The rate at which black women are dying unnecessary deaths, suffering through unreasonable surgeries, and incurring outrageous medical debt is inexcusable. The Louisville Urban League Community Health Program continues to stand in the gap and advocate for those who experience inequalities in healthcare.
Ms. Lori Williams became an Urban League client after losing her house in a fire but was directed to the health program when her well-being began to decline. She had recently suffered a stroke and was experiencing some side effects from the incident. During a wellness check, an Urban League staffer immediately recognized something was not right; Ms. Lori had significant swelling in her face was experiencing an overwhelming amount of pain. A detailed look into her medications revealed that she was prescribed a double dosage of a medicine that was failing her. It had been explicitly reported that this medication was harmful to black women, thus explaining Ms. Lori’s failing condition. The Urban League advocate rushed her to an urgent care center who recognized her state was beyond their capacity to treat; she was then rushed to the emergency room and hospitalized for a number of days.
Under the care of new providers and support of an Urban League Community Health Professional, Ms. Lori received better quality care, avoided an unnecessary operation, and lowered her medical expenses.
