Open Door Health Center
Connecting medical professionals, students and parishioners to offer health support
Note: Voting has ended and winners will be announced on December 1st at Metro United Way’s Community Pep Rally!
Description of the Innovation:
1. Summarized— Help Ministries, Fourth Avenue United Methodist, and the University of Louisville’s Wesley Foundation are coming together to offer health care support to those in need in the Old Louisville area.
2. What makes it unique—The Open Door Health Center is a joint service of Help Ministries of Central Louisville, The University of Louisville’s Wesley Foundation, and Fourth Avenue United Methodist Church. It offers a unique opportunity for pre-med students to come together with medical professionals and other volunteers to offer health assistance and education to needy residents in the Old Louisville area. Too many neighbors in our area have no health insurance, are in need of attention and have no access. This innovation brings together those interested in helping with those who need help in a caring, teaching, faithful environment. The collaborative result is community connection, training, and help for those often overlooked.
3. Project plan— Our planning team meets together to work out the details of the innovation, with members from the medical community, local ministries, and local student representatives actively present at the table. We believe the best plan is a once-a-month offering of the Health Center in the Fellowship Hall of the church building, with volunteers from all three groups. We plan on providing prescription assistance through the governmental PAP program, individual consultations and simple medical and dental care. When cases are beyond the scope of the Health Center, we will refer to a more appropriate venue. We are gathering financial support for supplies and set-up from all three groups. In the future the innovation will be overseen by Help Ministries in order to ensure sustainability, wider financing possibilities and wider volunteer pools.
