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Dear Community,
Even though it’s been a few weeks since the EF3 tornado swept through the St. Louis region on May 16th, its impact—a 23-mile path of destruction through already vulnerable communities, uprooting homes, disrupting services, and displacing families—continues to weigh heavily on us all. Yet, in the face of this devastation, the resilience and solidarity of our neighborhoods remain unwavering.
At the St. Louis Integrated Health Network, we’ve been working closely with our partners—including our region’s federally qualified health centers (FQHCs)—to support recovery efforts and ensure continuity of care. While the immediate crisis has passed, our commitment to long-term recovery is just beginning.
In the days following the storm, we mobilized quickly to deliver supplies to health centers, assist medically vulnerable patients with emergency needs, and connect caregivers with vital resources. That work continues today, as we collaborate with health systems, local leaders, grassroots organizations, and the City of St. Louis to align services, remove barriers, and center the voices of those most affected.
This is more than a response—it’s a renewal of our promise to equity and community.
We’ve launched a Tornado Recovery Resource Hub, updated regularly with information on shelter, food, medical care, volunteer opportunities, and ways to give. We encourage you to use it, share it, and reach out if there’s more we can do.
The path to healing will take time, trust, and sustained partnership. At IHN, we remain committed to walking that path with you—listening, learning, and acting with purpose and compassion.
In solidarity and service,
Andwele Jolly
Chief Executive Officer
St. Louis Integrated Health Network
FOND FAREWELL DR. MATI HLATSHWAYO DAVIS
Thank you, Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, for your extraordinary leadership, compassion, and commitment to public health. Your impact on St. Louis—through a focus on equity, infectious disease prevention, behavioral health, community trust, and strengthening the City’s Health Department—has left a lasting legacy.
We are deeply grateful for your partnership and support. Whatever the next chapter brings, we know you’ll continue to lead, inspire, and champion health equity.
Your bold vision and tireless advocacy have set a new standard for what public health leadership can look like.
Uve nemhanza yakanaka!
ELEVATE COLLABORATIVE RECEIVES CONFLUENCE AWARD
IHN is proud to celebrate the 2025 William H. Danforth St. Louis Confluence Award recipient: EleVATE Collaborative in partnership with Dr. Shannon Lenze of WashU Medicine! 🏆 This incredible initiative is reshaping prenatal care in our region through an innovative group care model that directly addresses maternal depression, toxic stress, and health equity — creating healthier futures for families in St. Louis.
Created by Washington University in St. Louis, the William H. Danforth Confluence Award honors academic-community member teams conducting interdisciplinary, community-engaged research that exemplifies impact, innovation, and deep, meaningful engagement with the St. Louis region. It recognizes faculty members and their community partners for research that enhances the well-being of our city and its residents.
We’re also excited to highlight additional IHN collaborations that were recognized this year:
🏅 Provost Impact Award Winner: “Improving Postpartum Mental Health for NICU Families: Developing and Piloting ‘The Fathers First Initiative’ in Neonatal Healthcare Systems”
Faculty Lead: Tyriesa Howard, Assistant Professor, Brown School
Community Lead: Jesse A. Davis, IHN
🏅 Honorable Mention: “CHEST: A Collaboration with Community Health Centers to Implement SMART for Asthma”
Faculty Lead: James Krings, Assistant Professor, WashU Medicine
Community Lead: Andwele Jolly, IHN
We are incredibly proud to stand alongside these outstanding initiatives and partners working to improve health outcomes and advance equity across St. Louis.
🔗 Learn more about the awards.
🔗 Learn more about the EleVATE Collaborative.
CENTERING JOY IN BLACK BIRTH: A LOOK BACK AT OUR 2ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make the 2nd Annual Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience Conference a meaningful, powerful gathering. From our dedicated partners to every attendee and supporter, your presence helped create a space filled with inspiration, connection, and truth.
Held during Black Maternal Health Week, a national campaign founded by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to uplift Black voices and advance birth equity, this year’s conference embraced the theme “Black Love.” We honored the joy, strength, and resilience of Black families while engaging in critical conversations about justice and care.
The conference served as a safe space—one where Black birthing people, advocates, and allies could speak freely, be seen fully, and connect authentically. It was a space for healing, affirmation, and community building.
We are especially grateful to Shavanna Spratt-Bailey of Da Hood Talks Entertainment for her vibrant and thoughtful hosting, and to our keynote speaker, Dr. Lucinda Canty of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. Canty’s keynote challenged us, moved us, and reminded us why this work matters.
Special thanks to the Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative (MO-PQC), Doula Lab, and all of our partners who helped bring this event to life. We also want to lift up Chastity Gage of Chastity the Creative for her stunning event design that infused beauty and intention throughout the space, and Alexander Nico Martin from Ethnic Ish N’ More for capturing it all on video.
By the end of the day, the atmosphere was electric. Attendees left feeling inspired, recharged, and ready to continue the work of advancing equity in Black maternal health. Together, we created a space for healing, storytelling, and collective action. Let’s continue building a future where Black birthing people are respected, supported, and celebrated.
We’re already looking forward to next year’s conference—and to gathering again in joy, love, and purpose.
CELEBRATING STUDENT IINTERN, WOLE
The Catalyst Program is an innovative, advanced, and entrepreneurial approach to education designed to give high school juniors and seniors hands-on, real-world experiences. As part of the nationally recognized Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) Network, the Catalyst Program immerses students in professional environments through an engaging, two-period curriculum. Implemented across four St. Louis school districts: Brentwood School District, the School District of Clayton, Ladue Schools, and the School District of University City, Catalyst gives students the opportunity to build their professionalism and skills, connect with industry leaders, pitch their own business ideas, participate in site visits, and solve real-world problems. This dynamic program equips students with the confidence and insight needed to thrive in future careers and post-secondary pathways.
The St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN) had the privilege to host a Wole Adeoye, a senior at Clayton High School, as our first Catalyst Student, this spring! We took some time to speak with Wole about his experience.
Wole was drawn to IHN because of its unique role in uniting diverse organizations to collaboratively identify and address community health needs. He found the work deeply inspiring and eye-opening. Wole especially valued attending an IHN Board meeting, where he saw firsthand how partners come together to make impactful decisions to better serve the community, an experience he ranked as one of his favorites. Throughout his time, he was guided by Dr. Jesse Davis and enjoyed observing his leadership and the way in which he funneled a multitude of ideas into solving how to better support our local healthcare organizations. He also appreciates Gauri Kaushal for helping him make this experience meaningful and educational. Wole encourages future Catalyst students to explore the many roles that can live within a particular sector, such as healthcare, and to clearly communicate their interests to make the most of their placement. This month, Wole will be graduating from Clayton High School and will be heading to Washington University in St. Louis to study economics while also playing soccer for the university!
Having Wole as a Catalyst student was not only a memorable and enriching experience for him, but also a rewarding one for the IHN team!
SPOTLIGHT ON EQUITY: AANHPI PULSE CHECK 2025 LAUNCHES HISTORIC HEALTH SUMMIT SERIES IN ST. LOUIS
In April, the St. Louis region made history with its first-ever health conference focused specifically on the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community. The AANHPI Pulse Check 2025 brought together community members, health leaders, and advocates to elevate AANHPI voices and experiences in conversations around healthcare access, research, and representation.
The St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN) was proud to partner in this important event, which marks the beginning of a three-part AANHPI Health Summit series.
We extend our deepest thanks to the distinguished speakers who shared their expertise:
- Dr. Jean Wang, Professor of Medicine, Washington University
- Dr. Christine Pham, Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Rheumatology, Washington University
- Dr. Kate Appleton, Medical Director of Breast Imaging & Intervention, SSM Health
- Dr. Nikita Wagle, Principal Scientist, Surveillance & Health Equity Science, American Cancer Society
A special thank you goes to Michelle Li, award-winning journalist, co-anchor of Today in St. Louis on KSDK, and co-founder of the Very Asian Foundation, for serving as the event’s host with warmth and intentionality.
We’re also grateful to Dr. Wagle, who flew in to present the latest findings from the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts & Figures report, helping ground our discussion in timely data and urgent health trends.
This event was made possible through the generous support and partnership of:
- American Cancer Society
- Washington University School of Medicine
- SSM Health
- World Wide Technology
- Very Asian Foundation
- Asian American Chamber of Commerce of St. Louis
- OCA Advocate St. Louis
- Makan
Let’s keep building the momentum. The AANHPI Health Summit series is just getting started, and we look forward to continuing these vital conversations together.
Pictured: Joel Crespo (IHN), Jamie Currier (American Cancer Society), Michelle Li (A Very Asian Foundation), and Andwele Jolly (IHN)
IHN STAFF SPOTLIGHT: DARRYCE MCMILLIAN
“Darryce McMillian– Community Referal Coordinator at SSM DePaul Hospital (Inpatient) came to the IHN with a wealth of experience of social services. She has taken that knowledge and used it to enhance her passion for advocacy. Darryce has been an embodiment of the mission and vision of IHN for almost 7 years. She is always active and full of ideas that will help push the agenda to serve the community and provide a safety net for them. Aside from Darryce being such a diligent Community Referral Coordinator. She wears many hats; Darryce has been able to utilize all the gifts inside of her to promote and empower her community. Darryce brings her energy, laughter, transparency, and bright personality to the IHN. With all of who she is, Darryce still finds time outside of the IHN to be a confectioner, real estate agent, event planner, and creator of an apparel line just to name of few things. I am so privileged to have Darryce be a part of the team. It is with great pleasure that I share my sentiments for her.” – Doretha Dillon, Manager of Care Transitions Initiative
Listening to Heal: Centering Community Perspectives in Neuro Health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a time to reflect on how brain health impacts all areas of our lives and to consider how access to neurological care and research can be improved for everyone.
In the St. Louis region, neurological conditions such as stroke, dementia, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease are experienced at higher rates by some communities. These differences are shaped by longstanding barriers to diagnosis, treatment, and participation in research.
To address this, the St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN) is co-leading Node 4 of the NEURO360 initiative with Washington University in St. Louis (WashU). NEURO360 brings together multiple institutions to create a more inclusive future for neuroscience.
Node 4 centers on engaging with communities and is in its early phases. We aim to ensure that community members’ perspectives guide future solutions. We’re hosting a series of community listening sessions to hear directly from individuals, families, and caregivers living with neurological conditions.
These conversations will help us:
- Learn about the challenges people experience.
- Gather ideas to inform future research, education, and outreach.
- Build strategies that reflect community needs and voices.
We welcome you to join us for our next NEURO360 Community Listening Session:
To learn more about NEURO360, visit neuro360engine.org.
- Congress is currently debating a budget and tax bill that could have major implications on the future of Medicaid. In order to offset tax cuts, House and Senate Republicans have been developing proposals to adjust aspects of the Medicaid program that will generate cost savings.
- House Republicans have moved proposed legislation out of committee to the full House, with the goal of passing the legislation by Memorial Day. For people enrolled in Medicaid, the legislation would mandate work requirements for a number of individuals, increase eligibility verification requirements, and introduce cost-sharing for some services for individuals. The proposal also includes significant changes in how payments are made to states that would most likely lead to fewer federal dollars supporting the Medicaid program, forcing decisions by states on how to manage less funding for Medicaid.
- Estimates of the impact of this proposal by nonpartisan institutions indicate that the number of individuals without health insurance will increase by at least 7.6 million by 2034.
- For those in Missouri, it’s notable that Senator Josh Hawley has been a vocal opponent of parts of this effort, recently publishing an op-ed in the New York Times and publicly stating that he believes these Medicaid cuts amount to “taxing the poor to give to the rich.” Senator Hawley does seem to favor work requirements similar to what is in the current House legislation.
- We encourage individuals and organizations to share your personal stories about the importance of Medicaid in your lives with legislators. You can find your specific legislators at the link below, along with email addresses and phone numbers.
- Tornado Relief Event | May 29th, 3:00pm – 7:00pm | St. Louis County Library-Natural Bridge Branch, 7606 Natural Bridge Rd, St. Louis, MO 63121
- STL Summer Adventure Kickoff | May 31st, 9:30am – 2:00pm | McDonnell Planetarium at the Saint Louis Science Center Parking Lot
- Community Resource, College & Career Fair | May 31st, 10:00am – 1:00pm | 9001 Lucas & Hunt Rd, 63136
- Salvation Army Ferguson Empowerment Center Pathway to Health | June 7th, 10:00am-1:00pm | 9420 W Florissant Ave. St. Louis, MO 63118
- Paula Foster Day & Care Fair | June 7th, 11:00am – 3:00pm | Chambers Park, 3115 Franklin Ave.
- Community Cleanup & BBQ | June 7th, 9:00am – 12:00pm | 5949 Martin Luther King Dr.
- Neuro360 Community Listening Session | June 18th, 6:00pm – 7:30pm | Delmar DivINe, 5501 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63112
- Community Care Day-Hyde Park | June 21st, 10:00am – 2:00pm | 1900 Bremen Ave, St. Lous, 63107
- Blackwall 314 Street Festival | June 28th, 1:00pm – 7:00pm | Historic Wellston Loop
- OVP Kickback (Baden) | July 19th, 2:00pm – 5:00pm | 8005 N Broadway 63147