WEST DES MOINES, IOWA (June 25, 2025) — Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences has appointed two new members to its Alumni Board of Directors: April Bisaga-Carr DO ('03) and Emily Hurst DO ('05) FACOI.
Each will serve a three-year term, providing leadership and support in engaging DMU alumni and advancing the university's mission.
"We're excited to welcome Dr Bisaga-Carr and Dr Hurst to the alumni board," says Lauren Dixson, senior director of development and alumni relations. "Their insights will help us build stronger connections with alumni and inspire future generations of DMU graduates."
Bisaga-Carr is the medical director of the emergency department at Northwest Health — LaPorte Hospital in Indiana. A board-certified physician in emergency medicine, she also serves as a representative of the hospital's physician-safety organization and is a current board member of Northwest Health — LaPorte. She earned her Bachelor's degree from Loyola University in 1999 and her DO degree from DMU in 2003. She completed her residency at Advocate Christ Hospital and Medical Center in Illinois. Bisaga-Carr is a member of the DMU President's Society and has twenty years of consecutive giving to the university.
Hurst is the virtual ICU medical director for Henry Ford Health Systems in Detroit, Michigan. She also serves as the medical director for Avel eCare ICU and continues work as a bedside intensivist. She is an associate faculty member at Michigan State University and is board-certified in internal medicine, critical-care medicine, and hospice and palliative medicine. Her professional leadership includes serving as president of the Michigan Osteopathic Association (2024-25) and as trustee on the American Osteopathic Association board. Hurst earned dual BS degrees in psychology and biology from Iowa State University before completing her DO at DMU in 2005. She completed her residency at McLaren Oakland Hospital and a fellowship in critical-care medicine at Henry Ford. Hurst is a member of the DMU President's Society.
They succeed Wynde Cheek DO ('03), Robert Good DO ('77) MACOI, and the late David Best DO ('02), in their board roles.
The Alumni Board plays a key role in fostering lifelong connections between the university and its graduates. Board members help guide alumni engagement strategy and serve as ambassadors for DMU's more than 16,000 alumni worldwide.
Located in West Des Moines, part of Iowa's capital metro, Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences offers ten 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.
