BJC Media Coverage Recap: April 2026

April 2026 

See below for the latest news coverage and stories from April 2026.

• Becker's Hospital Review: BJC Executives: Key Questions Shaping Value-Based Care Strategy - Scott Hawig, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Dr. Christopher Miller, executive vice president and chief clinical officer; and J.C. McWilliams, senior vice president and chief managed care officer of BJC Health
• Becker's Hospital Review: 121 Best Healthcare Employers for Culture: Forbes
• Becker's Hospital Review: Great Leaders in Healthcare 2026
• Becker's Hospital Review: 35 Health Systems With Strong Finances

Transplant / Donate Life Month

• KMOV: Health Alert: Organ Donation Gives Local Man a Second Chance at Life - Dr. Joel Schilling, a WashU cardiologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital
• FanDuel Midwest Sports: April is Donate Life Month - Jason Wellen, a WashU Medicine transplant surgeon at Barnes-Jewish Hospital
• KTVI: Donate Life Month - Heather Wertin, senior program manager of transplant quality at Barnes-Jewish Hospital

BJC News and Patient Stories

• Living Liver Program Offers More Paths to Transplant - Dr. Lindsay Meurer, a WashU Medicine gastroenterologist and hepatologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital
• Giving While Living: Fast Facts About Living Organ Donors
• Facts About Registering to Become an Organ Donor—And Why What You’ve Heard Might Be Wrong

Behavioral Health 

• KTVI: Severe Storms Can Affect Mental and Emotional Health - Marcus Hurt, supervisor with BJC Behavioral Health 
• KTRS: Addressing Anxiety Around Severe Storms - Marcus Hurt, supervisor with BJC Behavioral Health 
• Spectrum News: Storm-Related Anxiety - Marcus Hurt, supervisor with BJC Behavioral Health 
• KSDK: Storm-Related Anxiety - Marcus Hurt, supervisor with BJC Behavioral Health

Pediatrics

• KMOV: St. Louis Children's Hospital Unveils New Child Life Zone - Julie Schwarz, child life manager at St. Louis Children’s Hospital 
• KSDK: St. Louis Children’s Hospital Unveils Renovations - Julie Schwarz, child life manager at St. Louis Children’s Hospital 
• Healthcare Design Magazine: St. Louis Children’s Hospital Unveils New Child Life Zone In Missouri
• AOL: St. Louis Children’s Hospital Unveils Child Life Zone for Kids - Julie Schwarz, child life manager at St. Louis Children’s Hospital 
• Yahoo: St. Louis Children’s Hospital Unveils Child Life Zone for Kids - Julie Schwarz, child life manager at St. Louis Children’s Hospital
• KTVI: New Child Life Zone at St. Louis Children's Hospital Opens Today - Julie Schwarz, child life manager at St. Louis Children’s Hospital 
• Straight Arrow News: E-Bikes Are on the Rise, and They’re Spiking Brain Injuries at Hospitals - Dr. Lindsay Clukies, a WashU pediatric emergency medicine specialist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital
• KMOV: Discounted Bike Helmet Sale at St. Louis Children’s Hospital Begins Today

Heart and Vascular

• Utah Public Radio: Health Experts Have New Advice on How To Manage Your Cholesterol Levels - Dr. Mark Huffman, a WashU Medicine cardiologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital
• KMOV: National Exercise Day - Dr. Mark Huffman, a WashU medicine cardiologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital

BJC News and Patient Stories

• Four Surgeries. One Strong Heart: Amy’s Journey with Congenital Heart Disease - Dr. Lalithkumar Chouhan, cardiologist with St. Louis Cardiology Consultants at Alton Memorial Hospital
• Finding Relief from Phantom Limb Pain with Spinal Cord Stimulation - Dr. Alexander Chamessian, pain management specialist at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital

Goldfarb School of Nursing

• KMOV: Mother-Daughter Duo Follow Dreams by Going to Nursing School Together - Tynai’ and Tywana Burrow, students at the Goldfarb School of Nursing
• RiverBender: Nontraditional Nursing Students Get Support in St. Louis - Dr. Angela Clark president of Goldfarb School of Nursing

Neurology
BJC News and Patient Stories

• Stroke: A Complete Guide to Understanding, Assessing Risk, and Preventing Stroke

Orthopedics 

BJC News and Patient Stories

• Preventing Pickleball Pitfalls: Five Tips to Keep You on the Court 
• Getting Back on Your Feet: New Advances in Total Ankle Replacement - Dr. Kelly Hynes, a WashU Medicine orthopedic surgeon at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital

Podiatry

• KTUI: Maintaining Foot Health - Dr. Dixie Fox, a podiatrist at Missouri Baptist Sullivan
  Hospital

General

• Belleville News-Democrat: At 95, Pearl Spies Is Still the Force Behind Belleville Hospital Book Bazaar - Pearl Spies, member of Memorial Hospital in Bellville Auxiliary 
• Ed Glenn Today: Belleville Physician Gives Sun Safety Tips - Dr. Angela Harris, a BJC Medical Group family medicine physician at Memorial Hospital in Belleville 
• RiverBender.com: Belleville Physician Gives Sun Safety Tips - Dr. Angela Harris, a BJC Medical Group family medicine physician at Memorial Hospital in Belleville 
• Show Me Mizzou: Equipped With Real-World Training, Mizzou Graduate Launches Career in Nuclear Medicine - Gracie Loepker, nuclear medicine technologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital 
• SNMMI Podcast Series: AI: All Hype, A Source of Hope, or Cause for Hesitation? - Dmitry Beyer, radiology program manager at Barnes-Jewish Hospital 
• St. Louis Business Journal: BJC HealthCare Plans New Outpatient Center in St. Louis County
• KMOV-CBS: BJC Offers Free Gun Locks

Saint Luke’s / West Region News

• Kansas City Business Journal: Saint Luke’s Names New Top Executive for Lee’s Summit, Overland Park Hospitals - Monica Smith, president of Saint Luke’s East Hospital and Saint Luke’s South Hospital 
• Becker’s Hospital Review: Saint Luke’s Taps President for 2 Hospitals - Monica Smith, president of Saint Luke’s East Hospital and Saint Luke’s South Hospital 
• Becker's Hospital Review: 46 Recent Hospital, Health System Executive Moves - Monica Smith, president of Saint Luke’s East Hospital and Saint Luke’s South Hospital 
• Kansas City Business Journal: Meet KCBJ's 2026 NextGen Leaders - Darren Bass, president of Saint Luke's North and Critical Access Region

Saint Luke’s News

• Saint Luke’s Names New President of Saint Luke’s East and South Hospitals - Monica Smith, president of Saint Luke’s East Hospital and Saint Luke’s South Hospital

Transplant / Donate Life Month

• KCTV: Missouri Pastor Reflects on Kidney Transplant During Donate Life Month - Dr. Rachel Tindall, transplant surgeon at Saint Luke’s
• FOX 4: Living Kidney Donation From Stranger Saves Metro Woman's Life - Dr. Rachel Tindall and Dr. Kathryn Shaw, transplant surgeons at Saint Luke’s
• KCTV: April is Donate Life Month - Dr. Matthew Wilkinson, transplant surgeon at Saint Luke’s

Health News You Can Use

• Health News You Can Use: Donate Life Month - Dr. Matthew Wilkinson, transplant surgeon at Saint Luke’s

Saint Luke’s Stories

• Double Transplant Gives Bill a Second Chance - Dr. Andrew Kao, medical director of cardiac transplantation at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute; Dr. John Davis, surgical codirector of Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute; and Dr. Jameson Forster, abdominal transplant surgeon at Saint Luke’s
• A Match Made in Denver: One Kidney Patient’s Transplant Journey
• Kidney Transplant Gives Missouri Pastor a Restful Retirement
• Giving While Living: Fast Facts About Living Organ Donors

Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute

• The New York Times: Tennis vs. Pickleball: What’s a Better Workout? - Dr. James O’Keefe, director of preventive cardiology at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute
  • Head Topics: Tennis vs Pickleball: A Growing Sports Rivalry and Health Comparison - Dr. James O’Keefe, director of preventive cardiology at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute

  • Business Today: The Racket Sports Debate: Which Sport Is Healthier, Tennis Or Pickleball? - Dr. James O’Keefe, director of preventive cardiology at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute

     

• Cardiac Interventions Today: How Has the Heart Team Concept Evolved, and What’s Next? - Dr. Adnan Chhatriwalla, medical director of structural intervention Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute
• MDLinx: 5 Sports Scientifically Proven To Help You Live Longer - Dr. James O’Keefe, director of preventive cardiology at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute

Saint Luke’s Stories

• Breakthrough Pain Therapy Transforms Local Woman’s Life - Dr. Dany Jacob, interventional cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, and Dr. Mark Bilezikjian, pain medicine specialist at Saint Luke's Pain Management Clinic

Women’s

• FOX 4: Infertility Awareness Week - Dr. Cicy Li, OB-GYN at Saint Luke's Women's Health North

Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute 

Saint Luke’s Stories

• KC Waitress Served Kansas City’s Biggest Givers. After Her Brain Tumor, Their Gift Served Her. - Dr. Tarek El Ahmadieh, neurosurgeon at Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute

Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute 

Saint Luke’s Stories

• Jimmie Chooses Quality and Quantity After Stage IV Colon Cancer - Dr. Marc Roth, medical director of gastrointestinal oncology at Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute, and Dr. Matthew Wilkinson, transplant surgeon at Saint Luke's

Critical Access Region 

Saint Luke’s News

• Tuesday Robb Named Hedrick Medical Center Employee of the Quarter–First Quarter 2025 - Tuesday Robb, medical office specialist in Radiology at Hedrick Medical Center
• Kristen Price named Wright Memorial Hospital’s Employee of the Quarter–First Quarter 2025 - Kristen Price, house supervisor at Wright Memorial Hospital
• Volunteers: Honoring the Heart of our Hospital - Sharon Utley, president of Allen County Regional Hospital Auxiliary
• Restored Through Release: Physical Therapy Helps Tina Find Relief - Rae Fee, physical therapy assistant at Hedrick Medical Center Outpatient Rehabilitation

General

• Noozhawk: Virtual Nursing: A Brave New World - Jennifer Ball, director of virtual care at Saint Luke’s