For more than a century, residents of Louisville’s West End, a historically Black neighborhood with over 60,000 people, lived without a hospital to call their own.
Entire generations were born, raised, and lost loved ones in a community where emergency care was miles away, and specialized treatment felt even more out of reach.
That painful reality shifted with the opening of Norton West Louisville Hospital, which is already significantly impacting the local community.
About 70% of the hospital’s staff are local residents, and their deep roots in the area have helped establish the hospital as a vital hub for comprehensive care.
“Empathy is something that is not practiced a lot anymore in healthcare, “Charles Ramsey, a hospital case manager who grew up in the neighborhood and now raising his two sons there, told CBS News.
“I feel like if you have empathy for a person, you understand them better. That’s where the trust comes in.”
Louisville’s first hospital was the vision of Corenza Townsend, chief administrative officer for Norton West. Eight years ago, while working as a nurse at another Norton hospital, Townsend pitched the idea to the corporation’s CEO, Russ Cox.
“We had this plan,” Townsend said. “It wasn’t in writing yet. We happened to see Russ Cox, our CEO, walking to the bathroom. So we stalked him outside the bathroom…Nobody thought he would actually say yes. He said, yes. He just listened to us and he said, ‘Let’s do it. What do you need?'”
With his support and her determination, Norton broke ground in June 2022 and opened its doors late last year.
In a predominantly Black community where racial disparities in healthcare are all too common, Townsend is committed to providing the Louisville West End community with the quality care it deserves.
“The life expectancy in West Louisville is about 12-and-a-half to 15 years different here than anywhere else in the city,” she said. “That alone gives you reason enough to build a hospital in West Louisville.”
“We know that lack of transportation, lack of general education around health care, and then just bias in how people are treated in the health care system,” she added. “Our people in West Louisville are not getting the help that they needed.”
Building trust with the community is a top priority for the hospital, and Norton West End offers several features to reflect this commitment.
Upon entering, visitors are offered a warm welcome, and the hospital showcases art that resonates with the community.
Additional amenities include a bistro, valet parking and a food bank. The hospital also runs a local partnership with Dare to Care on its second floor, which is open to everyone.
“People are coming into this pantry, and we’re converting them to primary care patients,” Townsend said.
“Or they’re coming in, and they’ve had ailments that needed to be addressed for years, and they never did, and we see them right in the emergency department.”
