The Louis Regional Health Commission (RHC) was established in 2001, following the closure of the last remaining public hospital in St. Louis. This closure created a fiscal crisis that threatened the health care safety net, which provides access to essential health care services for those who face barriers to accessing adequate, timely, affordable and ongoing health services. To address this crisis, Civic Progress, an organization comprised of top corporate executives from St.
Louis, formed a working group to develop a long-term plan to improve access and delivery of health services. In 2002, the RHC partnered with the state of Missouri to implement the “St. Louis Model”, which aimed to close the gap left by the closure of multiple hospitals. This partnership diverted a portion of the state's disproportionately shared funding (DSH) to federally qualified hospitals and health centers, ensuring continued access for low-income and uninsured people in St.
Louis to primary and specialty care. Recognizing several serious health issues in the community and the need for change, several universities and community groups in St. Louis came together to address these issues collectively. The RHC adopted a new strategic plan that builds on its previous successes and has a bold vision of achieving zero health disparities.
This plan calls for facilitating system-level change guided by community members who experience unfair health outcomes. The RHC has also partnered with the Area Wide Coalition (AWC) to expand its reach from St. Louis to Kansas City and southeastern Missouri (“the Bootheel”), where poor health outcomes and health disparities continue to persist for Missourians. Through this collaboration, AWC has been able to provide resources such as education, advocacy, and technical assistance to help improve access to healthcare in these areas. The RHC is also working with IHN (Integrated Health Network) to create health literacy initiatives that will support its mission, focusing on developing recommendations to strengthen communication between providers and patients, improve patient access and navigation through the health system, and build infrastructure to maintain health literacy efforts throughout the region. In addition, SSM Health has become an important partner in improving access to healthcare in St. Louis and beyond.
SSM Health is a healthcare organization with 23 hospitals, more than 300 doctors' offices and other ambulatory and virtual care services, 13 post-acute care centers, comprehensive home care and hospice services, a pharmacy benefits company, a health insurance company and a responsible care organization across central Missouri, Oklahoma and south-central Wisconsin. As a neutral forum for healthcare providers and safety net institutions, IHN maintains an unwavering focus on improving patient health outcomes. The RHC has made great strides in improving access to healthcare in St. Louis since its inception in 2001. Through partnerships with organizations such as AWC and IHN, as well as collaborations with universities and community groups, it has been able to create initiatives that have improved patient access and navigation through the health system while reducing health disparities. The Louis Regional Health Commission is committed to providing quality healthcare services for all Missourians regardless of their financial or social status. Through its partnerships with organizations such as AWC and IHN as well as collaborations with universities and community groups, it has been able to create initiatives that have improved patient access and navigation through the health system while reducing health disparities. The RHC is dedicated to continuing its mission of providing quality healthcare services for all Missourians regardless of their financial or social status.
By working together with organizations such as AWC and IHN as well as universities and community groups, it is possible for the RHC to continue making progress towards achieving zero health disparities.
