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I hope this message finds you well. As we continue our shared work to protect and promote the health of Missourians, I want to thank you for your ongoing collaboration and commitment. In this update, you’ll find a few examples of great work occurring in the department and some special events highlighted.
Thank a Nurse
National Nurses Day was May 6, kicking off a weeklong recognition of our nurses. This is especially meaningful to me, a nurse. Nursing has been a pathway for me to not only provide care to patients in acute and post-acute setting, but to use the care and critical thinking skills developed through my professional choosing to work in other settings and tackle big issues impacting the health of the people of our state. I cannot think of a more rewarding and meaningful career path. That’s not to say there aren’t challenges and critical issues that must change. For example, violence in the workplace is unacceptable. It’s an issue impacting health care providers, especially nurses, and deserves our collective attention. Additionally, school nurses were celebrated May 7. The department provides resources and support to over 500 school nurses across the state.
Celebrating our Hospitals
As Nurses Week comes to an end today, we begin the celebration of National Hospital Week. Hospitals are a vital piece of our health care ecosystem. The blue “H” is an unmistakable symbol of the highest level of heath care in an area. Please join me in showing support to all health care workers, support staff and administrators who work tirelessly to ensure 24/7 access to care.
Aging is so cool, everyone is doing it.
May is Older Americans Month. The 2025 theme is Flip the Script on Aging, which focuses on transforming how society perceives, talks about, and approaches aging. Included in the recognition was a Senior Resource Fair held at Capital Mall in Jefferson City on May 7 and the ask of all of us to spend time with an older individual and encourage storytelling. I am especially looking forward to the Missouri State Senior Games being held in Columbia June 5-8. I am looking forward to volunteering and experiencing the vitality that our seniors bring to our communities.
Focus on Rural Health
I also wanted to take the opportunity to highlight rural health. The department is the designated State Office of Rural Health. Rural health is not defined as a location or facility type or is solely based around medical diagnosis and intervention. Rural health is the outcome of how well our state addresses environmental health, access to medical care and community resources, injury prevention, food and nutrition, chronic disease prevention and response efforts and child, maternal, and family health. According to the Missouri Census Data Center, 97.4% of the land area in the state of Missouri is classified as rural (per the 2000 Census). But only 30.6% of the population is classified as living in rural areas. Thus, almost 70% of the population of the state lives in about 2.6% of the land. Having an adequate workforce in rural areas is critical to addressing the health of rural Missourians. The department’s Office of Rural Health and Primary Care recently hosted the first Graduate Medical Education Summit. In 2023, the Missouri General Assembly established section 191.592, RSMo, thereby creating the Medical Residency Grant Program. The program’s objective is to increase the number of Missouri-accredited residency positions and fully trained Missouri physicians in the shortage areas of family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and psychiatry, thereby improving and expanding access to health care in Missouri. The summit was an inspiring two days of learning, networking and strategy-building for leaders in graduate medical education (GME) and health care. The summit included sessions on strategies to grow rural residency programs, models of innovation and opportunities for Missouri GME programs, program funding and available funding opportunities, and the federal and state GME legislative landscape. Of course, it would not have been possible without our external stakeholders like Missouri Hospital Association, Missouri Primary Care Association, the Department of Mental Health, MO HealthNet, physician associations, GME programs and others.
Measles is in Missouri
I also want to recognize and thank the department’s communicable disease and laboratory colleagues and local public health agencies who have collaborated on the recent confirmed measles cases and exposures in our state. Their collective and collaborative work makes a difference for all of us. Information can be found at Health.Mo.Gov/Measles.
Federal Funding Cuts
Finally, it’s important that we not lose sight of the enormous challenges the department and local public health agencies are facing with potential federal funding cuts. When I started at the department a few months ago, I reinforced the importance of great customer service and being responsive to taxpayers and partners. I also expressed the importance of being efficient in the delivery of our services and focusing on health promotion and disease prevention. I didn’t know that the need to address all these areas would need to occur in the expedited manner we are facing today. The proposed presidential discretionary budget published on May 2 appears to be consistent with the information communicated in the previous Director’s Message that was based on the leaked budget document. Department leaders continue to evaluate and prepare for a changing reality by creating and communicating impact statements, prioritizing work, streamlining process, reducing duplication, and looking for crosscutting collaborations. We will experience a lot of change internally and externally. Change can be invigorating and a time of growth and renewal, but a lot of change can result in uncertainty, anxiety and worry. Please keep asking questions and bringing ideas for collaboration that would improve health efforts. Communication is key to learning, understanding and accepting.
Thank you for your continued partnership in public health and health care of Missouri.
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