Kansas City University Gifted $1.25M for Health Initiatives

Posted March 7, 2025

Kansas City University has received $1.25 million which will go toward funding a new scholarship as well as support the school’s new Center for Population Health and Equity.

The philanthropic gift will be divided between $750,000 for the Center for Population Health and Equity (CPHE) and $500,000 for the newly established J. Mike Stanton and Gladys B. Stanton Excellence in Osteopathic Medicine Scholarship, according to a Wednesday release.

The CPHE received $500,000 from the William T. Kemper Foundation, which will go toward renovating the Dybedal Center for Research. The remaining $250,000 was gifted by the Victor E. Speas Foundation; however, the release didn’t mention what these funds would specifically support for the facility.

“We are grateful to these foundations for their generous support,” the executive director of the CPHE at KCU, Dr. Catherine Satterwhite, said in the release. “These contributions further our mission to create a more equitable and effective health care system by equipping our students with the resources they need to lead change and improve the communities we serve.”

Executive director of the Center for Population Health and Equity, Dr. Catherine Satterwhite. Photo credit: Kansas City University.

Last year, KCU also received $5 million from the Sutherland Foundation to support the development of the CPHE.

A $500,000 contribution for the Stanton scholarship was gifted from a graduate of KCU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“By investing in the education of future doctors, we can change lives and strengthen communities,” Stanton said in the release. “This scholarship is designed to open doors for students who will lead the field with compassion, innovation and excellence.”