Welcome to our digital newsletter! Your source for updates on health equity initiatives, community partnerships, and IHN programs, it’s your go-to source for collaboration, innovation, and impact in the St. Louis region & beyond. Let’s build healthier communities together.
My older brother has severe autism and is unable to verbally communicate his needs, which often leads to frustration, physical altercations, and mistreatment for others. Not too long ago, he was hospitalized for a medical condition, and the hospital staff alleged that he was agitated, physically combative, and repeatedly banging the right side of his head. Because of these outbursts, they wanted to discharge him to a psychiatric facility. In response, I simply asked,”Did you examine his right ear?”. They immediately discovered a treatable ear infection, and thereafter, the staff came to adore the same, kind, loving brother that I know him to be.
In the context of our country’s origin, our medical model overemphasizes individual accountability for health outcomes versus addressing structural racism and the upstream causes that prevent all of us from achieving health and well-being. As a conduit for the safety net, the St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN) serves as the voice for the voiceless and those who are most marginalized in our communities by uprooting systems and structures of oppression, healing intergenerational racialized trauma, and creating an inclusive environment where individuals can fully thrive without limitations or barriers.
As a healthcare intermediary comprised of community health centers, hospital systems, public health departments, academic medical centers, and community-based organizations, IHN builds cross-sector partnerships and implements numerous programs and systems level strategies to elevate community voice and advance health. And we center ourselves in the fundamental truth that health equity cannot be realized without racial equity.
The past, present, and future of IHN will always be rooted in community, who embody what it means to challenge systems and change structures that impede access and opportunities to wellbeing. And in these turbulent times, we must act, confronting injustice and standing strong as the pulse of our community, and create an environment where everyone, like my brother, is heard, valued and empowered.
Welcome to the Community Pulse!
January Archive
New IHN Website Launched
Explore the Integrated Health Network’s newly launched website, designed to provide easier access to resources, updates, and information on advancing health equity.
A Letter to the Post
In response to a recent St. Louis Post Dispatch article highlighting challenges with vaccination rates in St. Louis and across the state, IHN’s Bill Winfrey submitted a letter to the editor highlighting our recent work looking at these rates in St. Louis and considering opportunities to close gaps.
This is a call to action for our community to act together to support the health of children. At the IHN, we aim to advance health equity by eliminating health disparities and removing barriers to healthcare and wellbeing. By addressing the pressing vaccination needs of those most in need, we not only protect them, but all of us.
Initiative Spotlight: EleVATE
The Elevating Voices, Addressing Depression, Toxic Stress and Equity (EleVATE) Collaborative works to establish equitable models of prenatal care. The program aims to improve pregnant people’s health outcomes in the St. Louis region by addressing behavioral health, reproductive justice, and racial equity. LEARN MORE
“Building Together” Grant Recipients Announced
We’re thrilled to share that the EleVATE Collaborative, one of IHN’s flagship initiatives, has been selected as one of 10 groups funded by the Perigee Fund through its “Building Together” initiative! READ MORE
Honoring Martin Luther King Day
As we face uncertain times, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call for light and love reminds us of our shared responsibility to build a more just and compassionate world.
At the St. Louis Integrated Health Network, we’re inspired by his unwavering dedication to equity and service, which drives our commitment to advancing health equity and supporting those most in need in our community.
IHN is excited to announce that we are building out our policy work and formalizing our Policy Agenda which fits into three overarching areas:
- Maternal and Infant Health
- Improving Access to Care
- Health-Related Workforce Development
We will spend the Missouri 2025 Legislative Session introducing legislators and members of Governor Kehoe’s administration to the work of IHN. We will be supporting other organizations’ work that aligns with our agenda and will focus on a limited number of specific issues. IHN will also be assessing opportunities at the federal level to work with our state’s Congressional delegation to defend Medicaid, improve maternal and infant health, and invest in Missouri’s health-related workforce. Questions, thoughts, and interest in partnering with IHN in our policy work can be directed to: M. Ryan Barker, Chief Program & Policy Officer, rbarker@stlouisihn.org
or Bill Winfrey, Vice President of Policy & Strategic Initiatives, bwinfrey@stlouisihn.org.
- City of Florissant Black History Month Celebration: Sunday, February 09, 2025 , 12:00pm – Florissant Performing Arts Center, 1 James J Eagan Drive
- The Sophia Project presents: Girl Talk. Feb. 12, 11am to 2pm. Ranken Technical College, 4431 Finney Ave. 63113. Register at info@thesophiaproject.org or 314-807-8333. More info: https://www.thesophiaproject.org/
- Open Classroom | Gray Areas How the Way We Work Maintains Racism: Thursday, February 13, 2025 , 12:30pm – Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Dr
- OVP Kickback, Feb. 15, 2pm-5pm. 2907 Gamble St., 63106. FREE EVENT. No Registration necessary. More info: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/events/eventdetails.cfm?Event_ID=49391
- FOCUS St. Louis presents “Shaping Tomorrow: Lessons for an Inclusive Future” Feb. 19, 8pm-9:30pm. Missouri Botanical Garden https://focus-stl.org/events/focus-black-history-month/
- Black History Month Event with “5 On Your Side: Thursday, February 20, 2025 , 5:00pm – Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd
- Thursday Nights at the Museum Black History Month Event with 5 On Your Side at Missouri History Museum: Thursday, February 20, 2025 – Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Dr
- Reentry Resource Fair, Feb. 27. 12:30pm-2pm. St. Louis County Library, 7606 Natural Bridge, 63111. FREE EVENT. No registration necessary. More info: https://www.slcl.org/events/reentry-resource-fair-3
- EleVATE presents Trauma-Informed Care Organization and Workforce Wellness. Join us for an advanced training course of Trauma-Informed Care from the EleVATE Collaborative, along with other state and national stakeholders, and how to integrate equity and trauma-informed care into best practices within your workforce. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel St. Louis-Chesterfield, 16625 Swingley Ridge Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017, Monday, March 3 | 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Check-In: 8:15 a.m. (breakfast & lunch provided). Register: https://bit.ly/3WvR0Wx
- Black Men in White Coats: St. Louis at Eric P. Neuman Education Center – March 29th. 8:30 am – 1:30 pm
- Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience Conference at Goldfarb: School of Nursing – April 11th, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
- St. Louis AANHPI Health Summit: SAVE THE DATE: April 25, 2025 More information to come!