WHITES' WALLS: Barnes Jewish Hospital instructors of medicine, doctors Patrick and Elizabeth White, were honored last night for their outstanding work in helping to end homelessness for women and children in our area.

The pair of docs launched a health awareness and education program at Gateway180 :: Homelessness Reversed, which formerly was Gateway Homeless Services, and is recognized as the largest 24-hour emergency shelter for women and families in Missouri.

The shelter's Client Resource Room was dedicated to the young physicians to commemorate the work they have done. Executives and supporters from Barnes Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, BJC HealthCare and Ameren Corporation participated in the dedication on the third floor of the shelter at 1000 N. 19th St. in downtown St. Louis.

The official new name of the room is the Drs. Patrick and Elizabeth White Client Resource Center-Powered by Ameren.

The Whites are medical residents at Barnes. When they got to town in 2007, they started the program at Gateway, which was similar to a program they had conducted at another shelter. Their initiative has now been expanded to a monthly program in which medical residents from Barnes and from the Wash U. Department of Internal Medicine help provide Gateway clients with health literacy services and help them access health care.

Among those on hand to honor the Whites were: Barnes President Rich Liekweg; Wash U's Medical Education Chief Dr. Melvin Blanchard; Steve Lipstein, BJC CEO; and Ameren CEO Tom Voss with his lovely wife Carol; Gateway's topper Martin Rafanan; Bill Seidhoff, St. Louis Director of Human Services; and Antoinette Triplett, St. Louis Director of Homeless Services.

A group of WISE women (WISE is the clever acronym for Ameren's "Women Influencing Success in Energy") did the actual remodelling of the Client Resource Room that was dedicated in the doctors' names.