Dear Friends,

At Missouri Foundation for Health, we believe we can catalyze change toward a healthier Missouri in which all people have affordable health insurance coverage; every resident has access to high-quality care; inequities in health disappear; and every community provides a social economic, and physical environment that offers opportunities to thrive and promotes health and well-being for all. We definitely have our work cut out for us, but as you will see from this annual report, we’re up for the challenge.

As an organization striving to achieve long-term systems change, we are proud to focus on improving access to care, prioritizing equity, elevating diverse perspectives, and working across sectors for a healthier Missouri. While we continue to address issues across multiple levels in our ecosystem, we are committed to shifting the conditions that hold a problem in place, which ensures built-in sustainability around our strategic investments. Aligned with our strategy, the Foundation has continued to refine how we work, increasing our effectiveness in using various changemaking tools so that the work we’re taking on is truly making a difference in the lives of Missouri individuals and families.

2019 was a productive year for MFH. We positioned ourselves at the forefront of several exciting initiatives taking place throughout Missouri. These efforts include statewide leadership with the kickoff of our Census 2020 campaign. The Foundation’s messaging – developed and launched last year – was adopted by entities across the state, including the Missouri Complete Count Committee. MFH also supported grassroots efforts across the state, increasing assurance that hard-to-count Missourians participate in this critical activity. Through the Foundation’s behavioral health initiative, we’re investing over $5 million in projects that will make systems-level improvements in behavioral health services across the region. Included in this work is a comprehensive system map that will provide the field with a statewide view of system strengths and challenges, paving the way for a collaborative approach to progress. The third year of the Opportunity Fund saw several innovative ideas evolve into solid proposals that became effective projects with positive impacts that promise to improve both near and long-term health outcomes – a few of which are highlighted in this report. We are excited to see all this work and more come to fruition.

Thank you to our passionate and dedicated Board of Directors, Community Advisory Council, partners, grantees, and staff, for helping us stay the course and move the work forward. I hope you enjoy reading about our year and gaining a better understanding of who we are and what we do. We’re proud of it all.

Sincerely,

Bob
MFH President and CEO