August 2, 2007
Contact: Bev Pfeifer-Harms
Director of Communications
314.345.5500 office

MFH Announces Gragg As New Vice President of Program

North Central Missourian To Oversee Foundation's Grant Efforts

St. Louis - The Missouri Foundation of Health (MFH) has announced Martha Gragg, RN, MSN, ACHE, of Milan, Missouri, as its new Vice President of Program. She assumes her new position on September 4. Gragg has been involved with MFH since 2000, first as a charter member of its Board of Directors and then its chairman in 2005. Currently, she is Chief Executive Officer of Sullivan County Memorial Hospital, in Milan.

At MFH, Gragg will be responsible for about $50 million of the foundation's annual grantmaking efforts. MFH currently funds three long-range, multi-year initiatives that focus on tobacco prevention/cessation, obesity and healthy activities, and access to health care in rural areas and small cities. MFH also funds efforts in four priority areas - oral health, co-occurring disorders, chronic care management and health literacy.

Established in 2000, MFH is the largest non-governmental funder of community health activities in Missouri. In its sixth year of grantmaking, MFH has issued more than $230 million in grants and awards to date. It is dedicated to serving the uninsured, underinsured and underserved in 84 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis.

"We are pleased that Gragg is again sharing her expertise and commitment to improving the health of Missourians by joining MFH as a key member of our staff," said James R. Kimmey, MD, president and chief executive officer at MFH. "As a long-time health professional in rural Missouri, she understands the challenges that many communities face in improving access to quality health care. Her insight will enable MFH to continue its efforts to fund vital community-based nonprofits in our service region and develop new strategies to tackle health issues that affect our state."

Gragg has served in her present position at Sullivan County Memorial Hospital since 1997, and began her career at the same hospital as an intensive care unit supervisor and staff nurse. Her experience also includes work at Kirksville Osteopathic Medical Center in Kirksville, as the quality improvement/risk management director, site coordinator for telecommunication and distance learning with the University of Missouri-Columbia's School of Nursing, a nurse consultant, and several positions at Humana Hospital in Overland Park, Kansas.

She also currently serves on the boards of Nonprofit Services Consortium and Missouri Hospital Association, and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and Sigma Theta Tau.
Gragg received her bachelor of science in nursing from Truman State University, and her master's in nursing with an emphasis in administration from University of Missouri-Kansas City.

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