The Agnesian HealthCare Foundation is establishing an SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital Medical Staff Endowment Fund, a new philanthropic initiative designed to provide lasting, flexible support for patients, families, and caregivers for generations to come.

Established in 2026, the endowment honors the hospital’s more than 125-year legacy of compassionate, community-centered care – one that traces its roots back to the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes, who founded St. Agnes Hospital in 1896 as a charitable work for the care of all people, regardless of religious denomination.

“The Medical Staff Endowment Fund is a powerful expression of commitment, both to our mission and to the future of care at SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital,” according to Deb Winterhack, Agnesian HealthCare Foundation director of development. “This fund ensures that the generosity of today’s medical staff and supporters will continue to strengthen patient care, support our workforce, and respond to the hospital’s greatest needs well into the future.”

Guided by SSM Health’s mission to reveal the healing presence of God through exceptional health care services, the endowment is rooted in the core values of compassion, respect, excellence, stewardship, and community.

Income generated from the fund will be used to address the Area of Greatest Need at SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital, including enhancing the patient and family experience, supporting staff well-being and professional development, advancing clinical excellence, and responding to emerging health care challenges.

According to Winterhack, the flexibility of the endowment is one of its greatest strengths. “Health care is constantly evolving,” she says. “By establishing an endowment, the medical staff is helping ensure SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital has sustainable resources to adapt, innovate, and continue delivering exceptional, compassionate care no matter what the future holds.” 

The fund also represents a meaningful statement of leadership and stewardship from the hospital’s physicians and advanced practice providers.

“This endowment reflects who we are as a medical staff and why we chose to practice at SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital,” according to Noman Mahmood, MD, chief of staff at SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital Medical Staff. “Our founders believed that caring for the sick was sacred work, and that belief continues to guide us today. Through this endowment, we are reaffirming our responsibility to care not only for today’s patients, but for future generations who will turn to SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital in times of need.”

Thomas Fabricius, MD, SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital Medical Staff secretary/treasurer, emphasizes that the fund is also an investment in the people who deliver care every day. “Supporting staff well-being, professional growth, and resilience is essential to providing excellent care,” he says. “This endowment allows us to strengthen the entire care environment – patients, families, and caregivers alike.”

Through the SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital Medical Staff Endowment Fund, the medical staff honors the enduring spirit of its founders while helping build a healthier future for the community it serves – one rooted in compassion, service, and a shared commitment to healing.

Thomas Fabricius (left), MD, SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital Medical Staff secretary/treasurer, and Noman Mahmood, MD, chief of staff at SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital Medical Staff, present a $25,000 gift to Deb Winterhack, Agnesian HealthCare Foundation director of development, establishing an endowment fund.