Crisis Nursery CEO Wins “Walentik Leadership in Health Award"

St. Louis, MO - The Saint Louis Crisis Nursery is pleased to announce the Missouri Foundation for Health has named DiAnne Mueller, CEO of Saint Louis Crisis Nursery, as the 2017 recipient of the prestigious Dr. Corinne Walentik Leadership in Health Award. Mueller has served as the CEO of the Crisis Nursery for more than 23 years and has dedicated her professional life to helping marginalized people live healthier lives and to preventing child abuse.

The award was created to honor the late Dr. Walentik’s commitment to serving vulnerable populations. Each year the award is presented to a health leader in Missouri who exemplifies the passion, dedication, and energy that Dr. Walentik brought to her work. Mueller will receive a personal award and, per her direction, $25,000 will go to the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery.

The Saint Louis Crisis Nursery is committed to the prevention of child abuse and neglect and provides emergency intervention, respite care, and support to families in crisis through short-term care for young children, crisis resolution, advocacy, and more. Under Mueller’s guidance, the organization's capacity has expanded more than 50 percent. It now can simultaneously provide care to 47 children, has a 24-hour helpline for parents, and offers trauma-informed counseling and parent education to more than 5,300 families through 9 outreach centers. The five nurseries operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and care for more than 6,800 children yearly.

“Being honored with this award is such validation for the work that we are doing, and what we do is so challenging that it means a lot to receive recognition from the community,” said Mueller.

“DiAnne is a worthy addition to our list of awardees, and our region is a better place because of her commitment to keeping kids safe,” said Foundation President and CEO Bob Hughes. “A true champion for children, she fully represents the spirit of the Walentik award.”

“Dianne is the heart and soul of the Crisis Nursery. Her energy, enthusiasm, and drive are inspiring to everyone who works with her,” said Bonnie Define, Community Relations Director at the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery. “The success we have helping children and families is because of DiAnne’s passion and caring.”

Mueller is more modest about her efforts. From Mueller’s perspective, devoting her life to helping others is a simple decision: “If we all do something to make this a better world, then it will be.”

About the Crisis Nursery: The St. Louis Crisis Nursery is an independent, not-for-profit agency committed to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. The Crisis Nursery provides a short-term safe haven for nearly 7,000 children per year, birth through age 12, whose families face an emergency crisis including homelessness, domestic violence, illness or overwhelming stress. The Crisis Nursery provides care 24/7/365 at five sites, serving families in the St. Louis, St. Charles and Southern Illinois areas and surrounding regions. Over the past 31 years, the Crisis Nursery has cared for more than 109,000 children. For more details on the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery, please call 314-292-5770 or visit www.crisisnurserykids.org

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