The Missouri Historical Society is encouraging St. Louis residents to explore pivotal moments in the city’s past through its “I Am St. Louis” campaign. One of the stories highlighted is the legacy of the city’s influential Homer G. Phillips Hospital.
As FOX2 reporter Shirley Washington explains, the project celebrates St. Louis’ rich history, including the iconic Homer G. Phillips Hospital. Opened in 1937, the hospital was the first teaching hospital west of the Mississippi River and, until 1955, the only public hospital in the Gateway City dedicated to serving the Black community during segregation.
In the FOX2Now TV segment, Washington interviews WashU Nephrology faculty member Dr. Will Ross, MD, MPH, Alumni Endowed Professor of Medicine. Dr. Ross reflects on honoring the Black doctors who came before him. “They had a deep care and personalized approach,” says Dr. Ross, “so I had to think, ‘OK, I have to act that way also.’”
The segment also features local author Candace O’Conner, whose 2022 book Climbing the Ladder, Chasing the Dream, chronicles the life of Dr. Homer G Phillips and the hospital’s profound impact. Additional interviews include a former department manager, Georgia Rhone Anderson, and a former head nurse, Jobyna Foster, who share firsthand memories of the institution.
Homer G. Phillips Hospital trained more Black doctors and nurses than any other facility in the world. Although it closed in 1979, the building now serves as a senior living facility and remains listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital continues to inspire generations of physicians.
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