Representatives from the Bird House Hospice Home of Johnson County brought snacks, stories, and gratitude to the Department of Internal Medicine yesterday afternoon. Rebecca Carver, Sanjana Raghavan, and Carol Tippe have stayed in close contact with the department throughout our Spring Community Engagement project and helped us bring this campaign to a close in a meaningful way for attendees.

Tuesday afternoon they hosted a small thank-you event in the department and gave some more details about the work they do and where the department’s donations will be applied. Frank discussions about finances were interwoven with stories about individual impact. They described family members who still visit regularly long after their loved-one has passed, special meals they prepared for guests. They spoke of guests who spend months in the home or insist on a specific daily snack after a walk through the lush and peaceful grounds that surround the residence. “The Bird House is a place for living,” they emphasized.

After a two-month campaign, Internal Medicine members raised nearly $1,200 in direct donations and satisfied nearly three-quarters of the Bird House-provided wish list. The department’s Community Engagement & Services committee members Rethy Krishnamurthy and Hilary Humphrey reported to the assembled audience that every division in the department contributed in this campaign. The Division of General Internal Medicine had the greatest participation among its members and will be formally recognized with their prize at their next faculty meeting.

Carver, Raghavan, and Tippe encouraged anyone who wants to learn more or to continue to contribute to the work they provide our community can visit their website or give them a “like” on their Facebook page.

Thank you to the Department of Internal Medicine for extending the work you do for University of Iowa Health Care to natural partners in Johnson County. Your generosity is deeply appreciated.