Transforming Health through Education

Academic health systems are unique settings that provide patients with access to the latest treatments and technologies while training the next generation of health care professionals, including physicians, researchers, nurses, and allied health workers. When education, research, and clinical care are integrated, patient outcomes improve alongside the health of the community. In the St. Louis region, this integration happens across the campuses of BJC HealthCare in partnership with Washington University School of Medicine. Collaboration of this magnitude is made possible by philanthropic support from generous donors to The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Through funding for endowed chair positions, nursing scholarships, continued education, and mentorship opportunities for the next generation, donors help enrich lives, save lives, and transform health care for the local community and the world.

Lifelong Learning Advances Care and Discoveries

Medical students, residents, fellows, and nursing students at BJC receive hands-on training under the mentorship of experienced faculty, who are often leaders in their respective fields. Through continuing education courses, lectures, and seminars made available through donor-funded grants from the Foundation, even established physicians and staff remain up to date on the leading-edge techniques and novel treatments used in their specialties. This year’s Congestive Heart Failure Update course was relevant to primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, critical care specialists, and pharmacists, in addition to cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and cardiology nurses. In lecture format, the course covered current guidelines from major cardiology organizations and included case presentations and panel discussions with the goal of increasing caregiver knowledge to advance care for cardiac patients.

The continuous pursuit of extraordinary care at BJC directly benefits patients, many of whom visit these facilities for complex or rare conditions that require specialized expertise. Teaching hospitals like Barnes-Jewish Hospital are often the first to develop, adopt, and refine groundbreaking technologies and treatment protocols, ensuring that patients receive the most advanced care available. Moreover, because many Washington University physicians are research scientists, patients have access to clinical trials that offer promising new treatments not yet available elsewhere. This dual role of providing advanced care while increasing medical knowledge creates a dynamic environment where improved patient outcomes and scientific discovery go hand-in-hand.

An Investment in Nurses Is an Investment in Patient Care

At BJC, we know well-trained nurses are vital throughout a patient’s health journey, and with the help of generous donors, we support them every step of their journeys too—from nursing school to rewarding careers and every step in between. Through generous support for scholarships at Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing and continuing education and specialized training for experienced nurses, donors to the Foundation remove financial barriers and address hardship so that students and nurses have the opportunity to pursue and advance in their nursing careers regardless of their circumstances.

Students at the College gain hands-on training through innovative learning techniques in lab settings using state-of-the-art technology simulations and go on to work alongside experienced BJC nurses throughout their clinical experiences. Meanwhile, those experienced nurses have access to continuing education opportunities and can receive specialized training relevant to their roles, such as advanced instruction for transplant nurses, without financial strain thanks to donor support. Investing in our nurses and training the next generation is essential for increasing staff knowledge and developing the pipeline of nurses necessary to maintain the extraordinary standards of care that patients deserve and have come to expect at BJC.

Endowed Chairs Attract Talent and Fuel Innovation

Endowed chairs, among the highest of honors bestowed upon physicians, faculty and researcher scientists, giving the chair holder the ability to pursue groundbreaking work that helps them develop better treatments and technology. These prestigious positions are funded through endowments at the Foundation that allow physicians to dedicate time to research while continuing their clinical practices. Endowed chairs provide the financial stability to pursue ambitious projects that can transform health care and play crucial roles in attracting and retaining top talent in academic medicine. They provide recognition and resources that enable institutions to recruit leading experts in various fields.

Endowed chair holders are often individuals who have distinguished themselves in an area of medicine, through accomplishments in research, clinical activity, or academic endeavors and are spending at least 50 percent of their time in hospital clinical activities. Many are at the forefront of medical discovery, exploring new treatments, developing innovative technologies, and conducting translational research that bridges the gap between laboratory findings and clinical applications. This holds true for Stephanie M. Perkins, MD, an accomplished expert in pediatric and proton radiation, who has been named the S. Lee Kling Endowed Chair in Radiation Oncology at the Foundation.

When prominent St. Louis philanthropist, civic leader, and former chairperson of the Foundation board S. Lee Kling was diagnosed with tumors in his eye, he was forced to travel coast-to-coast for the surgery and the proton treatment he needed. Kling mobilized 200 friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and community members to make a transformative gift to the Foundation to bring proton therapy to St. Louis. Through his dedication, the S. Lee Kling Proton Therapy Center opened in December 2013, and the endowed chair was established so that physician-scientists like Dr. Perkins could continue to advance proton therapy. As director of the S. Lee Kling Proton Therapy Center at Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University over the last three years, Dr. Perkins’ exemplary leadership has cemented her position as a national leader in her field.

First-Hand Experience Fast-Tracks Careers

For high school students, undergraduates, and lifelong learners, opportunities to work alongside physicians and research scientists allow them to contribute to meaningful research, develop valuable skills, and expand their professional networks. Through the help of generous donors, the Foundation is proud to support experiential learning programs through partners like Washington University, Siteman Cancer Center, and more.

Notable initiatives include the Marc U-STAR program, which is a 2-year research-based honors program for junior and senior undergraduates from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the biomedical science field and is designed to prepare them for doctoral programs. Another is the Leah Menshouse Springer Summer Opportunities Program, which offers students 10 weeks of hands-on cancer research experience with a faculty mentor, as well as stipends for their work. Additionally, the BESt Healthcare Institute and Young Scientist Program provide high school students with immersive summer experiences, exposing them to health care careers and research experience while helping to build a pipeline of diverse future leaders in STEM fields and preparing them for the college application process.

If you’re interested in making a gift to support education opportunities for students and professionals across BJC HealthCare, please contact [email protected].