CME: Clinical care, Meaningful community, and Education

One of the privileges of working in academic medicine is that education never stops. We spend a lot of time educating medical students, residents, and fellows. But there is another important group we are obliged to, one that relies on our time and energy, the health care professionals who attend our continuing medical education (CME) events. Each division in our department hosts at least one annual CME event, providing fellow Iowan and regional clinicians updates and potentially practice-modifying education through engaging and useful presentations.

These are valuable opportunities, both for our department and for the broader health care community. Just in the last couple weeks, the Division of Immunology hosted its annual Current Topics in Allergy/Immunology conference. The Heart and Vascular Center and our Division of Cardiovascular Medicine welcomed clinicians from across the Midwest for the 2026 Heartland Lead Management Symposium, bringing together experts from multiple academic medical centers to discuss advances in device and lead management. Today, our colleagues in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism are hosting the Advances in Diabetes and Obesity Management conference, a multidisciplinary day for a multidisciplinary constellation of conditions. You can see an archive of recaps of all our CME events at this link.

These events are critical to our educational mission. We have faculty with tremendous expertise, and sharing that knowledge with colleagues is one way we can improve care well beyond UI Health Care’s reach. But I think the value of these gatherings goes even further. The clinicians who attend these conferences are often practicing in communities throughout Iowa and the surrounding states. They are caring for patients in places where access to subspecialty expertise is often limited, and they are frequently the people who help patients navigate the decision and the process to seek specialty care. When these physicians come to Iowa City for CME, they get an opportunity to hear directly from our faculty about the latest evidence, emerging treatments, and practical approaches to challenging clinical problems. Just as importantly, they get to know the people behind that expertise. (Although it is not for CME credit, the critical care fellows who come here from around the country for ultrasound training get a similar exposure to Iowa excellence.)

If CME attendees did not train here or have not met us before, there is something meaningful for them and for us about putting faces to names, having conversations outside the context of a referral or a consultation, and building relationships that can continue long after the conference concludes. Those relationships foster trust and make it easier for clinicians to reach out when they have questions or need help with a particularly difficult case. They also help us better understand the needs and challenges of the communities we all serve. We may be based in Iowa City, but our responsibility to the health of Iowans extends far beyond Johnson County. These gatherings are one way we touch corners of the state that might otherwise be harder to reach.

I also appreciate how many of these events incorporate our fellows into the planning and presentations. Whether they are presenting case reports, sharing rapid-fire clinical pearls, or providing more substantial evidence-based updates, fellows are given an opportunity to take on the role of the expert in a supportive environment. They help shape the educational experience for their peers and colleagues. That is an important transition in professional development, one that begins in residency and deepens in fellowship. Presenting to an audience of practicing clinicians requires a different kind of confidence and preparation. It asks them to synthesize what they know, communicate it clearly, and consider how the information will be used in practice.

I am grateful to the faculty, fellows, and administrative teams who put so much time and energy into organizing these events. It takes considerable effort to develop a meaningful program, coordinate speakers, and make visiting clinicians feel welcome and that they got value for their attendance. The result is much more than a successful day of CME. It is an investment in relationships, in our trainees, and in the larger network of people working to improve health care across our region.

Photo for reflection
Diwali begins in a couple days, also known as the Festival of Lights. If you are unfamiliar, this holiday holds a beautiful tradition of illuminating homes and gathering spaces with lamps and elaborate decorations. This intricate design is a wonderful example of the care and creativity that go into these displays. One of the things I appreciate about the symbolism of Diwali is the idea that light is something shared. A single lamp brightens a room, but when many lights come together, the effect is something very different. Each light adds something of its own, and the collective result is brighter and more beautiful than any one could achieve by itself. Similarly, every clinician brings their own set of knowledge and perspective to the work of caring for patients. When we create opportunities to share those individual contributions, whether in a conference room in Iowa City or in a conversation that continues long afterward, we all benefit. Our lights don’t get dimmer when shared. Things only get brighter.

Upi’s “Oh, WOW” moment
Speaking of reaching corners of the state, I was excited to read about several of our faculty members and their work on Office of Rural Health-funded research projects addressing health care challenges for rural Veterans. The projects, led by Drs. Heather Davila, Amy M.J. O’Shea, and Taylor Cox address very practical challenges, from access to dementia specialty care and reliable broadband for telemedicine to improving access to healthy, locally grown food. What struck me was the way these efforts bring together research, community partnerships, and a genuine understanding of the circumstances in which people live. Improving health care means finding ways to meet people where they are, and these projects are wonderful examples of our faculty doing exactly that. Congratulations to everyone involved!