Organization History

2001

  • The Board of Directors hires Dr. James R. Kimmey as the first President and Chief Executive Officer of MFH.

2002

  • MFH awards its first round of grants, totaling more than $9.6 million, to nearly 80 health-focused nonprofits.

2003

  • In just one year of funding, MFH distributes more than $32.5 million in grants.
  • MFH hosts its first annual Health Summit, addressing health disparities.

2004

  • MFH launches a $40 million, nine-year Tobacco Prevention & Cessation Initiative.

2005

  • MFH hosts its second Health Summit, entitled "Weighing in on Children's Obesity: Strategies That Work."
  • MFH launches its Healthy & Active Communities Initiative, aimed at combating obesity.

2006

  • New funding efforts target dental sealants for children, self-management of diabetes, health literacy and co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders.
  • MFH hosts its third Health Summit, addressing access to health care for people living in rural areas.
  • MFH's total for grantmaking since 2002 tops $200 million.

2007

  • MFH's largest single grant to date - $11 million - enables 30,000 girls and women to receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
  • MFH hosts its fourth Health Summit, titled "The Intersection of Health and Business."
  • MFH funds $13.1 million in improvements to 84 Missouri health departments.
  • MFH awards $4.75 million grant to fund the 2-1-1 program.

2008

  • The 2008 Health Summit, along with a new funding effort, focuses on preventing violence against women.
  • MFH launches Cover Missouri, a project whose goal is to provide Missouri policymakers with specific options to increase the number of Missourians with quality, affordable health insurance coverage.
  • A county-level study funded by MFH reveals a majority of Missouri smokers want to quit and almost 56 percent support local laws prohibiting smoking indoors. The survey is the first-ever comprehensive county-level study of tobacco use and related health problems in Missouri counties.

2009

  • MFH releases two publications that detail the health disparities of Missouri's African-American and Hispanic populations in comparison to the white population. Areas examined include socioeconomic factors, maternal and child health, communicable diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, injuries treated in hospitals, emergency room visits and deaths.
  • The 2009 Health Summit focuses on health care workforce development and retention.