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.
IHN’S SAFFIYAH POOLE INDUCTED INTO
DELUX MAGAZINE POWER 100 CIRCLE
Pictured: Andwele Jolly (CEO/President, IHN), Saffiyah Poole (Assistant Vice President of Planning & Operations, IHN), and Andrea Bibbs (Director of Operations, IHN).
We’re proud to celebrate Saffiyah Poole, IHN’s Assistant Vice President of Planning & Operations, on her induction into the DELUX Magazine Power 100 Circle, alongside 99 other leaders across the St. Louis region.
The DELUX Power 100 brings together game changers dedicated to one another’s success—rooted in the belief that while individual leadership matters, collective effort is where real impact happens. The Power Circle exists to create space for a BIPOC community to connect, collaborate, and grow beyond business alone.
This spirit of shared purpose reflects the way Saffiyah shows up at IHN every day. Her leadership is grounded in collaboration, gratitude, and a deep commitment to strengthening teams and systems in service of community.
Congratulations to Saffiyah and the entire Power 100 Class. We’re grateful for her leadership and proud to see her work recognized in a space built on connection and collective growth.
IHN SUPPORTS CITY OF ST. LOUIS WINTER OUTREACH AND ONGOING TORNADO RECOVERY
The St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN) is assisting the City of St. Louis with its Winter Outreach efforts by coordinating a team of Community Health Workers (CHWs) to support residents still navigating the impacts of the May 2025 tornado—particularly as winter weather increases risk for households with unmet needs.
IHN’s current work focuses on helping residents 1) navigate the City’s rental assistance program, 2) addressing unmet needs through referrals and navigation to Disaster Case Management (DCM), and 3) conducting outreach to households living in damaged properties or without utilities to ensure safety and support utility reconnections.
Program Snapshot (as of January 26, 2026)
- Total referrals received: 1,329 (approximately 971 unique households)
- Households with unmet needs: 855
- 86 households with cases closed or needs met
- 539 open cases
- 38 households referred to Disaster Case Management
- 230 households on the CHW team waitlist
- Households living in damaged homes and/or without utilities: 258
- 36 utility reconnections or shut-off cancellations
- 39 households navigated to emergency shelter during the January 23rd Code Blue
- Households in need of rental assistance: 216
- 126 rental assistance applications submitted
- 11 finalized leases submitted for payment
Ongoing Work and Key Challenges
Households who were renters, transient, or unhoused at the time of the tornado continue to experience the greatest number of unmet needs. Many did not apply for FEMA assistance or were deemed ineligible, which has limited access to tornado-specific resources and, in some cases, discouraged residents from continuing to seek out resources.
IHN is also working to identify residents who may not yet be connected to support. Outreach is underway through healthcare and faith-based partners to encourage completion of the City’s winter outreach survey. CHWs are also providing ongoing staffing at the Urban League Outreach Center, two 314Oasis sites, and two Non-congregate Shelter (NCS) locations to identify households with unmet needs and assist with rental assistance applications.
Throughout this work, IHN leadership and CHWs continue to serve as connectors across service delivery partners, helping ensure residents receive coordinated and timely support.
Looking Ahead
In the coming weeks, IHN will begin shifting more focus toward case management services as outreach and rental assistance activities begin to wind down. IHN remains committed to supporting residents through the long-term recovery process—ensuring that care, coordination, and follow-through remain central during this critical winter period.
CHW’S SUPPORT ONGOING TORNADO RECOVERY
Pictured: Tamika M. (St. Louis Resident) and Kelvin Melton (IHN Community Health Worker).
Eight months after the May 16 tornado, many community members are still navigating the long-term effects of the storm. Recovery remains ongoing, and as the region experiences extremely cold winter weather, the need for safe, stable housing continues to be urgent. Community Health Workers (CHWs) from the St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN) remain active in the community, providing guidance and support to individuals facing prolonged recovery challenges.
One such story involved Kelvin Melton, an IHN Community Health Worker who assisted Tamika M., a resident whose home was damaged in the area hardest hit by the tornado. Following the storm, Tamika stayed with supportive family members while seeking a long-term housing solution. She came to the Urban League of Greater St. Louis looking for rental assistance during a period of continued uncertainty.
Kelvin worked closely with Tamika to walk her through the rental assistance application process and communicated directly with the prospective landlord to explain the process, answer questions, and provide reassurance. This coordination helped move the application forward at a time when securing housing was especially important due to ongoing recovery and approaching cold weather. Through this support, Tamika was able to secure housing.
Kelvin attests that Tamika is a hardworking individual who found herself in an unstable housing situation due to circumstances beyond her control. Her experience reflects a broader reality that continues today: disaster recovery does not end when the storm passes, and housing needs can persist for months afterward—especially during winter.
For Kelvin, this experience affirmed the value of IHN’s CHW training and standards. With organizational support and a clear framework for service, he was able to provide assistance that centered dignity, communication, and follow-through.
IHN is proud of Community Health Workers like Kelvin Melton who continue to support the community during extended recovery periods, particularly as winter conditions add complexity and urgency to already challenging situations.
COMMUNITY CARE HUB:
FROM REFERRALS TO SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
By Bill Winfrey, Vice President of Policy & Strategic Initiatives
As healthcare organizations recognize the impact of social needs on health outcomes, linking the healthcare and social service systems has become essential to addressing individual needs. The St. Louis Integrated Health Network has long worked to connect these disparate sectors- particularly through its work as a backbone lead for the St. Louis Community Information Exchange (CIE), in partnership with the United Way of Greater St. Louis and the St. Louis Regional Data Alliance. While referral programs from healthcare to social services are helpful to start meeting individual needs, social service providers can be overwhelmed by increased work that does not typically come with increased resources. So in helping to meet whole person needs, the next challenge is to ensure payments to social service providers are made for the essential services they are offering.
Organizations across the country, including IHN, are launching Community Care Hubs (CCH) to address this challenge. Throughout 2025, IHN participated in a US Aging-led National Learning Community to support organizations interested in building CCH capabilities. Our initial work to develop infrastructure was well-aligned with public recommendations provided to the St. Louis City Senior Fund on opportunities to redesign aging services in the City of St. Louis. In December 2025, IHN formally launched our efforts to develop a CCH with the support of the St. Louis City Senior Fund.
In the coming months, IHN will:
- build out our direct engagement with social service providers (and networks of these providers) to educate them on the revenue opportunities available to them via the CCH;
- continue engagement with healthcare entities, including payers and providers, to identify areas of need that can be met by local providers; and
- build out our internal infrastructure, including data connections, to execute on CCH capabilities.
We have created a CCH-specific list serv for organizations and individuals interested in learning more about this work. Please sign up here to be added to the list serv, and we’ll look forward to sharing progress updates in the coming months.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT: KELLY MCKAY-GIST
This month, we are proud to spotlight Kelly McKay-Gist, MSW, LCSW, Vice President of Health Equity, Culture, and Innovation. For more than six years, Kelly has been a driving force behind IHN’s commitment to advancing equity, strengthening systems, and cultivating a workplace rooted in belonging and purpose.
Kelly’s leadership is marked by her unwavering dedication to maternal and infant health equity, the thoughtful creation and implementation of research, and her ability to bring people together around shared values and vision. She approaches complex challenges with creativity, insight, and care—ensuring that equity remains central to both our internal culture and external impact.
As shared by Brittany Jones, Assistant Director of Clinical/Community Integration, Racial Equity Initiatives:
“Over the past 6 years, it has been an absolute pleasure working alongside Kelly. I have witnessed Kelly not only blossom into the strong, insightful, creative, and encouraging leader she is today, but she has remained steadfast in pursuing equity for maternal and infant health, the creation and implementation of research, and cultivating a workplace fostering support and belonging. Kelly is a weaver of our organization’s strength, talent, and purpose which is evident in our organization’s mission, passion, and commitment. I am grateful to have Kelly as a supervisor, mentor, and confidante and I thank her for being a consistent, bold, and unflinching visionary in this work.”
Kelly’s impact is felt across IHN—in the relationships she builds, the teams she supports, and the systems she helps transform. We are deeply grateful for her leadership, vision, and continued commitment to advancing health equity for our communities and our organization.
Highlighting the power of partnership. From community-based organizations to healthcare institutions, IHN is proud to collaborate across sectors to advance health equity in the St. Louis region and beyond.
PERINATAL HEALTH EQUITY INITIATIVES
At the St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN), we know that significant disparities exist in perinatal care. To address these inequities head-on, IHN supports innovative, community-driven initiatives designed to improve perinatal care, strengthen support systems for families, and ensure equitable outcomes for pregnant people, babies and families in the St. Louis region.
A cornerstone of this work is the EleVATE Collaborative, which brings together clinicians, patients, community collaborators, and healthcare professionals to create more equitable models of care. By focusing on behavioral health, reproductive justice, trauma-informed practice, and racial equity, EleVATE helps expand provider capacity and reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes. The collaborative also provides intensive training for clinical teams and elevates community perspectives in care delivery.
Through these efforts, IHN remains committed to expanding equitable access to high-quality perinatal care, strengthening health care team supports, and uplifting families across our community.
ONE-YEAR POSTPARTUM PATHWAY RELEASED
We’re proud to share that the One-Year Postpartum Pathway has officially been released, offering statewide recommendations to strengthen care for birthing people across Missouri.
Since February 2024, Kelly McKay-Gist, Vice President of Health Equity, Culture, and Innovation at the St. Louis Integrated Health Network, has served on the Missouri Postpartum Task Force, contributing to the development of this first-of-its-kind framework. The Pathway outlines best practices and guidance for postpartum care from pregnancy through one full year after delivery, addressing critical gaps that impact maternal health outcomes statewide.
Developed through the Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative (MO PQC) in partnership with the Missouri Hospital Association and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the report responds to data showing that many pregnancy-related deaths in Missouri occur months after delivery—and that most are preventable. By broadening how we define and support the postpartum period, the Pathway aims to improve care coordination, patient experience, and long-term wellbeing for birthing people and families.
IHN is proud to be an active member of MO PQC and to support efforts that strengthen systems, elevate evidence-based practice, and center the needs of those most impacted.
Read the full report:
https://mopqc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Postpartum-Pathways-Report_Final_120125.pdf
Read the executive summary:
https://mopqc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/PPR_Exec_Summary_Final.pdf
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: 3RD ANNUAL CENTERING JOY IN THE BLACK BIRTHING EXPERIENCE CONFERENCE
By Dr. Jesse Davis, CMO & Chief Strategy Officer
Registration is now open for the 3rd Annual Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience Conference, taking place this April in Edwardsville, Illinois. What began as a bold, community-centered gathering to reclaim joy and healing in Black maternal health has grown into a regional space for learning, connection, and collective action.
Launched through the vision of Charity Bean, Founder and CEO of The Doula Lab, the conference centers Black birthing people, families, and birth workers while advancing equity through shared wisdom and lived experience.
In 2026, the conference expands its impact with a bi-state focus across Missouri and Illinois, intentionally bringing together partners, providers, and community leaders from both sides of the river to strengthen regional collaboration and birth-support efforts. The St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN) has proudly served as a fiscal sponsor and backbone partner since the conference’s inception, helping to elevate community leadership and ensure joy remains foundational to systems change.
This year’s conference will feature keynote speaker Kay Matthews, Founder of the Shades of Blue Project and Black Maternal Mental Health Week, bringing a powerful focus on compassion-centered care and Black maternal mental health.
Conference Details
- Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
- Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Location: SIUE School of Health Sciences, Edwardsville, IL
Get involved:
Submit a proposal to present: https://bit.ly/4aaI9AHation efforts are grounded in lived experience and equity. Her leadership will play a key role in aligning community-driven priorities with data, learning, and systems change across the network.
Register to attend: https://whova.com/portal/registration/dgIvNOXL3YSY-Izj4-dv/
TRANSITIONS OF CARE TASKFORCE CONCLUDES 2025 WITH INSIGHTFUL POLICY DISCUSSION
The Transitions of Care Taskforce held its final meeting of the year on December 18, 2025, convening partners at the Community Impact Network for a timely and impactful discussion as we look ahead to 2026.
This meeting featured an expert panel focused on the anticipated impacts of the current administration’s proposed legislation and policy shifts, and how these changes may affect health access, care coordination, and vulnerable populations across our region. The conversation offered Taskforce members a deeper understanding of the legal, fiscal, and community-level implications of upcoming policy decisions—particularly as they relate to transitions of care.
We were honored to hear from a distinguished group of panelists, including Jamie Rodriguez, Managing Attorney at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri; Fatema Medhat, Missouri State Refugee Health Coordinator for the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants; Katherine Holley, Senior Staff Attorney with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri; and Amy Blouin, President and CEO of the Missouri Budget Project. Each panelist brought unique expertise and perspective, helping to illuminate how proposed policies could shape healthcare access, immigrant and refugee health, legal protections, and budget priorities in the coming year.
The discussion sparked meaningful dialogue among Taskforce members, reinforcing the importance of cross-sector collaboration and proactive planning to ensure continuity of care—especially for individuals navigating complex health and social systems.
We are deeply grateful to our panelists for sharing their time, knowledge, and insight, and to all Taskforce members who continue to show up with curiosity, commitment, and a shared dedication to improving transitions of care across our community. We look forward to building on these conversations as we move into 2026.
The Missouri Legislature has kicked off its 2026 session, and Governor Kehoe delivered his State of the State address on Tuesday, January 13. The Governor’s legislative and budgetary priorities for 2026 center on fiscal discipline, tax reform, public safety, economic development, agriculture, and education. In his address, Kehoe outlined a conservative budget proposal that would reduce more than $600 million in core state spending and align ongoing expenditures with revenue to address a projected future deficit exceeding $2 billion. His plan is designed to protect mandatory and high-priority services such as Medicaid matching, childcare subsidies, disaster relief, and core K-12 and higher education funding while restoring long-term fiscal sustainability.
A central theme of Kehoe’s agenda is eliminating Missouri’s individual income tax through a phased plan subject to voter approval. He has urged the legislature to pass a joint resolution placing a ballot measure before voters in November to phase out the income tax over five years to spur economic competitiveness and growth. The proposal envisions expanding taxation of digital services (e-books, AI platforms, online advertising) with revenues directed to local governments and offset with property tax relief. This proposal would result in a loss of roughly 2/3 of the state general revenue budget ($8.7B in FY 2026), meaning massive sales tax increases would be necessary to replace this funding.
Kehoe also seeks to bolster economic development through expanded incentives for business investment, support for agriculture as a key economic sector, and enhancements to workforce training programs. In education, he has proposed expanding school choice programs such as the MO Scholars tax credit (allowing vouchers to pay for private schooling) and establishing school accountability measures, including an A-F grading system.
The Missouri General Assembly convened the 2026 session with a record number of pre-filed bills and a legislature poised to tackle a wide range of issues against a backdrop of an election year and tighter fiscal conditions. A dominant priority for many legislators, particularly Republicans aligned with the governor, is income tax reform, including proposals to phase out or significantly reduce the state’s income tax. This reflects ongoing efforts by legislative leadership to respond to calls for tax relief and a smaller government footprint.
Beyond tax policy, lawmakers are addressing a spectrum of substantive issues:
- Childcare accessibility and workforce development are significant concerns for both legislative Republicans and local stakeholders, with efforts to expand quality, full-day, full-year early education programs and improve provider payment systems.
- Higher education and social policy are active areas, with more than 50 bills filed tackling financial aid reforms, student support services, collegiate diversity policies, and participation of transgender athletes.
- Public safety and community justice reforms are on the agenda from both sides of the aisle, often intersecting with broader calls for criminal justice changes—such as expungement processes and oversight of corrections—championed by advocacy groups and some legislators outside the governor’s direct portfolio.
- Affordable housing, food security, and public assistance are highlighted by advocacy coalitions as critical for vulnerable populations, and proposals in these areas have been introduced or circulated among members of the legislature.
This session’s dynamics also reflect heightened partisanship following controversial actions in 2025, including changes to redistricting and procedural rules, which have influenced legislative relationships and strategic priorities.
IHN RELEASES 2025 IMPACT REPORT
We are excited to share IHN’s 2025 Impact Report, highlighting how our strategy translated into action across the region.
This edition reflects IHN’s work to strengthen the regional safety net through collaboration, community-clinical integration, workforce development, and cross-sector partnerships linking health with housing, justice, and community well-being. It also highlights our role in supporting initiatives like Empowered Thriving Communities and the Home Repair Network.
The report captures IHN’s continued growth, including expanded funding, strengthened partnerships, and programs that connect individuals and families to care and support.
Read the Impact Report:
https://bit.ly/48Ig970
Download the full report:
https://bit.ly/49gvD28
- Free Health Screenings | Every Tuesday, 9:00am – 1:00pm | BJK Peoples Health Centers
- 314 Oasis Healthcare Resources | Wednesdays, 11:00am – 2:00pm See Full Schedule | Centennial Church 4950 Fountain Park | See Grocery Giveaway Schedule
- WePower STL Early Childhood Power & Policy Action Group Monthly Meeting| 1st Wednesday of every month, Feb. 4th, 6:00pm – 7:30pm | Delmar Devine 5501 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63112
- How Long ’Til Black Future Month? | Feb. 1st–28th, during library hours | St. Louis Public Library – Central Library, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-539-3300
- Roots of the Community: Mapping Black History | Feb. 1st–28th, during library hours | St. Louis Public Library – Walnut Park Library, 5760 W. Florissant Ave., St. Louis, MO 63120 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-383-0100
- The Butler (Film Screening) | Feb. 2nd, 1:30pm | St. Louis Public Library – Buder Library, 4401 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, MO 63109 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-352-2900
- African American Art Exploration: Jacob Lawrence | Feb. 2nd, 3:30pm–5:30pm | St. Louis Public Library – Walnut Park Library, 5760 W. Florissant Ave., St. Louis, MO 63120 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-383-0100
- Throwback Thursdays with A Touch of Sohl | Feb. 5th, 6:00pm–6:45pm | St. Louis Public Library – Schlafly Library Auditorium, 225 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-367-4120
- Exploring Black Fashion History | Feb. 7th, 11:00am–1:00pm | St. Louis Public Library – Barr Library, 1701 Barr St., St. Louis, MO 63106 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-241-2288
- Angie Thomas Double Feature (Film Screenings) | Feb. 7th, 11:00am–4:00pm | St. Louis Public Library – Central Library, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-539-3300
- The Help (Film Screening) | Feb. 9th, 1:30pm | St. Louis Public Library – Buder Library, 4401 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, MO 63109 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-352-2900
- African American Art Exploration: Alma W. Thomas | Feb. 9th, 3:30pm–5:30pm | St. Louis Public Library – Walnut Park Library, 5760 W. Florissant Ave., St. Louis, MO 63120 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-383-0100
- Beat-Making for Beginners | Feb. 11th, 4:30pm–6:30pm | St. Louis Public Library – Carpenter Library, 3309 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63118 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-772-6586
- Life Doesn’t Frighten Me (Metro Theatre Company) | Feb. 13th, 10:00am–11:00am | St. Louis Public Library – Carpenter Library, 3309 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63118 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-772-6586
- Black History Through Taste: Desserts | Feb. 14th, 2:00pm–3:30pm | St. Louis Public Library – Divoll Library, 4234 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63107 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-531-2570
- Waiting to Exhale (Film Screening) | Feb. 16th, 1:30pm | St. Louis Public Library – Buder Library, 4401 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, MO 63109 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-352-2900
- Tea Talk: Amber Fouche and the Legacy Behind Tea ParTea | Feb. 21st, 2:00pm–3:30pm | St. Louis Public Library – Schlafly Library, 225 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-367-4120
- Respect (Film Screening) | Feb. 23rd, 1:30pm | St. Louis Public Library – Buder Library, 4401 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, MO 63109 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-352-2900
- A for Activism | Feb. 23rd, 3:00pm–4:00pm | St. Louis Public Library – Baden Library, 8448 Church Rd., St. Louis, MO 63147 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-382-3322
- The Jazz Edge Orchestra Celebrates Black American Music | Feb. 26th, 6:30pm–7:15pm | St. Louis Public Library – Schlafly Library, 225 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-367-4120
- Black Joy Jubilee | Feb. 28th, 10:00am–12:00pm | St. Louis Public Library – Buder Library, 4401 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, MO 63109 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-352-2900
- Roots and Blues @ Central Library | Feb. 28th, 2:00pm–3:00pm | St. Louis Public Library – Central Library, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-539-3300
- Augusta Savage Inspired Clay Sculptures | Feb. 28th, 2:00pm–3:00pm | St. Louis Public Library – Schlafly Library, 225 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108 | More info: https://www.slpl.org/events | Contact: 314-367-4120
- Perinatal Health Worker Training | 14-week training (March 16th–June 20th) & Mandatory Zoom orientation on March 9th, 6:00pm – 8:00pm | Scholarship applications are due Feb. 7th, at 5:00pm. Interviews will be held Feb. 9th–13th.
- Affinia Healthcare Monthly Diaper Giveaways: Click for more information
- The Bootheel Pilot Program – A Paid Opportunity to Participate! Click for more information