Affinia Healthcare’s Family Medicine Residency Program will launch in June, helping bring top-level healthcare opportunities to underserved communities in North St. Louis and St. Louis County.
Supporting that effort is a $150,000 grant from the St. Louis County Port Authority, one of 38 grants awarded to area organizations.
The grant will help fund the newly developed Affinia Healthcare Family Medicine Residency Program, which will be housed at the Ferguson location.
“This award will go towards the remodeling of our Ferguson Health Center building to house the Family Medicine Residency Program, providing dedicated space for the Residents, as required for accreditation,” said Affinia Healthcare Vice President, Development and Community Relations Yvonne Buhlinger.
The funding comes through the Port Authority’s Community Investment Fund, which supports economic and community development projects aligned with the agency’s mission.
In March 2025, Affinia received a $500,000 Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to help create the residency program and train the next generation of family medicine physicians for community health centers.
Affinia Healthcare’s Family Medicine Residency Program is in partnership with A.T. Still University, Christian Hospital and SSM Health DePaul Hospital. It focuses on training future primary care physicians for service at Affinia Healthcare and in community health center environments.
“Statistics show that many patients in underserved communities suffer or experience a lower standard of care when seeing providers who don’t understand or have bias toward certain populations,” said Dr. Melissa Tepe, Affinia Healthcare chief medical officer, in March. “It is imperative that we cultivate a new generation of clinicians who will know how to serve these populations. The Family Medicine Residency program is another way Affinia Healthcare can help provide a better quality of care for our patients and communities.”
The Family Medicine Residency Program received full accreditation earlier this year from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, allowing recruitment to begin. The application deadline closed last month with what officials called an overwhelming response.
“We received over one thousand applications and will be completing 94 interviews for our four slots,” said Program Director Dr. Kenneth Hemba. “We’re happy with the response of the number of applicants. We know the Program will not only expand access to care but also builds a sustainable pipeline of highly competent providers committed to health access and long-term impact.”
Affinia will continue WIC services
Affinia Healthcare announced it has signed a contract extension with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to continue providing Women, Infants and Children (WIC) services for federal fiscal year 2026.
WIC is a supplemental nutrition program serving pregnant women, new mothers, infants and children up to their 5th birthday who meet income and nutritional risk guidelines. To qualify, applicants must have income less than or equal to 185% of the federal poverty level and be at nutritional risk. Migrant families are also eligible.
Primary services include supplemental food, risk assessment, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding promotion and support, health screening and referrals to health care.
WIC food packages are chosen to provide foods high in protein, iron, calcium and vitamins A and C. Eligible women and children receive fortified milk and cheese, eggs, whole grain bread products, cereal, 100% fruit juice and fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables.
The program encourages breastfeeding and provides breastfeeding support, baby foods and infant cereal. For women who cannot or choose not to breastfeed, infants may receive supplemental iron-fortified formula. Participants use eWIC cards to obtain approved items at participating grocery stores and pharmacies.
Studies show that pregnant women who enroll in WIC early have fewer low-birthweight babies, experience fewer infant deaths, begin prenatal care earlier and eat healthier.
WIC is administered in St. Louis by Affinia Healthcare. For more information or to apply, contact Affinia Healthcare WIC at 314-898-1701 or email WICinfo@affiniahealthcare.org.
Clinic locations and hours:
• 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
1717 Biddle St., St. Louis, 63106
• 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
3930 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 63118
• 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
2220 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 63104
• 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
4414 N. Florissant, St. Louis, 63107• 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
5471 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, St. Louis 63112