BJC HealthCare Announces New Name for Palliative and Supportive Care Institute to Expand Impact

The demand for specialized serious illness and end-of-life care continues to grow as our population ages and more people live longer with complex chronic conditions. To meet this growing need, BJC HealthCare recently made a significant investment through The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital to broaden its impact in palliative and hospice care by naming the Liekweg Family Palliative and Supportive Care Institute at BJC HealthCare in honor of Richard J. Liekweg, who retired as BJC’s CEO in 2025.

“We are pleased to honor Rich Liekweg’s leadership by investing to accelerate the Institute's growth, research, and clinical impact for patients and families facing serious illness,” says Nick Barto, BJC Health president and CEO. “Rich’s passion for and commitment to palliative and hospice care helped establish the BJC Palliative and Supportive Care Institute in 2019 through a collaboration among WashU Medicine, BJC HealthCare, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital. This investment will help carry that vision forward.”

Palliative care focuses on managing complex symptoms of a serious or debilitating illness such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, or Alzheimer’s disease and can be received alongside treatment at any stage of the disease.

Read the full announcement from The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital.