UnityPoint Health to serve as presenting sponsor of Des Moines University's Glanton event

WEST DES MOINES — UnityPoint Health will be the presenting sponsor for the 2025 Glanton Event Wednesday, Oct. 22, at The Meadows Event Center in Altoona.

UnityPoint will advance the mission of Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences to prepare a health care workforce that meets the needs of all communities, said UnityPoint in a press release.

UnityPoint Health's sponsorship reflects its systemwide commitment to improving health outcomes, enhancing access and addressing disparities in care across the communities it serves, said the hospital in a press release.

This year's program will feature a keynote address by Gregory Johnson, chief medical officer at UnityPoint Health. Johnson has more than 15 years of clinical and executive experience, including leadership roles in health equity, impact and engagement, along with patient safety and care transformation. He oversees the clinical enterprise for 17 UnityPoint acute care hospitals and 19 rural affiliates.

Johnson's talk, Watchfulness With Purpose: Strengthening Health for All, will explore the importance of students and future practitioners gathering and using data, engaging local organizations and community members to ensure that community health needs are identified and addressed, the press release said.

The Glanton Fund was established in 2004 to honor the contributions of the late Judge Luther T. Glanton and Willie Stevenson Glanton. The fund generates scholarships for promising students to attend DMU and supports university programming that fosters cultural competency and community engagement.

Since its inception, the fund has provided more than $4 million in scholarships and programming, the press release said. The Glanton Event is the primary fundraiser supporting this vital work.

For details about the Glanton Fund or to support its mission, visit dmu.edu/glanton or contact Lauren Dixson, senior director of development and alumni relations, at 515-271-1573 or glanton@dmu.edu.

Located in West Des Moines, part of Iowa's capital metro, Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences offers 10 graduate-level professional degree programs in anatomy, biomedical sciences, health care administration, occupational therapy, osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, podiatric medicine and public health.

Founded in 1898, the institution offers superior academics in a collaborative environment. DMU students' scores on national examinations, pass rates on board certifications and match rates for medical residency programs are consistently higher than national averages and rates at peer institutions.