VIP Top Docs & Health Pros: Laiken Hayes, D.O.

Story by Amelia Bowen

The most powerful tools in modern healthcare are not always found in a prescription bottle. Often, they begin with the everyday choices made outside the clinic walls. As an internal medicine and lifestyle medicine physician at Med Center Health Primary Care, Dr. Hayes believes clinical care should focus not only on treating advanced disease but also on helping patients build healthier lives from the ground up. There is a common misconception that lifestyle medicine is simply a boutique service reserved for the healthy and wealthy. Dr. Hayes notes that the exact opposite is true. It is designed for everyone, especially individuals living with chronic diseases where behavioral modifications can make the absolute largest impact. Her practice offers standard primary care with a twist, combining her board certification in lifestyle medicine with specialized credentials in medical obesity management. “Lifestyle medicine is for everyone,” Dr. Hayes says. “That’s where we can make some of the biggest differences.” In a medical landscape filled with complex procedures, Dr. Hayes advocates for taking health back to the absolute basics. Her clinical framework focuses on a few simple, foundational pillars: increasing plant predominant whole foods, pursuing regular exercise, securing restful sleep and connecting meaningfully with others while actively reducing stress and avoiding toxic substances like smoking. For Dr. Hayes, watching patients realize improvements in both their physical health and mental well-being through these basic steps is the most rewarding part of her profession. Along with seeing patients, Dr. Hayes balances her daily routine by teaching medical residents and students. This role allows her to practice within a community hospital setting while remaining deeply connected to academics and the future of healthcare. Throughout her own journey, she has been shaped by numerous mentors who taught her to value the gravity of the impact doctors can make, to be an unrelenting advocate for patients and to confidently take up space in the medical field. When advising the next generation, she always emphasizes the importance of self-care, noting that professionals must invest heavily in their own health while navigating a challenging and exhausting industry. Looking toward the future, Dr. Hayes sees artificial intelligence on the forefront of medicine. She hopes technology will ultimately decrease administrative burdens, allowing physicians to have more time for genuine human connection. The goal is to use these evolving digital tools to empower patients to take everyday action to optimize their health rather than just managing a chronic disease state. Outside the office, Dr. Hayes practices what she teaches by traveling with her husband, working in her garden and running the local Bowling Green chapter of Walk with a Doc, a community walking group that keeps neighbors active. Remaining in South Central Kentucky was an intentional choice for Dr. Hayes. Leaving the very place that trained and shaped her clinical skills felt wrong, and her husband and family are rooted in the area. She deeply appreciates Bowling Green for its unique blend of diversity and small-town feel, and she approaches every patient relationship with one guiding philosophy: treat others exactly as you would wish to be treated.