Every day at Broadlawns, care begins long before a diagnosis—and continues long after a patient leaves the hospital.
I see it in quiet moments most people never notice. A mother holding her newborn, uncertain how she’ll safely get home. A child arriving for a checkup who has never owned a book. An adult quietly hesitating before naming a growing worry about memory loss. A patient ready for discharge with no clean clothes and no way to fill a prescription.
These moments are the spaces between medical care, and they matter.
As Polk County’s essential hospital, Broadlawns serves many of our community’s most vulnerable neighbors. Nearly three-quarters of patients are uninsured or underinsured. Many are navigating challenges that extend well beyond health: transportation, housing instability, food insecurity, isolation. In these moments, excellent medical care is necessary, but not always sufficient.
This is where the Broadlawns Medical Center Foundation and our generous donors quietly step in.
Because of community generosity, Broadlawns can meet patients where they are—with care that recognizes the whole person, not just the chart in front of us.
Sometimes that care is small but powerful. Ten dollars that covers a medication co-pay. Bus fare that ensures a patient can make it to a follow-up appointment. Clean clothing that allows someone to leave the hospital with dignity intact. These simple interventions can alter the course of recovery more than we often realize.
Sometimes, the impact is deeply human. A pediatric provider placing a child’s very first book into their hands, opening the door to confidence and learning. A child in the FOCUS Program earning a chance to go swimming or see a movie—moments of joy that help rebuild trust, routine, and resilience. A caregiver finding reassurance through memory health services delivered directly into the community, rather than needing to find their way to a clinic.
And sometimes, the difference is transformational.
A beautifully renovated Family Birthing Center where parents of all backgrounds are welcomed with warmth and respect during one of life’s most vulnerable transitions. Car seats, pack and plays, and diaper bags filled with essentials—small details that bring peace of mind during the first ride home. Training programs that open pathways into healthcare careers while strengthening the workforce our community depends on.
None of this happens by accident.
It happens because people believe healthcare should be rooted in compassion. Because neighbors care deeply about neighbors. Because dignity should never depend on circumstance.
Over the years, community support has helped modernize care environments across Broadlawns—from behavioral health and oncology to dental care, emergency services, and beyond. The spaces are brighter. The tools are stronger. But what has never changed is the heart of the care: personal, respectful, and grounded in the belief that everyone deserves to be treated with humanity.
At Broadlawns, philanthropy isn’t about numbers on a page. It shows up in the quiet relief on a patient’s face. The steady confidence of a new parent. The comfort of knowing that, in moments of uncertainty, someone is paying attention.
This is what community looks like in action. You have the power to be part of these moments. Join us in supporting our most vulnerable neighbors. Visit broadlawns.org/foundation.
