Ten awardees to be recognized May 12
St. Louis American Foundation honors executives, nurses, pharmacist, advocate
The St. Louis American Foundation’s 7th annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Luncheon will be held Saturday, May 12 at the Renaissance Grand Hotel downtown. Each year the awards program honors local individuals and institutions that have demonstrated excellence in the field of health care. This year’s individual awardees include five nurses, three executives, a pharmacist and an advocate. Each will be profiled in depth in next week’s Salute to Health Care special section.
Mary C. “Mikki” Brewster is a former licensed practical nurse. Brewster received a master’s in social work degree from Washington University and has served as an administrator with the St. Louis Public Schools. She was also an elected member of the board of the St. Louis Community College district. A breast cancer survivor, Brewster chairs the St. Louis Breast-Cervical Cancer Partnership and works to increase breast cancer awareness among minorities. From 2002 to 2003 Brewster served as board chairperson for the Missouri Foundation for Health, where she currently serves on the board.
Michele Elaine (Perkins) Brown began her professional nursing career in 1974 at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Louis. The St. Louis native is a graduate of the Saint Louis University School of Nursing. In 1990, Brown received a master’s in nursing. Throughout her career she has received numerous awards, including the Federal Women’s Hall of Fame award and the Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville School of Nursing outstanding alum award. And Brown believes in giving back to the community. She faithfully serves her church, St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, and also mentors a 5th grade Cote Brilliante student through the Mentor St. Louis program.
Joycelyn Farmer is the director of cultural health initiatives at the Heartland Affiliate of the American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association (ASA). As such, her major health focus is on populations who are experiencing unusually high rates of heart disease and stroke and resulting higher rates of death and disability. She instituted the pilot of AHA’s Search Your Heart program, a culturally tailored, faith-based program to educate African Americans about heart disease and stroke. To date, the program has been used by over 100 churches and agencies and has impacted thousands of residents.
As the president of Fisher Wellness Center, Dr. Ollie Fisher operates and manages a group of dental practices consisting of general dentists, orthodontists, hygienists and supporting staff. The former dental director at St. Louis Comprehensive Health Center, Fisher is a 1970 graduate of Northwest High School. He received a bachelor’s of science degree in chemical engineering in 1974 from the Washington University School of Engineering and graduated from the Washington University School of Dental Medicine in 1977.
Archie Griffin is president of Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Center (formerly St. Louis Comprehensive Health Centers, Inc.), which has served the St. Louis community for more than 30 years. Griffin, who holds a master’s in health care administration from Webster University, has served in various positions within the organization, including as comptroller, vice-president of business affairs and chief financial officer, for more than 18 years. Griffin, a St. Louis native who grew up in Carr Square Village, now heads MHD, a Federally Qualify Health Center, and provides oversight for its $18 million annual budget and 186 employees.
For the past 16 years, Leila Hightower has worked at Barnes Jewish Hospital where she is both a pain and glucose resource nurse. Originally from North St. Louis City, Hightower graduated from Beaumont High School in 1986. In 1991 she obtained a bachelor’s of science in nursing degree from Saint Louis University. Her career began as a student nurse at the Veteran’s Hospital while she was still pursuing her degree. Now she works on the high-risk cardiology unit and also works several times a week at the Garrison Care Center, an assisted living facility for seniors.
The nursing career of Carol A. Horton began at the legendary Homer G. Phillips Hospital. Currently she is a school nurse in the Wellston School District, working for both Central Elementary School and the Wellston Early Childhood Development Center. Prior to her current position, Horton worked at Homer G. Phillips and St. Louis City Hospital, as well as at St. Louis Regional and St. Louis ConnectCare Medical Centers. Horton has also served on the Missouri Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Advisory Board.
Norma Mitchell has been a nurse for 31 years, and 28 of those years have been served at SSM DePaul Health Center. In her years of service, Mitchell has been a staff nurse, clinical educator and clinical director. She has been honored with numerous awards, ranging from employee of the month to a Spirit of Women Award for Outstanding Community Service. And Mitchell uses her health care expertise to serve members of her church as well and regularly provides blood pressure checks for the parishioners. She is also an active member of a Christian women’s book club where members perform community service projects in addition to sharing their love of literature.
A native of St. Louis, Dr. Steven Player is currently the first African-American manager within the Barnes-Jewish Hospital (BJH) Inpatient Pharmacy Department. Player is a 1992 graduate of Clayton High School and a 1998 graduate of Xavier University in Louisiana. During the summer of 1995, Player was the first African-American pharmacy intern in the pharmacy department at Barnes Jewish Health Care. To create similar opportunities for other minority students, Player developed a minority-based pharmacy internship program at BJH in 2001.
Listeners tune in to KATZ Halleluhah 1600 weekly to hear honoree Rose Robins Troupe, host of “Health Connections.” Through the live health-oriented talk show, Troupe works to improve community access to health and wellness education. A St. Louis native, Troupe has worked in the health care industry for more than 15 years as a registered nurse with a master’s degree in public administration.
The St. Louis American Foundation’s 7th Annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Luncheon will be held Saturday, May 12 at the Renaissance Grand Hotel. Tickets are $75, $50 and $40, and can be obtained by calling 314-533-8000, ext. 305. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and checks are accepted. The event is an excellent networking opportunity for anyone interested in or associated with the health care industry. The event is a non-profit event, with proceeds benefiting local minority scholarships.