FOR RELEASE January 4, 2005
Contact: Heather McClurg
Director of Communications
314.345.5500 office

Missouri Foundation for Health Welcomes New Board Member

Four incumbents also re-elected to new terms

St. Louis, January 4 - The Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) has announced a new member to its board of directors. Perdita Jay Fisher, DMD, a dentist from St. Louis, will join re-elected incumbents J. David Auner, M.D., Ironton, Mo., Mary "Mikki" Brewster, MSW, St. Louis, Rory Ellinger, JD, St. Louis and Gertrude Scott, RN, MSN, CPNP, Springfield, in serving on the board through the end of 2007.

Perdita Jay Fisher, DMD - St. Louis, Mo.
Dr. Fisher has provided dental care to underserved patients for more than 22 years and is interested in programs that stress education and disease prevention. She has worked with and served on the boards of several organizations including Divinity Inc. and Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Center. Dr. Fisher also has experience in military medicine as she was a member of the U. S. Army Reserves for ten years. She has given many lectures and presentations on the importance of nutrition and dental health.

J. David Auner, M.D. - Ironton, Mo.
Dr. Auner is a physician with Big Springs Medical Association in Iron and Reynolds Counties. In addition to serving on the MFH board, he is also secretary of the Mineral Area Medical Society and a member of the Academy of Family Physicians, Missouri State Medical Association and the American Medical Association.

Mary "Mikki" Brewster, MSW - St. Louis, Mo.
Ms. Brewster is a past chairperson of the MFH board and has experience as a practical nurse and as a volunteer for many health-related organizations throughout the St. Louis area. She was also elected to the St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees where she served as president of the board in 1995.

Rory Ellinger, JD - St. Louis, Mo.
Mr. Ellinger is an attorney and has served on several Foundation committees including the audit committee, the nomination committee and the bylaws committee. He is a founding member of the Missouri Association for Social Welfare and a longtime advocate for civil and social justice.

Gertrude Scott, RN, MSN, CPNP - Springfield, Mo.
Ms. Scott is a pediatric nurse practitioner with CoxHealth in Springfield, Missouri. She directs the activities of a children's mobile clinic that provides health care to uninsured/underinsured children. She has received numerous awards for her community service including the 2003 Medical Hero award for her work with the American Red Cross.

Established in January of 2000 through the for-profit conversion of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri, MFH is the largest health care foundation in the state and the second largest health conversion foundation in the country. Its vision is to improve the health of the people in the communities it serves. The Foundation is in its second year of grantmaking throughout its service area - 84 Missouri counties and the city of St. Louis. Current assets are approximately $1 billion.

For additional information regarding MFH, call (314) 345-5500, (800) 655-5560 or visit the Web site at www.mffh.org.

# # #

View other releases.