Houston Briscoe is from West Louisville and grew up around the corner from the new hospital, located at the Norton Healthcare Goodwill Opportunity Campus. The first-year plumbing apprentice, employed by Hussung Mechanical Contractors, has been working to install plumbing inside the hospital.

“I always looked at construction sites and imagined myself working on them, and was always involved in working with my hands and stuff like that, so this is a good fit,” he said.

Houston is part of the Urban Workforce Development Initiative (UWDI), a program developed by the hospital’s general contractor, Harmon/Messer. In partnership with Norton Healthcare and the Louisville Urban League, the initiative invests in the career growth of minorities and women through workforce development and diversity in the construction industry.

“I see my future pursuing this career, [to] try to take it to the next level and see how far I can take it,” Houston said. “It’s been a big change in my life, and it’s taken me in a good direction.”

Norton Healthcare has been as inclusive as possible in the construction of the new hospital and to invite the West Louisville community to “build with us.”

“It was very important for us to get buy-in from the (West Louisville) community, and I don’t think there’s any other way to get better buy-in than to have the community be involved in the construction of the project,” said Anthony Mathis, Norton Healthcare system director for sustainability and supplier diversity. “The exciting thing is that we’re building more than just a healthcare facility. We’re building hope, compassion, and a brighter future for this community.”

The UWDI program aligns with this mission.

“We create a pipeline directly from West Louisville into these high-paying career opportunities that provide benefits — health, dental, vision — in addition to high-paying paychecks,” said Stanley Warrenhuffman, Messer Economic Inclusion Manager.

After the Louisville Urban League identifies job candidates, they complete the Kentuckiana Builds program and are hired by a local construction company. As part of the UWDI program, workers receive additional workforce development and support in their new construction career.

“Our goal is to find individuals who want to show up every day on time, and they’re committed to that, and to give them an opportunity to show that, and earn their way into the trades,” Stanley said.

Building full-time, sustainable careers

Harmon/Messer notes multiple successes with its UWDI program within the Norton West Louisville Hospital project, which currently boasts a 63% employee retention rate.

So far, of the 23 candidates selected by the Louisville Urban League for the program, 15 of them are currently working on the job site. Of those employees, 73% of them are registered in apprenticeship programs, which are federally accredited apprenticeship opportunities that provide a higher trajectory for long-term careers.

“I feel honor [in] doing work that supports and helps my community,” said Bryson Roberson, who is working on the hospital as an electrician through the UWDI program. “It feels more like a service to work on something that’s going to be helpful to people in this area of West Louisville.”

Bryson graduated from high school last year and understands the impact of working on a project that will have a lasting impact on the surrounding neighborhoods. The project has changed his life, too, through creating a new career opportunity and direction for his adult life.

“It’s given me the tools to know how electricians work successfully and how good electrician work is done,” he said. “It’s a long-term goal to make an honest career out of my life, despite what I’ve been through, and I just give all the glory to the man above, because he is part of the reason why I’m here.”

A local team

Much of the initiative’s success is attributed to local partnerships and collaboration between Norton Healthcare, Harmon/Messer, Louisville Urban League and several Louisville-based organizations focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion.

“Our team is local. We have boots on the ground; we understand the community. We understand the community’s needs, and we brought all of that together to ensure those needs were met on this project,” said Sonya Walton, Messer’s Vice President of Economic Inclusion. “This is not a project where it’s here one day and then the impact is gone when the project is over. No, we’re creating long-term impact, sustainable impact in this community.”

Local community partners include OneWest, a nonprofit that focuses on economic development and community revitalization in West Louisville; NTC, a Louisville-based, female-owned traffic control business that provides second-chance opportunities for individuals; and 7PM Group, a minority-owned consulting firm and diversity champion that works in the construction sector to connect minority-owned businesses with project owners and contractors.

“Norton Healthcare has set a new standard for inclusion,” said Carl Brazley, principal of 7PM Group.

Building up people for years to come

When Norton West Louisville Hospital opens, it will bring more jobs, healing and hope to the residents of West Louisville. Meanwhile, workforce development efforts have already created opportunities for lifelong residents, like Houston. He can use the skills he learned on the hospital site to build his career in the construction industry.

Thanks to his construction job, Houston says his life has changed significantly over the past year — financially, as well as how he’s able to show up for his family.

“I’m able to be there more, and do more for them, and be the man I need to be,” he said.

Norton West Louisville Hospital is expected to open in November 2024. The hospital will include an emergency room, primary care and specialized care services, inpatient and outpatient services, community space and a pharmacy.

The post Initiative builds new career opportunities for local construction workers at Norton West Louisville Hospital appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Every other Friday morning, at the same time of day, they drive to the Norton Infusion Center on the Norton Brownsboro Hospital campus. After some time in the waiting area, Pam is admitted back into a room, where she receives her biweekly infusion of lecanemab, the first drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

For six months, this has been the Jeffries’ reality.

“It has become a routine,” Rick said. “It’s just part of life now. It’s not an extra burden. It’s just something we do every other Friday. Sometimes on our ride out, Pam will ask me, ‘Why are we going out here again?’ And I’ll have to remind her, ‘We’re going here for your memory.’ Sometimes she’ll say that she doesn’t want to go, but it doesn’t take too much convincing. She’s put her trust in me.”

On Aug. 25, 2023, Pam made history as the first patient in Kentucky to receive the lecanemab treatment. It was an exciting, yet nerve-wracking time for Rick, who often remembers what his wife once was, yet is reminded daily of what Alzheimer’s disease took from them.

Pam’s recollection of the day-to-day is slipping. She sometimes forgets where she puts her jewelry. Her hearing aids occasionally find themselves wadded up in a napkin.

His hope is that her biweekly appointments halt the progression of a disease he still cannot bring himself to outwardly name in front of her. He sees the flashes of success and hopes he’ll see more of them as they continue treatment.

“I try to take it as it comes,” Rick said. “My fear is that she’s going to progress beyond that stage where the medicine is even a possibility. But I try my best to live in the moment, and I know that’s hard to do, but I work really hard at it.”

‘You just wouldn’t believe Mom. She’s back.’

Nobody really knows you, like you do. It’s why doctors tell their patients to listen to their bodies.

And though Ralph and Bobbie West have been married nearly 52 years, that saying became apparent a few years ago, when Bobbie noticed she was acting different.

“Her sister had Lewy body dementia, and she would tell me, ‘I’m starting to act more and more like her,’” Ralph said.

At that point, Ralph began to pay attention. He started to notice it too.

From there, Bobbie spent months visiting doctors, taking written and oral exams. The goal — funny enough — was to prove to both herself and her physicians that her memory was not what it once used to be. For a while, they told her she was fine. She didn’t believe them.

“She would say, ‘I know I’ve got it; I know I’ve got it,’” Ralph said.

Eventually she was referred to Rachel N. Hart, D.O., a memory disorders specialist at Norton Neuroscience Institute. Dr. Hart confirmed — through a series of tests — Bobbie’s suspicion.

She has Alzheimer’s.

“I was relieved that I thought maybe I could deal with it if I knew for sure I had it and maybe get some help somehow,” Bobbie said.

Dr. Hart introduced them to lecanemab and got Bobbie started in the program. By the fall, Bobbie had begun her infusions, the sixth patient in Kentucky to have the treatments. Bobbie’s experience with lecanemab has felt dramatic. Her first two infusions brought little change, which was to be expected. But after her third dose, for whatever reason, Bobbie felt oddly normal.

“The first two times, it was fine,” Bobbie said. “I didn’t have any pain. I didn’t have any worries. Nothing happened. And then a couple days after the third one, I said, ‘Ralph, have you noticed anything different about me? I think I’m more aware of things.’ And we continued over that week … I just really felt like my old self by the end of the week. Ralph called our son and said, ‘You just wouldn’t believe Mom. She’s back.’”

‘What is lecanemab?’

The FDA granted lecanemab full, traditional approval in July, paving the way for Norton Healthcare to receive the drug and become the first health system in the region to administer it to patients.

Lecanemab — branded under the name Leqembi — is a medication designed to remove the protein beta amyloid from the brain. The buildup of beta amyloid is thought to be the driving cause of plaques that are characteristic in Alzheimer’s disease. The thought is that removing the beta amyloid will slow down or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s.

“I think when the historians look back on this, we will see this as one of the most important steps towards the eventual cure of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Gregory E. Cooper, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Norton Neuroscience Institute Memory Center. “It is the first treatment that addresses — what we believe is — the underlying cause [of Alzheimer’s] and bends the curve, slows the progression. At the same time, I’m aware that it’s only slowing it down.”

In order to qualify for the medication, people need to meet a specific set of criteria. To begin, the potential patient must undergo tests to determine the extent of their cognitive decline. Lecanemab is designed only for patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s. Anything beyond that threshold excludes them from treatment. Then, the patient needs an MRI and a genetic test to determine risk factors, and a spinal fluid exam to test for beta amyloid in the brain.

From there, the patient can begin the process of receiving the medication. Lecanemab is given via infusion every two weeks and is thought to slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease by about 30%.

“It’s kind of like stroke,” Dr. Cooper said. “Twenty-five years ago, when we had the first clot-busting medication for stroke, the first time we could potentially reverse the signs of stroke, we still had people coming to the hospital 24 hours after their stroke. It took a long time to convince people time is brain. I think this is a little bit the same way. More and more, people are going to realize there’s a treatment that’s not just going to treat the symptoms, but slow this down. And yes, it matters if I’m evaluated now as opposed to a year from now.”

Despite the benefits the drug has shown in clinical trials, there is a risk for side effects. As many as 1 in every 5 people will have some degree of ARIA, or amyloid-related imaging abnormalities. This is presented most commonly as swelling or bleeding in the brain. Fortunately, only about 3% of patients have symptoms related to ARIA. In most cases, this resolves without treatment.

Still, lecanemab’s breakthrough is a game-changer, placing a greater emphasis on early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. The earlier a physician can diagnosis the disease, the earlier the patient can begin the treatment process.

‘We’re seeing really positive findings’

Since Pam began her treatments in August, the lecanemab program has grown significantly, and Norton Neuroscience Institute has continued to be one of the top programs in the country for administering the drug.

As of March 1, 2024, 71 patients have had at least one infusion, and roughly two dozen more are in various stages of beginning the process.

Dr. Cooper and other Norton Neuroscience Institute neurologists have begun to see the first lecanemab patients — people like Pam and Bobbie — for their six-month follow-up exams. These meetings are the doctors’ first chances to reevaluate the patients, test their memory and determine if the disease has passed from mild to moderate, thus eliminating them from eligibility.

“It is a little bit of a fuzzy line; it’s an arbitrary line,” Dr. Cooper said.

To determine this, neurologists often will use the Mini-Mental State Examination, grading patients on a score from zero to 30. A score ranging from 20 to 30 is considered mild, while 10 to 20 is considered moderate. Scores ranging from zero to 10 indicate severe cognitive decline. To remain qualified for lecanemab, patients need to score 22 or above. That said, there are also real-life barometers of cognitive function.

“We can look at activities and daily living,” Dr. Cooper said. “Do the patients need more help monitoring things like daily finances, day-to-day activities, shopping, meals, picking out clothes? These are things caregivers can observe and report, and that gives us a better idea of where the patients are.”

So far, in six months of treatment, the results have come back positive.

“All the signals we’re getting back are really optimistic,” Cooper said. “People are telling us they think they’re doing well, that they’re not seeing much disease progression. Now, there are potential reasons for that. What I’d really love to find out is that the drug is working even better than we thought it would from the clinical trial. That’s the perfect scenario. It’s also possible that we’re so early on and someone has not really changed over three or six months. So it may be too short of a period to measure change. Also, with the excitement and the optimism that comes with this, [there is] the increased stimulation of being part of it. So people might be doing relatively well because they’re now engaged. So we’re seeing really positive findings early on.”

The Memory Center has established support groups for lecanemab patients and their caregivers — a once-per-month Zoom meeting that gives them a chance to share experiences with other people who are at similar stages of their battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Ralph and Bobbie have been attending and have found the sessions eye-opening.

“You find out that everybody knows or has been through [the same thing], and they’re willing to share their experiences,” Ralph said. “We’ve really heard and shared some bad stories, but I think it helps to be able to communicate and get that stuff off your chest, and you know there are other people outside that are fighting the same battle.”

‘I am beautiful’

It was just a few days before vacation.

Rick and Pam were set to head to Florida to get out of the cold, Kentucky winter. But before they could leave, Pam had her six-month follow-up exam with Dr. Cooper.

Despite Rick’s fears, Pam scored one point higher on her cognitive exam than she did some months ago, an encouraging sign her disease has not progressed much.

Still, the evidence of her decline is there.

Dr. Cooper, as part of her exam, gave Pam three words to remember — ball, flag and tree. A little while later, before the end of the visit, Dr. Cooper asked her to repeat the words back to him.

Pam looked around the room and, with a big smile, confidently gave her answer.

“I am beautiful,” she said.

They all laughed.

It’s obvious. Though Alzheimer’s disease already has robbed Pam of some of her memory, it has not wiped out her sense of humor. Nor has it broken the bond between her and Rick. In fact, it may have strengthened it.

To see the evidence, all you have to do is look down.

As Pam and Rick walked out of the exam room, she grabbed his hand and squeezed. The small public display of affection is not something the two of them — in all their years of marriage — had ever done.

That is, until Pam started her infusions.

Now, holding hands is the norm. Maybe it’s because Pam’s knees aren’t what they used to be. Maybe it’s because she knows, deep down, she needs her support system more than ever. Whatever the reason, it’s been an unexpected, positive side effect of Alzheimer’s disease.

And so, they walked out of Dr. Cooper’s office — hand in hand — ready for what the next six months may bring.

The post 6 months after first dose, Norton Neuroscience Institute becomes top program for new Alzheimer’s drug appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

As Shelita Jackson and Kamilla Taylor walk through the front doors of the Institute for Health Equity, a Part of Norton Healthcare, they’re the personification of the positive change time can bring.

“We have to find a way to heal, because the healing sets you free,” Shelita said. “It helps you to move on through life regardless of your circumstances.”

Both women are here to see Jonathon W. White, LCSW, a social worker who — through years of therapy and mental health counseling — has helped them cope with the most traumatic events of their lives, allowing them both to see light at the end of very dark tunnels.

‘My mind was blown, and I was hurt’

On Sept. 28, 2021, Shelita’s son LaQuantae Jackson took his own life.

LaQuantae had just turned 22 years old, was a student at Kentucky State University and expecting his first child, a girl.

At first, Shelita was in disbelief.

“My mind was blown, and I was hurt,” Shelita said. “I was crushed. I asked myself how? I asked myself, ‘Why would he do this?’”

As disbelief became acceptance, Shelita began to blame herself. She often questioned what happened, questioned her own skills as a mother, wondering how she missed her son’s warning signs.

“How come I didn’t know he was going through something,” Shelita said. “Did I miss the signs? Did he say something that I didn’t pay attention to? I went over it over and over and over again. As a mother, you expect to know what’s going on with your children. But at some point, as they begin to get older, they don’t open up to us as much.”

The grief of burying her own child became too much for her. It affected everything about her life. But roughly 60 days after LaQuantae’s death, Shelita got the help she needed. Her primary care physician referred her to Jonathon.

She first walked into his office in December 2021.

‘He had so much pressure’

On Jan. 5, 2023, Gary Taylor, Kamilla’s brother, took his own life.

Gary was 42. He was a husband, a father of three sons and the caretaker and provider for his family.

Kamilla was at work when she received the news in a phone call from Gary’s middle son.

“I think life being life, the world, society … he tried to be what society told him he needed to be,” Kamilla said. “And he was always there [for his family].”

Her brother’s death hit Kamilla hard and sent a ripple of grief throughout her family. Her nephews felt pressure to become the man their father was, while Gary’s wife felt the pressure of raising three teenage boys on her own. In the year since Gary’s death, according to Kamilla, her family has put up an emotional wall of protection. Gary’s death even affected his friend circle, a close-knit group of guys who stayed in touch daily, took trips together and shared their lives with one another.

Nobody was ready for Gary to go that soon.

“He had so much pressure from trying to be so much to so many people, that the other things that were going in his life” got pushed to the side, Kamilla said.

Kamilla had been working with Jonathon since 2021, after a workplace incident created symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. When her brother died, she knew she needed even more help, and further leaned into those therapy sessions.

“It doesn’t make you weak,” she said. “It doesn’t make you vulnerable. It allows you to work on a path of healing, or if not even healing, coping. It allows you to stay alive.”

‘It became an issue for me, especially for my community’

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 49,000 Americans died by suicide in 2022. In 2021, an estimated 12.3 million adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.5 million made a plan and 1.7 million attempted suicide. For men, the trends are even more worrisome. In 2022, more than 39,000 men died by suicide, almost four times the number of women.

In the Black community, the issue of suicide has shown troubling trends. A CDC study from February 2023 shows while age-adjusted rates for suicide have declined among white people, the suicide rate among Black individuals increased by about 19%. Looking more closely at the data, suicide rates among Black people ages 10 to 24 increased by 36% during the study’s time frame. Among Black people ages 25 to 44, suicide rates increased by 22.9%.

“As I am treating patients, I started seeing this large number, or drove, of African American men with suicidal ideation,” Jonathon said. “I’m hearing from mothers whose sons have died of suicide, from sisters who lost her brother, a wife who lost her husband,” Jonathon said. “And so, it became an issue for me, especially for my community. All of it is personal, professional and spiritual for me.”

But suicide affects those left behind as well.

According to the National Institutes of Health, losing a loved one to suicide can bring feelings of prolonged loss, sadness and loneliness, magnified by feelings of guilt, confusion, rejection, shame, anger and the effects of stigma and trauma. Survivors of suicide loss are at higher risk of developing major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and their own suicidal behaviors, as well as a prolonged form of grief.

“When people feel brave enough to open up and share their truths, I take that as an honor to protect it and help nurture it until they’re at a place of strength themselves to be able to share it,” Jonathon said.

‘I don’t want another mother to go through what I go through’

Jonathon has worked with both Shelita and Kamilla since 2021 to manage their grief and PTSD. He actively works with them on their self-care plans, using grounding and relaxation techniques, mindfulness training, post-traumatic growth tools, and trauma assessment tools. The years of therapy have helped them get a better grasp of how to cope with what they’ve experienced.

“Be vulnerable,” Kamilla said. “Be afraid to not communicate, because you don’t know when the moment’s going to come that’s going to be the breaking point.”

In Shelita’s case, it helped her finish school and obtain her nursing degree, something she feels will help honor LaQuantae’s memory. She has helped care for his now 1-year-old daughter, and she hopes to one day start a foundation for men who struggle with the same life stressors as her son.

“I don’t want another mother to go through what I go through every day,” she said. “It’s hard. You don’t get over it. It doesn’t get easier. You have to learn how to cope and move forward. And that’s the hard part — grief has no time limit. And a lot of people like to rush you, but this is a process that can’t be rushed. Parents don’t expect to bury their children. We expect our children to bury us, but that’s not the reality anymore. There are a lot of people burying their babies, and that is heartbreaking.”

Kamilla is channeling her grief in similar ways. She hopes to participate in more awareness walks and events around the city, sharing her brother’s story with other families. She also plans to work with her church group to make conversations about mental health more of a priority.

“I miss him, and I love him more today than when he left me,” Kamilla said. “I love him more today. People think [suicide] is a shameful thing. But I’m not ashamed of him. I’m proud of him. I need to help get that word out, so people will know that even at my worst, people still love me and are proud of me.”

The post Norton Healthcare social worker guiding people through the grief of losing family members to suicide appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

“As a first-generation American, I grew up seeing the language barrier in every aspect of my life. My sister and I were the translators for my parents at their medical appointments,” said Carolina, who manages Norton Community Medical Associates – La Clínica Preston.

At this innovative clinic on Preston Highway in Louisville, Spanish-speaking patients don’t need a translator or an English-speaking family member to communicate their medical concerns with providers or staff. La Clínica Preston became Louisville’s first 100% bilingual practice when Norton Healthcare opened it in November 2021.

The office’s 10 employees hail from nine different nations, and all speak Spanish and English — everyone from receptionist to medical assistant to nurse to doctor.

“We can’t properly serve our patients if they’re not comfortable and confident in sharing their medical history, symptoms and concerns,” Carolina said “Breaking down the language barrier is a critical first step in elevating the standard of care.” 

The innovative model of bilingual primary care at La Clínica Preston was designed to meet a growing need in the Louisville community, and the clinic saw more than 10,000 visits completed in 2022. U.S. Census Bureau data shows that Jefferson County’s Hispanic population has grown by about 81% since 2010. While not all in the Latinx community need services provided in Spanish, La Clínica Preston is a lifeline for those who do.

High appointment volumes and remarkable patient feedback paint a clear picture that La ClínicaPreston is working, according to Carolina, who credits the team around her.

“Everyone here is equally passionate. We’ve all seen how the language barrier can impact the community and our own families,” Carolina said.

Primary care services can function as a first impression for health care. If interactions don’t go well in these spaces, patients are often less inclined to continue seeking care. This could mean undetected symptoms, untreated conditions and a negative overall impact on quality of life. On the other hand, getting care right from the start can lead to a ripple effect of greater health outcomes both for the individual and for others who hear about their good experience.

“Our patients feel trust. They feel loved, and we understand their difficulties, so we try to go above and beyond medical care and we treat them like family,” La Clínica medical assistant Heili Leiva said.

Beyond breaking down the language barrier, the team at La ClínicaPreston recognizes that there can be additional social determinants of health — issues such as food insecurity, employment, housing or transportation — impacting patients. To address these needs, the team frequently collaborates with the Institute for Health Equity, a Part of Norton Healthcare, and local nonprofit groups to connect patients and families with resources to help.

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The DEI, a joint initiative of the American Association of People With Disabilities and Disability:IN, is a national benchmarking tool that offers businesses an opportunity to receive an objective assessment of overall disability policies and practices, including culture and leadership, enterprisewide access, community engagement, supplier diversity, and employment practices.

“Our purpose is to provide quality health care to all those we serve. To honor our purpose to the very best of our ability, we choose to be a workplace that’s welcoming and supportive of all people. Our work is too important to leave any source of talent untapped,” said Russell F. Cox, president and CEO, Norton Healthcare. “Congratulations to everyone who worked passionately to put our organization in a position to receive this honor.”

“We will continue these efforts and remain committed to doing more to ensure all feel welcome to work and be cared for at Norton Healthcare.”

Achieving this designation wouldn’t have been possible without our Equity, Inclusion & Belonging team and ABLED (Awareness Benefiting Leadership and Employees About Disabilities) employee resource group (ERG) working to support an organizational culture defined by awareness, collaboration and advocacy.

Leslie Martin, director, Workforce Development, serves as the co-lead for the ABLED ERG. As a mother to Nicky, her 27-year-old son with Down syndrome, the group’s work to support disability inclusion is personal.

“It’s important to recognize that my son, others with Down syndrome and anyone who lives with a disability has so much potential to work, to be part of society and to be independent,” Leslie said.

The ABLED ERG enlightens and empowers Norton Healthcare employees to better care for and work with people impacted by disability. The group serves as an educational resource while also focusing on opportunities to improve access, inclusion and respect.

Jeremy White, manager, pediatric patient analytics, Norton Children’s Hospital, serves alongside Leslie as co-lead for ABLED. Like Leslie, he’s informed and motivated by the unique perspective of a parent to a child with Down syndrome. James, Jeremy’s 11-year-old son, inspires him to look through a positive lens to discover new possibilities.

“I want to help empower my son and the thousands of others like him in our community to reach their fullest potential,” Jeremy said. “We all need to look beyond the surface and be willing to give everyone an opportunity to express who they are and what they can contribute.”

The post Norton Healthcare named a top workplace for disability inclusion appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

“You have to let go of your idea of help and accept the patient’s perspective and definition of help.”

Tonya has put that philosophy into practice many times in her career and life. 

In 2012, Tonya left Louisville to work as a registered nurse case manager on a Navajo/Hopi reservation in Northern Arizona. With past jobs in medical/surgical nursing, long-term care, occupational health, nursing education and the insurance industry, Tonya knew her health care experience was needed.

“The population was grossly underserved, and I thought based on my personal experience, that I could help them and make a difference,” Tonya said. “But I was wrong. Instead, they taught me the importance of letting go and listening.”

Tonya faced obstacles when she started in Arizona but worked hard to overcome them. She began helping patients who spoke a different language learn about preserving insulin without refrigeration and electricity. 

“To every group, someone is an outsider. To them, that was me. I was the outsider coming in to tell them how to do things,” Tonya said. “Instead, I needed to bridge the gap and help where they needed it.”

Tonya was a little bit of everything in her role: a case manager, a friend, a medical practitioner and a trusted advisor. Sometimes her biggest challenge was just getting patients to show up for their appointments. Even if they came, patients’ inexperience with health care strained the communication. But she always went back to her motto. 

“You have to let go of the way you think you will help them and embrace just listening to them.”

—

Though Tonya relished her time in Arizona, life pulled her back to Louisville in 2016 as a clinical educator. In 2020, she landed a role in Norton Healthcare’s clinical effectiveness department.

“This was in the face of COVID-19, and I was still doing what I have always done: getting creative in less-than-ideal circumstances,” Tonya said.

Providing care in Louisville during the difficulties of a global pandemic drew on Tonya’s experience on the Navajo and Hopi reservations. With COVID-19, the challenges were just closer to home.

“We had underserved populations with low medical literacy being tasked with understanding quite a bit of information,” Tonya said. “We dealt with patients who didn’t trust health care organizations,  and we dealt with a workforce who were quickly being burned out.” 

Then in February 2022, Norton Healthcare announced a $70 million investment to build Norton West Louisville Hospital at 28^th Street and West Broadway. The hospital would be the first such hospital in West Louisville to be built in more than 100 years. 

Years ago, as a single mother, Tonya lived across the street from where the new hospital is under construction. It was her corner of town. 

“I was actually the person living in the community this hospital is designed to help. We were often without electricity and accessible health care. Having a hospital so close to my home when my kids were younger would have made a huge difference!” Tonya said.

Her enthusiasm for the project has made her one of its “ambassadors” in the community, helping Norton Healthcare communicate about the new hospital and listen to what its neighbors want to see the facility become. Her work in clinical effectiveness for the health system also touches aspects of the new hospital.

In Tonya’s eyes, this hospital and her work with it are representative of her whole life and career. 

“It’s all about meeting people where they are. From Arizona to Louisville, there are those living without basic necessities that others take for granted  — food, indoor plumbing, electricity, safety. It is up to us to understand this and care for the individual as we treat their acute/chronic conditions, ” said Tonya, who recently graduated with a doctorate in health professions education from Bellarmine University, with a financial assist from the Norton Healthcare Scholars Program.

 So how is she going to carry on? The way she always has. With love and a passion for health care. 

“We need to see patients as people, not as a skill or a task to be accomplished,” Tonya said. “They are all different, with different needs and different backgrounds. But we can deliver care that hopefully results in positive outcomes for the patient, if we can step inside their shoes.”

The post From Louisville’s West End to the American West and back, a career in caring and listening appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

In March, Katina celebrates her 25-year service anniversary as a member of the Norton Healthcare family. In her current role, she collaborates with providers on details of patients’ care, educates other staff and works with children receiving treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU).

“My favorite thing is seeing patients get better, move out of the ICU, feel well enough to start smiling and playing, and then hearing parents say, ‘This is my child,’” Katina said.

A 12-year breast cancer survivor, Katina graciously offers support to young patients processing all that accompanies their own breast cancer diagnosis. She regularly volunteers with the American Cancer Society to mentor these patients, sharing encouragement and advice from her own experience to provide comfort and companionship.

Katina views Black History Month as an opportunity to showcase the many great contributions African Americans have made in our country.

For Katina, Black history’s relevance is not limited to a February commemoration, but she does appreciate the time to remember that many of the things we use in everyday life, such as traffic lights and automatic elevator doors, were patented by African Americans.

A student of history, Katina loves reading to learn more about trailblazers. During February she might share Black history facts on social media or wear Black history-themed T-shirts throughout the month, viewing both these approaches as opportunities to spread awareness and education.

Lived experience is often the greatest teacher, and Katina greatly appreciates the wealth of knowledge that is her 93-year-old grandmother. Together they attend Fifth Street Baptist Church, one of the oldest churches in Kentucky. Katina is proud to share how her grandmother was in attendance when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. visited the church to speak. Katina also appreciates the congregation’s rich history in leading civil rights rallies.

“Knowing these people marched and sacrificed for me to have my birthright and to make sure every American was treated equally, no matter the color of your skin — to make sure we got our equal due in education, in the workplace and in all parts of society — I feel that I am my ancestors’ dream,” Katina said.

When asked to name inspirational role models, Katina lists aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, along with specific ways each shaped who she is today. Throughout Katina’s family tree, education has been a consistent value. Older generations share how they had to fight tenaciously for the opportunity to receive quality education, and they want Katina and the next generation to take advantage of the doors education can open.

Katina shares that her grandfather lived in Calhoun, Kentucky, during the Great Depression. When times were particularly tough, he ran out of toilet paper and had to use tobacco leaves. It was then that her grandfather made a promise that once he had a family, he would never let them be without. For the rest of his life, he kept a pantry in his house stuffed to the brim with toilet paper, a symbol of that promise.

For Katina, February is a time to appreciate how far we’ve come but also to remember how far we still have to go.

“We’re all in this world together. We should put colorism behind us and see each person as a loving individual who contributes to society,” Katina said.

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As a medical assistant at Norton Cancer Institute Women’s Cancer Center, Rikka helps care for patients who have breast cancer and some who are in palliative care. According to Rikka, she wants to be there for every step of a patient’s cancer journey. She supports patients, prays for them and advocates for them when they are going through possibly the worst time in their lives.

For Rikka, faith is her guiding light.

“My motivation is God first,” Rikka said. “He’s head of my life. I wake up in the mornings and I pray, and he guides me in a positive direction.”

In her 10 years as part of the caring team at Norton Cancer Institute, Rikka has been a guide for her fellow employees and a faithful patient advocate. Above all else, Rikka approaches every situation she faces with love and patience.

It’s not surprising that Rikka’s faith also guides her to get involved in her community. She volunteers within Norton Healthcare for various events and activities and participates in Synergy, Norton Healthcare’s African American employee resource group. Outside of work, she is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, a Masonic group guided by faith to serve the world.

To Rikka, Black History Month is a time to celebrate the past and look forward to the future.

“It’s an opportunity to uplift our Black voices and acknowledge our people who made sacrifices to make a difference in our culture — to honor our Black leaders who were historically oppressed, yet still gave us hope and lifelong lessons that are still relevant today,” Rikka said. “I wouldn’t want to rejoice and reflect in any other way.” In her free time Rikka enjoys dancing, listening to jazz and R&B, and spending time with her grandchildren.

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Tim Fishking, partner and national health care practice leader at Moody Nolan, an African American-owned architectural firm based out of Ohio, is leading the project for the first new hospital built west of Ninth Street in generations.

According to the most recent Louisville Metro Health Equity Report, residents in West Louisville have some of the highest rates in the city of death connected to heart disease, cancer and stroke. Norton Healthcare’s new hospital aims to truly change health outcomes and provide access for all residents, and the architectural plans are aligned with that mission.

“Our firm is really grounded in doing projects that support communities in need,” Tim said. “The majority of our work is striving for communities to achieve health equity and have access to services that they don’t normally or conveniently have access to.”

The new hospital will  be on the Norton Healthcare Goodwill Opportunity Campus, located at 28^th Street and West Broadway. The 20-bed, state-of-the-art hospital will boast a high-quality look and feel that will reflect the care provided by Norton Healthcare and will be tailored to the needs of the West Louisville area.

“We want this to be a point of pride for Norton Healthcare and for the community, and also to instill a sense of trust and respect,” Tim said. “That’s going to make this a success for the neighborhoods within West Louisville.”

The hospital is being designed with the patient experience in mind, with convenience and efficiency as top priorities: a clear, easy-to-access entrance; convenient parking for patients, visitors and staff; and streamlining that aims to reduce wait times.

“The building is organized so there’s a very clear public space, which is like an airport concourse that would have distributed seating and also provide access to all the different clinical services,” Tim said.

To help reduce stress and emphasize a more calming atmosphere, the architects are discussing designs for relaxation areas both inside and outside of the hospital, such as gardens or green space.

The Moody Nolan firm is already a part of transformational development in West Louisville. The firm collaborated with Louisville architect Carey Anderson, the first Black architect in Kentucky, to design the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center, the multisport complex at 30^th Street and West Muhammad Ali Boulevard in the Russell neighborhood.

“We enjoyed interacting with the community. We learned a lot about West Louisville, and we’re taking all of those lessons and those positive experiences into the work we’re doing at the hospital campus,” Tim said.

Moody Nolan is working in partnership with Carey on the new hospital project as well. They are using results from a community survey and public listening sessions to customize designs that will serve the needs of the area.

“We’re very much looking forward to engaging with the community again, because for this project to be successful, not only for Norton Healthcare, but for the West Louisville community, it needs to represent them and represent their needs,” Tim said. “We’ll always be checking our design work and decision-making against the needs and the aspirations of the community.”

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“West Louisville is in our backyard, and we hadn’t touched it,” she said. “Norton Healthcare had mobile mammogram units and participated in other events, but we didn’t have a real footprint there.”

Recognizing this disparity, Corenza and another Norton Healthcare employee took a chance by approaching Norton Healthcare’s  president and CEO at a conference in 2017, with a proposal about creating a community health fair in West Louisville.

“At the end of our proposal, we said that we need a hospital in the West End,” Corenza said.

Their pitch planted a seed that ultimately would grow into a new hospital site now beginning to take shape at 28^th Street and West Broadway.

“Five years ago, two Norton Healthcare employees came to me with an idea of creating a community event with the dream of one day building a hospital in West Louisville. One of those employees who came forward that day was Corenza Townsend,” said Russell F. Cox, president and CEO of Norton Healthcare. “She helped to spark a vision that we knew could be transformative for the community.”

The new Norton West Louisville Hospital will be part of the Norton Healthcare Goodwill Opportunity Campus, which is currently under construction in the Parkland neighborhood. The hospital will open in 2024. 

“Russ [Cox] heard us. He took the time to actually look at the issue and had the wherewithal to say, ‘Yes, health equity is an issue. Yes, we’re missing a group of people in our city,’” Corenza said. “I think it speaks heavily toward the purpose of Norton Healthcare as an organization and its leadership.”

Corenza’s role with the new hospital has come full circle; she recently was named chief administrative officer for Norton West Louisville Hospital. After joining Norton Healthcare in 2009 as a licensed practical nurse, she was promoted to a practice manager and regional manager for surgical services. Most recently, she served as director of provider operations for Norton Medical Group. 

“Corenza encompasses all that we were looking for in a leader at Norton West Louisville Hospital,” Russ said. “She lives her life with compassion, determination and a desire to help others, and we know she’ll bring that enthusiasm to this new hospital each day.”

Norton West Louisville Hospital aims to be a resource of preventive care for the community, and making sure the new hospital reflects the community’s needs has been top priority, according to Corenza. More than 4,500 people shared ideas about what will be needed in the new hospital’s services and features, and those ideas have been made part of the hospital’s planning and design. 

Services will include women’s health, mental health, cardiology, orthopedics, and primary care for adults and children, plus a 24-hour emergency department, inpatient care, operating rooms and imaging technology. The hospital will have a centralized area for patient check-in, a retail pharmacy and a community room.

According to Corenza, she’s already experienced a positive reaction in West Louisville to the plans for the hospital and its potential to improve health outcomes and offer hope. 

“The voice of the community is like, ‘They’re actually doing this. This is real. They actually heard us,’” she said. “That makes a difference. People are excited. There’s ownership in that.”

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