SSM Health Foundation-St. Louis has launched a new $10 million fund aimed at helping patients address food insecurity, housing challenges, transportation barriers and other factors that affect health after they leave the hospital.
The SSM Health-St. Louis Community Health Impact Fund was made possible through a philanthropic gift from Carolyn Kindle, chief executive officer and owner of St. Louis City SC, president of the Enterprise Mobility Foundation and a member of the SSM Health System Board.
The fund comes as many St. Louis-area residents continue to face challenges that affect health beyond medical care. According to the St. Louis Area Foodbank, 1 in 7 people in the bi-state region is food insecure. Housing instability and transportation barriers also can make it harder to access medical care and recover after treatment, challenges that disproportionately affect Black residents.
The fund will support partnerships with community-based organizations that address social needs that can influence patient outcomes.
“Healthcare itself is not enough to help patients with significant social barriers become healthy,” said Dr. Alex Garza, SSM Health’s chief community health officer. “The SSM Health-St. Louis Community Health Impact Fund helps us build the ability to try and address the sometimes immense needs of patients who although recover clinically, will struggle to stabilize once they leave our care often because of challenges like lack of food, housing, or transportation for follow-up visits.”
Jeremy Fotheringham, regional president for SSM Health in St. Louis and Southern Illinois, said the fund will help expand support for patients facing those challenges.
“With this investment, patients will receive help with food insecurity, housing, transportation and more,” Fotheringham said. “We know that health and wellness start at home.”
SSM Health’s Bread Basket Program, a food insecurity initiative operated in partnership with the St. Louis Area Foodbank, will continue under the new fund. The program served 3,276 inpatients last year.
The next initiative supported by the fund will be Medical Respite, a program that provides temporary housing and support services for patients experiencing homelessness after they are discharged from the hospital. Services include meals, transportation to medical appointments, case management, peer support and housing navigation.
SSM Health plans to partner initially with Haven Recovery Homes and LIV Sober Living to expand Medical Respite services, with additional initiatives expected as community needs emerge.
Kindle said the investment reflects a commitment to improving health outcomes and expanding access to care across the region.
“I am proud to support SSM Health Foundation and initiatives that are expanding access to care and addressing the needs of patients and families in St. Louis,” she said.