LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On the corner of 28th and Broadway, construction on Norton Healthcare's first west Louisville hospital is underway.
Corenza Townsend will oversee the new hospital. Townsend, a longtime Norton nurse, rose up the ranks to obtain the chief administrative officer position at Norton hospital.
"We heard you; that's my message to the community, we heard you," she said.
Features inside the hospital will include a community room, artwork that celebrates west Louisville and a central check-in area so patients feel a sense of comfort when they walk through the doors.
"It just so happens that it's a predominantly Black or minority neighborhood, and it just so happens to be that it's been 150 years and so if you look like me or anybody else it's really about access," Townsend said.
She said it was key for a diverse team to lead the hospital, with men and women that reflect the community.
"They didn't get this job because of how they look or how they fit into an aesthetic, so we got a real good group of people that understand the assignment," Townsend said.
This dynamic team is bridging the 9th Street divide through access to healthcare, with a goal to make sure west Louisville's patients are given quality treatment.
"Work just on minimizing some of these disparities within our community so I'm very excited to get working with those folks," Community Partnerships Director Abra Sickles said.
She will partner with organizations like Dare to Care to help put an to end food insecurity.
"I like to think that, together, we're not just treating illnesses but we're also being able to foster a healthier, more resilient community," Sickles said.
And a fresh food pantry filled with resources will be available to patients.
"You can't spell west Louisville without we and it's going to take us, a community," Sickles said.
They're looking to expand those partnerships throughout the community.
The hospital plans to open to patients and the public this coming November.
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