Attorney General's News Release

December 26, 2006

Attorney General names seven new members to advisory committee for Missouri Foundation for Health

Jefferson City, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon has appointed seven new members to the community advisory committee for the state's largest health-care foundation, the Missouri Foundation for Health. The foundation was formed in 2000 through an agreement between Nixon and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri to resolve a lawsuit over the proposed conversion of non-profit assets to for-profit assets. Nixon's agreement resulted in an endowment of more than $1 billion for the foundation, which serves 84 Missouri counties and the city of St. Louis.

The 13 members of the community advisory committee represent the different regions of Missouri served by the foundation. The committee holds public forums around the state to obtain input on unmet community healthcare needs, produces reports on the effectiveness of the foundation and its grants, and screens candidates for the foundation's 15-member board of directors.

To serve a three-year term, Nixon appointed:

• Edward D. "Chip" Robertson Jr. of Jefferson City, a former chief judge of the Missouri Supreme Court and currently a partner at the law firm of Bartimus, Frickleton, Robertson and Gorny.

Two members were appointed by Nixon to two-year terms:

• Thomas E. May of Boonville, the owner and operator of H.T. May and Sons funeral homes; he is a current member of the Boonville Industrial Development Authority and formerly served on the boards of the Boonslick YMCA, the Cooper County Extension Board and the Harvest House homeless shelter; and
• Tim Swinfard of Columbia, the president and CEO of the Missouri Coalition of Community Mental Health Centers.

Nixon named the following committee members to serve one-year terms:

• Paula Baker, the CEO of Ozark Center in Joplin, which provides mental health and substance abuse treatment;
• Maureen Bressett, a Gainesville pharmacist who has done work in the areas of diabetes and obesity;
• Dr. Jack Magruder of Kirksville, the former president of Truman State University and a former chemistry professor at the university; and
• Mary Beth O'Reilly of Springfield, the founder and chair of Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks.

"I am pleased that these well-qualified men and women have agreed to volunteer their time to be a part of an organization that works to ensure that the healthcare needs of communities across Missouri are met," Nixon said.

The new members of the community advisory committee join current committee members Brenda Battle of St. Louis (two-year term); Cynthia Dean of Sikeston (three-year term); Kay Griffin of Morley (three-year term); Edward Kennedy of Marceline (two-year term); Daniel "Duke" McVey of Jefferson City (three-year term); and Dennis Tesreau of Hillsboro (three-year term).

The stated mission of the Missouri Foundation for Health is to "empower the people of the communities we serve to achieve equal access to quality health services that promote prevention and encourage health behaviors." The foundation helps develop and fund programs through grants to eligible organizations in the region it serves. Since its first grants were awarded in 2002, the Missouri Foundation for Health has made more than $180 million in grants.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818