Dear Colleagues,

It’s hard to believe we’re already at the close of another year—a year filled with change, opportunity, and shared accomplishments. As I reflect on 2024, I feel immense pride in the progress and impact we have achieved together as a department. Beyond the many research and clinical accomplishments, I wanted to reflect in the engagement work we have done.

Guided by insights from last year’s division listening sessions, we prioritized three key goals: increasing engagement, enhancing communication, and fostering a culture of belonging. These priorities shaped numerous initiatives and collaborations aimed at breaking down silos and creating meaningful opportunities to connect with colleagues and our communities.

While there’s still much to do, our Engagement and Belonging Committee has worked tirelessly this year to transform these goals into action. Noteworthy highlights include:

• The recognition of our long-term community partner, the Iowa City Free Medical and Dental Clinic, alongside several faculty members and residents, with the Culturally Responsive Health Care Award.
• Welcoming the second cohort of residents to the Distinction in Health Equity Track.
• The numerous initiatives that the Engagement and Belonging committee organized to strengthen engagement around the central focus theme of substance use disorders. We’re proud of the events and campaigns that helped raise awareness, reduce stigma, and promote recovery. Highlights include the Alcohol Awareness Month campaign, the moving Overdose Awareness Day Film Screening and discussion panel in collaboration with community and university partners; an impactful resident lecture on reducing health care provider stigma for people who use drugs, and the Recovery Month event which showcased expertise from our department, the College of Public Health, and the community.

As the year draws to a close, we’re excited to finish strong with a special opportunity to give back to both our community and each other: a TOY-DRIVE COMPETITION! You can support your division by donating online and pledging support for your division/area HERE, or by contributing new, unwrapped toys to your division’s collection box by 9 a.m. on December 9 (this coming Monday!). The winning division will be awarded up to 50 neck massage certificates—a small way to show appreciation for the incredible work we all do.

We have achieved so much this year and would not have been possible without a great team. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our Engagement and Belonging Committee members, our community and university partners, and each of you. Your selflessness and dedication inspire me every day. Please receive my warmest wishes for a joyous holiday season. May the coming weeks bring moments of connection, renewal, and celebration. Here’s to all we’ve accomplished in 2024—and to the opportunities that await us in 2025. Together, we strive to change medicine and change lives.

Winter Supply Drive

Help the Carver Homeless Outreach Program bring warmth to those in need this winter: donate winter jackets, warm clothes, or other shelter necessities through Jan. 22. Drop off box is located outside Boulware (1130A MERF).

Renew your 2025 pledges in Employee Self-Service

To continue supporting your charities in 2025, you will need to renew your annual pledge in Employee Self-Service by Dec. 23, 2024. You can find the latest information on this year’s agencies on the Hawkeyes for Charity website.

Register now! Breaking Barriers, Part 2: Fostering a Culture of Inclusion and Accessibility

This 90-minute webinar is part two of the Breaking Barriers series, hosted by the Group on Information Resources. The speakers will discuss, from a variety of perspectives, how to use instructional design best practices to create engaging and accessible content for learners.

Register now for Live Healthy Iowa’s annual 10 Week Wellness Challenge

Team up with your University of Iowa coworkers and participate in Live Healthy Iowa’s annual 10 Week Wellness Challenge! Over the course of the challenge, you will track your weekly physical activity minutes and compete against teams across the state while improving your health. liveWELL is covering the registration fee for all University of Iowa employees that register for the 2025 challenge.

December events, celebrations, and holidays

• World HIV/AIDS Awareness Month: A time to raise awareness and reflect on the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The month also encourages people to break down societal stigmas around the virus and to support those affected by HIV/AIDS.
• National Impaired Driving Prevention Month: An opportunity to remind everyone that they can save lives by driving only when sober, calling for a ride when impaired, planning ahead, and making sure friends and loved ones do the same.
• Dec. 1: World AIDS Day: Observed annually to unite people worldwide in the fight against HIV, show support for those living with HIV, and commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. The theme for World AIDS Day 2024 is “Collective Action: Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress.” Founded in 1988, it was the first ever Global Health Day.
• Dec. 2: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery: Nearly 40 million people across the world live in forced labor and marriages or human trafficking. The UN created this diversity day to raise awareness on how to eradicate this modern slavery.
• Dec. 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities: This call-to-action day aims to improve the living conditions of those living with disabilities, and raise awareness about how to work toward accessibility in every aspect of society.
• Dec. 8: Bodhi Day (Buddhist): This holiday remembers the day that Gautama Buddha is believed to attain enlightenment.
• Dec. 20: International Human Solidarity Day: Dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of solidarity to help advance the eradication of poverty. The first day featured a keynote address from Lech Walesa, the former president of Poland and the co-founder of the labor union Solidarity, which inspired this movement.
• Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: Yule (Pagan, Wiccan): A solstice celebration observed by many Neo-Pagans, both as individuals and as groups. For Wiccans, Yule is the second sabbat of the Wheel of the Year, marked with rituals to welcome the return of the Sun.
• Dec. 25: Christmas (Christian): Christmas began to be celebrated during the third century in Europe after church officials appointed December 25 Jesus of Nazareth’s birthday. The actual birthdate of Jesus is unknown and as such the church officials chose the date of an already popular holiday, Saturnalia.
• Dec. 26. to Jan. 1: Kwanzaa: First celebrated in 1966, this is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West, East, as well as Southeast Africa. Twenty-first-century estimates place the number of Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa between 500,000 and 2,000,000.
• Dec. 26 to Jan. 2*: Hanukkah (Jewish): A festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.
• Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve: Also known as Old Year’s Day, this is celebrated on the last day of the Gregorian calendar year. In many countries, New Year’s Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinking, and watching or lighting fireworks.

Note: All holidays marked with * begin the prior evening. This is not an exhaustive list of cultural events and holidays celebrated in this month.