Investing in Iowa's first Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship
Driven to Transform Tomorrow Fundraising Dinner
Join Ruth & Chuck Gassmann on Thursday, May 14, 2026 as they host a fundraising dinner at Talons Golf benefiting the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship. For more details or to sponsor the event, click the button below.
Iowa is facing a growing addiction crisis - and not enough specialists to treat it.
Addiction touches nearly every aspect of life in Iowa. Despite the need, Iowa has zero addiction psychiatry fellowships - meaning we’re not training the specialized doctors who can truly make a difference. This leaves a major gap in care and access for thousands of Iowans.
UnityPoint Health – Des Moines and Broadlawns Medical Center are partnering to launch Iowa’s first Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship - a groundbreaking, accredited training program to equip psychiatric physicians with the tools to lead addiction treatment efforts across the state.
You can help build the future of addiction care - right here in Iowa.
Our campaign goal is $2 million to launch Iowa’s first Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship and train the next generation of addiction psychiatry leaders. You can help create a future where every family has access to expert addiction care.
Join others in this effort, like Ruth and Chuck Gassmann.
Matthew was bright, funny, and kind. For 20 years, he struggled with alcohol
addiction, and his family walked beside him through cycles of treatment,
relapse, and heartbreak - losing precious time together to something they
couldn’t control. After two and a half years of
sobriety, Matthew relapsed and tragically passed away at age 43.
“We’ve lived through the heartbreak of losing our son, Matthew, to addiction,” say Ruth and Chuck Gassmann. “Supporting this is deeply personal - if we can prevent others from feeling this pain, it’s worth everything."
If giving by check or sending a contribution by mail, send to:
UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Foundation
Attn: Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship
1415 Woodland Ave, Suite E-200
Des Moines, IA 50309
Please make checks payable to UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Foundation.