SLU’s Mobile Health Clinic Is on the Scene to Help with Tornado Recovery
Carrie Bebermeyer
Public Relations Director
carrie.bebermeyer@slu.edu
314-977-8015
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06/26/2025
Saint Louis University medical students moved from door to door in the tornado-ravaged Fountain Park neighborhood, checking to see if community members were doing okay. Was their power and internet service working? Did they have access to all of their medications? Had they eaten? How were they feeling?
The team was one of several groups of volunteers from SLU, including faculty, staff, residents and students from SLU’s School of Medicine, Doisy College of Health Sciences and College of Public Health and Social Justice, to canvass the neighborhood and offer care and support at SLU’s Mobile Health Clinic following the devastating tornado that struck St. Louis on May 16.
After making their rounds, the volunteers regrouped at the mobile clinic, parked near the historic Centennial Church, on a Wednesday morning.
Katherine Mathews, M.D., an associate dean for undergraduate medical education at SLU’s School of Medicine, conducted a debrief with the team and ticked items off her list, handing out follow-up assignments and noting who needed a prescription filled.
“Our blue team just returned from knocking on a few more doors and they’ve identified a number of needs we will follow up on for folks,” Mathews said.
At the mobile health clinic, SLU medical center volunteers checked blood pressures, handed out sunscreen and wrote prescriptions for medications that had been lost in the storm.
Some just needed a place to talk, to rest, and to regroup.
“It’s absolutely heart wrenching,” Mathews said. “There are so many stories about people here who have been displaced by the tornado. Right now, SLU is working to meet immediate needs. But, we also know we need to be prepared for a long engagement.”
SLU created the mobile health clinic after receiving federal funds in May 2022 in order to serve St. Louisans in areas where citizens lack nearby health care facilities, transportation to clinics or the technology to use telehealth options. The clinic hosts two exam rooms, a restroom and wheelchair access. SLU health care providers are able to conduct basic exams, blood pressure checks and write prescriptions, potentially saving patients a trip to the emergency room for basic care or helping to make a connection with a provider for more long-term care.
“While we were out talking to residents, we heard their stories about how they survived the tornado and how many of them are pitching in to help each other out,” said Angela Cecil, Ph.D., associate professor of occupational science and occupational therapy at SLU. “They also expressed gratitude for the help they’ve been receiving from mobile clinics like SLU’s and other outreach efforts. We saw residents’ smiles and neighborly exchanges.”
But there were also expressions of worry about how to address challenges residents face as time passes, Cecil said.
“Everyone we spoke with expressed concerns about having their food and water needs met. At that time, electricity, WiFi and cellular services were not all restored. Some were struggling with insurance adjustors' timely involvement or follow up. A couple were concerned about the likelihood of problems with stray animal populations.”
Reflecting on the recovery effort, Cecil was left in awe of both the fierceness and randomness of natural disasters, as well as the strength of the community in the aftermath. “I was impressed by the resilience and strength of each resident whom we encountered, despite challenges that are now compounded by the loss and uncertainty of life and recovery after the tornado.”
“It was both humbling and an honor to volunteer. I hope the goodwill of the community continues until this neighborhood and others recover.”