Pathway to Health Initiative To Assist Ferguson and surrounding North County Residents
St. Louis, MO – The Salvation Army of St. Louis and Christian Hospital have received a three-year $1 million grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health that will bring better health into north St. Louis County.

“Pathway to Health is an expansion of our current operations inside the Ferguson Community Empowerment Center,” says Dan Jennings, The Salvation Army’s Bi-State CEO. “We will now be able to assist families and individuals in Ferguson and surrounding zip codes who are experiencing poverty and barriers to physical wellness.”

Data shows for Ferguson and neighboring municipalities that nearly half of Christian Hospital’s emergency department visits are non-emergent or emergent-avoidable. North St. Louis County comprises The Salvation Army of St. Louis’ highest service in the region for emergency social services. The intersecting needs of North County residents led The Salvation Army and Christian Hospital to work together around a common goal of economic and physical wellness.

“Christian Hospital and The Salvation Army have partnered to create holistic sustainable change by not only addressing the community’s health challenges but also the social determinants of health that lead to poor health outcomes, especially for African Americans,” says Rick Stevens, Christian Hospital president. “The Pathway to Health initiative will address the lack of access to affordable care, the need for increased health knowledge, and chronic condition management for African Americans and others, while also working to eliminate socio-economic barriers.”

Funding for this project was provided in whole by Missouri Foundation for Health. The Foundation is a resource for the region, working with communities and nonprofits to generate and accelerate positive changes in health. As a catalyst for change, the Foundation improves the health of Missourians through a combination of partnership, experience, knowledge, and funding.

The Ferguson Community Empowerment Center, co-owned by The Salvation Army and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, 9420 West Florissant Ave., will be the team setting where Pathway to Health will operate and coordinate. Patients who are at Christian Hospital’s emergency department for non-emergent or avoidable visits will be referred to The Salvation Army case managers in Ferguson. Christian Hospital will provide community health workers and a preventive health educator at the Ferguson Community Empowerment Center to engage in wellness activities with residents in Ferguson and surrounding neighborhoods.

The Pathway to Health Program will be a component of the long-term case management of Pathway of Hope, an approach that assists families in overcoming the root causes of barriers that perpetuate the cycle of crisis and vulnerability that keep them in poverty.

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About The Salvation Army of St. Louis:

The Salvation Army has been working to better combat poverty and assist those imprisoned by it. From developing a deeper understanding of the epidemic to identifying locations and population segments with the greatest need, The Salvation Army is pushing forward on all fronts and meets human needs without discrimination.

About Christian Hospital:

Christian Hospital is a 220-staffed-bed community hospital located in north St. Louis County and a founding member of BJC HealthCare, one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States. Located six miles west of Christian Hospital is Northwest HealthCare, which offers the community 24-hour emergency care and a variety of outpatient services to complement hospital services. With both locations, Christian Hospital operates the busiest emergency department in Missouri and also has the second-largest hospital-based ambulance service in the state.