Health Protection and Education Service

HPES has won the nationally-recognized Astra-Zeneca Community Health Award. The Health Equity: Community Solutions Challenge supports non-profits that are advancing health equity among underserved US communities through innovative health approaches. HPES has identified businesses to partner with, e.g., international grocers and restaurants, that can provide a space to host a health screening for employees who have barriers to healthcare, including language barriers These establishments are generally in University City, Olivette and and an area known colloquially as Chinatown.  This project addresses the systemic barriers that prevent immigrants from accessing medical care while preventing suffering from treatable conditions.

HPES has pivoted to the No Wrong Door model of care to assure access to health screenings plus resources to address social determinants of health for underserved minorities.  Volunteer physicians provide free consultation following health screening testing, including Lipid Panel cholesterol and A1c.

Medical, pharmacy and dental students volunteer and get training in community medicine.

As part of the No Wrong Door model, medical social workers volunteer to aid with accessing resources for access to healthcare needs.  Our No Wrong Door model includes a medical-legal partnerhship.

Through our Medical-Legal Partnership, HPES clients are provided free legal consultation on-site at health screening events, especially regarding immigration issues which present themselves as barriers immigrants experience and are considered social determinants of health.  A lawyer is available at each screening event to provide a 15-minute consultation at no charge.  If a follow-up office consultation is needed, the lawyer only bills for half the cost of a 2-hour session; and HPES provides the funding to pay for that cost.  The clients owes nothing to the attorney for this first visit.

Along with free health screenings, HPES provides health education to disadvantaged middle school and high school youth.  St. Louis University Medical School students work with at-risk youth and provide face-to-face presentations to youth groups, including Boys and Girls Club of St. Louis.  The presentations include engaging, interactive experiences to enhance the participant level of knowledge relevant to prevention of cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes.  Youth Health Initiative Project YHIP is implemented at summer camps that serve disadvantaged youth in the St. Louis and Ferguson area. 

HPES began a partnership with Washington University Eye Clinic, through the benevolence of the Barnes Jewish Foundation. The Eye Clinic provides free prescription eyewear, including lab testing, lenses and frames to those referred from a HPES screening event. This partnership is valued at $90,000.