,” Dr. Campbell said. “We have a lot of boxes to check before I say, ‘yes, you’re the right person.’ They have to have good bone quality and fail about a year of conservative treatment. Surgery is one of those bridges that once you cross, you can’t go back. So, we make sure we do our due diligence.”

The first few weeks after surgery were rough.

Austin experienced frequent muscle spasms. He was living with restrictions — no bending, twisting or arching his back. The pain was still there, but he believed he’d turn the corner.

Eventually, the pain subsided, and he was finally able to do things he hadn’t done in years.

“My mom saw me get down and play with my kids on the floor for the first time in a long time,” Austin said. “It [was] everything to me. I hadn’t played with my kids in a long time like that. I couldn’t play tag with them. I couldn’t run and jump and do all those things with them. Being able to go out and chase them around on the playground and play soccer with them and coach my son’s T-ball team. That’s how I knew I was back.”

‘I’m grateful for where I’m at now’

Austin’s recovery has gone so well, he decided to push himself even further. He began to run after surgery and stopped lifting as heavily as he used to. His body responded well. What were once long walks became runs. And as his body continued to respond, he continued to increase his distance.

So much so, that in July 2024 — just 10 months after his surgery with Dr. Campbell — Austin completed the Run Under the Stars, a 12-hour ultramarathon, where runners complete as many miles as possible in a 12-hour span. Austin finished 44 miles, an incredible feat for someone who, a few years prior, thought he may never walk again.

Yet he wasn’t finished.

Austin’s body has continued to respond, and he’s continued to push himself. He’s now training for November’s Fall Creek 100, a 100-mile event in Tennessee. It’s the last step to prove to himself that he’s fully back to the way he used to be before his injury.

“I’m grateful for my kids and everything that I have now,” Austin said. “So while I don’t give it too much thought, life could’ve looked significantly different. It’s peaceful for me, and it’s good to know I can do it.”

“You take someone who can’t walk, or has bad spinal narrowing, and you bring them back to somewhat normalcy, and it’s a feeling that’s hard to describe,” Dr. Campbell said. “Someone with chronic pain, people who say to themselves, ‘I can’t live like this,’ that’s what we do this for.”

The post Months after artificial disc surgery, Kentucky man completes ultramarathon appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Grabbing onto the cold steel can bring a rush of adrenaline, the secret stuff she needs to get over the edge during a grueling day of training. It can bring a sudden wave of anxiety, the weightlifter’s ever-present thought that she has plateaued. But the bar also can deliver a flood of memories, things Amber has overcome — personally and professionally — on her journey to become a six-time Kentucky state weightlifting record holder.

“I’ve had a traveling husband; I’m also a mom of four,” Amber said. “And [my time in the gym] was the time of the day I could take out for me. And there are things I learned about myself I didn’t know I was capable of. I worked through injury. I worked through being home with my kids. I worked through a lot of hardships. I lived in a dark place about myself for a really long time. Sometimes I would have the bar in hands and I’d just cry.”

‘I learned a lot about myself’

It can be heavy.

Not just the weights on the bar, which Amber will eventually grab, thrust and lift above her head. Not just the pressures of life, which can build up over time. But physically, Amber was not at her best either.

“I used to weigh over 400 pounds, and I still — to this day — sometimes feel like I weigh over 400 pounds,” she said. “It’s been a hard road. I learned a lot about myself.”

Her weight, and the chronic back pain it caused, was the driving force behind her introduction to fitness coach Gary Esparza. She came to his CrossFit gym in 2016, looking for a way out of that back pain and into a better, healthier way of life. Instantly, their partnership blossomed way beyond expectations, as Amber shed the weight and packed on the power.

“I saw some promise in her movement patterns, and I thought to myself that I could get her into weightlifting,” Gary said.

Amber transformed quickly. She became an employee at the gym, as a way to fund her workouts. Speaking of, she took to the exercises Gary prescribed and began increasing how much she could lift. In 2022, she took another step, and began competing in Olympic-style weightlifting through USA Weightlifting. Four years in, she’s earned two bronze medals at national competitions and set six Kentucky state records. In 2023, she set the record in three categories – the snatch, clean and jerk, and total — in the 35 to 39 age bracket. In 2024, she set records in the same three categories in the 40 to 44 age bracket.

“Making it to nationals was wild,” Amber said. “I never thought I’d be at a national competition, let alone competing at all.”

‘What I celebrate with her …’

“The numbers she hits, I don’t necessarily celebrate too much,” Gary said. “What I celebrate with her is when I see her get out of her head and look at present-day Amber and not past Amber. That’s what gets me hyped up. The numbers are an expectation, like ‘Sis, you’re going to hit these numbers.’ And she does. But what gets me is seeing her truly become her best self.”

But through success, Amber was dealing with a major issue. Her wrist was in pain.

It had nagged her for years, dating back to her teenage days as a cheerleader. The pain worsened as she lifted heavier weight. Then one day, during the jerk movement of the clean and jerk lift, she “caught it wrong.” From there, she dealt with constant pain, adapting her training schedule and regimen to keep the pressure off her wrist as best she could.

“I would compete through the pain,” Amber said. “We would stop doing anything that would aggravate it, which was a lot. Then once we’d get close to competition time, it was just like ‘OK, you’ve got to do it in pain.’ And that’s what I would do. And then finally it got to a point where it hurt to touch a barbell. I couldn’t open a jar. I couldn’t touch a bar. It broke my heart.”

The pain became unbearable in 2024, after nationals.

After several doctor visits and unsuccessful injections, in summer 2024 she was introduced to Luke P. Robinson, M.D., orthopedic hand surgeon at Norton Arm & Hand Institute. Dr. Robinson diagnosed Amber with a torn scapholunate, the ligament in the wrist that connects the scaphoid and lunate bones, essential for stability and movement. It was the same injury Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow experienced in 2023.

Amber and Dr. Robinson talked about her options. They tried injections. But when those didn’t take, the pair decided Amber needed arthroscopic surgery to repair her wrist. It was a tough decision, because the 2025 national competition was just months away. Amber knew she wanted to compete and needed Dr. Robinson to fix her in time.

“Right off the bat, she was like, ‘My wrist hurts, and my problem is I want to be on the podium and right now I can’t be there,’” Dr. Robinson said. “That was her goal. She was trying to be a state champ and trying to compete nationally and internationally. Her goals are different from almost anyone else I take care of. So we had to act fast.”

‘That’s what it’s all about’

Dr. Robinson performed successful surgery Sept. 3, 2024.

Amber started occupational therapy immediately and went back to her training regimen, modified to prevent any strain or movement on her wrist. Six weeks later, with Dr. Robinson’s OK, Amber was back with a barbell in her hand preparing for April’s national competition. Training gained steam quickly, and she built up enough strength to make it to nationals this past spring.

While she didn’t make the podium, Amber had a successful competition. She qualified for the 2025 World Championships, scheduled in December. She also broke her own state records from 2024. Overall, it was an encouraging performance for someone who, just a few months ago, didn’t know what her weightlifting future would look like.

“While I was injured, I didn’t know if I was ever going to be able to compete again,” Amber said. “After the surgery, everything just felt so locked up. I just didn’t know if I was going to get the range of motion I needed back. And there were tears. There were definitely tears. There were definitely times of [telling myself], ‘I’m not going to be able to do this.’ But it’s amazing how much support I had through the process.”

This summer, Amber and Gary are back in the gym, working toward December. The wrist is feeling better than it has in months, though she does check back in periodically with Dr. Robinson. But the results have shown themselves. Numbers she could only clear during competitions, she now is routinely hitting during training sessions.

Her goals are more within her grasp than ever before, thanks to hard work and a surgeon focused on getting her grip back.

“It was cool that when I saw Dr. Robinson [for the first time], he knew what I was talking about,” Amber said. “At my old orthopedist, he didn’t know what I do. But Dr. Robinson walked in and said, ‘My team says you lift and do clean and jerks and snatches. That’s really cool. So, what do we need?’ So, it was cool to have that relationship from the beginning.”

“That’s what it’s all about,” Dr. Robinson said. “It’s wonderful being able to see someone who comes to you and says, ‘Hey, I need some help,’ and you can give them the help they’re looking for and ultimately, the result they’re aiming for. And it’s great when you have a patient who’s motivated and dedicated, and I don’t think anything is going to stop her from getting where she wants to go. I’m glad to be a part of that and help get her to the level she’s looking for.”

The post Wrist surgery helps record-holding weightlifter regain her grip and her strength appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

“We’ve got the map of [the] U.S., and we’ve probably got 50% of it done,” Charlie said. “We have it in our bedroom as a reminder of all the places we’ve been together, and the places we still have yet to visit.”

Their traveling traditions started decades ago. Charlie spent more than 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, serving at air bases not just across the country, but also in Okinawa, Japan, and in Iceland. When Charlie retired in 1993, he and Debbie set out to accomplish their goal of visiting all 50 states.

With about 30 crossed off the list, the couple set their sights on South Dakota: the Badlands and Mount Rushmore. The iconic American landmark carved into the Black Hills is something Charlie always dreamed of visiting. But the retired airman’s chance to see the granite sculpture had one major hurdle to clear.

Charlie started having back pain years ago. It slowly — but surely — limited him. By the time summer 2024 rolled around, it was unbearable.

“[I was] on a walker, guaranteed, and not walking very much at all,” Charlie said. “I probably could do enough steps to walk to get something to eat and go back to the chair or lie down. That’s it. Flat on my back is where I lived.”

It took a toll on Debbie too, who assumed the role of full-time caregiver. She tended to Charlie during his bad days — helping him get up and get around the house, all the while keeping track of his pain medication schedule.

“Any time you watch a loved one degenerate, it’s painful,” she said. “You watch it, and you try to be their cheerleader, and you try to say, ‘This too shall pass.’ But it is very difficult. And it was difficult for me to not get depressed as well. But I just kept trying to say, ‘We’re going to get through this. We just have to keep trying.’” 

‘Fix it at all costs’

Charlie’s pain worsened to the point of no return. He knew he needed a permanent fix.

In fall 2024, he visited Charles H. Crawford III, M.D., orthopedic spine surgeon with Norton Leatherman Spine.

Dr. Crawford diagnosed Charlie with several issues. Most notably, he had degenerative scoliosis and spinal arthritis, also known as spondylosis. He also was experiencing multilevel stenosis, or narrowing of the space between the vertebrae. The nerves near the bottom of Charlie’s spinal cord were being compressed, causing pain, numbness and difficulty walking. Lastly, Charlie was diagnosed with thoracic myelopathy, or compression of the spinal cord in the thoracic (mid-back) part of the spine.

In short, Charlie needed help — fast. Dr. Crawford recommended surgery.

“Charlie and his wife are such incredibly kind people,” Dr. Crawford said. “He had a really debilitating issue that was progressively getting worse. And I knew it would require a big surgery to help him. And these bigger, more complex surgeries require a big team — before, during and after. So we wanted to make sure we crossed the t’s and dotted the i’s and got him ready for surgery.”

“When I heard what I needed, I said to Dr. Crawford, ‘If you can fix it, fix it at all costs,’” Charlie said. “I was just at that point.”

In November 2024, Dr. Crawford performed a successful two-day, two-part spinal fusion, correcting Charlie’s scoliosis, decompressing his spine and relieving his excruciating pain.

“We removed some of the lamina bone, the back of the spine, that was pinching the nerves,” Dr. Crawford said. “We also removed parts of some discs. From there, we began rebuilding the spine. It’s like a building that’s collapsing. We need to rebuild and realign the structure. So, we used screws and rods to straighten the spine and hold it in its normal, anatomical position. That way, when Charlie — or any other patient — stands up, his spine is no longer collapsing and putting pressure on the nerves, but it stays in its good position.”

‘It gave us our life back’

Charlie progressed quickly. After a few months with a walker, some medication for residual pain and a few restrictions, he was back on two feet for good.

“I’ll tell you, I couldn’t really walk,” Charlie said. “Before surgery, I needed a walker to get around; I was bent over. I just couldn’t do it. And after surgery, I got rid of my walker very quickly and started getting back to my life.”

Now it was time to pull out that U.S. map and reset their sights on their destination — Mount Rushmore. The Hinckleys rebooked their trip, and in May 2025 finally got to cross South Dakota off their list.

“At Mount Rushmore, they’ve got 422 stairs on the Presidential Trail,” Charlie said. “That stopped me in my tracks, and I was like, ‘Might as well see if I can do it.’ And we had already decided that if I couldn’t do it, [we would] turn around and walk back the way we came. I ended up doing it, feeling great about the whole thing — and that’s when I decided surgery was over. Mentally, I had cleared the hurdle.”

Now, almost 60 days since their trip, Charlie’s back continues to respond well. He and Debbie continue to be active. The two walk roughly 10,000 steps a day and already have the next trip planned. They both know their travels, for a while, seemed like they’d be stopped in their tracks. But thanks to the right surgeon and the right procedure, their future is brighter than ever.

“The way I describe it is that it gave us our life back,” Charlie said. “I was extremely depressed, and at one point I came to the conclusion that even if something bad happened to me, I’d prefer to be with the Lord than the way that I was going with my back. And I have told many, many people, if they’re going to have back surgery, they need to go to this man.”

“It’s one of the best parts of my job, seeing our patients after surgery and seeing how much their function improves, their quality of life improves,” Dr. Crawford said. “We try to quantify these things, but sometimes just seeing the smile and getting the hug from the patient is worth more than anything.”

The post Months after two-day spine surgery, Air Force veteran visits Mount Rushmore appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

For many, it’s almost mindless, a small break from the stress of their day-to-day lives.

But for David Todd, simply placing one foot correctly in front of the other is stressful.

“I can’t do things now that I used to in the past,” David said. “My endurance … I get tired easier than normal people. I get brain fatigue. Sometimes, it’s not that my body’s tired; it’s that my brain wants to shut down and recalibrate.”

Two days a week, David puts his brain and his balance to the test in the Norton Mobility Lab, using advanced technology and tools to regain his abilities. On this particular Tuesday, David is using the Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL). It’s a multisensory system built for people with impaired walking.

He’s strapped in a harness, walking on a treadmill, looking at and responding to the virtual scenarios projected on the screen in front of him.

This has been David’s reality for nearly three years. Slowly but surely, he’s improving.

“I feel good [now],” David said. “We talk about neuroplasticity [the ability of the brain to reprogram itself after injury], and it’s true. You don’t see it now, but somewhere down the road, the switch is going to flip and then everything for the most part will be gone and you’re doing things now that you did before. You have to be patient and you have to keep working on it.”

‘My life had changed forever’

David’s life changed forever on July 3, 2022.

It was 2:45 a.m., unusually late for the self-described early bird. He and his wife were watching a movie on the couch. He began to feel weird.

David — who has Type 1 diabetes — thought this strange feeling was simply his blood sugar getting low. He asked his wife for his glucometer. She placed it in his right hand. He dropped it. Again, same result. Then a third time. Then David’s wife noticed he didn’t sound like himself. She told him he was slurring his words.

Worried, he stood up and walked clumsily to the bathroom, needing the wall for support. He looked at himself in the mirror and saw the droop in his face.

He knew what was happening.

“I knew it; I knew a stroke was occurring,” David said. “But how bad it was, I did not know. And I knew — on my way to the hospital — that my life had changed forever and there was nothing I could do. And that was stressful.”

David’s went directly to Norton Brownsboro Hospital, a Comprehensive Stroke Center certified by DNV. When he arrived in the emergency department, the only word he could say was “stroke.” It had been 40 minutes since his symptoms started.

David spent five days in intensive care, receiving blood-thinning medication to help treat his condition.

From there, he was discharged to begin the rehabilitation process.

‘This equipment is so vital’

David started at Norton Neuroscience Institute Cressman Neurological Rehabilitation, where the team provided outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy three days a week. Eventually, he transitioned to Norton Specialty Rehabilitation Center – St. Matthews.

That’s where David was introduced to the Norton Mobility Lab and Robert Beury, M.Ed., a rehabilitation activity-based technician. Robert became David’s de facto personal trainer, working with his physical therapists to individually craft David’s therapy program and get his gait and balance back.

“I start very conservatively when we do our first bit of training,” Robert said. “And I have various speeds that I can put [David] at, the velocities of the interactions, and I keep track of how those change over time. As we kept going, we began to see the old numbers we were using weren’t challenging enough, and he was interacting more. Then he started to walk. And in time, we got to a point where we were doing all we could do.”

The two have been working together for roughly a year, using the GRAIL’s 10 motion-capture cameras to analyze and interact with specialized software. David was able to walk, reach, turn, balance and test his muscles with unique movements — all processes that can be difficult for stroke patients.

“It’s so daunting to get to a point where you are post-stroke, but the body begins to heal itself almost immediately,” Robert said. “So what it really needs is interaction. And that’s why I think this equipment is so vital, because it is interactive activity.”

The Norton Mobility Lab is the only facility in Kentucky with GRAIL gait analysis, allowing David and Robert a personalized approach to rehab. The dual-belt treadmill and virtual-reality environments allowed them to measure and analyze David’s walking pattern and target ways to improve it.

A Comprehensive Stroke Center

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means there are more than 795,000 strokes each year in the U.S.

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability, and it’s estimated one person dies from a stroke every three minutes. But, advancements in medical treatment and increased awareness have improved both the survival rate and quality of life for survivors.

Stroke can affect almost anyone, so it’s important for people to take steps to reduce their risk, such as maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, not smoking, and managing stress.

Norton Brownsboro Hospital offers extensive, comprehensive stroke care: It’s prepared around the clock to deliver lifesaving and brain-saving stroke treatment by restoring blood flow to the brain when seconds count.

The symptoms of stroke can be easiest to remember through the acronym BE FAST^*. They are:

• Balance — loss of balance, coordination or dizziness
• Eyes — having trouble seeing or change in vision in one or both eyes
• Face — uneven smile or face looks uneven, droopy or is numb
• Arms — one arm drops when raising both arms; numbness or weakness in one arm
• Speech — trouble speaking; slurred or difficult speech
• Time — Note the time when symptoms start: Time lost equals brain lost.
  
  *Adapted from Intermountain Healthcare. BE FAST was developed by Intermountain Healthcare, as an adaptation of the FAST model implemented by the American Stroke Association. Reproduced with permission from Intermountain Healthcare. Copyright 2011, Intermountain Healthcare.

What happens after a stroke?

A stroke typically happens suddenly, with no gradual progression.

That said, many patients will recover quickly and fully from a stroke. Some may have post-stroke conditions such as difficulty swallowing, weakness and paralysis, incontinence, difficulty speaking or understanding, emotional challenges, or poor attention span.

If a stroke happens on the right side of the brain, there may be left-side weakness, impulsiveness, overconfidence in abilities and vision issues to deal with. A stroke on the left side of the brain can be associated with weakness on the right side of the body, along with difficulty speaking, reading, writing or understanding language, and cautious behavior.

Norton Neuroscience Institute Resource Centers offer a number of services to patients recovering from strokes, including support groups, exercise classes, art and music therapy, and more. The effects of a stroke also can impact someone’s mental health. Changes and stress that come with caring for a stroke survivor can put caregivers and family members at risk for depression and anxiety.

“It’s important to remember stroke is a brain injury, and patients need a lot of reinforcement and repetition,” said Rosa Hart, BSN, R.N., SCRN, patient navigator with Norton Neuroscience Institute Resource Center. “So I’ll talk to patients and their families a lot about how to avoid stroke at home. And they may have received all of that information in the hospital, but they probably only remember a little piece of it. So knowing they have a human they can ask questions to when they don’t even know for sure what to do, helps them know they’re not left out on their own with no one to call.”

Rehabilitation services at Norton Healthcare offer specialized outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy at locations downtown, on the Norton Brownsboro Hospital campus and on the Norton Healthcare – St. Matthews campus. These programs offer access to some of the most advanced technology and specialized services in one location to help with gait, balance, strength, flexibility, speech, fine motor skills, swallowing, driving, cognition, vision and more.

“Stroke symptoms may be reversed, but a lot of the time patients need that rehab after the fact,” Rosa said. “That could be in a facility for a while, until they get strong enough to go home. But we’ve learned, with neuroplasticity, the healing process can go on for years. So going to outpatient offices, giving access to physical, occupational and speech therapies to help people get back to their natural functioning, is really pivotal.”

‘Be positive all the way’

Nearly three years since his stroke, David continues outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy, showing steady progress despite small, periodic setbacks.

He’s returned to his career at the Pleasure Ridge Park Fire Protection District, though he has shifted into an administrative role. He’s also slowly returned to his favorite hobbies, with a few adjustments. Cooking sessions are now completed under the watchful eye of his wife as sous chef. Hiking and backpacking are done with more caution, and the 5K races are run with an eye on finishing, not on time and speed.

Through it all, he’s thankful for the team that cared for him three years ago and continues that care today.

“We try something new every day,” David said. “We cook dinner more together and we do things differently. We have family help, so that’s important. But I have had a great team here. They’ve pushed me in ways that have helped make progress every step of the way. I tell people all the time, be positive all the way and keep going. Don’t stop.”

For more on David’s recovery journey, watch this video interview with David and Rosa.

The post Three years after stroke, Louisville man credits rehab team and tools in journey back to full health appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Norton Healthcare wants to make it easy to apply for financial assistance. You can apply before you get sick, or before a family member does, and it applies to your covered family starting on the date you sign your application and submit it. What does that mean? It means if you are approved, the program will pay for medical bills dating back two years from the signed application date and extending for 12 months after that date. You can reapply after that 12-month period ends. Yes, that means, potentially, two-year-old medical bills could be paid in full.

The Norton Healthcare Financial Assistance Program covers hospital-based emergency or other medically necessary care to patients who cannot afford to pay and who qualify for financial assistance based on income, resources and family situation.

How do you qualify?

You may qualify for the program if you meet the following criteria:

• You don’t have health insurance or you have an unpaid balance after your insurance plan has either paid or rejected a claim.
• You do not qualify for subsidized coverage or government assistance, such as the Disproportionate Share Hospital Program, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, a Medicaid managed-care organization or Hoosier Healthwise.
• You have a combined household income equal to or less than 350% of the federal poverty guidelines. For example, a family of four with a combined household income of up to $112,525 per year can qualify.

Getting started

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

• The last three bank statements from your checking and savings accounts (If you don’t have either, you’ll need to call the Norton Healthcare customer service team at (502) 479-6300.)
• Proof of all income documents such as alimony, child support, employment pay stubs, retirement or pension payments, Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income, disability, unemployment or other income
• A copy of your last year’s tax return or other documents, if requested

How to apply

You can fill out an online application at NortonHealthcare.com/Assistance or through your Norton MyChart account. You also can apply inside any Norton Healthcare emergency department or hospital with the help of a financial counselor or start your application over the phone by calling Norton Healthcare customer service at (502) 479-6300. You’ll need to provide documentation by uploading your documents, or photos of your documents, to the financial assistance application page or to Norton MyChart, or bring them in person to the financial counselor to include with your application. You also can mail an application to:

Norton Healthcare
SBO Financial Assistance, Dept. 14-7
P.O. Box 35070
Louisville, KY 40232-9972

You’ll be notified by mail if your application is approved. You also can call customer service with any questions about the status or decision made on your application. Call (502) 479-6300. Once you’ve been approved for financial assistance from Norton Healthcare, the program can give you peace of mind should you or your family need care. Apply today!

The post Norton Healthcare’s Financial Assistance Program appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Cassandra and Carlton Moore prepared to welcome their third child in late August. This was another milestone in their love story that started when the two first met at Noe Middle School in Louisville. They have been together for nearly 30 years. Having had two babies already, they thought they knew what to expect as they headed for the hospital for a planned cesarean section.

Everything was going as just as planned, until it wasn’t. Baby girl Indigo arrived, and Carlton took a quick peek. When he looked toward Cassandra, he saw she was no longer awake.

Monitors started beeping, and the staff began working together to save Cassandra’s life, doing chest compressions to try to resuscitate her. Teams from throughout the hospital poured in, delivering blood and medications and assisting in any way possible.

Cassandra had experienced an amniotic fluid embolism, where amniotic fluid enters the bloodstream. The cause is not known, but it’s extremely serious and life-threatening. It can happen without warning, and very few people survive.

“An amniotic fluid embolism is not a common event, but when it happens, it’s devastating and it’s hard for everyone,” said Maria R. Schweichler, M.D., an OB/GYN with Norton Women’s Care who is Cassandra’s obstetrician. “We knew instantly what had happened and began chest compressions.”

After 20 minutes, Cassandra’s heart started again, and she was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) — where her heart stopped again. This time the team worked again to revive her. The team at Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital did not give up. Cassandra also experienced a stroke, and her heart was beginning to fail.

“You can’t wrap your mind around the situation,” Carlton said. “Thinking what could happen but not wanting to …”

“We kept chest compressions going until we were able to get enough blood and platelets in her that she had a pulse,” Dr. Schweichler said. “We just all took turns and rotated. Everyone was amazing.

“Everyone said, ‘She’s healthy; she’s young. We can save her.’ And that’s how everybody felt. So we just kept doing it.”

After 40 minutes, Cassandra’s heart started again.

The advanced heart failure team from Norton Heart & Vascular Institute arrived to help the Norton Healthcare Adult Transport Team take Cassandra to Norton Audubon Hospital. There, she was placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a machine that takes over for the heart and lungs and allows the body to heal. She also needed dialysis to help her kidneys regain function.

Cassandra’s condition was grave.

“It is hard to describe how sick she was,” said Maroun M. Ghossein, M.D., a pulmonary critical care physician with Norton Pulmonary Specialists. “I think it’s best to describe it on a scale of 1 to 10, and she was well off the scale.”

“She was definitely the sickest person in Louisville that day,” said Bassel Alkhalil, M.D., cardiologist with the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Advanced Heart Failure & Recovery Program. “We were really worried that she would not be herself if and when she woke up.”

Over the next three weeks, Dr. Schweichler and others from the team at Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital continued to visit and provide support and encouragement. The Norton Audubon Hospital ICU team went above and beyond, learning how to help Cassandra. Carlton knew that Cassandra, who is both an occupational therapist and a lactation consultant, wanted to be able to breastfeed their daughter.

“We had nurses who had never had a child before, and they’re [saying], ‘Show me what I’m doing,” said Sandy Corbin, R.N., a registered nurse in the Norton Audubon Hospital ICU. “We had communication with Norton Women & Children’s Hospital lactation consultants. We learned how to help Cassandra pump. We helped with skin-to-skin contact, even when Cassandra was still on ECMO.

“When I saw Cassandra move her hand, gently cupping Indigo’s head, I knew she was there,” Sandy said.

After a few weeks, Cassandra regained consciousness. At first, she began moving and opening her eyes. Then she began focusing and looking around.

“Just all of a sudden the light turned on and, you could see her personality starting to come back,” Dr. Alkhalil said.

“When we were able to, we got Cassandra up and took her outside in a special chair,” Sandy said. “When she moved into our medical ICU from the cardiac ICU, we knew she was going to be there awhile, so we put her in one of the front rooms that has the big windows that look out over top of the park, and you have more trees and scenery. We needed as much stimulation as we could for her.”

In all, more than 20 different departments between the two hospitals worked to save Cassandra.

“It is an army of people who took care of her,” Dr. Alkhalil said. “Medicine has become so specialized, and the human body is so complex, but one person, one discipline, one service is not enough. So you really need all the expertise to take care of those patients.”

After five weeks, Cassandra was able to start rehabilitation. After eight weeks, she was home with her family.

The Moores now have a new outlook on life.

“When I think about it, I’m in disbelief that I was able to get through all of that. It’s thanks to so many people who offered support — the teams at the hospitals and my family,” Cassandra said. “I’m so thankful for everything.”

The post Woman’s life-threatening heart event makes her ‘sickest person in Louisville’ appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Unfortunately, a medical crisis and devastating diagnosis in 2025 makes it likely they will not see their 21st wedding anniversary. Bonny came to Norton Audubon Hospital on Monday, Jan. 27, with severe abdominal pain. After undergoing emergency surgery, she learned that she has a life-changing terminal diagnosis. She recently transferred to hospice care.  

Bonny learned that her cousin, who was visiting her in the hospital on Jan. 31, had just taken a course to be ordained to perform weddings. She looked over and asked Robert if he would like to renew their vows. 

Robert replied, “Of course I will, honey.” 

When Bonny’s care team at Norton Audubon Hospital found out about the vow renewal plan, they made it their mission to make the event — happening that day — as beautiful as possible. Reaching out to colleagues to assist, one ordered a dozen white roses on Door Dash while another supplied the couple with a plant for the bedside ceremony.

Two decades ago, what made them decide to marry after seven years of dating?

“He’s just a very good man,” Bonny said.

Robert made them both giggle with his reply: “Because she is hot and still is hot!” 

He called Bonny the “biggest-hearted person” he’s ever met. 

Bonny’s care team agrees and calls her an amazing woman who remains upbeat despite her diagnosis.  

“In the short time Bonny has been at Norton Audubon Hospital, she has won over the staff,” said Lindsay Lewis, BSN, R.N., director, invasive cardiology, patient care services “I’m pretty sure they are fighting over who gets to take care of her. 

“I let her know that even though there are times when we are with our patients only for a short time, they leave an impact on us that will stay with us forever.”

Bonny has been one of those patients for the staff on the Progressive Care Unit.  

What would Bonny share with others?

“When you love someone, let them know it — let them know it a lot,” she said. “You can’t lose your mind at the same time, but when you know, you just know.”

She takes it a step further. Each year on her husband’s birthday, she sends Robert’s mother a thank-you card.  

Bonny also wanted to share that the caregivers she has met at Norton Audubon Hospital are amazing, and the list of those who she raved about could go on and on. 

At a time when she was not able to drink or eat anything, yet was craving coffee, she said one of her favorite nurses smelled of coffee, and that just made her morning.

“He smelled so good!” she said.

It’s an important reminder to appreciate the small blessings in life — to be thankful during the good times and make the best of out of the bad. 

When we are given the opportunity to provide blessings during another’s bad time, it can make all the difference in the world.

The post When you love someone, let them know — a lot appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Available to all Norton Healthcare employees, Papa is an innovative service connecting older adults and families with compassionate Papa Pals for companionship, assistance and peace of mind.

“She was worried about my carpal tunnel surgery, and how I was going to get around,” Sheila said. “You can’t exactly drive as well.”

Sheila elected to use the benefit after her wrist surgery. She could not drive so she had someone from Papa take her and her father, Merl, to doctor appointments. Sheila’s husband, Tom, was really busy at work and could not take time off.

“Merl, my dad, is 89 but very independent. At first, he and my husband, Tom, had some pushback to the idea of using Papa. Tom had concerns with having a stranger drive me, and my dad did not want the help of a stranger,” Sheila said. “I assured them it was through Norton Healthcare, and that it was safe. They eventually relented, and it turned out to be a huge benefit to us as a family.”

According to Sheila, the Papa Pals who showed up to help them were excellent. Every Papa Pal undergoes vigorous background checks and motor vehicle reports. For Sheila, they were on for scheduled pick-ups, accommodating and even early for the appointment. Everything was done in less than two hours, with no hassle.

Hans Buhts, a manager in the benefits department at Norton Healthcare, said the partnership was designed to benefit all employees.

“We know it can be difficult to manage work when you have additional responsibilities at home. Whether it’s taking care of an older parent, assisting kids with homework or needing to get ahead on household chores, we hope this benefit will help shift the load and reduce stress for our employees and their families,” Hans said. “We were excited to partner with Papa to provide companionship and assistance to our employees who may need help outside of work.”

According to Sheila, Tom and Merl were very grateful for their Papa Pal experience. Merl was happy he did not have to reschedule his appointment, and Tom was very relieved it all worked out so that he did not miss any time at work.

“I have already told so many people about this. I know another nurse in my unit who could benefit from it because she has a hurt knee,” Sheila said. “It is easy to sign up for. I am not tech savvy; if I can do it, anyone can! We have so many excellent benefits at Norton Healthcare — it is a perk of the job and a reason why I love working here.”

By the end of 2024, Sheila had used all 10 free hours available under the employee benefit. And she is looking to use more in the future to visit Merl at his nursing home.

About Papa

Whether it is for grocery shopping, watching your kids, a ride to a doctor’s appointment or assisting with nonmedical care, the Papa program extends a helping hand — when, where and how you need it most.

This benefit is available to all employees as part of our commitment to your well-being and work-life balance. All employees can use up to 10 hours of service, at no cost to you. Here’s how to get started:

• Visit Papa.com to verify your eligibility and create an account.
• Select who will be using your Papa benefits — you or your loved one(s) — along with the primary ZIP code where you would like assistance.
• Download the Papa Care app from the Apple or Google app stores and follow the steps to schedule your next visit.

If you are interested in using Papa, click here to learn more about the program and how to take advantage of it.

The post When a Norton Healthcare nurse had surgery on her wrist, an employee benefit helped with driving her and her dad appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

First, he became an intern in the regulatory and compliance office with research at Norton Healthcare. Second, he decided to enlist in the Kentucky Army National Guard. Making these decisions allowed him to serve not only his community, but his country too. He also had a goal in mind: becoming the first military officer in his family. Five years later, Kendrick, a clinical research coordinator at Norton Healthcare, is also an officer in the Kentucky Army National Guard.

In May 2024, Kendrick learned that he was being deployed to support a unit in the Middle East in two weeks.

Chandler Render, also a clinical research coordinator; Marti Gardner, system director for clinical research operations; and Avery Davenport, a clinical research manager; were among the first that Kendrick told. And each of them sprang into action to make sure Kendrick had the support he needed.

“We wanted to make sure that while Kendrick was overseas, he had no worries or thoughts about his job,” Marti said.

Marti and Avery made sure Kendrick knew that his job at Norton Healthcare was never in jeopardy while he was deployed. They made sure his job duties were covered and worked with human resources leaders to ensure resources (like our Veterans ERG, HR support, and retraining programs) were available to Kendrick upon his return, gave reassurance they were not looking to replace him. They even ensured his computer would not be locked when he returned.

“He is already under enough stress while protecting our country, so we did what we could to lift some weight off his shoulders,” Avery said.

Chandler did similar things as a co-worker, but also took it further as Kendrick’s friend. Chandler remembered when her stepdad was deployed and he wouldn’t stop talking about everything he missed from back home while overseas. She made sure Kendrick had everything he needed by putting together care packages to send him. He had limited time to talk to friends and family, so she made an Amazon wish list so everyone could pitch in to make sure he was reminded of home.

Kendrick, who was in Jordan for two weeks, then Kuwait for four months, spoke about how much that meant to him.

“There was a 12- to 14-hour time difference. I only had two to three hours to speak with people from back home. When you are over there, you start to miss home, because life goes on there without you. The phone call check-ins and care packages kept me going — gave me a reminder of what I was protecting,” Kendrick said. “I really appreciated it.”

Chandler also helped watch Charli, Kendrick’s dog. It was an added layer of comfort knowing his best friend was watching over his other best friend. He could do his job with the Army without worrying about anything back home.

This gave Kendrick an idea — to nominate Norton Healthcare for the Patriotic Employer Award from Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) — a Department of Defense office. The award is presented to employers who go the extra mile to protect the job of military service members who are deployed. Only a few employers win recognition every year, and this year’s have not been announced. Meanwhile, Kendrick nominated Chandler, Marti and Avery for the Patriot Award. This award goes to individuals who provided support directly to military members like Kendrick and his family. Kendrick said it was a thank-you for everything they did for him. It was his first deployment, and his team made sure he felt comfortable leaving and returning, while simultaneously sending him encouragement while on deployment and allowing him to do his duty with little to no worries.

He kept it a secret, and surprised Chandler, Marti and Avery with the award presentation by Kendrick and a member of the ESGR during a department holiday party in late December 2024. 

“When you come to work, you bring your whole self — which includes things that happen off the clock. Norton Healthcare supports that work-life balance and understands that things impact you from other aspects of your life. It is important to know what is happening in your employees’ lives,” Marti said. “It helps form a respectful and open relationship. It all goes back to our mission, vision, values and culture.”

According to Avery, initiatives like VETS (Veterans Engaging Through Service), Norton Healthcare’s employee resource group for military veterans, make it easier to lean on others so leaders and colleagues don’t have to shoulder the support alone.

“When you are called to serve, the last thing you want to be thinking about is whether or not you’ll still have a job,” Kendrick said. “I’ve never worried about that with Norton Healthcare, from the moment I enlisted they were there to support me every step of the way.”

The post Balancing service and career appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Today, he’s a bit more cautious about how much time he spends in the sun. In the past three years, Randy has had two basal cell carcinoma skin cancers removed from his face, the first requiring significant reconstruction due to the lesion’s proximity to the left side of his nose and eye socket.

Randy said he didn’t think too much about the initial spot at first. When it grew more noticeable, he asked his primary care physician about it. According to Randy, his family medicine physician, Karalee Bessinger, M.D., at Norton Community Medical Associates primary care in Carrollton, Kentucky, referred him to a dermatologist in LaGrange, Kentucky. That doctor wanted to refer him to a facility in Louisville, Kentucky, because of the lesion’s location and the intricate surgery it would take to remove it.

Not one for city traffic, Randy sought another opinion, turning to Jonathan Hanson, M.D., otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) with Norton King’s Daughters’ Health in Madison, Indiana. Dr. Hanson met Randy in January 2022 and assured him that he could remove the lesion and provide any necessary reconstruction.

“The art of facial reconstructive surgery takes into account a lot of factors,” said Dr. Hanson, adding that about 15% of his practice includes skin cancer removals on the face, ears, head and neck. “Elasticity of the skin varies from the nose to the cheek to the eye. It’s also important to factor in the shape and location of a patient’s natural skin lines and contours. The goal is to meet surgical needs while minimizing any noticeable incisions when healing is complete.”

During Randy’s first surgery, Dr. Hanson opened a large flap on the left side of Randy’s face, following the natural skin lines under his eye to the edge of his mouth. After fully removing the cancerous lesion, he carefully stitched the seam back together using the natural skin folds along his cheek and eye. Today, you would never know Randy underwent significant facial surgery.

“He’s a fabulous doctor,” Randy said. “He told me exactly what he was going to do and followed up with everything he said he was going to do.”

In May 2024, Randy returned to Dr. Hanson for a second area of concern: an elongated bump just below his right eye. A less extensive surgery was needed, and Dr. Hanson again developed a plan of action and executed it perfectly.

“One reason I enjoy the work is the creativity,” Dr. Hanson said. “Every face and every person is unique. There’s no cookbook or recipe.”

After a life spent farming, working at a factory and serving his country in the Army, Randy relishes his slower pace. He enjoys being home, spending time in his self-proclaimed man cave and watching car racing on television. He and his wife, Carolyn, still live on a 60-acre farm outside Carrollton, near family and friends.

These days on the farm, one thing is different. If you see Randy outside mowing or working on a project, he’s wearing a straw hat. It’s a small price to pay to help keep the sun off his face.

“The earlier we find skin cancers, the better,” Dr. Hanson said. “The smaller they are, we get much better results. It’s easy to ignore them. Any spot that is raised or pigmented or grows or changes needs to be reviewed by a family provider. If they think it’s suspicious, the patient can be referred for follow-up.”

The post Reconstructing damage from skin cancer appeared first on Norton Healthcare.