I read with surprise and deep disappointment your story in which one of my uninformed and misguided opponents was provided a public forum to question why I had not expressed an opinion on the name of a future healthcare facility that will be built at the site of the former Pruitt-Igoe housing project.
Facts matter, and so does the truth. And three facts matter most in this situation.
First, I have no federal authority to determine or influence what name a private developer may select for a new healthcare facility.
Second, I have no jurisdiction to determine whether the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will certify this new facility as eligible to receive Medicare or Medicaid reimbursements for patient care.
Third – and, by far, most important – the critical issue regarding this new facility is not the name, it is the overwhelming need to increase access to healthcare in this medically deprived neighborhood.
As you well know, North St. Louis suffers from significant healthcare disparities in access to both emergency and primary care, high rates of chronic illnesses, and lower life expectancies than other parts of our region.
That is why I helped write, cosponsor, and pass the Affordable Care Act, the landmark law that doubled the federal investment for community-based healthcare at St. Louis’ Federally Qualified Health Centers.
And that is why I provided a $3 million federal investment to help create the Lacy Clay Center for Children’s Health at the Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Center on Delmar, the region’s first dedicated facility to treat childhood emotional trauma with a focus on young black children who have been exposed to violence.
So, the real question we face is not the name of this new facility, it is increasing access to quality healthcare in underserved neighborhoods like the corner of Jefferson and Cass avenues. That is a worthy goal which the vast majority of your readers embrace, and I will continue to advocate for.
U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay
St. Louis
