Until a year ago, Louisville’s West End hadn’t had a new hospital in 150 years. But last November, Norton West Louisville Hospital opened its doors and has since provided care to thousands of patients.
Corenza Townsend, the hospital’s chief administrative officer, helped plan the hospital from the start. I talk with her about how the first year has gone and how Norton plans to celebrate this milestone.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Corenza Townsend: The hospital has been open since Nov. 11, so we're coming up on our one-year anniversary.
Michelle Tyrene Johnson: That's the first hospital in the West End in 150 years. So, what has that felt like?
CT: I tell people, timing is everything, We haven't had a hospital in 150 years, but I'm not sure we were having this conversation or even thinking about building this hospital five years ago, 10 years ago. I don't think the city was ready.
MTJ: Tell me a little bit about the hospital, like the size and how many people come through?
CT: We are considered a smaller footprint. We have 20 inpatient beds. Our emergency department is about the same size as our Norton hospital downtown. We actually have a few more beds than they do in the emergency department.
MTJ: Where is it located?
CT: The address is 850 S. 28th St.
MTJ: How many people do you think have come through as patients?
CT: We've seen probably about 24,000 people in the emergency department. And we’ve had hundreds of surgeries and procedures. From a primary care standpoint, we're well into the thousands. It's doing exactly what we knew it would do. At the pharmacy, we're seeing probably 10,000 to 12,000 prescriptions.
MTJ: You’re having an event coming up to celebrate your first year. Tell me about that.
CT: We are doing what I'll call a block party at Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center. It will be a fun-filled day of celebrating the fact that the hospital has been open and all the good work that the community has done and the staff have done. But even more importantly — considering what's been going on this week in Louisville and just what's going on in the United States right now — using this as a moment of connection for our community.
MTJ: So, it's a party, it's a celebration, and it's a little bit of a health fair.
CT: Yep, we'll be doing screenings there too. This Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
MTJ: What are some of the things that people are surprised to hear about the hospital?
CT: I think people are usually surprised when they walk in the building and see how diverse the staff is. I think people thought that they were going to walk into this building, and that there were only going to be Black people working. Let’s just say the quiet part out loud. That's not the case. We were intentional about really making it a mixing pot, even from a language standpoint, like when we say we want people to represent the community, I meant that literally.
