I will keep this one brief. I hope this end-of-year message finds you wrapped in warm blankets and the warmth of loved ones around you. At every holiday, I think about our patients, the people who had no choice in spending this time away from comfort or from certainty. Facing a health crisis at any time of the year is an extraordinary challenge, but nothing can make you feel lonelier than when it comes during the holidays. So, my deepest thanks to our colleagues who are working extra hard right now not only to alleviate the medical crises that brought our patients to us, but also to let them and their families know they are not alone. Whether you are on call, on service, or are staffing a clinic these last weeks of 2025, I hope you know the care you deliver right now is all the more appreciated and meaningful. I also hope that those of you who are getting some well-deserved rest or traveling are staying safe and recharging for the exciting work we will do together in 2026.

Each week I am always thrilled to sign onto the residency interviews Zooms to welcome the candidates to Internal Medicine at Iowa. I don’t have to tell you that trainee enthusiasm can feel like a cup of espresso when you need some external motivation for the work. At the beginning of the virtual interviews, Dr. Andy Bryant, one of our residency associate program directors, leads an icebreaker with everyone. A recent question he asked was which superpower we might choose for ourselves. Some want to fly, others to never be injured, but recently I told them that I wish my superpower was to inspire more kindness and grace, to increase everyone’s patience and to recognize that everyone is usually trying their best. I wish that we each had more of this not just for the stranger in front of us at the grocery store or in the long line of traffic, but even for ourselves. We also have to have some grace and kindness for ourselves. So although I don’t have this superpower, I can make it my holiday wish for us all. Surely, just a little more kindness is within reach for us all.

Photo for reflection
I took this photo of a snowflake almost exactly six years ago in Utah, during a time when I had been separated from regular snowfalls long enough to be enchanted by them again. Individually, snowflakes are delicate, but when their intricacies bind with others around them, their impact is profound. In a similar way our work sometimes might feel like trying to empty the ocean with a spoon. But when we step back to see how it fits with the work of our peers, we can see how durable, positive change becomes reality.

We are at the end of a long year, our first full calendar year together, and one that has been filled with a lot of uncertainty. I believe there have been just as many successes and achievements worthy of celebration. I will forever remain honored by the opportunity to lead this amazing department. I have a unique bird’s-eye-view of the breadth and scope of all your activities, and I can assure you that your individual creativity, dedication, and resilience are seen and make a huge difference. Your examples inspire me every day and restore my energy to ensure that our collective efforts add up to a whole that is greater than the sum of our parts. Thank you for an incredible 2025!