Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, St. Louis Department of Health director recently toured owner Marcus Howard’s GreaterHealth Pharmacy and Wellness in the Delmar Divine.
Of the many items on the store’s shelves, Davis noticed black and brown bandage strips. Her 6-year-old daughter had a scrape, so Davis purchased the bandages and took them home.
“My daughter said, ‘mommy look; It looks like me.’ I tear up just thinking about,” Davis told a crowd that included prominent physicians, medical administrators, elected officials and neighborhood residents.
“Marcus is raising the quality of health care is in this area through the work of being inclusive.”
The Metro High School graduate had left St. Louis to attend North Carolina State where he earned an undergraduate degree in exercise and sports fitness. His educational pursuit continued at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill where he earned two post graduate degrees, including a PhD, in education.
Howard has no background in health care or the pharmaceutical business, but he wanted to serve his community. He knew what was missing and he wanted to make it his business to make it available.
“This pharmacy is yours,” Howard said triumphantly.
“This pharmacy belongs to the city of St. Louis This story started right here in St. Louis. It is so St. Louis and I love my city.”
Howard said his pharmacy is “radically inclusive” and his staff is dedicated to serving communities and people that have often had their health care needs and questions overlooked.
“People are comfortable here. We have green bottles for our medication. We put love and respect and genuine care into each bottle along with pills,” he said.
Howard said he takes pride in having two Black pharmacists, Wesley Haskins, PharmD and Kenneth Powell, PharmD, because Black children “are inspired to become pharmacists. They are thinking ‘they look like me, sound like me, they are me.’”
Howard’s plan to open a pharmacy began just over four years ago. One of his first steps was setting up a Go Fund Me page with a goal of raising $600,000. He had a big dream but not big money.
He had secured $8,000 when Maxine Clark, founder of Build-A-Bear, read an article about his effort. She donated to the Go Fund Me page and wanted to hear more about the project.
She was developing her $100 million-plus project to convert the former St. Luke’s Hospital complex into offices and shared resources for nonprofits at 2022 Delmar, which is now called Delmar Divine.
“I just knew Delmar Divine would be a perfect place for him,” Clark said of Howard and his proposed pharmacy.
“I have mentored a lot of entrepreneurs. Marcus had a plan. It is important this [pharmacy] is in this neighborhood, also for the hundreds of people who work here. I’m looking forward to seeing how much we can change the city with this pharmacy.”
Dr. Will Ross, MD, MPH Alumni Endowed Professor of Medicine, Nephrology, and Associate Dean for Diversity at Washington University School of Medicine, attended the grand opening celebration inside Delmar Divine.
Other guests included Dr. Kanika Cunningham St. Louis County Department of Health director; 10th Ward Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard; L. Jared Boyd, Mayor Tishaura Jones chief of staff; Jill Nowak, Missouri Foundation for Health executive vice president of impact investing, and Lauren Knight, SSM director, advanced practice provider – Urgent Care and Express Clinic.
Nowak said Howard helped her not-for-profit make history in its own right.
“We had never invested in a business before. We are very grateful for Marcus to show us a new way. He came to us with a well-thought-out plan. We will forever be grateful to him and his vision.” She said the pharmacy “will bring culturally competent care and will build trusting relationships in the community.”
Other community organizations and local community members joined with MFH to raise $1 million for GreaterHealth. Last week, SSM opened a new Express Clinic in partnership with GreaterHealth and it is located literally a few feet away from the pharmacy.
“We learned of Marcus’ vision, it was immediately clear we wanted to join in,” Knight said. “Having access right in your neighborhood is paramount to having a healthier community. It will help reduce health inequities and disparities. Howard said the question he hears most often while in the community is “what makes GreaterHealth different?”
“Don’t ask me. Ask the senior with 90-plus prescriptions who receives counseling that makes her believe she will be well again,” he said. “Ask the person who can’t get out of the house who receives free prescription delivery.”
Howard, and Clark, are also asking for support from people throughout the region.
“The best way to invest in them is to give business to them,” Clark said. With a laugh, Howard said “Our medicine is good too.”
Davis said she could not think of a better way to close Black History Month “seeing the community support for this young king and this beautiful pharmacy.”
“This is a pivotal event for our Black and brown communities,” she said.
