We partner with nonprofit organizations, community residents with lived experiences, and BJC HealthCare's Community Health Improvement team to convene, support, and lead efforts that address individual health needs and systemic barriers to health equity. Your gift funds community programs designed to eliminate health disparities in under-resourced communities in the City of St. Louis, North St. Louis County, and rural areas. Together, we can give all people the opportunity to live their healthiest possible lives.

School Health and Wellness

With support from our donors, BJC Community Health Improvement partners with more than 50 schools and five community organizations to advance equitable health and educational outcomes through BJC's Community Wellness Hub program. The hubs offer families, adults, and children a trusted a safe place for respite, mental wellness programming, and resource connection year-round. Your philanthropic support will empower thousands of families with coping methods to improve their mental wellness each year.

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Food as Medicine

Thousands of St. Louis neighbors face food insecurity and are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes each year. Through BJC's Food as Medicine initiative, we partner with local growers and organizations to reduce racial disparities in type 2 diabetes by increasing healthy food and physical activity. Philanthropic support advances critical BJC programs that provide food, nutrition education, and social support to patients and their families to create long-term healthy habits, reduce A1c levels, and ensure access to healthy food at patient discharge.

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Improving Black Infant and Maternal Health Outcomes

Missouri has the seventh highest maternal mortality rate in the nation, with Black women 3.5 times as likely to die during pregnancy or from complications arising during childbirth compared to white women. With support from donors like you, BJC HealthCare is working to eliminate racial disparities by collaborating with community-based doulas and building clinical care teams that reflect the community it serves to help improve equity in maternal health outcomes.

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Equitable Vaccinations and Screenings

Vaccines and screenings play a pivotal role in saving lives, yet vaccination rates continue to fall below targets set by Healthy People 2030. Generous donors make it possible for BJC HealthCare to provide free flu vaccinations, year-round screening events, and other preventative services in under-resourced communities.

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New Responsive Initiatives 

Health equity is about everyone having an equal opportunity to be as healthy as possible. That means addressing the systems and structures that stand in the way of optimal health. Your support will enable us to address emerging community needs (e.g., housing security, gun safety and violence reduction, digital divide, etc.).

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Search the documents below to learn more about the areas that interest you. Discover how your generosity enriches lives, saves lives, and transforms health care.

Annual Flu Shot Clinic Turns 20

Saturday, September 16, 2023

The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital is proud to have funded BJC HealthCare's annual free flu shot clinics for the past 20 years, amounting to more than 275,000 vaccines administered to St. Louis area residents. By providing free vaccinations, these clinics are instrumental in preventing the spread of influenza and safeguarding community health.

Influenza is highly contagious and can lead to severe health complications and even death, especially among vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and those with weakened immune systems. Increased infection rates can lead to surges in hospital admissions and doctor’s office visits, straining the health care system. Through free, preventative vaccinations, we help alleviate this burden, ensuring that medical resources can be allocated to other critical health care needs.

BJC’s free flu shot clinics also reach underserved populations who often face barriers to obtaining essential vaccinations due to income level or lack of insurance. This effort ensures that everyone can receive protection against the flu and contributes to the broader goal of public health awareness, emphasizing the importance of immunizations as a preventive measure and encouraging individuals to stay up to date with other vaccinations.

Each of us has a role to play in protecting ourselves and others from seasonal illness, and we take that responsibility to heart at the Foundation. The flu shot clinics and other collaborative efforts across BJC rely on philanthropic support to help foster community wellness so our neighbors can live happier, healthier lives. We're grateful for the opportunity to back initiatives such as these thanks to generous donor support.

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