FINDING COMMON GROUND
AMERICANA WORLD
COMMUNITY CENTER—
A HIDDEN GEM
by Tom James, MD
The House of Medicine is feeling the impact of the new pressures on health care today. The research dollars suspended, the disagreement on immunization policies between the new CDC and organized medicine, and then there are the significant cuts to Medicaid. These are expected within two years to knock millions of Americans off any affordable health insurance.
But there is a flickering candle of hope right here in our community. The Americana World Community Center brings together teams to address the medical and social concerns of Louisville’ s newest residents.
The Americana World Community Center( Americana WCC) provides a welcoming home for Louisvillians in need, whether newcomers or long-standing residents. Take, for example, the story of an Egyptian family who arrived in Louisville so that the father could pursue his engineering degree from the University of Louisville. There were no relatives or support systems in the Louisville area. While her husband was engaged in his studies, his wife was trying to navigate a strange country with an even more difficult language, all the while raising their twin daughters. That is when they learned of the Family Education Program at Americana World Community Center, where learning is possible in a supportive environment. The twins did well, but one of the girls had some developmental delay.
The Americana family coach assisted enrolling that child into a First Steps program, that with coaching through Americana WCC, led the children into a standard pre-K program. However, within the last year, the father had a medical emergency that required a prolonged hospital stay. Such an event would cause tragedy even in a middle-class family. Again, the Americana WCC staff had the expertise to help the family with financial, emotional and legal support to weather this crisis. The mother is now expecting a third child. She is receiving additional maternal health support at the Americana World Community Center, while the family is receiving medical care at the on-campus partner organization, the Family Health Centers-Americana. Through such a network of support systems this family is now healthy and becoming more engaged in Louisville.
Coordination of medical, social and financial support ensures dignity to our newest families, so they do not have to seek care in emergency rooms. In their annual report, the stated goal of Americana WCC is“ to provide holistic services to Louisville’ s refugee, immigrant and underserved population to build strong and healthy families, create a safe and supportive community and help every individual realize their potential.” The work done is provided directly by staff and by partner groups. Through the combination of adult education, youth services, family support and career development, the center works to assist with integration into the broader Louisville community. The genesis of the Americana WCC was founded in 1990 by Edgardo Mansilla. Initially it was the Americana Apartments, providing living space and a sense of community for the immigrants / refugees who came to live there. By 2002, the additional services added were so great that Americana WCC moved into the former campus of Holy Rosary
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