Dem
47
GOP
53
The portion of Louisville, KY, known as "West End" is majority-Black (by a lot). And it has much to recommend it, including some famous BBQ restaurants, the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, a well-preserved 1890s railroad depot, a jazz club named Joe's Palm Room (where Dizzy Gillespie once played), a seven-story mural of Muhammad Ali by Shepard Fairey and, for that matter, Ali's childhood home.
There is one thing that West End did not have, for over 150 years, and that is a hospital. The money wasn't there, and so, neither was good health for many residents. The numbers are quite discouraging, as residents of West End are estimated to have a life expectancy 12-15 years less than residents of the other parts of Louisville. And while there aren't great records for past eras, it's widely understood that the disparity used to be even worse than that.
Enter Corenza Townsend, who was a long-time employee of one of the hospitals located in a different part of Louisville. She wanted to see the 150-year-absence, not to mention the lower life expectancy, reversed, and so she approached the management of the health system that was (and is) her employer. And they agreed to construct a hospital in West End, with ground being broken in 2022, and construction completed late last year. For the first time since Reconstruction, critical healthcare services like emergency and natal care are accessible to residents.
Most of the employees of the hospital are longtime residents of West End, while Townsend serves as the administrator of the facility. Its walls have been decorated by local artists, and it reportedly has food that is considerably better than "edible," which is hard to believe for a hospital. There's also a food bank on the second floor which doubles as a safe space for anyone seeking refuge from any sort of abuse.
We thought this story was worth sharing as a reminder that some people recognize that the key to public health is expanding and strengthening the healthcare system, not tearing it down.
Have a good weekend, all! (Z)