Connect

Dear UVA Health Team Members,

Throughout March, we join communities across the country to recognize Women’s History Month, a time to honor the accomplishments of women across all facets of life, including science and medicine. This year, we come together under the national theme, "Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion," to honor the dedicated efforts of women at UVA Health throughout our organization's history and present day.

At UVA Health and across the country, our healthcare legacy is shaped by remarkable women who have not only advanced medicine but are also strong advocates for equality. Leaders like Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the first female U.S. Army surgeon and a women’s rights advocate and abolitionist, Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, the first Native American woman in the United States to earn a medical degree and who worked to expand access to healthcare on reservations, and our own UVA School of Medicine alumna Dr. Vivian Pinn, the first full-time director of the Office of Research on Women's Health at the National Institutes of Health, have all left lasting marks on healthcare history.

Today, both women and men at UVA Health continue to make history through groundbreaking research, initiatives, and advocacy in women's healthcare. We will amplify and celebrate these individuals throughout the month across our communications platforms like Connect, Healthy Balance, Medicine in Motion, and InsideCommunity Health.

To further honor the history, life experiences, and contributions of women at UVA Health, the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement has organized a series of programs beginning this week and continuing throughout Women’s History Month. We invite you to explore Connect for the full lineup of events.

Thank you for your commitment to our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Together, let’s celebrate the vital role women play in shaping these values at UVA Health and continue our collective journey toward a more inclusive future.

Sincerely, 

K. Craig Kent, MD
Chief Executive Officer, UVA Health

Tracy M. Downs, MD
Chief Diversity and Community Engagement Officer, UVA Health

Marianne Baernholdt, PhD
Dean, UVA School of Nursing

Wendy Horton, PharmD
Chief Executive Officer, UVA Health University Medical Center

Melina R. Kibbe, MD
Dean, UVA School of Medicine

J. Scott Just, MD
Chief Executive Officer, UVA Physicians Group

Erik Shannon
Chief Executive Officer, UVA Community Health