How this university leader champions health care access, innovation in Tarrant County

Glenn Forister didn’t always imagine himself working in health care. 

In the late 1980s, Forister was pursuing a business degree at the University of Houston but quickly fell out of love with it. He wanted to pursue a career with more meaning in it, he said. 

Looking for a change, Forister transferred to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. There, he fell in love with one specialty: physician assistant. 

Physician assistants are licensed medical professionals who can provide direct patient care. They work with patients of all ages in various specialty and primary care areas. They can diagnose and treat common illnesses and assist with minor procedures, but they have to work under the supervision of a doctor. 

“When I went down there, I ran into those physician assistant students, and it just struck me as a really interesting possible career,” he said. “I switched, and that was life-changing for me.”

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After years of working in physician assistant roles and teaching positions in Oregon and Texas, Forister took his passion for medicine to the School of Health Professions at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth as its dean. He has served in the role since February 2019. 

Forister oversees programs that include physical therapy, physician assistant training and personalized health studies. 

He also wears several other hats within the School of Health Professions in an effort to grow health care resources and medical innovation across Tarrant County.

Forister oversees ForeverFit at HSC Physical Health, a fitness program that provides free individualized, structured and supervised exercise for cancer patients. Anyone with a current or previous cancer diagnosis is eligible for ForeverFit, but a physician’s referral is required. The program helps expand resources for cancer patients, Forister said. 

He also manages HSC Physical Therapy, which provides free physical therapy examinations and activities to adults with neuromuscular or chronic conditions. The program is currently closed as it searches for a new location, but will open again soon, Forister said.

“It’s been great to be able to take care of patients weekly, and we’re excited to bring it back,” he said. “With ForeverFit patients, we create a safe space for them. Having this sort of space for (cancer patients) to be together in a group and form a community, there’s something healing about that, too.” 

Forister also serves as a partner for Techstars Physical Health Fort Worth Accelerator. Techstars is a global investment firm that provides access to one-on-one mentorship and customized programming for early-stage startups. 

The firm’s accelerator focuses on supporting companies to build new technologies, treatments and therapies in the physical health space in areas such as rehabilitation, physical therapy, human performance and exercise.

The city of Fort Worth, Tarrant County and Goff Capital provided nearly $10 million to the UNT Health Science Center to fund the program for three years and attract innovators. The goal is to make Fort Worth the physical health capital of the world. 

The partnership is a great opportunity to expose students to startups and attract young business founders, Forister said. 

“Students might see themselves as a future entrepreneur. For them to see and hear (startup) pitches makes a difference in their careers,” he said.

In his different spheres of training and technology, Forister strives to be transparent about his goals and decisions. The key to success, he said, is to build strong connections. 

“It all comes down to building sound relationships and serving as a positive forward leader. If you do that, it’ll be good,” he said. “As a leader, instead of trying to focus constantly on the negative, it’s important to focus on the good things that are happening along with the challenges.” 

Michael Furtado, chair of the department of physical therapy at the School of Health Professions, said Forister is a transformative leader who guides through inclusivity and active listening. Forister works constantly to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and changes in health care, said Furtado. 

Forister “is very in tune with health technologies and encourages us to really implement that into our curriculum and all the things we do,” said Furtado. “His vision for keeping contemporary and innovative is at the forefront. He also likes to hear our ideas and offer support.”

Five years into his tenure, Forister sees opportunities to grow the School of Health Professions’ reach and programs. As an advocate for innovation, he plans to continue championing new breakthroughs within the industry.

“One of the challenges is figuring out how to incorporate new innovations and all these changes that are happening rapidly,” he said. “We have to focus on that not only this year, but all the time.” 

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9 a.m. Aug. 9 to clarify which program is searching for a new location.

David Moreno is the health reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at [email protected] or via X.

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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