ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – The doors to CareSTL Health’s last location, on Martin Luther King Drive, are locked until at least Monday, March 9. A former director of pharmacy says the facility’s financial troubles began well before this year.
Pam Marshall, who served as pharmacy director for all of CareSTL Health’s locations, said the first warning sign came in February 2024.
“The first red flag was initially in February ’24,” Marshall said.
Marshall said she was about a year into her tenure when federal funds were disrupted for the first time due to a nationwide cyberattack. Nearly a month later, the Homer G. Phillips location closed due to HVAC problems.
By September 2024, the organization’s drug supplier had cut off access.
“Then in September of 2024, our Cardinal, which is where we got our drugs from, suspended our account because they hadn’t been paid,” Marshall said.
Marshall said the financial strain extended across multiple departments and vendors.
“Departments were closing down, they were terminating people, accounts had not been paid, so they just couldn’t keep up with things. There were lots of accounts that I found out later that had not been paid since April of 24, and this did not start in January with the government,” Marshall said.
Last week, CareSTL Health said it would temporarily close its health center operations through Monday, March 9, to “stabilize operations and ensure outstanding payroll obligations are met.” First Alert 4 spoke with patients who arrived at the North City clinic on Friday to find it closed.
“I took my last pill today. I have no idea, I’m trying to figure out now… I can’t call them, so I’m clueless right now,” said Gina, a CareSTL Health patient.
CareSTL Health President and CEO Angela Clabon could not be reached on Monday. In a statement issued Thursday — the day before the temporary closure — Clabon said the clinic “receives federal grant funding that is currently operating on a reimbursement basis” and that “in addition to delays associated with the federal reimbursement process,” CareSTL Health has experienced a 50 percent decrease in program revenue.
Marshall left CareSTL Health in April 2025. She said the impact on the community weighs on her.
“It’s awful what’s happening to the community, and I’m hoping that there can be some kind of resolution,” Marshall said.
Copyright 2026 KMOV. All rights reserved.