Bridging the East and the West:
West Louisville Cookbook Project
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Treating the patient and not the disease” has become the heartbeat of medicine as more studies have discovered that management that only utilizes pharmaceutical therapies addresses only a fraction of what contributes towards a whole individual.
As medical students at the University of Louisville School of Medicine( ULSOM), we have had the opportunity to learn about the social determinants of health, and have been challenged to reflect upon bringing practical and tangible solutions to our future patients. Early in the semester, the executive director and organizers of Feed Louisville educated our class on the staggering health disparities between the West End and East End of Louisville, highlighting food insecurity as a critical threat to the most vulnerable. According to the Greater Louisville Project, food insecurity ranges from 25 % to 30.5 % in the western neighborhoods of Parkland, Wilson and Russell. Kentucky ranks 41st in overall health according to America’ s Health Rankings 2024 report. Here in Louisville, average life expectancy has fallen to 74.8 years, and longtime residents of neighborhoods west of downtown live 12.6 years fewer than those in wealthier areas across town, with heart disease and cancer driving the gap.( Sources: WLKY, Community Foundation of Louisville)
22 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE by Grace Hong, M2, & Temiloluwa Haastrup, M2
Moved by these numbers, second-year medical student Grace Hong set out to create a cookbook that blended the rich traditions of soul food in the West End with ingredients that increase the health profile of recipes. She also wanted to have meaningful conversations with patients about their favorite dishes and connect with members of the community. The goal of the cookbook is to demonstrate to members of the community that more nutritious recipes can still maintain flavor and culture and be healthier for all.
Building on her vision, Hong contacted Dr. Dwayne Compton, Associate Dean of Community Engagement and Diversity at University of Louisville School of Medicine, to discuss how to begin implementing her plan. Dr. Compton connected Grace with Dr. Stephanie Jacobs( Chief of Clinical Operations) and Dr. Jessica Dowe( Chief Medical Officer), directors of the Park DuValle Community Health Center. Park DuValle has multiple sites offering adult, behavioral, dental, pediatric, pharmacy, WIC / nutrition and women’ s health services. After learning about Park Duvalle’ s vision and the impact on the community, Hong reached out to several other first-year classmates. She and Gbemisola Owolabi, M2, then organized an orientation at the clinic. At the Park DuValle on Cane Run Road( the very location where Dr. Compton received care as a child) patient interviews at Park DuValle clinic began.