Lactation support
Ice pack/cooler loan program
We are pleased to announce the rollout of a new program for parents who need lactation support. The Department of Medicine now has purchased small coolers and ice packs for faculty, staff and trainees to borrow when in need of portable breast milk storage.
Lactation spaces
The UW provides private, secure, and clean lactation spaces to support nursing employees in buildings across campus, at the medical centers, and other UW offices.
Lift program
In 2022, the Department of Medicine Gender Equity Council introduced the Leadership in Faculty Trajectory (LIFT) program, based on a similar initiation in the General Internal Medicine Division at Emory University.
The program was piloted by the Division of General Internal Medicine, the department's largest division, aiming to improve communication and transparency around the promotion process.
Lessons from the LIFT pilot indicate that efforts toward creating formal routes for advice, dialogue and sponsorship can help faculty feel more prepared for the promotions process and more supported in their career development.
A shared mental model for family support
Our Family Support subcommittee conducted focus groups to understand the barriers to supporting employees with families and to explore what an ideal model of support for faculty, staff, and trainees with families might look like.
Reconnection events
We hosted a series of reconnection events (with coffee and donuts!) to provide opportunities to meet new people and reconnect with colleagues in the department.
Three events were held in November at different sites - Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical Center-Montlake, and the Seattle VA - as a way for people at each location to meet each other and make new connections.
Inaugural year accomplishments