UnityPoint Health announced two key leadership appointments within its oncology services Wednesday, Dec. 3, as part of its commitment to improving access to comprehensive cancer care across Iowa and the Midwest.
UnityPoint Health, based in West Des Moines, has selected Dr. Gregory D. Kennedy as chief medical officer, and MarCia Ekworomadu as vice president of operations. Together, they will guide the system’s efforts to align, strengthen and expand oncology services across Iowa and the Midwest.
Dr. Kennedy will assume his role in February 2026. He joins UnityPoint Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he currently serves as the John H. Blue Chair of General Surgery and Director of the Cancer Network for the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. During his UAB tenure, he has also served as executive vice chair of the Department of Surgery, director of the Division of GI Surgery, and director of the Colorectal Cancer Service Line for the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“Dr. Kennedy is a national leader in cancer care – an excellent surgeon, a collaborative team builder, and a humble, mission-driven physician,” Dr. Gregory R. Johnson, chief medical officer, UnityPoint Health, said in a news release. “His depth of experience in developing statewide cancer programs, combined with his passion for addressing rural health disparities, makes him exceptionally well-suited to lead our systemwide oncology strategy.”
Access to care critical
Dr. Kennedy is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine and received his PhD in cancer biology from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. In addition, he completed a colon and rectal surgery fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and earned his MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2024.
“Access to cancer care close to home remains one of the most pressing health challenges facing so many people,” Dr. Kennedy said.
Ms. Ekworomadu most recently served as the executive director of Service Line Strategy for UnityPoint Health. There she led the design and implementation of growth service line solutions across the system.
Previously, she served as director of inpatient services for Hospital Operations and project director of Inpatient Clinical Operations at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where she collaborated with faculty and led teams responsible for operations integration and optimization, and institutional priority initiatives. She will transition to her new role at UnityPoint in January.
“MarCia Ekworomadu has a passion for exceptional, accessible and sustainable health care delivery,” Dr. Johnson added. “Her work has focused on innovative solutions to health care delivery and I’m excited about what she can bring to the table to expand and enhance our cancer care offerings.”
She is currently a Doctor of Public Health candidate at the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health. She earned her Master of Public Health at the University of Texas and is a Fellow of the American College of Health Service Executives (FACHE).
