As experts in a multitude of aspects of health care delivery and academic medicine, whether it is educating medical students, performing a cutting-edge procedure, or completing the requirements to launch a clinical trial, we are often asked to provide that expertise to legislators or other policy makers. Occasionally we are asked to advise with the understanding that we are members of a state-funded health care system, but often that affiliation places certain restrictions on what we can say, where we can say it, and how we represent ourselves. Of course that can be frustrating, we want to always be free to speak our minds! But the fact is, as employees of the University of Iowa, we are stewards of public funds and a public trust. Although we have the privilege of academic freedom, we also have a responsibility when it comes to advocacy. Even when we are acting within the bounds of the guidelines set by our Board of Regents, it can be useful to remember a distinction I heard made once. When we want to see change, sometimes we must distinguish between being right and being effective. We are fortunate to have insights from our experience and training that can make dramatic differences in individual’s lives, in public health, and in the future of our community and nation. But if our input is poorly timed or runs counter to our obligations, we run the risk of getting in the way of our desired outcomes.

I would urge you to familiarize yourself with the Regents’ guidelines around free speech, especially as it relates to faculty activity. What is not discussed there is the power of collective action outside our working lives. There are several professional organizations that we can lend our voices to and have an even greater impact than we can as individuals. Whether it is the American College of Physicians, the American Medical Association, the Iowa Medical Society, or any number of subspecialty organizations like the American Heart Association or the Endocrine Society, each of these groups regularly weigh in on the issues that matter most to us. They might advise the USPSTF on colorectal cancer screening guidelines or they could be testifying before a congressional subcommittee about the number of J1 visas allotted to a state. Whatever the issue, there is strength in a chorus of voices that a subspecialty professional organization can assemble. One such organization, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) recently helped our faculty get the ear of a US Congressperson. I was fortunate to be invited by ID Division Director Dr. Judy Streit to join her, some members of our faculty, and UI Health Care leaders in conversation with Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Over the course of 90 minutes, the congressperson heard about the challenges of recruiting into this subspecialty, the reality of the reimbursement rate and the disconnect from its importance to medicine, as well as the excellence that our faculty and staff deliver despite these challenges. My thanks to Dr. Streit and the members of her division for being so well-prepared to speak up for what matters when the moment was right.

Sometimes we become advocates just by showing up. It seems only natural to move from a story in which a number of women physicians hold leadership roles—dean, division director, member of Congress—to reminding you that March is Women’s History Month. We will share some stories and perspectives later this month, but I encourage you to visit our “women in medicine” tag to review how our department has contributed to this conversation over the years. Today is also International Women’s Day. It is an honor to work alongside so many talented and professional women from around the world in this department. But today I am mostly thinking about one woman in our department. Today is Denise Zang’s last day with us, and as she heads off into retirement and settles into her house on the lake, I hope that she knows that she takes with her our gratitude for her years of service. I have appreciated her dedication to this department through very difficult challenges and her counsel these last couple years as we charted its next steps. Thank you for all you gave to this department, Denise. This department wishes you the very best and hopes that you will stay in touch.