SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation and Board of Governors Host Crystal Wagon Awards

Missouri State Senator Eric Schmitt, Missouri State Representatives Sue Allen and Marsha Haefner, Illinois State Representative Jerry Costello II and SSM Health Cardinal Glennon employee Donna Regan are 2016 honorees

2016 Crystal Wagon Award Honorees from SSM Health Cardinal Glennon

Donna Regan, Senator Eric Schmitt, Missouri State Representatives Sue Allen and Marsha Haefner and Illinois State Representative Jerry Costello II

ST. LOUIS, MO (October 14, 2016) – SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation and Board of Governors honored five individuals with their most prestigious award, The Crystal Wagon, on October 11 at the St. Louis Club. This award recognizes individuals who are champions of children’s issues and past winners include Mayor Francis Slay, Senator Roy Blunt, and former Senator and Governor Kit Bond.

Honorees:

Missouri State Senator Eric Schmitt
Senator Schmitt is committed to making health care more accessible and affordable for all Missourians and serves as an advocate for children and adults with special needs and their families. He was key in the passage of House Bill 2238 in 2014, which allows the use of hemp extract to treat certain individuals with intractable epilepsy. SSM Health Cardinal Glennon neurologists have worked closely with his office to ensure these patients have access.

Missouri State Representative Sue Allen
Representative Allen was key in initiating state funding for a pilot program, now known as the Fostering Healthy Children Clinic at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon to help children in foster care by ensuring they receive proper health care services. She was also pivotal in securing funding for the expansion of the cord blood pick-up sites for the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank.

Missouri State Representative Marsha Haefner
Representative Haefner has also been instrumental in securing state funding for the Fostering Healthy Children Clinic and was the legislative champion for adding funding to expand cord blood bank site pickups in the state budget for the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank.

Illinois State Representative Jerry Costello II
Representative Costello is a strong advocate for Illinois pediatric patients and continues to work for the children and families who rely on the Knights of Columbus Developmental Center at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon for autism services.

SSM Health Cardinal Glennon – Donna Regan
Donna is the Director of the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank and Cellular Therapy Laboratory at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon. She routinely influences legislation and public policy on blood cell transplantation as an appointee to the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Council. In Missouri, Donna worked to educate legislative leaders about the importance of the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank and its ability to impact life-saving treatments.