2026 Regular Session - Day 50 - Citation | Rep. Wade Williams

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like today to recognize the life of Dr. J.L. Jack Hammond, who passed away last week at the age of 92. Dr. Hammond was a pioneering surgeon at Trover Clinic and later Baptist Health, helping establish open-heart surgery in Madisonville in 1980. Through his efforts and deep commitment, Hopkins County was one of the first communities in Kentucky outside of Louisville and Lexington to offer this life-saving cardiovascular care. Dr. Hammond served patients for decades, continuing to see them well in his later years, finally retiring in 2021. Just as importantly, he helped train generations of physicians through residency programs and partnerships at the University of Louisville, leaving a lasting mark on health care in western Kentucky. And I had the opportunity to personally get to know Dr. Hammond, and like so many others, I was struck by his humility, his gratitude for his colleagues, and his deep commitment to his patients and his community. His life reminds us that a true measure of a physician is not only the skill in the operating room, but a lifetime spent caring for others. Kentucky is better because of Dr. Jack Hammond, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family and all who are touched by his remarkable life. Mr. Speaker, I move for adoption.