Saint Louis Metropolitan Medical Society

10/23/2025

New Issue of St. Louis Metropolitan Medicine
From volunteer clinics to disaster response to everyday practice, physicians are stepping up in new ways. In this issue of St. Louis Metropolitan Medicine, you’ll find stories of service at home and abroad, doctors leading recovery after devastating storms, and innovations that help reclaim time for patient care.

Here’s what you’ll find inside:
🔹Cover Story: “The Gift of Service”
William Fogarty, MD shares his second chapter of volunteer service: at home and abroad. From his monthly work at Casa de Salud to medical missions in Guatemala, his journey shows the lasting impact of giving back.

Tornado Relief: Responding to Crisis
Alexander Garza, MD details the coordinated health response following devastating storms in north St. Louis. From mental health challenges to housing needs, the piece highlights how physicians are leading recovery efforts in vulnerable communities.

Legislative Update: Medicine Meets Politics
A recap of the 103rd Missouri General Assembly, including major wins for residency funding, telehealth expansion, and physician loan repayment, as well as continued battles on abortion, tort reform, and scope of practice. Special thanks to Missouri State Medical Association.

Innovation Spotlight: “How I Saved an Hour a Day Without New Software”
Dan Choe, DO reveals how small changes, like automation shortcuts and custom AI tools, are helping physicians cut through admin burdens and refocus on patient care.

Read the full issue:
https://slmms.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/SLMM_Q3_2025_MR.pdf



Sara Hawatmeh MD | Rishi Sud, MD, MBA | Dan Choe | Robert Brennan, Jr. | Kirsten Dunn | Joseph Cangas MD | Richard A. Covert, MD, MPH | Kanika Cunningham | Gary Gaddis | Dee Anna Glaser | M. Yadira Hurley, MD | Rachel Kyllo, MD, FAAD | George Mansour | Kyle Moylan | Mark Pelikan, DO |
Sriram Vissa, MD, FACHE, CPE, FACP, SFHM, CPHQ | Richard Wieder, MD | Benita Stennis | Rachel Bauer | Jeff Howell | Nathaniel Reisinger | Marcus Jones, D.O. MHS | Krista Lentine, MD, PhD FASN FAST | CareSTL Health | VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE WEST COUNTY INC | Crossroads Clinic Volunteers In Medicine | Volunteers in Medicine St. Charles | Lisa Troehler Hayes | David Pohl MD | Cindy O'Laughlin | Jonathan Patterson, M.D. | Ajay Jeetwani, MD | Tatyana Petrosova, MD | Shannon Kilkelly, DO | Jeffrey Wingate, MD | Ponce Health Sciences University - St. Louis | Triad Financial Group | Richard Fitzer | Keystone Mutual Insurance Company | James Bowlin | Elissa Breitenbach | Together Credit Union | Michele Piperides | Todd Abrams | Health & Care Magazine | Zoe Taylor | St. Louis University School of Medicine | Ravi Johar | West County Radiological Group

09/12/2025

📢 SLMMS General Society Meeting
📅 Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 6:00–7:00 p.m. | Virtual via Zoom
(No registration required)

This year’s program takes on a timely and important topic for physicians:

Physician Employment & Unionization
We’re honored to welcome guest speaker Richard Levenstein, Esq., an attorney with Nason, Yeager, Gerson, Harris & Fumero P.A. in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Mr. Levenstein specializes in hashtag and hashtag staff representation and hashtag law, and also serves as an adjunct professor of healthcare law at Tulane University Law School in New Orleans.
💻 Join us on Zoom: https://lnkd.in/gRuvxY3d

SLMMS members are encouraged to attend and take part in this important conversation.

AnnualMeeting

07/29/2025

Follow hashtag on LinkedIn
The St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society is now on LinkedIn!

Stay informed on the issues affecting St. Louis-area physicians—delivered right to your feed.

🔹 Legislative and advocacy updates
🔹 Physician wellness and leadership stories
🔹 Highlights from St. Louis Metropolitan Medicine
🔹 Timely news curated for local physicians

For more than 180 years, SLMMS has supported physicians and promoted quality patient care across our region. Our new LinkedIn page helps us share important updates and engage with the next generation of medical professionals.

👉 Follow us to stay connected.
🔗 linkedin.com/company/slmms
📖 Browse past issues of our magazine: https://lnkd.in/gNUe8ebU

St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society (SLMMS) | 23 followers on LinkedIn. To support physicians in achieving quality medicine through advocacy, communication and education. | Representing St. Louis Physicians Since 1836 The St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society (SLMMS) has supported the practice o...

07/23/2025

“This award is not an endpoint—it is a milestone along a much longer journey.”

Thanks to Krista Lentine, MD, PhD FASN FAST for sharing her reflections at the 2025 St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society (SLMMS) Annual Meeting Gala. Her remarks were a moving tribute to collaboration, discovery, and leadership in medicine.

SLMMS honored Dr. Lentine with the 2025 SLMMS Award of Merit: our highest recognition for distinguished service to scientific medicine in the St. Louis community. Her dedication to advancing transplant care and mentoring future physicians exemplifies the values of our medical society.

🎥 Thank you to Dr. Lentine for sharing this video, which includes opening remarks from SLMMS President Kirsten Dunn and Dr. Lentine’s inspiring speech: https://t.ly/XbZCl

Read the article on Dr. Lentine's award on page of the St. Louis Metropolitan Medicine magazine: https://lnkd.in/gDJTQ4fm

🙏🏽 Deeply honored to be the 42nd recipient of the St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society (SLMMS) Award of Merit — a recognition of “distinguished service t...

02/27/2025

Meet SLMMS 2025 President Sara Hawatmeh, MD, and get a recap of the 2025 Annual Meeting in the first quarter issue of St. Louis Metropolitan Medicine. Dr. Hawatmeh and her father, 2010 SLMMS President Sam Hawatmeh, MD, represent the first father-daughter duo to have served as Medical Society presidents. Also see insightful commentary on physician leadership from President-Elect Rishi Sud, MD, MBA.https://slmms.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SLMM_Issue_2025_Q1.pdf

02/08/2025

Members and friends of the St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society gathered on February 1 for the 2025 Annual Meeting and Installation Banquet. Sara Hawatmeh, MD, was installed as 2025 president. Victoria Fraser, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine, was presented with the SLMMS President’s Award for outstanding service to the medical community, and Krista Lentine, MD, PhD, with SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, received the Award of Merit for accomplishments in research. Kirsten Dunn, MD, FACP, was thanked for her service as 2024 president. Thanks to sponsors Triad Financial Group, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Mercy, Southside Comprehensive Medical Group, St. Louis County Department of Public Health, St. Luke's Hospital, UnitedHealthcare, West County Radiological Group, Joe Cangas MD, and Keystone Mutual/Cogeris Insurance Group. Photos by Bryan Schraier.

02/06/2025

Victoria Fraser, MD, left, Adolphus Busch Professor of Medicine and chair of the Department of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, was presented with the 2024 SLMMS President’s Award at the February 1 Annual Meeting. The award recognizes outstanding service to the medical community by a member of SLMMS and is given periodically to honor individuals whose leadership and dedication have significantly advanced health care in the St. Louis region. Presenting the award is SLMMS 2024 President Kirsten Dunn, MD, FACP.

02/06/2025

Krista Lentine, MD, PhD, left, professor of medicine with SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, was presented with the 2024 SLMMS Award of Merit at the February 1 Annual Meeting. Dr. Lentine is vice chair of IM research and associate division director of nephrology. The award recognizes distinguished and exceptional service to scientific medicine in the greater St. Louis community. First presented in 1927, it has been awarded to only 41 individuals over the past 96 years. Presenting the award is SLMMS 2024 President Kirsten Dunn, MD, FACP.

10/30/2024

Did you know that the Medical Society owns collections of rare books on early medicine that date back to the 1500s, totaling over 3,000 volumes? Learn more in the fourth quarter issue of St. Louis Metropolitan Medicine. Also see profiles of the candidates for 2025 Medical Society leadership, and find out how Medicare Advantage plans are facing headwinds.https://slmms.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SLMM_4Q_2024.pdf

08/10/2024

How are local health systems ramping up efforts to support and promote physician wellness? Learn more in the third quarter 2024 issue of St. Louis Metropolitan Medicine. Also, one physician offers her prescription for change on how physicians can prioritize wellness for themselves and their patients.https://slmms.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SLMM_3Q_2024.pdf

05/22/2024

How is artificial intelligence coming into use in medicine in the St. Louis area? From drafting exam notes, to helping detect cancers, to identifying patients at greatest risk for readmission, applications of AI are becoming more prevalent. Hear from local health systems and universities in the second quarter St. Louis Metropolitan Medicine.https://slmms.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SLMM_2Q_2024.pdf

03/07/2024

Thank you to the many SLMMS members who participated in Physician Advocacy Day this week in the Missouri Capitol.