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Contact: Sylvia Smith

For more than a decade, Lisa Adams has been a familiar and trusted face in Beauregard Parish. Born and raised in DeRidder, Lisa serves as Director of the Greater Beauregard Chamber of Commerce, where her passion for community runs deep and personal. For Lisa, the Chamber is more than a job. It is a platform to connect people to resources, to opportunities, and most importantly, to one another.

“I love my community,” Lisa shared. “I want to be that person someone can walk up to and say, ‘Hey Lisa, my family is struggling. Do you know where we can get help?’ Or, ‘We’re moving here. Where do we go for healthcare?’”

As a first point of contact for businesses, families, and newcomers, Lisa has long been a connector for others. But several years ago, she found herself in need of connection and care herself.

A Life-Altering Diagnosis and an Unexpected Path

Lisa’s journey began when her mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Through a research study, Lisa and her sister were offered genetic testing. What followed was a phone call that changed everything.

“My first question was, ‘Are you about to tell me I have cancer?’” Lisa recalled. “They said, ‘Not yet. But you have two identifiers, and we need to act now.’”

Within six weeks, Lisa underwent a double mastectomy with reconstructive surgery. While the procedure itself was successful, part of her body did not heal as expected due to complications from a previous surgery. That is when wound care became a critical part of her recovery.

“I didn’t even know wound care was something I would need,” she said. “You always hear the success stories, and you think everything will be fine.”

Healing Close to Home

Initially referred to a physician outside the area, Lisa soon learned something that brought immense relief. All of her wound care treatments could be done right at home in DeRidder.

“I never put two and two together,” she said. “I was driving back and forth, but all of my wound care was being done locally, right here in my hometown.”

The convenience was more than a comfort. It was a lifeline.

“If I hadn’t been able to receive care at home, I don’t know the strain it would have put on my family or the financial burden it could have caused,” Lisa shared. “We were so thankful to have this level of care right here.”

From the moment she walked through the doors of the Wound Healing Center, Lisa felt at ease.

“It was immediate comfort,” she said. “Every question was answered, even the ones I didn’t think to ask. From the receptionist to the nurses to Tracy Winkley, it was seamless and welcoming.”

Care That Went Above and Beyond

One moment stands out as especially meaningful. Over a weekend, Lisa experienced an issue with her wound therapy device and feared something had gone wrong.

“I called the number just asking for help,” she said. “Within an hour, I got a call back. They met me at the office on the weekend and took care of me.”

For Lisa, it wasn’t just medical care. It was compassion.

“They gave up their weekend to help someone who was scared and upset,” she said. “That meant everything to me.”

On the Other Side of Healing

Today, Lisa is on the mend and deeply grateful.

“If I hadn’t received wound care, I don’t know what would have happened,” she said. “I may have lost my breast. As a woman, that mattered to me. I wanted to prevent cancer, but I also wanted to feel whole.”

Healing allowed Lisa to return to her life, her work, and her family, including a deeper connection with her daughter, who is also a nurse.

“It saved me time away from my family,” she said. “And it brought my daughter and me closer on a different level.”

A Message to the Community

When asked what she would say to someone hesitant to seek care locally, Lisa didn’t hesitate.

“We often think we have to go to the big city,” she said. “And those places are wonderful. But the strain of travel, repeat visits, and complications can be overwhelming.”

Her advice is simple and powerful: look at home.

“Our hospitals and communities grow when we support what’s here,” she said. “Ask the question. See what’s available locally.”

In her role at the Chamber, Lisa continues to do just that. Recently, she even helped a clinic in Texas connect a relocating patient to care at Beauregard Health System.

“They were shocked we could offer those services here,” she said proudly. “That’s life-changing.”

And for Lisa Adams, it truly was.

“I do love my community,” she said. “And I’m thankful every day for the care I received right here at home.”