HEALTH EQUITY
( continued from page 17 ) of the root causes that affect those outcomes .
Some key findings reflected in the Health Equity Data Dashboard and report include :
• Compared to six years ago , Jefferson County has seen a decline in life expectancy .
• The current life expectancy for Jefferson County residents is about 74.8 years . However , the average life expectancy in the northwest core , where predominately Black residents live , is 65.4 years , which is 15 years less than those living in the eastern part of the county .
• Heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death for residents countywide , although Black residents experience those causes of death at higher rates than any other racial / ethnic group .
How do we solve these health inequities and improve health outcomes for all ? We must work together and have less fragmented approaches . Additionally , we must be intentional in making policy decisions to break the existing barriers to resources , access to health care , safe housing , transportation and healthy food options .
It ’ s important we study the data , learn lessons from it and use it to solve problems . It paints a picture that will help us create a road map for positive change that will impact generations to come .
Public Health and Wellness is inviting the entire community to join us in making transformative changes . The Health Equity Report , results from the department ’ s 2024 community health survey and focus groups will be used to create a community health improvement plan , Healthy Louisville 2030 .
Louisville is one of the most giving and caring communities . We have many community partners who are willing to accept the challenges and work with us to solve health equity issues in our city . There are many examples of partnerships , but the most recent one is solving the Jefferson County Public Schools ( JCPS ) immunization gap . vaccinations . The main issue is access to care . Accessibility is not just about transportation , it is a combination of lack of transportation , hours of clinic operations , not enough Vaccines for Children ( VFC ) providers and language barriers . Bringing care and services to people and meeting them where they are have proven to make a difference .
Back in August , Dr . Mandy Cohen , director of the CDC , visited Louisville Metro and JCPS to promote routine childhood immunizations and recognized the work that ’ s being done through our vaccine clinics . In a media interview , she said she believes this is “ a model for other school districts to follow .”
I want to leave you with something my mother taught me that has always stuck with me . She always said , “ Giving is living .” Start small . Take care of yourself and your family first , but after you accomplish that and as you get more bandwidth , take care of your neighbor , then your town and then your entire community .
Many of us in the medical community are blessed , and with blessings come obligations . I ’ m asking you to join us in planting mango trees so we can produce long-lasting fruit and create an environment where our kids , great grandchildren and future generations can thrive for decades to come . Together we can solve most societal problems when we all act as benevolent gardeners . I implore each of us to start looking through the equity lens with every decision we make .
You can view the entire 2024 Health Equity Report on louisvilleky . gov and find the Health Equity Data Dashboard at louhealthdata . com .
Dr . Singal is the Executive Director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness and a retina specialist at Bennett & Bloom Eye Centers , serving Louisville Metro since 2003 . You can reach him at inder . singal @ louisvilleky . gov .
More than 20,000 JCPS students are either not up to date on immunizations or not immunized at all . To address the issue , LMPHW , JCPS , Galen College of Nursing , Sullivan University College of Pharmacy , Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center and other community partners are teaming up to hold vaccine clinics at JCPS schools . Immunizations being administered include the measles , mumps and rubella ( MMR ), hepatitis A and B , varicella , and polio vaccines . The goal is to meet children where they are and host immunization clinics multiple times a week . We hope to catch up by the end of 2026 .
This huge gap is not because parents don ’ t care or are against 18 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE