Internal Medicine is people. A whole lot of people. From about quarter after 11 till well after 1:00 p.m. a steady stream of department faculty and staff were treated to some lunch, a do-it-yourself photo booth with props, and a sun-filled atrium in which to catch up with colleagues. For 13 (non-consecutive) years, the department has hosted Employee Appreciation Day as one moment for everyone to celebrate membership in a large but tight-knit team.

Chair and DEO E. Dale Abel, MD, PhD, spoke briefly about how much the department values the contributions of each of its members. “This lunch is a very small token of our recognition and our gratitude,” Abel said.

In years past, the event drew a large portion of the department, but this year, the first administration did not keep an exact count, estimates that attendance outstripped previous years were unanimous. Very little food was left over and what little there was got sent on its way to a local charitable organization that feeds those experiencing homelessness and food insecurity.

We are grateful to the members of our Human Resources team who organize this event every year. Thank you to them and to everyone who took the time to celebrate yourselves, each other, and this department!