Originally published in YOUR Williamson —

The Williamson Health Foundation’s mission is clear, says Executive Director Leigh Williams: help make exceptional, world-class healthcare possible close to home.  

“The Williamson Health Foundation supports Williamson Health’s mission of providing high-quality, compassionate care to the communities we serve,” Williams said. “If there are needs beyond the budget, that’s where we come in, whether it’s providing funds for a new piece of equipment, providing educational materials for patients receiving a diagnosis, gas cards for patients who need to travel for treatment or supporting our tiniest patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with items that promote safe sleep.” 

Created in 2002, the Williamson Health Foundation has raised more than $20 million in support of Williamson Medical Center, the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Williamson Medical Center, and many other Williamson Health services. Williams, who joined the Foundation in 2016, is currently leading the $30 million “More for You. Close to Home.” capital campaign supporting the transformational expansion and renovation now underway at Williamson Medical Center. 

A lifelong Williamson County resident, Williams has seen the work of the Foundation grow and expand over the years. 

“The Foundation works to support our community and its healthcare needs, whether that’s breast health, mental health awareness or lung cancer awareness,” Williams said. “We’re focused on the health of the community, which means we work to support a wide range of programs and initiatives that provide and promote exceptional healthcare.” 

One way the Foundation lives out that commitment is by partnering with area agencies and organizations. That includes the You Are Not Alone campaign, a Williamson County-based substance abuse and mental health awareness effort, and the Brett Boyer Foundation, which raises money to fund research initiatives for congenital heart disease, among others. Hospital visitors can also purchase items in the 

Williamson Medical Center Gift Shop that support both organizations as well as other initiatives. 

“We believe it is vital to the health of our community that we join arms with other agencies and organizations in the county that share our mission,” Williams said. “The You Are Not Alone campaign, and the Brett Boyer Foundation are great examples of that.” 

 This year, the Foundation also added a new focus to its work: helping fund athletic trainers who work with athletes at all Williamson County high schools. For several years, full-time Williamson Health athletic trainers have been assigned to athletic programs at each of the nine WCS high schools and work in tandem with dedicated Bone and Joint Institute physicians to care for the WCS student-athletes throughout the school year. 

“Any time we have an opportunity to support young people, the future of our community, we want to be able to do that,” Williams said. “What better way to be present for them, their families and the Williamson County community than coming alongside the schools and offering our expertise in this way.” 

The Foundation also heads up the Williamson Health Volunteer Auxiliary. Volunteers greet visitors, staff information desks, run the gift shop and more, helping create a caring, compassionate environment for patients and their families. There’s a reason the volunteers are so passionate about their work, Williams said. 

Kay Pfeiffer volunteers in the Williamson Medical Center ER several times a week. A mom of three and a longtime healthcare executive, she understands the anxiety patients and their families may feel during an ER visit. 

“Many of our volunteers began volunteering after they received excellent care at Williamson Medical Center or one of our other healthcare locations,” she said. “They want to pay it forward.” 

“What I can do now is pay it forward and make one person feel better,” Pfeiffer said. “If I can help an elderly patient who’s anxious, or a mom in the waiting area, then I’m doing a beautiful thing.” 

Pfeiffer wants to do all she can to help Williamson Health patients and their families, from getting pillows for patients to simply sitting with an anxious family member in the waiting room.

It’s a sentiment Williams understands—since that’s what the Foundation strives to do every day.

“Williamson Health provides exceptional care and always puts our community first,” she said. “Philanthropic giving really helps to make that level of world-class care possible.” 

To learn more about the Foundation, how to volunteer or to give, visit williamsonhealth.5by5dev.site/foundation. All gifts are tax-deductible.