Our History

Flance Center is named in honor of I. Jerome Flance, M.D., and his wife Rosemary.  Dr. Flance made legendary contributions to the St. Louis community as a practitioner in private and public health care.  He graduated from Washington University School of Medicine in 1935.

In the 1960s, Dr. Flance opened a free medical clinic in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood of St. Louis’ urban core with his medical partners in Maryland Medical Group – Drs. Michael Karl, Morton Binder and Robert Packman. He was passionate about giving all children the best possible start in life, regardless of their families’ socioeconomic circumstances. After retiring from clinical practice in 1998, Dr. Flance continued his work in community health care as the Washington University Medical Center’s representative for the redevelopment of the Forest Park Southeast Community.

Dr. Flance died at age 98 in 2010. Prior to his last illness, he helped the project planning team to develop the concept of a center that would address the healthy development of children in a comprehensive way. The Flance Center honors the memory and legacy of Dr. Jerome and Rosemary Flance.