Ida Goodwin Woolfolk, emcee for the St. Louis American Foundation’s 2015 Salute To Excellence in Health Care awards luncheon, made a case for the Health Salute (now in its 15th year) being the most important in the foundation’s popular Salute series.
“You all help people get ready for all these other Salutes,” Woolfolk told a crowd of 450 health professionals and their supporters at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac on Thursday, April 30.
“You fix our legs,” Woolfolk said. “You fix our vital organs. You fix our eyes. You make it possible for us to work in this world. Let’s applaud health care workers.”
The audience complied with applause – a ritual repeated many times over the course of the luncheon.
The highest honor went to Arnold D. Bullock, MD, the holder of an endowed professorship in Urology at Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM), who is the 2015 Lifetime Achiever in Health Care. Bullock was introduced by another national luminary and holder of an endowed chair at WUSM, Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, director of the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center.
Bullock stressed how his endowed chair gives him time off campus to mentor to public school students so they can see an African-American medical professional and receive his direct encouragement.
“I tell them when I am inside a patient operating with the robot that it’s like the world’s best video game,” Dr. Bullock said, “except the life and death are real.”
Keith Williamson, secretary and general counsel at Centene Corporation (a presenting sponsor of the event), introduced the 2015 Stellar Performer in Health Care, the Rev. Traci Blackmon, MDIV, BSN. Blackmon is coordinator of Faith-Based Initiatives at BJC HealthCare, pastor at Christ the King United Church of Christ in Florissant and front-line clergy supporter at Ferguson protests.
“But she is also deeply involved in many impactful initiatives that are not in the limelight,” Williamson said. “She is a true servant leader equipped to do healing work in our community in so many forms.”
Rev. Blackmon said all of her healing work goes back to accepting her call to ministry. “I continue to be amazed,” she said, “at what a simple ‘Yes’ to God can do.”
The 2015 Health Care Advocacy Organization of the Year is The Empowerment Network, Inc., which educates and advocates for African-American men on the issue of prostate cancer. Co-founder and CEO Mellve Shahid praised The American for consistently covering the organization’s outreach efforts and success.
“Prostate health and prostate cancer were once a whisper in our community, before this coverage,” Shahid said.
The 2015 St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund Dr. John M. Anderson Excellence in Mental Health Award went to Collins E. Lewis, MD, a psychiatry professor emeritus at WUSM.
“You’re never bored,” Dr. Lewis said of the medical profession, “and you’re always helping people.”
Also honored were eight Salute to Excellence in Health Care awardees: Danielle Bruce, MSN, RN, TTS, CHC; Kiyoko L. Guthrie, RN, BSN, MM; Carol D. Horton-Henley, DDS; Alberta Peters-Herron, DNP, RN, FNP-BC; Otha Myles, MD; Rev. Wendell L. Reese; and Cathy Wagner, RN; Vickie C. Wade, RN, MSN, WHNP-BC.
“These health care professionals are heroes,” said Adella Jones, director of Marketing and Outreach at Home State Health, a presenting sponsor of the event. “These stories need to be told.”
He was not officially part of the formal program, but Woolfolk took a moment to honor surgeon and physician Dr. James Whittico for his decades of service to the St. Louis healthcare community. Whittico, who will turn 100 in November, officially retired last week – and was met with a standing ovation by the entire room when Woolfolk spoke of the 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient’s influence and legacy within the field.
In addition to presenting sponsors Centene and Home State Health, BJC HealthCare was a gold sponsor and A.T. Still University and SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center were silver sponsors. Bronze sponsors were Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Missouri Foundation for Health, SSM DePaul Health Center, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, St. Luke’s Hospital, Washington University and Washington University School of Medicine.
Donald M. Suggs, president of the St. Louis American Foundation and publisher of The St. Louis American, thanked sponsors and attendees for recognizing the importance of African-American health care professionals.
“We thank you again for your support,” Suggs said, “because we need the broadest collaboration for coming together to celebrate these outstanding individuals.”
