DMU’s Glanton Event Brings Leaders Together for Positive Change in Health Care

Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences will host its 21^st annual Glanton Event, presented by Holmes Murphy, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at The Meadows Events and Conference Center at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa.

The evening is dedicated to championing the university's mission to foster a campus environment that celebrates cultural diversity and attracts and supports students from all backgrounds. The event welcomes influential community leaders and organizations who believe in and share this vision of diversity and inclusivity.

"Together, we aim to raise vital funds that will empower our students, enhance cultural programming and foster inclusive environments for all," says Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D., president and CEO of DMU. "We are training future health care professionals to lead with compassion and competency, to see a patient as a person and to be equipped to respond with respect, empathy and humility. This is how we make positive change in health care."

The Glanton Fund, founded in 2004 and named in honor of the late Judge Luther Glanton Jr. and Willie Stevenson Glanton, supports scholarships for students with significant financial need and fosters diversity initiatives at DMU. Judge Glanton, the first Black judge in Iowa, joined the DMU Board of Trustees in 1979. After his passing in 1991, Stevenson Glanton, the first Black female assistant county attorney and the first Black person from Polk County to serve in the Iowa Legislature, continued his legacy, serving on DMU's board until 2012 and chairing it in 1999.

"Together, we can help create opportunities, break down barriers and elevate diverse voices," Franklin says. "Let's come together to celebrate diversity and drive meaningful change in health care."

The Glanton Event is the key fundraising event for the fund - your attendance matters and makes a difference. Attendees will hear inspiring stories from a compelling lineup of speakers. A past scholarship recipient will offer firsthand insights into their experiences, highlighting his career after attending DMU. A current scholarship recipient will share how the support transformed their educational journey and opened doors to new opportunities. In addition, keynote speaker, Lisa Green, D.O., M.P.H., a DMU alumna and CEO and co-founder of Family Christian Health Center in Harvey, Illinois, will challenge the audience to think critically about health equity and how she has made an impact in her community.

Don't miss this chance to mingle with community leaders, visionaries and change-makers. We invite everyone to be part of this transformative evening. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit dmu.edu/glanton or contact Abby Miesner, associate director of development for priority initiatives, at 515-271-1078 or [email protected].