University of Wisconsin–Madison
The UW Crest on the side of the Health Sciences Learning Center (HSLC) is framed by leaves from a yellow tree on a sunny autumn afternoon at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on Nov. 1, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Miller / UW–Madison)

Social Impact and Belonging

Social impact and belonging is integral to the mission and vision of the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. We partner with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and UW Health to promote belonging and health equity within our institution. We also collaborate with academic peers nationwide on strategies and models for addressing challenges related to social impact and belonging at other institutions.

Strategic Framework

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TRANSFORMATION: We will create and sustain systems and resources that support health equity, social impact, and belonging.

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RECRUITING: We will develop and support intentional systems for recruiting and selecting leadership, faculty, staff, and residents for all backgrounds. We will actively identify and support pathways to strengthen representation across clinical, research, and education teams and leadership.

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UNLEARNING AND LEARNING: We will provide access to educational curriculum, tools, and resources that help faculty, staff, and clinical learners in cultivating practices that promote belonging across our environments.

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SUSTAINING AND RETAINING: We will establish and maintain policies and practices, including systems of mentorship, that support belonging for all.

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TRACKING AND TELLING: We will develop and test clear metrics that help us assess and refine our work. We will share stories and strategies of building trust to support health equity and belonging in academic medicine.

We Believe That

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Health equity addresses assumptions in policies and practices and centers the culture and actions of the department on the ability of all communities to achieve optimal health and well-being.

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Belonging-centered practices assure that all are welcome to create and bring their full selves to the department.

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Bringing a healing attention first to our unconscious assumptions allows us to mindfully engage in social impact and belonging work.

Land Acknowledgement

A stone marker details the indigenous meaning of The Tree of Peace – a Native American cultural icon planted in 1988 on Observatory Hill near Washburn Observatory – as the sun sets over Observatory Hill at the University of Wisconsin–Madison during autumn on Nov. 2, 2021.
A stone marker details the indigenous meaning of The Tree of Peace – a Native American cultural icon planted in 1988 on Observatory Hill near Washburn Observatory. (Photo by Jeff Miller / UW–Madison)

The University of Wisconsin occupies ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.

In an 1832 treaty, the Ho-Chunk were forced to cede this territory. Decades of ethnic cleansing followed when both the federal and state government repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, sought to forcibly remove the Ho-Chunk from Wisconsin.

We acknowledge the circumstances that led to the forced removal of the Ho-Chunk people and honor their legacy of resistance and resilience. This history of colonization informs our work and vision for a collaborative future.

We recognize and respect the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation and the other 11 First Nations within the boundaries of the state of Wisconsin.

Together as an academic health system, we recognize this place and more importantly, move beyond acknowledgment and pledge to continue learning more and taking action.