With a vowed quest for her organization to help eliminate the healthcare divide in the region, Riisa Rawlins has been named St. Louis Regional Health Commission (RHC) CEO.
Rawlins served as interim CEO since November 1, 2023, for the organization that was founded in 2001 following closure of St. Louis Regional Medical Center. It was the region’s last public hospital.
“I can think of no greater vocation than to advance an equity centered, trauma informed approach into a community and systems partnership framework dedicated to achieving zero health disparities,” Rawlins said in a release.
“I am extremely grateful for the numerous partnerships across systems and in community that have inspired me to embrace collaboration over duplication or competition.”
In February of 2023, the RHC and Alive and Well Communities (AWC) announced an affiliation to advance health equity across the State of Missouri and beyond.
The combined efforts of RHC and AWC are dedicated to improving healthcare access, experience and outcomes for residents across Missouri, with a focus on equity-centered trauma-informed care, according to Dr. Sheila Grigsby, who now serves as RHV board chair as serves as an associate professor at the University of Missouri—St. Louis College of Nursing.
“I believe wholeheartedly in the vision of the RHC to provide health care for the underserved,” said Grigsby, a public health professional, researcher and nurse educator for over 20 years.
“I look forward to continuing the legacy of the great work that the RHC has shepherded over the past 20 years.”
She added “the RHC is in the right hands under [Rawlins’] leadership.”
Rawlins, who also has over 20 years of professional experience in healthcare and mental health environments, holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Loyola University and master’s degree in social work from the Brown School at WUSTL where she was a Bettie Schroth Johnson Women in Leadership scholar.
She is pursuing her PhD in Political Science at the University of Missouri – St. Louis.
Rawlins joined the RHC in June of 2020 and served as chief operations and strategy officer before being named interim CEO.
In the previous role she fostered community and health system partnerships, developed and institutionalized power-sharing frameworks, coordinated the day-to-day management of operations, managed staff and associated contractors, and supported the work of volunteer stakeholder bodies.
“Alongside Dr. Grigsby, a longtime champion of community voice in healthcare, I look forward to deepening collaboration with our current and future systems and community partners in St. Louis, the Bootheel, Kansas City and beyond,” said Rawlins.
Rawlins recently delivered the keynote address during the University of Missouri -St. Louis Women Trailblazers Awards, and also presented the commencement speech for UMSL’s Fall graduation in December.
The RHC has adopted a new strategic plan that integrates the efforts of Alive & Well Communities. This plan aims to facilitate systems-level change, guided by community members who are experiencing unjust health outcomes.
According to its website, RHC “knows that all communities experience harm from trauma, and those exposed to the trauma of racism are at higher risk of unjust health outcomes.”
The merger between the Regional Health Commission and Alive & Well Communities implements a statewide strategy of bringing together cross-sector stakeholders and community members around a common goal of building healthy, healed communities.
The organization “believes it is possible to facilitate co-creation between impacted community members and our state’s institutions to change the conditions in our state that lead to early death and to facilitate healing from the trauma of injustice.”
RHC signed on to a letter to the state legislature in opposition of proposed bills that would limiting the ability of public and private organizations to conduct training or implement initiatives focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
It also submitted public comment in support of proposed rule 13 CSR 70-25.160 Doula Services, which would establish the Department of Social Services’ MO HealthNet Division guidelines regarding coverage and reimbursement for community doula services.
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