A Decade of Growth & Impact

This fall, Susan Ell, the Foundation’s vice president and executive director, will retire after 10 years as the organization’s leader. Recently selected as a Most Influential Business Woman by the St. Louis Business Journal, Susan has been instrumental in growing the Foundation and expanding its philanthropic impact across the community and beyond.

Building on a Strong Legacy

Before Susan joined the Foundation, she led two other system foundations and worked at a children’s hospital, a liberal arts college, and a social services organization. She also has degrees in nursing, biological sciences, and law that positioned her well to lead the Foundation on a new path.

“When I arrived in 2014, the vision was to create a high-performing, world-class foundation to support world-class health care,” Susan explains. “We put a plan in place to double our philanthropic impact.

To deliver on that plan, we had to build a professional team of experts in philanthropy, develop and engage the Foundation board, and build partnerships across the system and within the community. It was all about team, board, and partnerships.”

During her tenure, Susan implemented many technology and process improvements. In addition, she reorganized and grew the staff, as she expanded the Foundation’s board membership, increasing
member participation and engagement significantly.

Susan also renewed the Foundation’s donor recognition program, updated all policies, and developed a major reporting program surrounding accountability for every dollar that flows in and out of the organization.

“When I came to the Foundation, many good things were already in place, thanks to the board and team before me,” she says. “Without that legacy, we would not have had the sturdy foundation to build on the past 10 years.”

She credits the vision and support from the board, BJC leadership, her team, and the donor community for the Foundation’s growth and success.

“St. Louis is tremendously blessed and rich with committed volunteers and donors. We have a superb board that is highly involved in the community. They are all dedicated to helping donors to enrich lives, save lives, and transform health care through charitable gifts. That’s what we’re all about.”

Susan has been awed by the generosity of the St. Louis community. “The St. Louis philanthropic community is unique, special, and unassuming,” she says. “They want to solve problems and help. Their compassion and generosity to serve and give is genuine.”

Growing Into the Community

This generosity came to life in numerous Foundation initiatives led by Susan and her team, including Evelyn’s House, a hospice house that provides end-of-life care in a warm, home-like setting.

To complement Evelyn’s House, Susan played a key role in creating the Supportive Care Institute and the division of palliative medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, thanks to continued donor generosity.

With Susan’s leadership, the Foundation also strengthened a partnership with Mid-America Transplant, resulting in two of the Foundation’s first distinguished chair positions. The partnership marks the first time an organ procurement organization has established a research chair.

In addition, Susan and the Foundation team recently worked with visionary donors on the establishment of the Tracy Family SILQ Center and The Robert Ebert and Greg Stubblefield Head and Neck Tumor Center.

Bob Cannon, a group president for BJC Health System’s East Region, has worked closely with Susan and the Foundation. “The Foundation has grown remarkably under Susan’s leadership, and the grants made by the Foundation have truly changed lives for the better,” he says.

In alignment with BJC’s mission, one of the most impactful programs under Susan’s direction is fundraising for BJC’s Community Health Improvement program, designed to eliminate health disparities in under-resourced communities in the city of St. Louis, north St. Louis County, and rural areas.

“The Foundation has always been a leader in community outreach and health improvement as part of our mission to enrich and save lives,” Susan says. “It’s in our DNA, thanks to the former Jewish Hospital, and we historically had funds specifically designated for that purpose. As we progress, we’ve only built on that tradition. I’m excited about the direction from BJC that gives us guideposts and strategic priorities in the realm of community health improvement. Because more and more, health care is not in the hospital—it’s out in the community.”

Positioned for the Future

BJC Health System CEO Rich Liekweg says Susan has set the stage for the future of the Foundation. “When I reflect on all that Susan has done, I think of the countless number of people the Foundation has touched. The Foundation is looked to as a trusted partner by so many. Susan has built a tremendous team and a phenomenal board. She is leaving us much better than she found us, for which we are grateful.”

To connect with the community over the past 10 years, Susan has worked closely with three board chairs: Ken Suelthaus, Dick Miles, and the current board chair, Mahendra Gupta, PhD. “Susan has created a culture of aspiration and left a road map for where the Foundation should go,” Mahendra says.

John Lynch, MD, Barnes-Jewish Hospital president, is inspired by how donors have embraced the Foundation’s mission and is excited about the path ahead. “Susan grew the Foundation and its ability to impact the health of our community in a way that exceeded expectations,” he says. “Now, we have even grander visions because we can see what we can do. She showed us the path and built the foundation that will take us to new levels.”

Dr. Lynch has appointed two longtime leaders—Dick Miles, past Foundation board chair, and Katie Henderson, MD, Barnes-Jewish Hospital vice president and chief medical officer—to co-chair a search committee to select Susan’s successor. The Foundation looks forward to sharing future news around this carefully planned transition with our donor partners in the community.