saving taxpayer money | Mercy is making strides in affordable, sustainable health care. It ranked in the top five across the country and third for its size for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service’s (CMS) latest Accountable Care Organization (ACO) results. CMS tracks more than 30 quality measures focused on care coordination, patient safety, appropriate use of preventive health services, improved care for at-risk populations, and patient and caregiver experience of care. It was found that Mercy’s care saved taxpayers $103 million. “We put the patient first in all we do with the goal of keeping patients happy, healthy and out of the hospital as much as possible,” says Dr. Gavin Helton, Mercy president of primary care.
stopping deadly infections
Rotavirus contributes to more than 128,500 deaths per year globally. It impacts infants and young children, causing severe dehydrating diarrhea. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have identified a key enzyme, fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H), that enables rotavirus to infect cells. The team hopes the discovery will lead to new therapeutic interventions for the virus and other pathogens that rely on the infection mechanism.“Not all kids receive the vaccine, and this virus is very infectious,” says Siyuan Ding, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular microbiology. “Once a child has the virus, there’s currently no treatment; we can only manage the symptoms.”
national recognition
U.S. News & World Report‘s 2025-2026 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings have been released, and local hospitals have made a strong showing. SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital ranked in four specialties nationally, earning its highest in pediatric gastroenterology and GI surgery at No. 21. St. Louis Children’s Hospital was named among the top 50 hospitals in the country in 11 categories, making the top 20 in five of them. Shriners Children’s was also included, ranking No. 21 for pediatric orthopedics. “This designation is a testament to the dedication, compassion and excellence each care team professional brings to our patients every single day,” says Mark Venable, hospital administrator of Shriners Children’s St. Louis.
a better overdose antidote
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine received $5 million from the National Institutes of Health to develop a way to more effectively counter drug overdoses. “As new, more-potent opioids take to the streets, reviving people from overdose is becoming more challenging,” says Susruta Majumdar, Ph.D., professor of anesthesiology and principal investigator on the new project. “This funding support from NIH is critical for expediting the drug development timeline, making it possible to bring new treatments to people within five years.” The team is working to develop a combination treatment that makes naloxone, also known as Narcan, more effective. Currently, the drug effectively restores normal breathing during an overdose, but the effects are short-lived and often require multiple doses.
