Kacey Davis
Director of employee health and wellness, Dotdash Meredith Corp.
Age: 38
Husband: Andrew Buscher
Children: Jack Buscher, Teddy Buscher
Accomplishments that make you deserving of being a Forty Under 40:
Serving my community on the Broadlawns board of trustees in an effort to make healthier communities and provide increased access to care.
Working on the Young Women's Resource Center board of directors to empower young girls and provide valuable resources for young women and young moms.
Work at Dotdash Meredith to improve the health and well-being of our corporate workforce through thoughtful initiatives.
Continued engagement in my community through work with health care advocacy groups, community health work and climate-focused initiatives.
What's your biggest passion, and why?
I have many passions, but improving the lives of women and girls, and access to medical care for women and young moms – particularly in the maternal health space – is top of mind. The U.S., and especially our community, should not have such poor maternal health outcomes. Additionally, improving the general health and well-being of my community – both mental and physical – is paramount. With this improved health comes a passion for climate and social justice.
What are your goals in your role at work?
Dotdash Meredith cares about the health and well-being of its employees. With such amazing corporate support, I am able to improve the health of our overall workforce, and also assist my colleagues during times when they need support for physical health, mental health and/or overall well-being. My goal is to continue this work and grow our medical and wellness programs to further benefit my amazing colleagues in New York, Des Moines, Birmingham and across the country.
What are your goals in a role outside of work?
It sounds cliche, but my most important role is being a mom to my two very young sons (3 years old and 8 months old). My goal is to teach them it is important to be involved in your community and take an active role in making this world a better place. In turn, my goal is to improve our community so it is a place where my sons – and everyone’s children – can thrive. We need to invest in each other and spread kindness wherever we can.
In my role as a Broadlawns trustee, I strive to continue improvements in access and mental health care. I hope also to help Broadlawns lead in taking action on behalf of the climate as a public health care system.
Tell us about an experience or memory that influenced how you see the world or what you want to do in life.
I worked for a number of years providing direct patient care in the community health setting. I remember seeing a patient for a sinus infection only to realize he was on the verge of diabetic ketoacidosis – due to no access to his medications. Another patient, who missed his appointments several times due to lack of transportation, was often at the bus stop. On my drive home, I would stop at the bus stop and give him appointment reminder cards so he could plan for his care. When you get to know these patients, and hear the barriers they face, you can't help but be motivated to try and make change. They compel me to work on health and wellness access.
What are your aspirations for the future?
I want to see holes plugged in health care access – and that means all aspects of care and in any way access can be denied, including transportation, affordability, lack of available health care workers. At the same time, I aspire to advance work on behalf of environmental justice, focusing on inequities that surface as our climate changes.
Everyone has the right to be healthy. At work, I aspire to enrich the pathways available to all workers to achieve healthy outcomes for themselves and their families. As above, I'm thinking of all aspects of health – physical, emotional, financial and more.
What's one piece of advice you'd give to a young professional?
My advice would be to take risks. If there is something I want to achieve, I write it down, then list the steps required to achieve said goal – even if it is risky. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. If something scares you, then it is probably a sign to do it. And lastly, but most importantly, be kind to people. The world needs more of that.
What is one thing you would like to see Central Iowa leaders address, and why?
We need to address health disparities in our community. We need improved access to health care. Our maternal mortality rates have more than doubled over the last 20 years, which further highlights health care inequities, particularly in the maternal health space. Addressing these health inequities links directly to facing a number of challenges such as social and climate justice, mental health care and more.
What's one fun fact about you?
I have been to 26 different countries. When traveling with my husband, we usually find a local cooking class or food tour. We have tried many interesting foods – most notably, raw chicken in Japan (cooked in a special way – don't try this at home!). It tasted like ... well, chicken.
Hobbies:
Being a mom takes up all my free time, but I love to take my kids hiking – we love Brown’s Woods and Jester Park, particularly the Jester Park natural playscape. We also love exploring different family friendly activities in Des Moines – like the DSM Art Club, the public library and the Botanical Garden's live music.
One word that describes you: Engaged.
What is your favorite local restaurant? There are so many! Chuck's Restaurant, Olympic Flame, Gursha Ethiopian Grill and Lucca are some of my favorites.
Name one book, podcast, movie or show you love. “The Daily” (podcast) by the New York Times.
What is your go-to activity to do in Central Iowa in the evenings or during the weekend?
We love going to the Botanical Garden and listening to live music during the summer. We bring our kids, and they have a blast. In the winter, we try to get outdoors as much as possible. Our 3-year-old loves skiing at Seven Oaks. Going to see the buffalo at Jester Park and playing at the natural playscape and camping are all great ways to spend the weekend. I loved Poetry Palooza last year and plan to go to more poetry events in the future.
Is there anything else people should know about you?
I lived in Chicago for all of my 20s, and into my 30s. I am grateful to return to my hometown and take an active role in my community.