CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Kiwanis P.M. President-elect Greg Baker welcomes UnityPoint Health-Marshalltown President Dustin Wright as the speaker for the evening.

The regular meeting of the Kiwanis P.M. was held at O’Hungry’s on Wednesday. The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence by president elect Greg Baker. Ann Kent introduce guests Joyce Elliot and Dustin Wright.

It’s a new day in health care for the community. Wright, UnityPoint Health-Marshalltown president, was speaker after only a short time here. UnityPoint Health is the 13th largest health corporation in the U.S., with 22 hospitals in three states, and 32,000 employees. This allows sustainable health care in a community with the ability to interact with all of its hospitals and staff. With the purchase of Central Iowa Healthcare, UnityPoint has made a huge commitment to this community and its health care. They believe that health care is best when it is done locally and patients can be hospitalized near home.

Wright has been very impressed with the local staff and their willingness to begin a new day. He wants the local staff to feel proud of their hospital, their jobs and to feel secure in their jobs so they want to come to work.

An important part of this will be provided by the stability that UnityPoint will bring. Just as millions of pieces to the puzzle had to fall together to make the UnityPoint purchase happen, it will take much work and many pieces to fall into place to make positive changes in the image of the hospital.

UnityPoint is in the process of interviewing doctors and caregivers to fill that gaps that are left after a year of uncertainty, finding the right fit with the Cath Lab provider, and stay within an affordable budget. Wright will be working at making the staff feel important and building renewed trust in the community. As health care grows so will the community, this will be up to each of us.

The meeting continued with a report from Candy Baker, the garage sale was a huge success thanks to the support from all aspects of the community. A special thanks to the Marshalltown Sea Cadets for the help they provided in setting up and cleaning up. Greg Baker announced that though there were many branches down at the West-End Park there was no significant damage and mowing was completed on Monday. The next meeting will be at O’Hungry’s at 7 p.m. on May 31. The public welcome to attend.

Denny Grabenbauer announced that in support of the Marshalltown Fireworks there will be a pop can drive in the Hy-Vee parking lot on June 3. On June 12 and 21 at Pizza Ranch all tips will go to the Fireworks fund.