Health care is not just a privilege, but a right. Yet, today, where a person lives has a profound influence on how long that person lives. In Louisville, the inequities are reflected in rates and severity of disease and disability, access to treatment, quality of life and life expectancy. According to a recent Louisville Metro Health Equity Report, the life expectancy for Louisville Metro is 76.8 years of age. Some areas — most of which are neighborhoods of lower socioeconomic status — experience a reduction in average life expectancy of 12.6 years. With an understanding of our communities’ needs, we’re determined to improve the health of all our neighbors by creating equal opportunities for everyone to access and receive high-quality care.
Integrated Care in the West End
Our $10 million philanthropic vision will seek to expand multidisciplinary practices that integrate behavioral health care services into primary care and women’s care. Clinics will be embedded in West End neighborhoods, offer in-person and virtual visits, meet the diverse cultural and language needs of patients, and provide a resource center focused on prevention and social services.
Workforce Education and Advocacy
Our $5 million philanthropic vision will foster a culture across its system that embraces and understands differences, fosters a sense of belonging, promotes a welcoming environment, and leads education and advocacy on health policy issues to ensure that every individual in our communities has an equal chance to live a healthy life. To fulfill this commitment, we will implement critical programs with regard to workforce development and training, advocacy and systemic policy reform.
Access to Enhanced Primary Care
Our $13 million philanthropic vision will provide an expanded reach for primary care and adolescent medicine through additional clinics in remote and underserved areas. We will create innovative clinical programs that will help meet the increasingly complex needs of our patients. This can include community resource programs to help our most vulnerable patients obtain fundamental needs to live healthy lives while reducing barriers to seeking and receiving care.
…increasing access to care for our most underserved and vulnerable communities
…improving the health outcomes and life expectancies of all members of our communities
…recruiting and developing a more diverse, culturally competent, compassionate health care workforce
Our Journey to Excellence
Health equity can be defined as providing all people with a fair and just opportunity to be healthy, regardless of race, social position, gender, sexual orientation, income or ZIP code. As Louisville’s health care leader, Norton Healthcare has a long history of leading efforts aimed at ensuring health equity in the region. These efforts reflect Norton Healthcare’s history of working with our communities to break down barriers to care, but there is still much work to be done. To answer this call, we established The Institute for Health Equity, a Part of Norton Healthcare, in June 2020 to combat racial and health inequities in our region. The institute’s primary focus is to:
We invite you to join us on our Journey to Excellence as we embark on this ambitious campaign to eradicate health disparities in our most underserved communities. Through workforce education, innovative clinical programs, community resource programs, and better access to enhanced primary care — starting in the West End and expanding into southwest Jefferson County — we will establish a lasting legacy and ensure better health for all.
“The premise of the institute is that health equity can only be achieved when every person has a fair opportunity to achieve their full health potential. I’m so proud that Norton Healthcare is striving for a future free of health inequities and is committing its time, talents and resources in pursuit of this essential human right.”
Kelly C. McCants, M.D.
Executive Director—The Institute for Health Equity, a Part of
Norton Healthcare
