FEATURE
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What is CORE Louisville ? CORE ( Coalition for Racial Equity ) is a group of like-minded individuals from the Indian American community motivated to eliminate racial disparity of the underserved population that stems from unequal opportunities in education and health care . The area of racial inequity in the medical profession ties in with CORE ’ s mission .
The founding of CORE in 2020 could not be at a more appropriate time . Two pandemics , one health related and the other racial , an economic recession and a large subconscious divide with a ferocious partisanship , have scourged our local landscape .
CORE envisions a safe and healthy community that embraces diversity , is devoid of bias , and promotes equal opportunities for all . CORE believes in equitable education and health care .
CORE started by having conversations with local “ selfless heroes ” who have been passionate about education and health care within the ethnic minority . On Aug . 8 , 2020 , CORE hosted a virtual webinar hearing from local leaders and thinkers who have prioritized this as their mission . Our speakers were Dr . Neeli Bendapudi , the President of the University of Louisville , Dr . Michael Imburgia , founder of the Have a Heart clinic and Dr . Lavinia Hawkins , an educator and author of the book Greatness Within . They were interviewed by Dr . Wayne Tuckson , the former president of the Greater Louisville Medical Society ( GLMS ) and host of Kentucky Educational Television Network .
CORE has been overawed by the work these leaders are doing in our community . Dr . Bendapudi is committed to make the university and its medical school the “ premier anti-racism metropolitan research institute ” in the country . In her pledge to end racial inequality , she hopes to make this university a place where others can look for answers and practices to fight racism . Dr . Bendapudi ’ s also focused on the “ compassion clinic ” run by medical students and faculty in metro Louisville to provide basic health screening and education to a disparate population .
Dr . Michael Imburgia who founded the free , accessible Have a Heart clinic in 2007 , spoke about his commitment to cardiovascular care for the underserved . Located at 310 E Broadway , Have a Heart clinic has a long-term coordinated care model that prioritizes the physical , mental , social and emotional need of the underserved with heart health at the center . Eighty-five percent of his patients are below the federal poverty line . Sixty percent are uninsured and 65 % are people of an ethnic minority . Many of his patients are reluctant to see a doctor because they feel discriminated against . Dr . Imburgia ’ s dedication to providing free health care to the minority population is noteworthy and commendable . It needs support from our local organizations .
Health care is at the heart of the city ’ s problems . The 2017 Louisville Metro Health Equity Report documents what determines a resident ’ s quality and length of life . The mere geographical location , socioeconomic status and circumstances people are born into shape the course of their lives . The report shows that life expectancy in many West Louisville neighborhoods is 68-years-old , 15 years fewer than the life expectancy of residents in East Louisville . More than half of uninsured Americans skip preventive services because they cannot afford them . They finally visit the emergency room in a critical condition . Despite our awareness of the increased burden of cost , the exacerbation of preventable health conditions and the inequities in treatment , our health care services fail to address the root cause of the problem . The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed huge divides in our population health and the disparity in health care : in the University of Louisville study , the rate of antibody positivity for West End residents was 10-12 %, compared to 2 % in the East End residents . Disproportionately high mortality rates are seen amongst Blacks suffering from COVID-19 .
Dr . Lavinia Hawkins , a dedicated teacher devoted to educating children from the West End , spoke about challenges of educating children of working parents from the ethnic minority while schools remain closed due to COVID-19 . Not all parents are computer literate . The NTI 2.0 program is an online teaching program that requires supervision at home . Missing out on school education can be a major setback . Under the leadership of Dr . Charlotte Stites , Dr . Hawkins has started teaching at the Smoketown Family Wellness Center ( SFWC ). Dr . Stites runs a pediatric primary health clinic for the underserved and oversees the school . SFWC ’ s vision is for each child to grow up healthy , realizing his / her potential regardless of the neighborhood that they live in . The mission is to build a culture of good health through healthy lifestyle behaviors . Dr . Hawkins ’ book , Greatness Within , is to teach children how to recognize the greatness within each one of them . Dr . Hawkins states that children need role models and mentors to encourage them and steer them in the right direction . Both Dr . Hawkins and Dr . Imburgia emphasized the need for more Black educators and physicians . CORE is working with these selfless clinicians to achieve the common goal of making education and health care available for all .
CORE has recently been in conversation with Dr . Faye Jones , Senior Associate Vice President for Diversity and Equity , and Professor of Pediatrics at UofL . CORE will connect with the Student National Medical Association ’ s program that supports minority medical students and will participate in the STEM pipeline program .
CORE is committed to :
» Volunteer at SWFC to help children from elementary through high school with online education .
» Mentor young students to reach their true potential and become ambassadors of change .
» Partner with the President of the University of Louisville in an institutional project to provide technical equipment and reduce the digital gap for Pell grant students .
» Volunteer at Have a Heart clinic for early detection and management of preventable diseases .
26 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE