First black Chaplain of Senate to speak here Chaplain Barry Black hosted by New Horizon and New Sunny Mount
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CAC Audited FEBRUARY 6 – 12, 2014
Kelvin Westbrook, president and CEO of the consulting firm KRW Advisors, is the first AfricanAmerican or minority to chair BJC HealthCare’s Board of Trustees.
Vol. 84 No. 44 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
BJC appoints first black board chair Kelvin Westbrook now oversees region’s largest employer By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American In the late 1990s, entrepreneur Kelvin Westbrook met developer Paul McKee Jr., and soon thereafter they had a long conversation about health care access and inequities. At the time, Westbrook and his family had just moved to St. Louis from New York and were trying to find some
meaningful volunteer opportunities. McKee was chair of BJC HealthCare’s Board of Trustees and was looking for a fresh look at the challenges facing Christian Hospital. Both Westbrook and his wife, Valerie Bell, are Harvard Law School graduates. “I’m fairly creative in my approach to finding solutions,”
See BJC, A7
MCU warns of ‘educational ghetto’ Metropolitan Congregations United criticizes plan for troubled districts By Dale Singer
Photo by Wiley Price
Clearing the path
A report from a coalition of church groups in St. Louis says a plan commissioned by the Missouri state board of education to help struggling school districts could result in “an educational ghetto.” Instead of the plan presented earlier in January by the outside consultant CEE-Trust, a group known as Metropolitan Congregations United for St. Louis wants to give more local control to school districts. It also wants to focus on school culture, curriculum and staffing and provide so-called wrap-around services for students who do not get proper support at home. Presenting the report Jan. 30 at the Ferguson Public Library, Carolyn Randazzo, who chairs the group’s education task force, said that the conclusions and recommendations of the CEETrust plan are not supported by the evidence. “Their reforms are not backed by credible
Darren Brewster cleared snow off residential sidewalks near Bell and North Theresa avenues yesterday morning after snow blanketed the region on Tuesday, resulting in widespread school closings and cancellations of meetings and events.
See MCU, A6
Sebelius pushes for Medicaid expansion Health and Human Services secretary says state loses $5M per day By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American The push is on to get as many residents as possible signed up for health insurance coverage before the March 31 federal deadline. As part of that drive, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius paid a brief visit to the Grace Hill Health Center Water Tower site in North St. Louis on Friday. “About 16 percent of Missourians are uninsured and eligible for health care with the
n “But to put it in very practical terms, every day Missouri loses $5 million of federal funding.”
– U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
new law – about 800,000 folks,” Sebelius said. In the St. Louis city region, she said, there are about
227,000 eligible residents – and 94 percent of those people are eligible for financial assistance. “That comes with a small caveat,” she said – namely, Medicaid expansion in Missouri. “Governor Nixon has supported Medicaid expansion. So far, the Missouri Legislature hasn’t moved,” Sebelius said. “But to put it in very practical terms, every day Missouri loses $5 million of federal funding. That’s how much money would come into the See SEBELIUS, A7
Photo by Wiley Price
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius