BJC HealthCare and The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis created the BJC Scholars Fund in response to the Ferguson Commission and For the Sake of All report, which outline the critical correlation between higher education, better health outcomes and greater longevity. Scholarships provide deserving students with the ability to afford higher education which serves as a catalyst for productive change for individuals, families, and communities.

When Hannah Verkamp, 26, of Rolla, Mo., gave birth to her first baby nearly seven years ago, it wasn’t exactly the experience she hoped it would be. First, she didn’t have a good connection with her Ob/Gyn. She also developed preeclampsia – a prenatal complication marked by high blood pressure – which forced her to deliver her son early at just 36 weeks. So, when she learned she was expecting her second baby, Verkamp decided to go another route: she wanted to find a new Ob/Gyn and hospital.