Vanessa Gray

Director, Continuing Medical Education at Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences

Speaker

Mrs. Gray’s career in Continuing Medical Education (CME) started in 2006 when she developed educational programs for Intermountain Healthcare, the largest healthcare system in Utah. In 2010, she joined Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences (DMU) and has grown the CME program from 12 activities annually to an average of 450 educational offerings. Under her leadership, DMU maintains several multi-disciplinary accreditations through the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) (with commendation), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) (with commendation), the Iowa Board of Nursing, the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME), and the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

Mrs. Gray wholeheartedly believes in the impact CME has on the healthcare industry. She is incredibly passionate about the role of patients and their families in the healthcare team, including medical education and research. She believes involving patients in the delivery of CME engages clinicians’ minds and hearts, reinforcing why their work matters.

Mrs. Gray is active in the CME profession, serving on multiple national and regional committees, including the ACCME (surveyor and mentor for novice CME professionals), CPME (6-year CME committee and ad-hoc member), DMU Health Leaders (director of operations), National Commission for Certification of CME Professionals (finance committee), and Meeting Professional International, Utah Chapter (director of professional development and education). Mrs. Gray frequently presents at industry conferences on patient involvement in CME, compliance, outcomes measurement, digital accessibility, adult learning principles, data privacy, learning communities, and audience engagement.

In December 2025, Mrs. Gray will receive her Doctorate of Health Care Administration from Oklahoma State University. She received her undergraduate degree in business and economics from the University of Utah and her Master of Health Care Administration from DMU.