LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Affordable and quality healthcare - it's what many of us want, but not all have access to. Now, a healthcare company in the Shawnee neighborhood is working to fill in the gaps for underserved communities.
Health equity is described as when every person has the opportunity to obtain their full health potential. That is at the forefront for doctors with Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center (SCHC), who are working hard to make sure no one is left behind.
The center strives to give quality care provided at a price everyone can afford.
"The majority of our patients are in the minority population," said Dr. Stan Wardlaw, the center's CEO.
Dr. Wardlaw says he wants those in West Louisville to know they're here to care for them.
"We've been here since 2011 and people still say, 'I didn't know you all were here and I'm so glad you all are here,'" he said.
The center houses a variety of services from medical care to dental to behavioral health resources and more. Workers said each of those services is necessary, so they won't turn anyone away.
"Anyone that walks in, we are happy to help. You have no insurance, you have great insurance, you have somewhere in the middle," said Dr. Allison Dezarn, a dentist with SCHC.
For those who are uninsured, the team at SCHC works on what they call a "sliding fee scale," basing it off the patient's income and coming up with a price that works for them.
The healthcare center also has a partnership with some schools in the Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) system.
"It's basically like a little clinic inside of the schools. It's very convenient for the students, the staff, so they don't have to wait in urgent care for hours," said Hannah Stearns, an SCHC nurse practitioner.
Stearns said a partnership like this is necessary because it helps to take away the brick and mortar aspect of their center and allows them to reach into the community.
"The students that we serve are living in an area where there's not a ton of access to care, so that's where we come in," she said.
Thanks to a recent remodel, the partnership also provides dental services to anyone who needs them, not just the students at the schools where the clinics are held.
"That's the beauty of having a dental and medical, we can coordinate care as needed," said Dr. Dezarn.
They all agree that no matter who you are, they're ready to fill in the gaps.
"We wanted the community to know that they deserve the best," said Dr. Wardlaw.
In addition to the healthcare and dental services, SCHS provides COVID-19 vaccines and an in-clinic pharmacy for current patients. Click here to learn more.
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