Missouri Foundation for Health

Check out a recording of last week's webinar "Medicaid Cuts in Missouri: Who Loses Healthcare?" featuring our VP of Health Policy and Advocacy, Sheldon Weisgrau, and hosted by the League of Women Voters of Missouri.

With cuts to programs like #Medicaid on the horizon, experts are worried the situation will worsen. #MaternalHealth

“Innovation can come from anywhere. I’ve lived it.” As a mom navigating Medicaid for her daughters’ chronic conditions, Emily Brown saw the gaps in our food and healthcare systems firsthand. Today, as founder and CEO of Attane Health, she’s building the tech and partnerships to close those gaps. We’re proud to recognize Emily as a 2025 Spark Prize awardee. Her vision is bold, her results are measurable, and her leadership is reshaping what health care looks like across Missouri and beyond. Learn more about Emily here - https://lnkd.in/gaU7wxrc

Our partners have always been at the heart of our work, and this year, we’re celebrating 25 years of partnership and impact. Please join us in uplifting the work of partners like Forward Through Ferguson (FTF). FTF is an anti-racist systems change organization with a vision of transforming the St. Louis region into a place where, regardless of race and ZIP code, there is justice for all, the opportunity to thrive, and boundless possibilities for all our youth. Through our partnership, FTF pilots a community-centered, holistic model to coordinate, design, and implement a non-police first responder program into St. Louis County’s emergency response and public health systems. FTF is highlighting the need to reduce police involvement in non-criminal interactions and redefining justice and community safety as we know it. Learn more about Forward Through Ferguson’s work: https://lnkd.in/d8uF3MC

We turned 25 this year, and we invite you to join us in celebrating years of impact as we magnify the transformative work of partners like Rustic Roots Sanctuary. Rustic Roots works to sow seeds of sovereignty, teach sustainability, holistically heal communities, and reclaim our connection to Mother Earth. Through our partnership, Rustic Roots’ North County Harvest Hub is spearheading a shared-use package and storage space for St. Louis farmers to access equipment and store and package freshly harvested food more efficiently – helping bridge critical food supply gaps. Rustic Roots is reimagining food access as we know it, with a vision of a world where every community is nourished through equitable access to fresh, locally grown food, regenerative land stewardship, and a shared sense of belonging. Learn more about Rustic Roots Sanctuary: https://lnkd.in/gqwFwXJ8

“When folks can’t afford to buy insurance, it doesn’t mean they won’t get sick.” When they do enter the health system, providers pick up the cost, “and again, that eventually gets passed on to everybody else.” -Sheldon Weisgrau, MFH VP of Health Policy and Advocacy

With a federal shutdown freezing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in Missouri, food pantries are preparing for the impact on thousands of families.

We are all worse off as Americans when racial health disparities fester. Everyone deserves the same right to live a prosperous life, no matter their background.

As we continue to reflect in honor of our 25th anniversary, we take this opportunity to spotlight Bootheel Babies and Families. Spearheaded by the Missouri Bootheel Regional Consortium and the Bootheel Network for Health Improvement, this place-based initiative is working to improve maternal and child health outcomes across the Bootheel region.     In 2013, the Foundation established the Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative to address disproportionately high rates in parts of St. Louis and six Bootheel counties. Through this work, Bootheel Babies and Families continues to empower communities and ensure healthy beginnings for more babies.  Learn more about Bootheel Babies and Families' work here:   https://lnkd.in/evHZBavD 

“We grow stronger as a community when we learn from each other’s differences… and that’s the foundation for real, sustainable change.” From Paraguay to St. Louis, Diego Abente has lived by the truth that health is the foundation of opportunity. As CEO of Casa de Salud, he is making the healthcare system more welcoming and accessible for all, especially those who face cultural and language barriers. The Spark Prize celebrates leaders like Diego, whose vision is bold, human-centered, and deeply connected to the communities they serve. Learn more about Diego here - https://lnkd.in/gExSdE-3