Advocacy

April Mickens Jolly is the Vice President of Health Equity & Culture at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri – and a Black mother.

According to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, Black women in Missouri are 4 times more likely to die within a year of pregnancy than white women.

So, Mickens Jolly spoke about how this serious problem goes beyond just getting to a doctor, and about what communities can do to decrease the risk of pregnancy for Black women.

This piece was reported and produced by Rachel Schnelle.

Jordan Richards and Tracy Davis are both Board Members at The Center Project, an LGBTQ+ resource and community center for Mid-Missouri.

They spoke about some of the barriers transgender Missourians face when they need to go to the doctor – for gender-affirming health care or even for a simple checkup.

This piece was reported and produced by Hannah France.

Rev. Kirk Perucca is the Pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church, a multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-economic congregation in Kansas City.

He spoke with KBIA’s Levi Moltz-Hohmann about how his church has remained a resource for his community throughout the past year of the COVID-19 pandemic – and about how faith and health overlap.

This piece was reported and produced by Levi Moltz-Hohmann.

Jordan Richards and Tracy Davis both work at The Center Project, an LGBTQ+ resource and community center for Mid-Missouri. They spoke about what Medicaid expansion – or a lack thereof – could mean for transgender Missourians.

Recently, Missouri legislators have stood in the way of funding Medicaid expansion in the state – defying a constitutional amendment that was passed last year by voters – and neighboring states, like Arkansas, are passing legislation which would make providing gender affirming medical treatment to minors illegal.

Meaning it may soon be even more difficult for trans people to access healthcare – gender affirming or otherwise.

This piece was reported and produced by Hannah France.

Elizabeth Herrera Eichenberger is the executive director of True North of Columbia – an organization that supports survivors of domestic and sexual violence through “safety, shelter, education and transitional support.”

She spoke about their Men as Allies Program, and about the role men can play in reducing domestic and sexual violence against women.

Mallory Schwarz and Arzina Lakhani both work for NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. Schwarz is the executive director and Lakhani is a policy intern.

They spoke about some of the effects the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has had on access to reproductive health care and abortions in Missouri.

This piece was reported and produced by Isabella Paxton.

Hattie Saltzman Milota and her dad, Russell Saltzman both live in the Kansas City metro area. They both have Type 1 diabetes, and since 2017, they’ve noticed a steep increase in the price of insulin – a drug they need to live.

They spoke about how these costs once kept Hattie from buying her own insulin for an entire year – and while she now has insurance that makes it affordable, how the cost of the drug is still a constant point of stress.

Both Hattie and Russell reference "Walmart Insulin." You can read more about buying insulin without a prescription in the 2015 NPR story "You Can Buy Insulin Without A Prescription, But Should You?"

Tashel Bordere is a specialist in youth development with the University of Missouri’s Department of Human Development and Family Science. She researches grief and loss in African-American youth.

She spoke with host Janet Saidi about cumulative loss and its impact on marginalized communities during the on-going coronavirus pandemic, as well as the nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police.

This is an excerpt from KBIA’s daily talk show, the Check-In with Janet Saidi, on Wednesday, June 3. You can hear the full show – here.

This week’s Missouri Health Talks is a collaboration with Vox Magazine.

Kelly Gilion is the owner of Plume, a local gift shop here in Columbia. She also started a support group for women dealing with fertility issues called Graceful Wait in 2010.

She spoke with reporter Sarah Hallam about how she was inspired to create this group by her own desire for support during her six-year struggle with infertility.

You can read more about Kelly and the support group in the March issue of Vox Magazine - available now around town and online at What does it cost to undergo IVF?

This piece was reported by Sarah Hallam.

Jannis Evans and Lynne Meyerkord both work in HIV advocacy. Jannis is the longtime advocate for people living with HIV and used to work in the field, and Lynne is the Executive Director at the AIDS Project of the Ozarks in Springfield.

I met up with them at the Jefferson City office of Empower Missouri.

They spoke about how the impacts and complications of an HIV diagnosis can go far beyond physical health.

Mataka Askari lives in Columbia and works as a certified peer specialist for Burrell Behavioral Health, but before that – he spent 23 and a half years in prison.

He spoke about post incarceration syndrome, a form of PTSD specific to those who have been in prison, and some of the ways it impacts his life every day.

Tagnan and Michelle Ribaudo are a mother and son in Columbia. Tagnan is currently in high school and also has high functioning autism.

They spoke about some of the struggles Michelle faced when trying to get Tagnan diagnosed with autism as a child.

Tagnan and Michelle Ribaudo are a mother and son in Columbia. Tagnan is currently in high school and also has high functioning autism. This past spring he spoke to Missouri state legislators about the importance of therapies for people with disabilities.

They shared some of their memories of therapy and about how these therapies have impacted both their lives.

Laurie Hines is the director of the Missouri Kidney Program and a living kidney donor for her partner, Ted.

She spoke at an event hosted by KBIA and Missouri Health Talks at Café Berlin this past winter a little bit about how being involved with a paired kidney transplant has impacted her and her advocacy.

Recently, there have been multiple challenges to abortions in the state. In late May, Governor Parson signed a ban on abortions after eight weeks - and Missouri could soon become the first state without an abortion provider as the St. Louis Planned Parenthood clinic is currently trying to retain their abortion license in court.

Audrey Aton is a recent MU graduate with a degree in public health. She’s the founder and former president of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Mizzou. Cortney Bouse is a Grassroots Organizer for Planned Parenthood Great Plains.

They first met when Audrey applied for an internship with Planned Parenthood, and over the last two years, they have worked side by side as advocates. They spoke about how access to abortion fits into the larger scope of healthcare.

Kevin Wehner and Scott Miniea both have backgrounds in education, but now, they work for nonprofit organizations in Columbia and use their teaching skills to help people navigate the healthcare system.

Kevin is a Certified Application Counselor for Central Missouri Community Action and Scott is the Executive Director of the Primaris Foundation. They spoke about some of the biggest issues for people when trying to enroll in health insurance and how people can take advantage of free resources to get the best possible health care.

Robyn Schelp and Molly Myers are both moms of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities here in Columbia.

Robyn has three sons, and her 11-year-old has an unknown genetic disorder. Molly has an 8-year-old son who is missing a part of his brain, twin girls who were born prematurely and another three-year-old daughter.

They spoke about their ongoing fight to get their children the therapies they need because, in Missouri, legislation only requires insurance companies to cover diagnosis and treatment for people with autism spectrum disorders.

Jannis Evans and Devin Hursey both work in the HIV treatment and prevention field and have served on committees advocating for people with HIV in Missouri and across the country.

They sat down at this month's Legislative Advocacy Day sponsored by the Missouri HIV Justice Coalition where they both were advocating for changes to Missouri's HIV criminal laws, and they spoke about some of the reasons HIV impacts communities of color at a higher rate.

Lonnie Kessler and Kimberly Ruiz are a couple who live in Moberly, Missouri. Lonnie has intractable epilepsy and Kimberly is a disabled vet, and they both advocate for the legalization of medical marijuana in the state.

They sat down at the Little Dixie Regional Library in Moberly and spoke about what motivates them to be advocates.

Jennifer and Casey Simmons live in a tiny unincorporated community in Pulaski County called Devils Elbow. When their son Hunter was born with severe cerebral palsy and epilepsy, it was recommended to them that they get a divorce so they could qualify for Medicaid benefits. They didn’t.

They spoke about how insurmountable medical costs can seem and about the importance of advocating for your loved ones with disabilities.