Top news
- November is Native American Heritage Month, which celebrates the rich and diverse culture, history, and contributions of Native people. Student organization Wunk Sheek and campus partners are hosting a series of events across the university to celebrate the rich history, culture, and heritage of Native people at UW–Madison. See all of the events here. Of special interest may be “Confronting Sexual Violence in the Colonial University” co-sponsored by the Native American Center for Health Professions on Monday, November 9, and the “Cultural Responsiveness in Working with Wisconsin Native Nations” workshop on Thursday, November 12.
- The December 7 deadline for getting an influenza vaccination and submitting the proper documentation is swiftly approaching. Another campus University Health Services clinic for students and employees has been scheduled for this coming Monday, Nov. 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Nicholas Recreation Center. Appointments are optional — you may schedule a time online, or just stop by at your convenience. Read more information about what documentation is needed and a message from Jon Temte, MD, PhD, the SMPH Associate Dean for Public Health and Community Engagement.
- UW–Madison has announced details about expanded COVID-19 testing for employees and students in the spring semester. Expanded capacity will add up to 10,000 additional tests per day, as needed, to ensure all undergraduate students in Madison are tested twice each week. Employees and graduate students working on or visiting campus will also be required to be tested regularly. Read more
- The UW–Madison 2020 Diversity Forum last week attracted more than 5,000 registrants, including many people from our school community.
SMPH attendees respond to the question: “How will you take anti-racist action?”
“Seeking out some of the materials mentioned by presenters (websites, books). More actively calling out or changing practices within my program. ” — Anonymous
“I am going to work to advocate for specific solutions and ideas that I learned about. For example, one thing I learned we can do is to create a central funding model for disability support services like interpreters. This would take the burden off individual departments and units from having to individually fund services for those needing accommodations.” — Anonymous
Did you attend the forum? Send us your thoughts, and we will include them in an upcoming issue of In the Know. Submit insights using this form.
- View this week’s Quick Links, with sad news about the death of Human Oncology professor emeritus Kelly Clifton, PhD, and valuable information for all personnel, for researchers, and for clinicians.
Building an Anti-Racist SMPH
- The editors of ten academic journals in the field of family medicine have released a statement titled “Systemic Racism and Health Disparities.” The authors include Sarina Schrager, MD, MS, Professor (CHS), Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, who is the medical editor of Family Practice Management as well as WMJ. The statement includes an impeccably documented bibliography of scholarship generated by the family medicine community on the topic of racism in medicine, and a commitment to action.
- View upcoming events relating to anti-racism topics at UW–Madison and beyond.
Shout-outs:
Please send kudos about your colleagues. Honor someone at go.wisc.edu/shoutout and we’ll share the stories. Submit your thoughts and we’ll share them in a future issue.